24th Tony Awards

Date

April 19, 1970

Location

Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, New York

Hosted by

Julie Andrews, Shirley MacLaine and Walter Matthau

Television/radio coverage

Network

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The 24th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by NBC television on April 19, 1970, from the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City. Hosts were Julie Andrews, Shirley MacLaine and Walter Matthau.

The ceremony

Presenters: Clive Barnes, Mia Farrow, Elliott Gould, Claire Bloom, Michael Caine, Jack Cassidy, David Frost, Cary Grant, Patricia Neal, George C. Scott, James Stewart, Maggie Smith, Robert Stephens.^[1]

Musicals represented:

Applause ("Applause" - Bonnie Franklin and Company/"Welcome to the Theatre" and "Applause" (reprise) - Lauren Bacall and Company)
Coco ("Always Mademoiselle" - Katharine Hepburn and Company)
Purlie ("I Got Love" - Melba Moore/"Walk Him up the Stairs" - Cleavon Little and Company)

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
Borstal Boy – Frank McMahon Child's Play – Robert Marasco Indians – Arthur Kopit Last of the Red Hot Lovers – Neil Simon	Applause Coco Purlie
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
*Fritz Weaver – Child's Play* as Jerome Malley** James Coco – Last of the Red Hot Lovers as Barney Cashman Frank Grimes – Borstal Boy as Young Behan Stacy Keach – Indians as Buffalo Bill	*Tammy Grimes – Private Lives* as Amanda Prynne** Geraldine Brooks – Brightower as Sara Brightower Helen Hayes – Harvey as Veta Louise Simmons
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
*Cleavon Little – Purlie* as Purlie** Len Cariou – Applause as Bill Sampson Robert Weede – Cry for Us All as Edward Quinn	*Lauren Bacall – Applause* as Margo Channing** Katharine Hepburn – Coco as Coco Chanel Dilys Watling – Georgy as Georgina 'Georgy' Parkin
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
*Ken Howard – Child's Play* as Paul Reese** Joseph Bova – The Chinese and Dr. Fish as Mr. Lee Dennis King – A Patriot for Me as Baron von Epp	*Blythe Danner – Butterflies Are Free* as Jill Tanner** Alice Drummond – The Chinese and Dr. Fish as Mrs. Lee Eileen Heckart – Butterflies Are Free as Mrs. Baker Linda Lavin – Last of the Red Hot Lovers as Elaine Navazio
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
*René Auberjonois – Coco* as Sebastian Baye** Brandon Maggart – Applause as Buzz Richards George Rose – Coco as Louis Greff	*Melba Moore – Purlie* as Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins** Bonnie Franklin – Applause as Bonnie the Gypsy Penny Fuller – Applause as Eve Harrington Melissa Hart – Georgy as Meredith
Best Direction of a Play	Best Direction of a Musical
Joseph Hardy – Child's Play Milton Katselas – Butterflies Are Free Tómas Mac Anna – Borstal Boy Robert Moore – Last of the Red Hot Lovers	Ron Field – Applause Michael Benthall – Coco Philip Rose – Purlie
Best Choreography	Best Scenic Design
Ron Field – Applause Michael Bennett – Coco Grover Dale – Billy Louis Johnson – Purlie	Jo Mielziner – Child's Play Howard Bay – Cry for Us All Ming Cho Lee – Billy Robert Randolph – Applause
Best Costume Design	Best Lighting Design
Cecil Beaton – Coco Ray Aghayan – Applause W. Robert Lavine – Jimmy Freddy Wittop – A Patriot for Me	Jo Mielziner – Child's Play Tharon Musser – Applause Thomas Skelton – Indians

Special awards

Sir Noël Coward for his multiple and immortal contributions to the theatre
Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
New York Shakespeare Festival, for pioneering efforts on behalf of new plays
Barbra Streisand – Star of the Decade ^[2]

Multiple nominations and awards

These productions had multiple nominations:

11 nominations: Applause
7 nominations: Coco
6 nominations: Child's Play
5 nominations: Purlie
4 nominations: Last of the Red Hot Lovers
3 nominations: Borstal Boy, Butterflies Are Free and Indians
2 nominations: Billy, The Chinese and Dr. Fish, Cry for Us All, Georgy and A Patriot for Me

The following productions received multiple awards.

5 wins: Child's Play
4 wins: Applause
2 wins: Coco and Purlie

References

External links

Tony Awards

Tony Awards
American Theatre Wing The Broadway League EGOT Triple Crown of Acting
Play	Best Play Best Revival of a Play Best Direction of a Play Best Leading Actor in a Play Best Leading Actress in a Play Best Featured Actor in a Play Best Featured Actress in a Play Best Costume Design in a Play Best Lighting Design in a Play Best Scenic Design in a Play Best Sound Design of a Play
Musical	Best Musical Best Revival of a Musical Best Direction of a Musical Best Leading Actor in a Musical Best Leading Actress in a Musical Best Featured Actor in a Musical Best Featured Actress in a Musical Best Book of a Musical Best Choreography Best Costume Design in a Musical Best Lighting Design in a Musical Best Orchestrations Best Original Score Best Scenic Design in a Musical Best Sound Design of a Musical
Special (non-competitive)	Regional Theatre Tony Award Special Tony Award Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Isabelle Stevenson Award
Retired	Best Author Best Conductor and Musical Director Best Costume Design Best Director Best Lighting Design Best Newcomer Best Revival Best Scenic Design Best Special Theatrical Event Best Stage Technician
Ceremonies	1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020/21 2022 2023 2024

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