56th Tony Awards
Official poster for the 56th annual Tony Awards
Date	June 2, 2002
Location	Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York
Hosted by	Bernadette Peters Gregory Hines
Most awards	Thoroughly Modern Millie (6)
Most nominations	Thoroughly Modern Millie (11)
Website	tonyawards.com
Television/radio coverage
Network	CBS
Viewership	7.9 million[1]
Produced by	Ricky Kirshner Gary Smith
Directed by	Glenn Weiss
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The 56th Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall on June 2, 2002 and broadcast by CBS. "The First Ten" awards ceremony was telecast on PBS television. The event was co-hosted by Bernadette Peters and Gregory Hines.^[2]

With her win as a producer of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Whoopi Goldberg became the 10th person to become an EGOT winner.

The ceremony

The show opened with a tribute to Richard Rodgers, featuring a medley of his songs performed by Marvin Hamlisch, Harry Connick Jr., Michele Lee, Mos Def, Lea Salonga, Peter Gallagher, John Raitt, Bernadette Peters, Gregory Hines, and the company of Oklahoma! A Broadway/New York song medley was performed by Bernadette Peters and Gregory Hines.^[3]

Presentations from nominated musicals:^[3]

• Into the Woods: "Children Will Listen", "Ever After" and "Into the Woods" - Vanessa Williams, John McMartin, Company
• Mamma Mia!: "I Have a Dream", "Money, Money, Money", "Mamma Mia", "Chiquitita" and "Dancing Queen" - Louise Pitre, Judy Kaye, Karen Mason, Tina Maddigan, Company
• Thoroughly Modern Millie: "Forget About the Boy"/"Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan, Casey Nicholaw, Noah Racey, Company
• Sweet Smell of Success: "Dirt" - John Lithgow, Company
• Urinetown: "Run, Freedom, Run" - Hunter Foster, Spencer Kayden, Jeff McCarthy, Company
• Oklahoma!: "The Farmer and the Cowman" - Company

The First Ten awards were presented prior to the full ceremony and broadcast on PBS. The awards presented were: Best Direction of a Play, Direction of a Musical, Book of a Musical, Original Score, Choreography, Costume Design, Lighting Design and Scenic Design. There were also interviews and "rehearsal and performance clips from the nominated shows."^[4]

The broadcast won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program; the director was Glenn Weiss.^[5]

Eligibility

Shows that opened on Broadway during the 2001–02 season before May 2, 2002 are eligible.

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Special awards

Source: TheaterMania^[6]

• Regional Theatre Tony Award
  • Williamstown Theatre Festival
• Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
  • Robert Whitehead
• Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
  • Julie Harris

Multiple nominations and awards