The Most And The Tony Awards

With the Broadway Tony Awards© just around the corner, here's a look at which shows and actors have dominated in the past, and some other thrilling facts about our favorite theater awards show. Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, this year's edition of the awards promises to be as exciting as ever.

According to the official Tony Awards website (www.TonyAwards.com), at the top of the "most" list is the 2001 musical production of The Producers, the new Mel Brooks Musical, which tied the 2009 production of Billy Elliot with 15 nominations and won a record 12.

The play with the most wins and nominations in Tony history was Tom Stoppard's 2007 production of The Coast of Utopia with 10 nominations and 7 wins.

Julie Harris holds the record for most wins and nominations for a performer at 10 nominations and 6 wins, and the individual who has received the most Tony awards is Harold Prince, the renowned director/producer of such influential musicals as Cabaret, The Phantom of the Opera, and A Little Night Music. He has won 21 Tonys altogether.

The longest running Best Musical winner (originally produced and directed by the aforementioned Harold Prince) is The Phantom of the Opera, still going strong after its 1988 revival. It has collected seven Tony wins including Best Musical, Best Director, and Best Choreographer.

It doesn't come as much of a surprise that Bob Fosse and Stephen Sondheim represent the choreographer and composer with the most Tonys (both won 8) and that Bob Fosse won another for directing.

The ceremony itself has had a pretty impressive past, beginning with its first show in 1947, where tickets were a whopping $7.00 each. The ritual was much different then, with a dinner at the Waldorf Astoria followed by dancing and the awards broadcasted over the radio at midnight.

Although the first two ceremonies did not yield an actual award for the winners, now the coveted award is fitted with a spinning medallion at the top to reveal the mask tragedy or comedy. Spin one when you can.

Named for the powerhouse Antoinette "Toni" Perry, who began directing films in the early 30's, the Tony has become the most sought-after award in the theater industry.

The ceremony continues to be a highly anticipated event each year, with performances from nominated musicals and famous hosts such as Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, and Hugh Jackman. Keep a lookout for the actual Tony Award Ceremony, set to air June 13th on CBS.

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