Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
| Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best Direction of a Musical |
| Location | New York City |
| Presented by | American Theatre Wing The Broadway League |
| Currently held by | Alex Timbers for Moulin Rouge! (2020) |
| Website | TonyAwards.com |
The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical.
Winners and nominees[]
indicates the winner
†indicates the winner for the annual Tony Award for Best Musical
*indicates the winner for the annual Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
1950s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 4th Tony Awards | ||
| Joshua Logan | South Pacific† | |
| 1951 5th Tony Awards | ||
| George S. Kaufman | Guys and Dolls† | |
| 1952 – 56 | N/A | |
| 1957 11th Tony Awards | ||
| Moss Hart | My Fair Lady† | |
| 1958 – 59 | N/A | |
1960s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 14th Tony Awards | ||
| George Abbott | Fiorello!† | |
| Vincent J. Donehue | The Sound of Music† | |
| Peter Glenville | Take Me Along | |
| Michael Kidd | Destry Rides Again | |
| Jerome Robbins | Gypsy | |
| 1961 15th Tony Awards | ||
| Gower Champion | Bye Bye Birdie† | |
| Peter Brook | Irma La Douce | |
| Garson Kanin | Do Re Mi | |
| 1962 16th Tony Awards | ||
| Abe Burrows | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying† | |
| Gower Champion | Carnival! | |
| Joe Layton | No Strings | |
| Joshua Logan | All American | |
| 1963 17th Tony Awards | ||
| George Abbott | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum† | |
| Peter Coe | Oliver! | |
| John Fearnley | Brigadoon | |
| Cy Feuer and Bob Fosse | Little Me | |
| 1964 18th Tony Awards | ||
| Gower Champion | Hello, Dolly!† | |
| Joseph Anthony | 110 in the Shade | |
| Noël Coward | High Spirits | |
| Harold Prince | She Loves Me | |
| 1965 19th Tony Awards | ||
| Jerome Robbins | Fiddler on the Roof† | |
| Joan Littlewood | Oh, What a Lovely War! | |
| Anthony Newley | The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd | |
| Gene Saks | Half a Sixpence | |
| 1966 20th Tony Awards | ||
| Albert Marre | Man of La Mancha† | |
| Cy Feuer | Skyscraper | |
| Bob Fosse | Sweet Charity | |
| Gene Saks | Mame | |
| 1967 21st Tony Awards | ||
| Harold Prince | Cabaret† | |
| Gower Champion | I Do! I Do! | |
| Mike Nichols | The Apple Tree | |
| Jack Sydow | Annie Get Your Gun | |
| 1968 22nd Tony Awards | ||
| Gower Champion | The Happy Time | |
| George Abbott | How Now, Dow Jones | |
| Jules Dassin | Illya Darling | |
| Burt Shevelove | Hallelujah, Baby!† | |
| 1969 23rd Tony Awards | ||
| Peter Hunt | 1776† | |
| Robert Moore | Promises, Promises | |
| Tom O'Horgan | Hair | |
| Harold Prince | Zorba |
1970s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 24th Tony Awards | ||
| Ron Field | Applause† | |
| Michael Benthall | Coco | |
| Philip Rose | Purlie | |
| 1971 25th Tony Awards | ||
| Harold Prince | Company† | |
| Michael Kidd | The Rothschilds | |
| Robert H. Livingston | The Me Nobody Knows | |
| Burt Shevelove | No, No, Nanette | |
| 1972 26th Tony Awards | ||
| Harold Prince and Michael Bennett | Follies | |
| Gilbert Moses | Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death | |
| Mel Shapiro | Two Gentlemen of Verona† | |
| Burt Shevelove | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | |
| 1973 27th Tony Awards | ||
| Bob Fosse | Pippin | |
| Vinnette Carroll | Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope | |
| Gower Champion | Sugar | |
| Harold Prince | A Little Night Music† | |
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | ||
| Harold Prince | Candide | |
| Michael Bennett | Seesaw | |
| Donald McKayle | Raisin† | |
| Tom Moore | Over Here! | |
| 1975 29th Tony Awards | ||
| Geoffrey Holder | The Wiz† | |
| Gower Champion | Mack & Mabel | |
| Grover Dale | The Magic Show | |
| Arthur Laurents | Gypsy | |
| 1976 30th Tony Awards | ||
| Michael Bennett | A Chorus Line† | |
| Bob Fosse | Chicago | |
| Bill Gile | Very Good Eddie | |
| Harold Prince | Pacific Overtures | |
| 1977 31st Tony Awards | ||
| Gene Saks | I Love My Wife | |
| Vinnette Carroll | Your Arms Too Short to Box with God | |
| Martin Charnin | Annie† | |
| Jack O'Brien | Porgy and Bess | |
| 1978 32nd Tony Awards | ||
| Richard Maltby Jr. | Ain't Misbehavin'† | |
| Bob Fosse | Dancin' | |
| Harold Prince | On the Twentieth Century | |
| Elizabeth Swados | Runaways | |
| 1979 33rd Tony Awards |
||
| Harold Prince | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street† | |
| Michael Bennett | Ballroom | |
| Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | |
| Robert Moore | They're Playing Our Song |
1980s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 34th Tony Awards |
||
| Harold Prince | Evita† | |
| Ernie Flatt and Rudy Tronto | Sugar Babies | |
| Joe Layton | Barnum | |
| Tommy Tune | A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine | |
| 1981 35th Tony Awards | ||
| Wilford Leach | The Pirates of Penzance | |
| Gower Champion | 42nd Street† | |
| Robert Moore | Woman of the Year | |
| Michael Smuin | Sophisticated Ladies | |
| 1982 36th Tony Awards | ||
| Tommy Tune | Nine† | |
| Michael Bennett | Dreamgirls | |
| Martin Charnin | The First | |
| Tony Tanner | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | |
| 1983 37th Tony Awards | ||
| Trevor Nunn | Cats† | |
| Michael Kahn | Show Boat | |
| Ivan Reitman | Merlin | |
| Tommy Tune and Thommie Walsh | My One and Only | |
| 1984 38th Tony Awards | ||
| Arthur Laurents | La Cage aux Folles† | |
| James Lapine | Sunday in the Park with George | |
| Richard Maltby Jr. | Baby | |
| Vivian Matalon | The Tap Dance Kid | |
| 1985 39th Tony Awards | ||
| Des McAnuff | Big River† | |
| Barbara Damashek | Quilters | |
| Mitch Leigh | The King and I | |
| Harold Prince | Grind | |
| 1986 40th Tony Awards | ||
| Wilford Leach | The Mystery of Edwin Drood† | |
| Bob Fosse | Big Deal | |
| Hector Orezzoli and Claudio Segovia | Tango Argentino | |
| Richard Maltby Jr. | Song and Dance | |
| 1987 41st Tony Awards | ||
| John Caird and Trevor Nunn | Les Misérables† | |
| Brian Macdonald | The Mikado | |
| Trevor Nunn | Starlight Express | |
| Mike Ockrent | Me and My Girl | |
| 1988 42nd Tony Awards | ||
| Harold Prince | The Phantom of the Opera† | |
| James Lapine | Into the Woods | |
| Mbongeni Ngema | Sarafina! | |
| Jerry Zaks | Anything Goes | |
| 1989 43rd Tony Awards | ||
| Jerome Robbins | Jerome Robbins' Broadway† | |
| Larry Carpenter | Starmites | |
| Hector Orezzoli and Claudio Segovia | Black and Blue | |
| Peter Mark Schifter | Welcome to the Club |
1990s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 44th Tony Awards | ||
| Tommy Tune | Grand Hotel | |
| Michael Blakemore | City of Angels† | |
| Trevor Nunn | Aspects of Love | |
| Susan H. Schulman | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | |
| 1991 45th Tony Awards | ||
| Tommy Tune | The Will Rogers Follies† | |
| Graciela Daniele | Once on This Island | |
| Nicholas Hytner | Miss Saigon | |
| Eleanor Reissa | Those Were the Days | |
| 1992 46th Tony Awards | ||
| Jerry Zaks | Guys and Dolls* | |
| James Lapine | Falsettos | |
| Mike Ockrent | Crazy for You† | |
| George C. Wolfe | Jelly's Last Jam | |
| 1993 47th Tony Awards | ||
| Des McAnuff | The Who's Tommy | |
| Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson | Blood Brothers | |
| Michael Kidd | The Goodbye Girl | |
| Harold Prince | Kiss of the Spider Woman† | |
| 1994 48th Tony Awards | ||
| Nicholas Hytner | Carousel* | |
| Scott Ellis | She Loves Me | |
| James Lapine | Passion† | |
| Robert Jess Roth | Beauty and the Beast | |
| 1995 49th Tony Awards | ||
| Harold Prince | Show Boat* | |
| Des McAnuff | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | |
| Trevor Nunn | Sunset Boulevard† | |
| Jerry Zaks | Smokey Joe's Cafe | |
| 1996 50th Tony Awards | ||
| George C. Wolfe | Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk | |
| Michael Greif | Rent† | |
| Christopher Renshaw | The King and I* | |
| Jerry Zaks | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | |
| 1997 51st Tony Awards | ||
| Walter Bobbie | Chicago* | |
| Michael Blakemore | The Life | |
| Scott Ellis | Steel Pier | |
| Julie Taymor | Juan Darién | |
| 1998 52nd Tony Awards | ||
| Julie Taymor | The Lion King† | |
| Scott Ellis | 1776 | |
| Frank Galati | Ragtime | |
| Rob Marshall and Sam Mendes | Cabaret* | |
| 1999 53rd Tony Awards | ||
| Matthew Bourne | Swan Lake | |
| Richard Maltby Jr. and Ann Reinking | Fosse† | |
| Michael Mayer | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | |
| Harold Prince | Parade |
2000s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 54th Tony Awards | ||
| Michael Blakemore | Kiss Me, Kate* | |
| Susan Stroman | Contact† | |
| The Music Man | ||
| Lynne Taylor-Corbett | Swing! | |
| 2001 55th Tony Awards | ||
| Susan Stroman | The Producers† | |
| Christopher Ashley | The Rocky Horror Show | |
| Mark Bramble | 42nd Street* | |
| Jack O'Brien | The Full Monty | |
| 2002 56th Tony Awards | ||
| John Rando | Urinetown | |
| James Lapine | Into the Woods* | |
| Michael Mayer | Thoroughly Modern Millie† | |
| Trevor Nunn | Oklahoma! | |
| 2003 57th Tony Awards | ||
| Jack O'Brien | Hairspray† | |
| David Leveaux | Nine* | |
| Baz Luhrmann | La bohème | |
| Twyla Tharp | Movin' Out | |
| 2004 58th Tony Awards | ||
| Joe Mantello | Assassins* | |
| Kathleen Marshall | Wonderful Town | |
| Jason Moore | Avenue Q† | |
| George C. Wolfe | Caroline, or Change | |
| 2005 59th Tony Awards | ||
| Mike Nichols | Monty Python's Spamalot† | |
| James Lapine | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | |
| Jack O'Brien | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | |
| Bartlett Sher | The Light in the Piazza | |
| 2006 60th Tony Awards | ||
| John Doyle | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | |
| Kathleen Marshall | The Pajama Game* | |
| Des McAnuff | Jersey Boys† | |
| Casey Nicholaw | The Drowsy Chaperone | |
| 2007 61st Tony Awards | ||
| Michael Mayer | Spring Awakening† | |
| John Doyle | Company* | |
| Scott Ellis | Curtains | |
| Michael Greif | Grey Gardens | |
| 2008 62nd Tony Awards | ||
| Bartlett Sher | South Pacific* | |
| Sam Buntrock | Sunday in the Park with George | |
| Thomas Kail | In the Heights† | |
| Arthur Laurents | Gypsy | |
| 2009 63rd Tony Awards | ||
| Stephen Daldry | Billy Elliot the Musical† | |
| Michael Greif | Next to Normal | |
| Kristin Hanggi | Rock of Ages | |
| Diane Paulus | Hair* |
2010s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 64th Tony Awards | ||
| Terry Johnson | La Cage aux Folles* | |
| Christopher Ashley | Memphis† | |
| Marcia Milgrom Dodge | Ragtime | |
| Bill T. Jones | Fela! | |
| 2011 65th Tony Awards | ||
| Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker | The Book of Mormon† | |
| Rob Ashford | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | |
| Kathleen Marshall | Anything Goes* | |
| Susan Stroman | The Scottsboro Boys | |
| 2012 66th Tony Awards | ||
| John Tiffany | Once† | |
| Jeff Calhoun | Newsies | |
| Kathleen Marshall | Nice Work If You Can Get It | |
| Diane Paulus | Porgy and Bess* | |
| 2013 67th Tony Awards | ||
| Diane Paulus | Pippin* | |
| Scott Ellis | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | |
| Jerry Mitchell | Kinky Boots† | |
| Matthew Warchus | Matilda the Musical | |
| 2014 68th Tony Awards | ||
| Darko Tresnjak | A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder† | |
| Warren Carlyle | After Midnight | |
| Michael Mayer | Hedwig and the Angry Inch* | |
| Leigh Silverman | Violet | |
| 2015 69th Tony Awards | ||
| Sam Gold | Fun Home† | |
| Casey Nicholaw | Something Rotten! | |
| John Rando | On the Town | |
| Bartlett Sher | The King and I* | |
| Christopher Wheeldon | An American in Paris | |
| 2016 70th Tony Awards | ||
| Thomas Kail | Hamilton† | |
| Michael Arden | Spring Awakening | |
| John Doyle | The Color Purple* | |
| Scott Ellis | She Loves Me | |
| George C. Wolfe | Shuffle Along | |
| 2017 71st Tony Awards | ||
| Christopher Ashley | Come from Away | |
| Michael Greif | Dear Evan Hansen† | |
| Rachel Chavkin | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | |
| Matthew Warchus | Groundhog Day | |
| Jerry Zaks | Hello, Dolly!* | |
| 2018 72nd Tony Awards | ||
| David Cromer | The Band's Visit† | |
| Michael Arden | Once on This Island* | |
| Tina Landau | SpongeBob SquarePants | |
| Casey Nicholaw | Mean Girls | |
| Bartlett Sher | My Fair Lady | |
| 2019 73rd Tony Awards | ||
| Rachel Chavkin | Hadestown† | |
| Scott Ellis | Tootsie | |
| Daniel Fish | Oklahoma!* | |
| Des McAnuff | Ain't Too Proud | |
| Casey Nicholaw | The Prom |
2020s[]
| Year | Director | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 74th Tony Awards | ||
| Alex Timbers | Moulin Rouge!† | |
| Phyllida Lloyd | Tina | |
| Diane Paulus | Jagged Little Pill |
Award records[]
Multiple wins[]
- 8 Wins
- Harold Prince
- 3 Wins
- Gower Champion
- Tommy Tune
- 2 Wins
- George Abbott
- Michael Bennett
- Wilford Leach
- Des McAnuff
- Trevor Nunn
- Jerome Robbins
Multiple nominations[]
|
Female winners and nominees[]
Out of 19 women nominated for 29 musicals, only 4 women have won this award for 4 musicals:[1]
Bold represents winner
| Director | Nominated musical(s) |
|---|---|
| Joan Littlewood | Oh, What a Lovely War! (1965) |
| Vinnette Caroll | Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope (1973) Your Arms Too Short to Box with God (1977) |
| Elizabeth Swados | Runaways (1978) |
| Barbara Damashek | Quilters (1985) |
| Susan H. Schulman | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street revival (1990) |
| Graciela Daniele | Once on this Island (1991) |
| Eleanor Reissa | Those Were the Days (1992) |
| Julie Taymor | Juan Darien (1997) The Lion King (1998)[2] |
| Ann Reinking | Fosse (1999) |
| Susan Stroman | Contact (2000) The Music Man revival (2000) The Producers (2001)[3] The Scottsboro Boys (2012) |
| Lynne Taylor-Corbett | Swing! (2000) |
| Twyla Tharp | Movin' Out (2003) |
| Kathleen Marshall | Wonderful Town revival (2004) The Pajama Game revival (2006) Anything Goes revival (2011) Nice Work If You Can Get it (2012) |
| Kristin Hanggi | Rock of Ages (2009) |
| Diane Paulus | Hair revival (2009) Porgy and Bess revival (2012) Pippin revival (2013)[4] Jagged Little Pill (2020) |
| Marcia Milgrom Dodge | Ragtime revival (2010) |
| Leigh Silverman | Violet (2014) |
| Rachel Chavkin | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (2017) Hadestown (2019) |
| Tina Landau | SpongeBob SquarePants (2018) |
| Phyllida Lloyd | Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (2020) |
See also[]
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical
- Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director
References[]
- ^ Clement, Olivia. "Can You Name the 9 Trailblazing Women Who Won Tony Awards for Directing?" Playbill, September 28, 2017
- ^ The Lion King Playbill, retrieved September 27, 2017
- ^ The Producers Playbill, retrieved September 27, 2017
- ^ Gioia, Michael. "Third Time's the Charm: Diane Paulus Receives First Tony Award With Her Third Tony-Winning Revival" Playbill, June 10, 2013
External links[]
Categories:
- Tony Awards
- Awards established in 1950
- 1950 establishments in the United States