Can Tony float "Titanic"?
That's the question Broadway is asking after the show with the season's most unlikely subject matter - the famous 1912 sea disaster - won five 1997 Tony Awards Sunday, including best musical.The $10 million production, plagued by technical problems before its premiere, opened to mixed notices and tepid but slowly rising ticket sales.
The musical reportedly needed an infusion of another million dollars after its opening to keep running until the Tonys held at Radio City Music Hall.
"Titanic" also picked up prizes for its composer-lyricist Maury Yeston, author Peter Stone, set designer Stewart Laing and orchestrator Jonathan Tunick.
Best play honors went to "The Last Night of Ballyhoo," Alfred Uhry's remembrances of growing up in a Jewish household in 1939 Atlanta.
"Titanic" was a surprise winner during a smooth-running awards ceremony, which featured a genial Rosie O'Donnell as host. The televised ceremony offered few other unexpected winners.
As expected, the critically acclaimed revival of Kander and Ebb's "Chicago" also won big, taking six awards, more than any other show. Besides winning as best musical-revival, it took the top musical performance prizes - for stars Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton; director, Walter Bobbie; choreographer, Ann Reinking; and lighting, Ken Billington.
Reinking, who also stars in the show, provided one of the evening's emotional highlights. "This one's for you Bobby," she said tearfully, saluting the late Bob Fosse, the show's original director and choreographer.
Another big winner was the revival of Henrik Ibsen's classic "A Doll's House." The play received four major prizes including awards for its star, Janet McTeer, who plays the petulant Nora, and Owen Teale, who portrays her domineering husband. The production, imported from London, was named best play-revival of the year and its director, Anthony Page, was also honored.
Christopher Plummer, named best actor for his title performance in "Barrymore," poked fun at the many thanks given out by award winners.
"I resolutely refuse to thank my mother," Plummer said,
Lynne Thigpen, who portrays a black Jewish feminist in Wendy Wasserstein's play "An American Daughter," picked up the featured, or supporting, actress award.
"If you haven't seen us. We're good," she said.
The evening's biggest loser was "Steel Pier," a new Kander and Ebb musical, which was nominated for 11 Tonys and didn't win a single award.
The Tony Awards, which were first given in 1947, are administered by the American Theater Wing, a theater service organization. Winners are chosen by more than 760 theater journalists and professionals.
Winners of the 1997 Tony Awards:
Play: "The Last Night of Ballyhoo"
Musical: "Titanic"
Book of a Musical: Peter Stone, "Titanic"
Original Score: Maury Yeston, "Titanic"
Revival-Play: "A Doll's House"
Revival-Musical: "Chicago"
Actor-Play: Christopher Plummer, "Barrymore"
Actress-Play: Janet McTeer, "A Doll's House"
Actor-Musical: James Naughton, "Chicago"
Actress-Musical: Bebe Neuwirth, "Chicago"
Featured Actor-Play: Owen Teale, "A Doll's House"
Featured Actress-Play: Lynne Thigpen, "An American Daughter"
Featured Actor-Musical: Chuck Cooper, "The Life"
Featured Actress-Musical: Lillias White, "The Life"
Sets: Stewart Laing, "Titanic"
Costumes: Judith Dolan, "Candide"
Lighting: Ken Billington, "Chicago"
Choreography: Ann Reinking, "Chicago"
Direction-Play: Anthony Page, "A Doll's House"
Direction-Musical: Walter Bobbie, "Chicago"
Orchestration: Jonathan Tunick, "Titanic"
Regional Theater Award: Berkeley Repertory Theater, Berkeley, Calif.