1996 Tony Awards results (50th) – Winners & nominees

This page lists the winners and nominees of the 50th Tony Awards, held on June 2, 1996. The 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical went to “Rent”.

Best musical

• Rent

• Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk
• Chronicle of a Death Foretold
• Swinging on a Star

Best play

• Master Class

• Buried Child
• Racing Demon
• Seven Guitars

Best book of a musical

• Jonathan Larson (Rent)

• John Weidman (Big – The Musical)
• Reg E. Gaines (Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk)
• Graciela Daniele, Jim Lewis and Michael John LaChiusa (Chronicle of a Death Foretold)

Best original score

• Jonathan Larson (Rent)

• Daryl Waters, Zane Mark, Ann Duquesnay, Reg E. Gaines and George C. Wolfe (Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk)
• Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (State Fair)

Best revival of a musical

• The King and I

• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• Company
• Hello, Dolly!

Best revival of a play

• A Delicate Balance

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• An Ideal Husband
• Inherit the Wind

Best performance by a leading actor in a play

• George Grizzard (A Delicate Balance)

• Philip Bosco (Moon Over Buffalo)
• George C. Scott (Inherit the Wind)
• Martin Shaw (An Ideal Husband)

Best performance by a leading actress in a play

• Zoe Caldwell (Master Class)

• Carol Burnett (Moon Over Buffalo)
• Rosemary Harris (A Delicate Balance)
• Elaine Stritch (A Delicate Balance)

Best performance by a leading actor in a musical

• Nathan Lane (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)

• Savion Glover (Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk)
• Adam Pascal (Rent)
• Lou Diamond Phillips (The King and I)

Best performance by a leading actress in a musical

• Donna Murphy (The King and I)

• Julie Andrews (Victor/Victoria)
• Crista Moore (Big – The Musical)
• Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent)

Best performance by a featured actor in a play

• Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Seven Guitars)

• James Gammon (Buried Child)
• Roger Robinson (Seven Guitars)
• Reg Rogers (Holiday)

Best performance by a featured actress in a play

• Audra McDonald (Master Class)

• Viola Davis (Seven Guitars)
• Michele Shay (Seven Guitars)
• Lois Smith (Buried Child)

Best performance by a featured actor in a musical

• Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Rent)

• Lewis J. Stadlen (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)
• Brett Tabisel (Big – The Musical)
• Scott Wise (State Fair)

Best performance by a featured actress in a musical

• Ann Duquesnay (Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk)

• Joohee Choi (The King and I)
• Veanne Cox (Company)
• Idina Menzel (Rent)

Best scenic design

• Brian Thomson (The King and I)

• John Lee Beatty (A Delicate Balance)
• Scott Bradley (Seven Guitars)
• Anthony Ward (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Best costume design

• Roger Kirk (The King and I)

• Jane Greenwood (A Delicate Balance)
• Allison Reeds (Buried Child)
• Paul Tazewell (Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk)

Best lighting design

• Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk)

• Christopher Akerlind (Seven Guitars)
• Blake Burba (Rent)
• Nigel Levings (The King and I)

Best direction of a play

• Gerald Gutierrez (A Delicate Balance)

• Peter Hall (An Ideal Husband)
• Lloyd Richards (Seven Guitars)
• Gary Sinise (Buried Child)

Best direction of a musical

• 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)

Best choreography

• Savion Glover (Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk)

• Graciela Daniele (Chronicle of a Death Foretold)
• Susan Stroman (Big – The Musical)
• Marlies Yearby (Rent)

Regional theatre Tony Award

• Alley Theatre of Houston

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