Britain's highest theater honor -- its equivalent of the Tonys on Broadway -- launched the first webcast of its glittery award ceremony from London on Sunday evening.
Technically, the live broadcast went smoothly, though the online picture quality was often murky due to the dark-blue stage lighting at the Grosvenor House Hotel. Online audiences also had to endure an hour-long intermission as live attendees ate their supper.
The celebrity-packed ceremony recognized stage productions from the 2009 season in the West End and other parts of London.
American playwright Katori Hall's “The Mountaintop" was the surprise winner in the new drama category. The historical play, which speculates on the events of the night before the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is expected to open on Broadway later this year.
“The Mountaintop," which was staged at the Trafalgar Studio 1, beat out tough competition in the form of “Enron," “Jerusalem" and “Red."
Rupert Goold took home the directing award for Lucy Prebble's “Enron," which was produced by the Royal Court. The play, which recounts the downfall of the infamous U.S. energy-trading company, is also expected to open on Broadway later this year.
The award for dramatic revival went to Tennessee Williams' “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Novello. The production, which is directed by Debbie Allen and features a cast including James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad, ran on Broadway in 2008.
A special Olivier award was presented to Maggie Smith in recognition of her lengthy stage career. The two-time Oscar winning actress received the biggest ovation of the evening.
“I was nominated a few times, and the fact that I never got it, I thought was Larry's revenge," she said, referring to Laurence Olivier, the award's namesake.
Rachel Weisz won the dramatic actress award for her performance as Blanche DuBois in Williams' “A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Donmar. “I never thought I'd be holding one of these in my lifetime," said Weisz. “As my mother would say, the wrapping paper alone would have been enough."
