While several categories were unusually competitive this year because of the large number of strong Broadway productions, there were also no major upsets. The three teenage boys who rotate in the title role of Billy Elliot David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish jointly won the award for best actor in a musical, as expected, and they also injected considerable charm into the CBS telecast.
Standing onstage together, they covered their eyes with their hands at different points and looked away from the camera bashfully while muttering sentiments like Oh my God and wow and unbelievable.
Then they took a long pause, as if trying to decide who should speak first joint Tony Awards are very rare and then went on to thank their parents and siblings and school and dance teachers.
And we want to say to all the kids out there who might want to dance, never give up, Mr. Kulish added.
Billy Elliot proved to be the commercial and critical musical hit of the 2008-9 Broadway season, routinely grossing more than $1 million a week in spite of the recession. Elton John, who composed the shows score, made a point of thanking audience members for that success as he accepted the award for best musical.
We came here at a hard time economically, you opened your wallets and you opened your hearts, and we love you for it, he said. This years awards were spread around evenly for the most part, with 14 shows receiving at least one Tony. With Billy Elliot far ahead, the musical Next to Normal and God of Carnage were next up with three Tonys each, including best actress honors for Alice Ripley for Normal and Marcia Gay Harden for Carnage.
