And the honors go to . . .

Best Broadway Musical
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The little show that could was the clear highlight in an otherwise embarrassing season for the American musical. This endearing property should enjoy a long and highly profitable post-Broadway life in regional and school productions. 

Best Revival of a Musical
La Cage Aux Folles
A poor successor to the glittering original production, the revival of La Cage has much improved with the addition of Robert Goulet to the cast. What a pity this crucial change in cast was a case of too little too late to boost ticket sales.

Best Special Event
Dame Edna - Back With a Vengeance
This delicious mix of high camp and social satire provided more belly laughs than the rest of the season put together. Honorable mention to the coarse but hilarious Mario Cantone in Laugh Whore.

Best Score
William Finn, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Not Finn's most melodious effort, but his wit and strong character-based writing made this wacky idea work well. 

Best Book of a Musical
Rachel Sheinkin, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
A tricky concept pulled off with seemingly effortlessness -- the very definition of professionalism.

Best Direction of a Musical
James Lapine, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
A deceptively simple production did much to make this challenging show a success.

Best Choreography
Jerry Mitchell, La Cage Aux Folles
Not the gloriously talented Mitchell's best effort, but certainly the best dancing Broadway saw this year.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Victoria Clark, The Light In The Piazza
A classic case of a gifted performer making the most of limited material.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
No Award
No performance I saw this season rated special merit.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Jan Maxwell, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 
Her wildly funny performance shines in this mostly soulless production -- ably abetted by the brilliant Marc Kudisch.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Christopher Sieber, Spamalot
One of Broadway's hottest and most likeable hunks, Sieber's comic and musical talents are long overdue for some serious recognition.

Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Musical
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The cast of Wicked deservers honorable mention for their Herculean efforts, but this category must go to one of the most powerful ensemble efforts of recent years.

Set Design
Michael Yeargan, The Light In The Piazza
A sumptuous setting for a mediocre musical.

Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, The Light In The Piazza
Beautifully done.

Costume Design
William Ivey Long, La Cage Aux Folles
This master of stage costuming had a field day creating some of the most colorful work of his long career. 

Orchestrations
Ted Sperling, Adam Guettel & Bruce Coughlin, The Light In The Piazza
Great orchestrations made the most of this so-so score.

SPECIAL HONORS - AND DISHONORS

Most Promising Musical Newcomer
Hank Azaria, Spamalot
Here's hoping this popular performer returns to Broadway often -- in far better material.

Best Non-Musical
Doubt
A magnificent new American drama from John Patrick Shanley, the Oscar-winning author of Moonstruck.

Best Leading Actor In a Non-Musical
Bill Irwin, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
One of the most memorable dramatic performances I've seen in a theatre-going lifetime -- simply amazing.

Best Leading Actress In a Non-Musical
Cherry Jones, Doubt
The greatest actress of her generation in a role people will talk about for years to come -- see her in this or lose out.

Best Replacement Star in a Musical
Robert Goulet, La Cage Aux Folles
He joined the cast too late to save this mediocre production from an early death, but Goulet gave a sensational performance as George. We all knew he could sing, but his acting left me cheering. If Goulet had opened in the role, this revival would have had a very different fate.

Worst Broadway Musical of the Year
Good Vibrations
I normally don't like to add insult to well-earned injury, but this production had no business appearing on Broadway, even in a truly dismal season like this one. Talk about amateur night.

Most Needlessly Disappointing Musical of the Year
Spamalot
What a load of overblown, sophomoric crap! As a longtime Monty Python fan, I found this show an embarrassment.

Most Enjoyable Jukebox Musical
All Shook Up
With recycled pop tune musicals flooding Broadway, this category seems called for. Although no masterwork, All Shook Up is refreshingly unpretentious -- the only one of its breed to offer some genuine fun.

Most Forgettable New Broadway Score
John Du Prez and Eric Idle, Spamalot
With the singular exception of "You Just Won't Succeed on Broadway . . .", this score is beyond moronic. A major "boo-hiss" to both of these talented pros for such an amateurish effort. 

Sexiest Male Performer in a Musical
Cheyenne Jackson, All Shook Up
Hubba, hubba -- and he sings too! One can only hope this fine talent makes many return trips to Broadway in years to come.

Sexiest Female Performer in a Musical
No Award
Sorry -- not a strong year in this category.

Unsung Heroes of the Season
Fran and Barry Weissler
My old bosses tried valiantly to close their uninspired revival of Sweet Charity out of town and save their investors further loss (and embarassment) -- but Christina Applegate had to go and talk them into going against their better judgment. Pity.

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