Women lead victories in 2015 Tony Awards

The 69th annual Tony Awards brought recognition to fresh subjects and accomplished women in the industry.

In “Fun Home,” Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir was brought to life on stage, introducing audiences to a young lesbian growing up in small-town Pennsylvania with a closeted father. The portrayal took home the Tony award for Best Musical. The show won five awards total and also scored a landmark for women with composer Jeanine Tesori and playwright Lisa Kron’s victory as the first female pair to win Best Original Score. Kron also won for Best Book.

When accepting his award for how he portrayed Bechdel’s father, Bruce, in the play, actor Michael Cerveris, referenced the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on nationwide marriage equality, the New York Times reported.

“Our show is about home, it’s about finding who you are. I hope the Supreme Court can recognize that, too,” Cerveris said.

The cast of “Fun Home” celebrate winning the award for Best Musical during the American Theatre Wing’s 69th Annual Tony Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York June 7, 2015. Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Other plays were recognized for breaking new ground in theatrical storytelling.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” a play adapted by Simon Stephens from Mark Haddon’s book about an adolescent boy with Asperger’s, led in the play categories. The play, which debuted at the West End in 2012, garnered wins for Best Scenic Design of a Play and Best Lighting Design of a Play; director Marianne Elliott also won for Best Direction.

Broadway mainstay and audience favorite Kelli O’Hara, who had earned five previous nominations, won Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Anna in “The King & I.”

“I don’t need this,” O’Hara said in her acceptance speech. “But now that I have this, I’ve got some things to say.”

Ken Watanabe and Kelli O’Hara perform a scene from the musical “The King and I” during the American Theatre Wing’s 69th Annual Tony Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York June 7, 2015. Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters

John Cameron Mitchell also earned a special Tony Award for his return to the role of genderqueer German rock singer Hedwig in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” which he wrote with Stephen Trask and starred in during the show’s debut in 1998.