NEW YORK – The profane and hysterical “The Book of Mormon” took home nine Tony Awards on Sunday, including the prize for best musical — a considerable achievement for two first-time Broadway playwrights known more for their raunchy cartoons featuring potty-mouthed kids.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the Emmy Award-winning “South Park,” found a kindred soul in Robert Lopez, who co-wrote the Tony-winning “Avenue Q,” and all three found themselves with plenty of awards when they collaborated to gently mock Mormons and send-up Broadway itself.
Additional Photos
Collecting the best musical prize, a subdued Parker, who tied Josh Logan of “South Pacific” with four Tonys in one evening — said he’d be remiss if he didn’t thank his late book co-writer — Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion.
“You did it, Joseph! You got the Tony!” Parker said looking skyward and holding up his award.
The show, which netted honors for best musical, best book, best direction of a musical, best score, best featured actress and four technical awards, came in with a leading 14 nominations and was the heavy favorite for the top musical prize.
“We know what the best musical is — it’s like taking a hooker to dinner,” comedian Chris Rock said before reading the nominees and announcing the winner.
“War Horse” — a World War I tale about horses told with puppets and actors — won five Tonys, including the best play award. The revival of “The Normal Heart” and “Anything Goes” both won three each.
Mark Rylance won the best acting award for a play for his powerful role of Johnny “Rooster” Byron in Jez Butterworth’s “Jerusalem.” Just as he did three years ago when he won for “Boeing-Boeing,” Rylance quoted a poem by Louis Jenkins, an obscure poet from Minnesota.
Norbert Leo Butz won for best actor in a musical. Butz, who plays a frumpy FBI agent hot on the heels of a con man in “Catch Me If You Can,” took home his second Tony. His previous win was in 2005 for “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”
O’Brien calls failure ‘catalyst for invention’
HANOVER, N.H. — Conan O’Brien, a Harvard alumnus, had some teasing criticism for another Ivy League school.
O’Brien spoke Sunday at Dartmouth College’s graduation ceremony in New Hampshire.
The school gave O’Brien an honorary doctorate of arts.
O’Brien praised the 1,700 graduates for earning their degrees, then boasted that “Dartmouth is giving me the same degree for interviewing the fourth lead in ‘Twilight.’ ”
O’Brien’s run as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show” was unexpectedly cut short last year. He told the graduates that failure is “a catalyst for invention.”
He said “there are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized.”.
Children in royal plans
PARIS — Prince Albert II of Monaco and his bride-to-be, Charlene Wittstock, say in an interview published in France they’re looking to become parents soon after they tie the knot next month.
The blond 33-year-old South African has told France’s Journal Du Dimanche weekly that “starting a family is in our plans” and “we hope to have a child soon.”
Albert – a 53-year-old longtime bachelor – said in the paper’s interview with the couple published Sunday: “When you talk about a baby, you are looking at me. But I won’t be carrying it.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.