Congratulations to lighting designers Neil Austin and Kevin Adams, winners of this year’s Tony Award for, respectively, Best Lighting Design of a Play and Best Lighting Design of a Musical at New York’s illustrious theatre award ceremony, which took place this Sunday, June 13th.
Neil Austin won the prize for his work on Red, which transferred to New York from the Donmar Warehouse in London. The play enjoyed a hugely successful Tony night, also picking up the awards for Best Scenic Design of a Play for Christopher Oram, Best Sound Design of a Play for Adam Cork, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for Eddie Redmayne, Best Direction of a Play for Michael Grandage, and Best New Play for author John Logan.
Austin, who earlier in the month won the Drama Desk award for his work on the same show, was actually nominated twice in the category, the second nomination for the Donmar Warehouse’s Hamlet. His fellow nominees were Mark Henderson for Enron and Brian MacDevitt for Fences.
Kevin Adams won the prize for the new Green Day musical American Idiot, having won the same category in 2007 for Spring Awakening and the Tony Award for Best Lighting of a Play in 2008 for The 39 Steps. His fellow nominees were Donald Holder for Ragtime, Nick Richings for La Cage aux Folles and Robert Wierzel for Fela!, soon to be seen at the National Theatre in London.
Other production awards were divided between several shows – American Idiot also picking up Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Christine Jones, Fela! collecting Best Costume Design of a Musical for Marina Draghici, Best Sound Design of a Musical for Robert Kaplowitz and Best Choreography for Bill T. Jones, while Catherine Zuber picked up Best Costume Design of a Play for The Royal Family. Terry Johnson won the award for Best Direction of a Musical for La Cage aux Folles, the show also collecting Best Revival of a Musical. Memphis was adjudged Best Musical, with Fences Best Revival of a Play.
The full list of 2010 Tony Award winners can be found at the official Tony Awards website, www.tonyawards.com.
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