50th Annual TONY AWARDS Jonathan Larson "Rent" Nathan Lane 1996 Supper Ball Menu

Description

This is a rare menu for
the
TONY SUPPER BALL and TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION
which followed the
Fiftieth Annual ANTOINETTE PERRY AWARDS ceremony held at the Majestic Theatre in New York City on June 2nd, 1996
.
The Tony Supper Ball was held in the Broadway Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis.
The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards® got their start in 1947 when the Wing established an awards program to celebrate excellence in the theatre.
Named for Antoinette Perry, an actress, director, producer, and the dynamic wartime leader of the American Theatre Wing who had passed away the previous year, the Tony Awards made their official debut at a dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Easter Sunday, April 6th, 1947. Vera Allen, Perry's successor as chairwoman of the Wing, presided over an evening that included dining, dancing, and a program of entertainment.
Among those honored at the 1995-96 Tony's with acting awards were NATHAN LANE (
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
), DONNA MURPHY (
The King and I
), WILSON JERMAINE HEREDIA (
Rent
), ANN DUQUESNAY (
Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk
),
GEORGE GRIZZARD
(A Delicate Balance
)
,
ZOE CALDWELL
(Master Class
), RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON (
Seven Guitars
)
and AUDRA McDONALD
(
Master Class
)
.
The award for "Best Musical" went to "RENT", "Best Book of a Musical" to JONATHAN LARSON (
Rent
)
and
"Best Original Score" to
JONATHAN LARSON
(
Rent
). "Best Revival of a Play" went to Edward Albee's "A DELICATE BALANCE",
"Best Revival of a Musical"
to the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical "THE KING AND I", "Best Play" went to TERRENCE McNALLY (
Master Class
)
, "Best Choreography" to SAVION GLOVER (
Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk
)
, "Best Direction of a Musical" to
GEORGE C. WOLFE (
Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk
)
and "Best Direction of a Play" to GERALD GUTIERREZ
(
A Delicate Balance
)
.
The host of the
Fiftieth
Annual Tony Awards was
Nathan Lane
and
presenting awards were
Bea Arthur, Edward Albee, Christine Baranski, Harry Belafonte, Matthew Broderick, Diahann Carroll, Hume Cronyn, Nanette Fabray, Robert Goulet, Gregory Hines, Uta Hagen, James Earl Jones, John Lithgow, Liza Minnelli, Patricia Neal, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bernadette Peters, John Rubinstein, Jane Seymour, Ron Silver, Lily Tomlin, Ben Vereen, Eli Wallach, Ray Walston, and Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber.
DETAILS: The eight page menu measures 4 1/8" X 6 1/2" inches, is printed on a card stock with an embossed silver Tony Awards medallion on the front and includes the menu for the the Taittinger Champagne Reception as well as the Supper Ball on the inside pages.
CONDITION: This rare menu is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard for safe transport.