15th Tony Awards

The 15th Annual Tony Awards took place on April 16, 1961, in the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom in New York City. The ceremony was broadcast on local television station WCBS-TV (Channel 2) in New York City. The Master of Ceremonies was Phil Silvers.

15th Tony Awards
Date	April 16, 1961
Location	Waldorf-Astoria New York City, New York
Hosted by	Phil Silvers
Television/radio coverage
Network	WCBS-TV
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The ceremony

Presenters: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Anne Bancroft, Ray Bolger, Carol Channing, Henry Fonda, Joan Fontaine, Robert Goulet, Helen Hayes, Celeste Holm, Fredric March, Mary Martin, Helen Menken, Patricia Neal, Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, Sidney Poitier, Robert Preston, Jason Robards, Gig Young.

The performer was Eleanor Steber.

Music was by Meyer Davis and his Orchestra.

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Best Play	Best Musical
Becket – Jean Anouilh All the Way Home – Tad Mosel The Devil's Advocate – Dore Schary The Hostage – Brendan Behan	Bye Bye Birdie Do Re Mi Irma La Douce
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Zero Mostel – Rhinocéros as John Hume Cronyn – Big Fish, Little Fish as Jimmie Luton Sam Levene – The Devil's Advocate as Dr. Aldo Meyer Anthony Quinn – Becket as Henry II	Joan Plowright – A Taste of Honey as Josephine Tallulah Bankhead – Midgie Purvis as Midgie Purvis Barbara Baxley – Period of Adjustment as Isabel Haverstick Barbara Bel Geddes – Mary, Mary as Mary McKellaway
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Richard Burton – Camelot as Arthur Phil Silvers – Do Re Mi as Hubert Cram Maurice Evans – Tenderloin as Reverend Brock	Elizabeth Seal – Irma La Douce as Irma La Douce Julie Andrews – Camelot as Guenevere Carol Channing – Show Girl as Various Characters Nancy Walker – Do Re Mi as Kay Cram
Best Performance by a Supporting or Featured Actor in a Play	Best Performance by a Supporting or Featured Actress in a Play
Martin Gabel – Big Fish, Little Fish as Basil Smythe Philip Bosco – Rape of the Belt as Heracles Eduardo Ciannelli – The Devil's Advocate as Aurelio George Grizzard – Big Fish, Little Fish as Ronnie Johnson	Colleen Dewhurst – All the Way Home as Mary Follet Eileen Heckart – Invitation to a March as Deedee Grogan Tresa Hughes – The Devil's Advocate as Nina Sanduzzi Rosemary Murphy – Period of Adjustment as Dorothea Bates
Best Performance by a Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical	Best Performance by a Supporting or Featured Actress in a Musical
Dick Van Dyke – Bye Bye Birdie as Albert Peterson Clive Revill – Irma La Douce as Bob-Le-Hotu Dick Gautier – Bye Bye Birdie as Conrad Birdie Ron Husmann – Tenderloin as Tommy	Tammy Grimes – The Unsinkable Molly Brown as Molly Tobin Nancy Dussault – Do Re Mi as Tilda Mullen Chita Rivera – Bye Bye Birdie as Rosie Alvarez
Best Direction of a Play	Best Direction of a Musical
John Gielgud – Big Fish, Little Fish Joseph Anthony – Rhinoceros Joan Littlewood – The Hostage Arthur Penn – All the Way Home	Gower Champion – Bye Bye Birdie Peter Brook – Irma La Douce Garson Kanin – Do Re Mi
Best Choreography	Best Conductor and Musical Director
Gower Champion – Bye Bye Birdie Onna White – Irma La Douce	Franz Allers – Camelot Pembrode Davenport – 13 Daughters Stanley Lebowsky – Irma La Douce Elliot Lawrence – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Scenic Design in a Play	Best Scenic Design in a Musical
Oliver Smith – Becket Roger Furse – Duel of Angels David Hays – All the Way Home Jo Mielziner – The Devil's Advocate Rouben Ter-Arutunian – Advise and Consent	Oliver Smith – Camelot George C. Jenkins – 13 Daughters Robert Randolph – Bye Bye Birdie
Best Costume Design in a Play	Best Costume Design in a Musical
Motley – Becket Theoni V. Aldredge – The Devil's Advocate Raymond Sovey – All the Way Home	Adrian and Tony Duquette – Camelot Rolf Gerard – Irma La Douce Cecil Beaton – Tenderloin
Best Stage Technician
Teddy Van Bemmel – Becket

Special awards

• David Merrick, in recognition of a fabulous production record over the last seven years.
• Theatre Guild, for organizing the first repertory to go abroad for the State Department.

Multiple nominations and awards

These productions had multiple nominations: 8 nominations: Bye Bye Birdie 7 nominations: Irma La Douce 6 nominations: The Devil's Advocate 5 nominations: All the Way Home, Becket, Camelot and Do Re Mi 4 nominations: Big Fish, Little Fish 3 nominations: Tenderloin 2 nominations: The Hostage, Period of Adjustment, Rhinocéros and 13 Daughters

The following productions received multiple awards. 4 wins: Becket, Bye Bye Birdie and Camelot 2 wins: Big Fish, Little Fish