TONY AWARDS - 6/07/1998

The 52nd Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held on June 7, 1998 at Radio City Music Hall and was broadcast by CBS television. A documentaries segment was telecast on PBS television. The ceremony was hosted by Rosie O'Donnell, who hosted a total of three times (1997, 1998, and 2000).

This ceremony is notable for its Best Direction of a Play and Best Direction of a Musical winners both being female, the first time a female has won either award. The writer of the Best Play winner was also female, the second female winner of the award.

The opening number was "Broadway Divas", with Rosie O'Donnell and the Chicago dancers introducing: Patti LuPone ("Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita); Jennifer Holliday ("And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls); and Betty Buckley ("Memory" from Cats).

Musicals represented:

Ragtime ("Ragtime" - Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald and Company)
The Sound of Music ("Wedding"/"Do-Re-Mi"/"The Sound of Music" Finale - Rebecca Luker and Company)
1776 ("Sit Down, John" - Richard Poe and Company)
The Lion King ("Circle of Life" - Tsidii Le Loka and Company)
Cabaret ("Willkommen" - Alan Cumming and Company)
Side Show ("I Will Never Leave You" - Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner)
The Scarlet Pimpernel ("Into the Fire" - Douglas Sills and Company)