'Faith Healer' scoops Tony Award

"Faith Healer" by Brian Friel won a Tony Award in New York last night.

Ian McDiarmid, who plays Ralph Fiennes’ fey, funny manager in “Faith Healer”, yelped out a “fantastic” as he ended his speech thanking voters for his featured-actor prize.

Minister for the Arts John O'Donoghue has described the accolade as "a fantastic achievement" that "provides a true reflection of the talent and vision held by Irish playwrights and the exceptional performances of each of the actors which took part".

British play “The History Boys”, Alan Bennett’s wise, witty and warm-hearted dissection of British education, won six prizes, including best play.

The take for “The History Boys” included director of a play, featured actress and best actor as well as two design prizes.

“You are insanely talented people,” said Julia Roberts before giving the best-actor prize to Richard Griffiths for his portrayal of an unorthodox yet beloved teacher.

“He is the best luck I’ve ever had,” said Nicholas Hytner, saluting Bennett as the director accepted his award.

One of Hytner’s actors – Frances de la Tour, who won for her portrayal of a dour history teacher – was even more surprised.

“I am totally amazed to be given this special honour,” she said.

Cynthia Nixon playing a distraught mother who loses a young son in an auto accident, won the best actress-play prize for her performance in “Rabbit Hole”.

John Doyle received the prize for direction of a musical for his work on “Sweeney Todd”, in which the cast plays the show’s instruments. The revival also grabbed an award for its new, spare orchestrations.

Christian Hoff, who plays tough, wise-guy Tommy DeVito in ”Jersey Boys”, won the featured actor-musical prize.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” also took two of the three top design prizes, sets and costumes for a musical, while “The History Boys” scored wins for the sets and lighting of a play.

The Lincoln Centre Theatre production of Clifford Odets’ stirring 1935 drama “Awake and Sing!” received the prize for play-revival.

The Roundabout Theatre Company production of “The Pajama Game” took home the musical revival prize and the award for choreography to Kathleen Marshall.

“Jersey Boys” won the prize for lighting design of a musical, while “Awake and Sing!” picked up the award for costumes of a play.

No single host shepherded the presenters and winners through the telecast, although a parade of stars, including Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey (a producer of the Tony-nominated “Color Purple”), were on hand to entice viewers to the CBS telecast.

“Jersey Boys”, “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “The History Boys” are among the shows doing potent business at the box office, underscoring the fact that the 2005-2006 season has been a good year on Broadway.

For the first time, Broadway attendance topped the 12 million mark, jumping past the 11.9 million reached in the season before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Those figures were helped by the appearance of big names on Broadway, most prominently Roberts. The Hollywood star may not have won over the critics for her performance in Richard Greenberg’s “Three Days of Rain”, but her marquee value was undeniable, pretty much selling out the play’s three-month run.

Tony nominations were made by a committee of nearly two dozen theatre professionals. Winners were chosen by 754 theatre professionals including actors, producers, writers, stagehands and theatre owners.

The Antoinette Perry – or Tony – Awards were founded in 1947 by the American Theatre Wing and are administered by the Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers.