Since 1947, the greatest honor of theatrical accomplishment has been bestowed by the American Theatre Wing: the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre — better known as a Tony.
While award show viewership has fallen in recent years, the trophy still commands widespread respect: To win a Tony is to be a Broadway GOAT. Alongside the Emmys, Grammys and Oscars, it is among society’s most significant forms of praise for entertainment.
Though all Broadway shows are temporary (even “Phantom”), the brass, bronze and nickel trophies awarded by the Theatre Wing will outlast even the humans they're awarded to. A large percentage of those humans also happen to live in New York City.
But where do those winners put the physical artifact of their success after Broadway's biggest night? Ahead of the 79th annual Tony Awards this Sunday, we asked some New York-based winners where they keep these great medallions of creative accomplishment. Answers varied widely; no one had theirs in a display case.
LENA HALL, 2014 Best Featured Actress in a Musical for “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
Lena Hall's bookshelf.
I keep my Tony Award on full display in my living room, on the built-in shelves. It is right across from my couch in my feng shui relationship corner because I am married to my job.
DANNY BURSTEIN, 2020 Best Featured Actor in a Musical for “Moulin Rouge!”
Danny Burstein's awards.
I used to keep the Tony Award hidden away in my half-bath in the back of my apartment because I thought if I had it displayed prominently, it would be too ostentatious. But what happened was, friends would come over and always would ask to see it. Bringing them to the bathroom was just worse. Anyway, I have a little barrister bookcase in my living room, off to the side, and I keep all sorts of fun things on top of it. Next to the real Tony Award is a homemade Tony Award that two of the gals in “Gypsy” made for me, Majo Rivero and Sally Shaw. These “awards” both mean a lot to me and I display them proudly together.
CHARLIE ROSEN, Best Orchestrations for “Moulin Rouge!” in 2020 and “Some Like It Hot” in 2023
Charlie Rosen's Tonys (and Grammys).
They are between my Grammys and my Nintendo Switch.
NATASHA KATZ, eight-time winner, including Best Lighting Design of a Musical for “Once” in 2015, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” in 2016 and “Sweeney Todd” in 2023
Natasha Katz's Tonys.
They are in my beautifully lit closet, and every morning, when I open the doors, they give me overwhelming gratitude to the people I have worked with, along with a dose of artistic inspiration.
DAVID YAZBEK, 2018 Best Original Musical Score for "The Band’s Visit”
David Yazbec's desk.
[It’s] in a studio where I work. I have a lot of BS awards, all in storage. But the director of an upcoming documentary made me take out my Tony, Emmy and Grammy and put them on a shelf for a shot. That's where they are now.
MIRIAM SILVERMAN, 2023 Best Featured Actress in a Play for “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”
Miriam Silverman's Tony.
The Tony sits on our piano, next to a photo of my beautiful mom, who died unexpectedly as we began previews for the run of “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,” for which I ended up winning the award. Behind my daughter’s sheet music, and beneath a picture she drew of me on Tony night, it has become, unintentionally, but perfectly, a shrine to the two most important women I will ever know, and for whom I am so unbelievably grateful to love.
WILL BRILL, 2024 Best Featured Actor in a Play for "Stereophonic"
I keep my Tony in the cat room, in a funky clay planter that my aunt made. I wanted to keep it in the bowl of my toilet as a surprise (and challenge) for guests, but this proved impractical.
TONYA PINKINS, 1992 Best Featured Actress in a Musical for “Jelly’s Last Jam”
Tonya Pinkins' Tony
This is a replacement Tony. I gave the original to my mother and she lost or threw it out. It was mounted on a black wall but since repainting in December it’s been sitting in the window sill.
After years of thinking it was gone forever I called the Theatre Wing and asked if it was possible to replace it and they said yes. I forget the cost. Or maybe there was none.
JASON ROBERT BROWN, 1999 Best Original Musical Score for “Parade”; 2014 Best Orchestrations and Best Original Musical Score for “The Bridges of Madison County”
Jason Robert Brown's shelf.
[They’re] in my office. I like having them there directly in my eyeline while I’m at the piano. It just reminds me to keep the bar high. And that folks do appreciate what I do, which I tend to forget.
Longtime collaborators MICHAEL ARDEN, Best Direction of a Musical for “Maybe Happy Ending” in 2025 and “Parade” in 2023 and DANE LAFFREY, 2025 Best Scenic Design of a Musical for “Maybe Happy Ending”
We pass them around to various collaborators who worked on the project, as it takes a village to make the work. When they are in our custody, we keep them in the At Rise Creative office we share. It's where we do our work with collaborators, so we all get to spend time with them.
BEOWULF BORITT, 2014 Best Scenic Design of a Play for “Act One” and 2023 Best Scenic Design of a Musical for “New York, New York”
I live in Harlem, in an apartment my brother owns, so my little brother is my landlord! I keep my two Tonys on a living room bookshelf sandwiched between two Drama Desk Awards next to a piece of one of the “Come From Away” trees and the Belmont Avenue sign from “A Bronx Tale.” I just brought home The 1/52 Project’s Tony Honor, so that is with the others while we decide where it will ultimately live.
SUE WAGNER, nine-time winner, including 2017 Best Musical Revival “Hello, Dolly!”; 2016 Best Play Revival “Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge” and 2015 Best Play Revival “Skylight”
Sue Wagner's Tonys.
As a producer, I have won nine Tony Awards, and winning a Best Play or Best Musical Tony feels different from winning one for your craft as a performer or designer. I do not keep any of the awards in my office or at home. I reject the idea that a tchotchke makes a play or musical more worthy than the dozens of other plays or musicals I've produced over the years. When you set out to make art, you're not trying to win an award — you're trying to tell a story that will reach people's souls and change minds and hearts. Measuring art in awards feels a bit like favoring a child for academic achievement over emotional intelligence.
So when I'm lucky enough to win a Tony in a given year, I package up that statue and send it to my parents in Florida. After all, they fostered and supported my love of theater. They paid a fortune to send me to college for a BFA instead of insisting on something more "practical," like a law degree. They could see this was a calling for their little girl who oddly wanted to grow up to become Hal Prince. They believed a life dedicated to theater arts was important, worthy, and fulfilling.
So really, when I think about it, they were the ones who won those awards. They set the path and believed in me. Plus, it's much more fun for them to show off a shelf full of Tonys to the neighbors in retirement!
Additional reporting by Elliott Forrest, WQXR
