Tony Awards 2017 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Best Musical

"Dear Evan Hansen" tells the story of a teenager with severe social anxiety who lies about a friendship with a classmate that never existed and finds that it eases his anxiety and helps him to progress. It opened on Broadway in 2016, having previously first opened in Washington DC. Ben Platt played the title character in both Washington DC and for its first run on Broadway.

Answer: Best Revival of a Musical

Based on a 1835 English play called "A Day Well Spent" by John Oxenford, "Hello, Dolly!" was adapted for stage by Jerry Herman in 1964. A movie version was made in 1969 starring Barbra Streisand. "Hello, Dolly!" follows a widow and socialite who comes to town ostensibly to matchmake for a wealthy businessman whom it later transpires she intends to marry herself.

The 2017 Broadway revival starred Bette Midler for the initial limited run.

Answer: Best Revival of a Play

First produced for stage in 1982, "Jitney" tells the story of the drivers of jitneys in Pittsburg; jitneys are unlicensed taxis which take passengers to neighbourhoods into which normal taxis refuse to drive. When it was first revived in the early 2000s, it won a number of awards, including an Olivier Award. The 2017 revival only ran for 3 months on Broadway.

Answer: Best Play

"Oslo" is based on the true story of a husband and wife diplomatic team from Norway who, in 1993, brought together the leaders of Israel and Palestine for peace negotiations. Written by J.T. Rogers, the three hour long play first opened off-Broadway in 2016 and later moved to Broadway in April 2017.

Answer: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Cynthia Nixon won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play in 2017 for her roles in the Broadway revival of "The Little Foxes". In that play she played alternating roles of Regina Giddens and Birdie, which she alternated with Laura Linney, who was nominated for the same award.

Answer: Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Ben Platt won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play in 2017 for his role as Evan Hansen in "Dear Evan Hansen". Platt played the character from its opening in Washington DC until the end of its 2017 run on Broadway.

Answer: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Kevin Kline won his Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play in 2017 for his role as the self-obsessed Garry Essendine in "Present Laughter", a comic play originally written by Noel Coward. "Present Laughter" has been revived a number of times since it was first staged in Blackpool in 1942.

Answer: Best Scenic Design in a Play

"The Play that Goes Wrong" is a comedy play which began in London's West End in 2010 and moved to Broadway in 2017. It follows a fictitious drama society and documents the mishaps and staging problems that occur while they try to put on a performance of a murder mystery play.

The scenic design was particularly commended during its 2017 Broadway run as it required significant thought and work to make the mishaps look unconscious or unexpected, despite their being scripted.

Answer: Best Direction of a Play

Rebecca Taichman won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for her work on "Indecent", a play first produced on Broadway in 2015, and documents the controversy which surrounded the "God of Vengeance" by Sholem Asch, a play which drew criticism and even cast arrests due to its perceived "obscenity". Rebecca Taichman both write and directed the play herself.

It also won Best Lighting Design of a Play and was nominated for Best Play at the Tony Awards in 2017.

Answer: Best Direction of a Musical

Christopher Ashley won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for his work on "Come from Away", a musical about the events which occurred following the September 11 attacks when a number of planes were forced to land close to a small Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador. Although nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2017, it only won one.