2007 Broadway.com Audience Awards Announced; Spring Awakening Wins 7
In the end, Spring Awakening came out on top this year, with seven Audience Award wins including the coveted category of Favorite New Broadway Musical. The new rock musical also won a number of awards for its young cast. Jonathan Groff was named Favorite Leading Actor in a Broadway Musical, Favorite Breakthrough Performance Male and shares the award for Favorite Onstage Pair with his co-star Lea Michele. Michele will also take home the award for Favorite Breakthrough Performance Female, while John Gallagher, Jr. was named Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Musical. The cast of Spring Awakening was also named Favorite Ensemble Cast.
Broadway favorites prevailed in a number of the other Audience Award categories. Christine Ebersole was named Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical for her work in Grey Gardens while legend Angela Lansbury won Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Play for Deuce. Stage and film cross-overs Liev Schreiber and Ethan Hawke also came out on top, with Schreiber being named Favorite Leading Actor in a Broadway Play for Talk Radio and Hawke earning Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Play for The Coast of Utopia. Rounding out the major acting categories was Broadway favorite Orfeh, taking home Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical for her work in Legally Blonde.
There are several unique categories in the Broadway.com Audience Awards, making them different than traditional theater honors. Legally Blonde's energetic opening number “Omigod You Guys” was chosen as Favorite New Broadway Song. Fan favorite Kristin Chenoweth earned the title for Favorite Diva Performance for her performance in The Apple Tree while stage legend Vanessa Redgrave was named Favorite Solo Performance for her work in The Year of Magical Thinking. Wicked and Altar Boyz were named Favorite Long-Running Broadway and Off-Broadway show respectively, the third year in a row for Wicked and the second for Altar Boyz.
Founded in 2000, the Broadway.com Audience Awards give real theatergoers a chance to honor their favorite Broadway and off-Broadway shows and performers every theater season. Nominations were first chosen by Broadway.com users and announced on May 11 Click here for a complete list, with final voting taking place over a three-week period. During that time, more than 175,000 votes were tallied in 25 categories, the biggest turnout yet in the history of the awards.
Winners of the 2007 Broadway.com Audience Awards will receive trophies and be toasted at a private reception on Thursday, May 31.
A complete list of this year's Audience Award winners follows:
Favorite New Broadway Musical
Spring Awakening
Favorite New Broadway Play
The Coast of Utopia
Favorite Broadway Musical Revival
Les Miserables
Favorite Broadway Play Revival
Talk Radio
Favorite New Off-Broadway Musical
In the Heights
Favorite New Off-Broadway Play
My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy
Favorite Leading Actor in a Broadway Musical
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Favorite Leading Actor in a Broadway Play
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio
Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Play
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Musical
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
Favorite Featured Actress in a Broadway Musical
Orfeh, Legally Blonde
Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Play
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
Favorite Featured Actress in a Broadway Play
Tonya Pinkins, Radio Golf
Favorite Diva Performance
Kristin Chenoweth, The Apple Tree
Favorite Solo Performance
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Favorite Onstage Pair
Jonathan Groff & Lea Michele, Spring Awakening
Favorite Ensemble Cast
Spring Awakening
Favorite Breakthrough Performance Male
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Favorite Breakthrough Performance Female
Lea Michele, Spring Awakening
Favorite Replacement Male
John Tartaglia, Beauty and the Beast
Favorite Replacement Female
Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
Favorite New Broadway Song
"Omigod, You Guys," Legally Blonde
Favorite Long-Running Broadway Show
Wicked
Favorite Long-Running Off-Broadway Show
Altar Boyz
Shows with Multiple Wins:
Spring Awakening - 7
Legally Blonde - 2
Talk Radio - 2
The Coast of Utopia - 2