The Daddy Dozen

In the grand scheme of the universe, having Father's Day and the Tony Awards touch down on the same Sunday is a once-in-a-lifetime event, like Halley's comet or a South Pacific revival. To celebrate this momentous convergence, Broadway.com presents honors to 12 very deserving dads. Some are good eggs. Others are bad seeds. Yet all are unforgettable. So, without further ado...

Best Performance by a Dad Who Technically Isn't a Dad
Herbie, Gypsy
Okay, so Rose is such a terror that you could cast Freddy Krueger as her co-star and he would seem like a swell guy. But the fact that Herbie is a true-blue sweetheart makes him come across as a bona-fide saint here. Who could ask for a better father figure, biological or otherwise?

Best Performance by a Dad Whose Days Are Numbered
Big Daddy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Tennessee Williams' cancer-stricken archetype isn't exactly a ray of sunshine, but as the lone soul trying to cut through the lies that plague his family, Big Daddy's candor is admirable. Plus, it takes class to note how one's home smells of "mendacity" instead of just griping that it stinks of B.S.

Best Performance by a Bad Dad Who Turns into a Good Dad
George Banks, Mary Poppins
An inattentive workaholic in Act 1, Mr. Banks redeems himself before final curtain. However, he should prepare himself for a speech when Jane and Michael hit middle-age: "Dad, just to get this out in the open, our therapist thinks we should talk about how you made us feel before Mary Poppins arrived…"

Best Performance by a Three-Headed Dad
Sam, Harry and Bill, Mamma Mia!
An architect, a banker, a writer. These Goodtime Charleys might seem like a lot of fun. But perhaps they're better qualified for "Cool Uncle" status. Will they stick around when the going gets tough, or go AWOL again? Discuss…

Best Performance by a Dad Who's Had It Up to Here Play
Charlie Aiken, August: Osage County
This guy comes across as a bit of a pushover—until he informs his wife that he'll kick her "fat Irish ass onto the highway" if she doesn't find love in her heart for their son, and you know Big Charlie means business.

Best Performance by a Dad Who's Had It Up to Here Musical
Tom Hurley, A Catered Affair
If he didn't stop the show by singing "I Stayed," Tom would have lost his taxicab, his wife would've bankrupted the family and their daughter probably would've hated both of them for the rest of her life. Sometimes, father really does know best.

Best Performance by a Dad Who's Too Good to Be True
Wilbur Turnblad, Hairspray
Talk about the living embodiment of unconditional "love is blind" devotion: Not only does this guy wholly support his daughter's radical pursuits, but looking at his plus-sized transvestite of a wife, the only thing he sees is the woman who stole his heart.

Best Performance by a Dad Who Makes Us Feel Conflicted
Emile de Becque, South Pacific
Emile cherishes his kids, obviously. But why does he wait so long to introduce them to Nellie Forbush? And why's he going on about having nothing to live for when she splits? It's like, what about that boy and girl over there singing "Dites-Moi"? Earth to Emile!

Best Performance by a Dad Who's Too Much Like Your Real Dad
TIE: Kevin, In the Heights; King Triton, The Little Mermaid; Mufasa, The Lion King
Yes, these guys' hearts are in the right place, and we know they mean well. But do we feel their kids' pain or what? Go back to college. Don't hobnob with humans. Mufasa even pesters Simba from the grave. To quote the Piragua guy, Ay dios mio!

Best Performance by a Dad Who's, Like, Totally Secure with Himself
Zeus, Xanadu
Seriously, this guy has nine daughters and not once does he say he wished he had a son or that one of them was a soccer player. How cool is that?

Does your dad deserve a prize, too? Send him to a Broadway show!