The drama “Red” and musical “Memphis” dominate Tony Awards

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“Red” and “Memphis” dominate Tonys

NEW YORK — Two very different stories set in mid-20th century America, the exuberant rhythm ‘n’ blues musical “Memphis” and anguished two-man drama “Red,” were big winners Sunday at the 2010 Tony Awards.

Michael Grandage of “Red” won for best director of a play, and Eddie Redmayne of “Red” won featured performance by an actor in a play as the increasingly disillusioned assistant to painter Mark Rothko.

“This is the stuff dreams are made of. Wow,” Redmayne said, clutching his prize.

“Red,” starring Alfred Molina as Rothko, was also awarded a Tony for best lighting design of a play, best sound design and best scenic design.

Best direction for a musical went to first-time nominee Terry Johnson of “La Cage Aux Folles.” Scarlett Johansson won for best featured performance as an actress in a play for her Broadway debut, the object of her uncle’s lust in Arthur Miller’s “A View From a Bridge.”

“Every since I was a little girl I wanted to be on Broadway and here I am,” said Johansson, best known for such films as “Matchpoint” and “Lost in Translation.”

“Memphis” was cited for best orchestration, original score and best book of a musical, twice beating out “Fela!,” which won for best costume design of a musical and best sound design of a musical.

“Fela!” and “La Cage aux Folles” were the dominant nominees at Sunday’s star-laden Tonys.

“Fela!” — the innovative Afro-beat biography of Nigerian superstar Fela Anikulapo-Kuti — and “La Cage aux Folles” — a revival of the classic Jerry Herman-Harvey Fierstein musical farce — had 11 nominations.

They were followed by the revival of August Wilson’s “Fences,” with 10 nominations and “Memphis,” with eight.

The ceremony, from Radio City Music Hall and telecast on CBS, begins at 8 p.m. EDT. Host Sean Hayes is up for leading actor in a musical for his portrayal of Chuck Baxter, the insecure company man who lends out his bachelor apartment for extramarital, romantic dalliances by its executives, in a revival of “Promises, Promises,” inspired by Billy Wilder’s Academy Award-winning “The Apartment.”

“I have actually managed to combine a good chance of losing with a good chance of bombing,” he joked during his opening monologue, which was widely applauded.

Historically, Tony-nominated hosts have fared well. Hugh Jackman brought won a trophy in 2004 for his portrayal of Peter Allen in “The Boy From Oz.” Nathan Lane won twice while at the helm: in 1996, when he won lead actor in a musical for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”; and in 2001, when he shared duties with Matthew Broderick and won a Tony for “The Producers.”

Hayes began with a playful piano medley circling around “Give My Regards to Broadway,” then stepped up the beat and segued into a stomping “Blue Suede Shoes,” as performed by cast members from “Million Dollar Quartet.” Segments from “Promises, Promises,” ”Come Fly With Me” and others followed, capped and stolen by a shouting medley from Green Day.

Musical performances from “La Cage aux Folles” with Kelsey Grammer and “A Little Night Music” with Catherine Zeta-Jones are on the bill.

The telecast will also feature a special presentation of Tony-nominated plays and play revivals with appearances by Denzel Washington and Viola Davis from “Fences,” Anthony LaPaglia and Tony Shalhoub from “Lend Me a Tenor,” Liev Schrieber and Scarlett Johansson from “A View from the Bridge,” and more.

Also on hand: “Glee” cast members Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison; Katie Holmes and Daniel Radcliffe; Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith; and the punk-rock band Green Day, whose 2004 best-selling album “American Idiot” was adapted into one of this year’s Tony-nominated musicals.

Special Tony Awards for lifetime achievement will be given to playwright Alan Ayckbourn (”The Norman Conquests,” a trilogy that won the play-revival Tony last year), and actress Marian Seldes (”A Delicate Balance,” ”Equus,” ”Deathtrap,” ”Three Tall Women”).

Seldes accepted her honor wordlessly, waving at the audience and leaving the stage.

The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Conn., will receive the regional theater award.