IOWA CITY, Iowa — One of Broadway's biggest nights took place Sunday, June 16, as the theatre community gathered for the 77th Annual Tony Awards.
Among the crowd was University of Iowa alum and playwright David Adjmi. His play, "Stereophonic," debuted on Broadway for the first time in April at the Golden Theatre in New York City.
Not only did the piece earn the esteemed "Best Play" award, but it also received four other Tony Awards and became the most Tony-nominated play ever. For comparison, Lin Manuel-Miranda's hit "Hamilton" has the most nominations for a musical with 16 Tony nods.
"'Stereophonic' mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976," according to the play's website. "Here, an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. The ensuing pressures could spark their breakup — or their breakthrough."
Here's a breakdown of Stereophonic's nominations:
- Best Play (winner)
- Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre - Will Butler
- 3 nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play – for Will Brill (winner), Eli Gelb, and Tom Pecinka
- 2 nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play – for Juliana Canfield and Sarah Pidgeon
- Best Scenic Design of a Play – David Zinn (winner)
- Best Costume Design of a Play – Enver Chakartash
- Best Lighting Design of a Play – Jiyoun Chang
- Best Sound Design of a Play – Ryan Rumery (winner)
- Best Direction of a Play – Daniel Aukin (winner)
- Best Orchestrations – Will Butler and Justin Craig
Adjmi attended the Iowa Playwrights Workshop from 1998 to 2001 and worked closely with the program's co-head Art Borreca, according to the U of I. The university's theatre department will put on his play "Marie Antoinette" Oct. 11-19, with tickets going on sale in August.
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