Tonys: ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’ Wins Best Musical

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder won the Tony for best musical on Sunday.

The musical tells the story of a distant heir to a family fortune who sets out to speed up the line of succession using charm and murder. Rosie O’Donnell, who herself received the Tonys honorary Isabelle Stevenson Award, presented the award.

PHOTOS: Red Carpet Arrivals at 2014 Tonys

Lead actor Jefferson Mays, who was nominated for best lead actor in a musical and lost to Hedwig and the Angry Inch‘s Neil Patrick Harris, played eight members of the D’Ysquith family in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

At The Hollywood Reporter‘s first-ever Tonys Actor Roundtable, Mays discussed being intimidated by performing eight characters in the same musical.

“Number one, it’s a musical, and this is my first foray into the Broadway musical. And I just so agree with [Neil Patrick Harris]. They’re Olympic athletes — unbelievable. The benchmark is so high. The excellence as so-called straight play actors, we can sort of muddle through. You know, come in hungover sometimes and do our best work,” adding, “I was absolutely terrified and I think that’s a good reason to do something. At least, that’s what I tell myself.” 

VIDEO: Tony-Nominated Actor Roundtable

In total, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder nabbed 10 nominations, including best musical, book of a musical (Robert L. Freedman), original score (music by Steven Lutvak, lyrics by Freedman and Lutvak), lead actor (Mays and Bryce Pinkham), featured actress (Lauren Worsham), direction (Darko Tresnjak), orchestrations (Jonathan Tunick), scenic design (Alexander Dodge) and costume design (Linda Cho). The production is currently scheduled to play at the New York Walter Kerr Theatre through Jan. 4, 2015.

Related Stories

Related Story

The Colbert Report Duck Dynasty Screengrab - H 2013

Related Stories

Related Story

Tony Awards 2014: The Red Carpet Arrivals