32nd Tony Awards

The 32nd Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS television on June 4, 1978, from the Shubert Theatre in New York City. This was the first time that CBS broadcast the ceremony, which had previously been shown on the ABC television network.

The ceremony

Presenters were Ed Asner, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Carol Channing, Bonnie Franklin, Robert Guillaume, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Bob Hope, Gene Kelly, Linda Lavin, Jack Lemmon, Hal Linden, Roy Scheider and Dick Van Patten.

Bonnie Franklin introduced each segment from her seat in the audience. Bob Hope presented the "Lawrence Langer" Special Award to Irving Berlin, who was not present at the ceremony. The theme of the ceremony was "footlights", with each presenter telling of the first time they saw live theatre.

Musicals represented:

The Act ("City Lights" – Liza Minnelli and Company)
Ain't Misbehavin' ("Ladies Who Sing with the Band"/"Off Time" – Company)
Dancin' ("Sing, Sing, Sing" – Company)
On the Twentieth Century ("On The Twentieth Century" – Company)
Runaways (Medley – Company)

Winners and nominees

Winners are in bold

Special awards

Lawrence Langner Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre – Irving Berlin
Theatre Award '78 – To the creators, Charles Moss and Stan Dragoti (of Wells, Rich, Greene, Inc.) of the I Love New York Broadway Show Tours and William S. Doyle, Deputy Commissioner, the New York State Department of Commerce
Regional Theatre Award – The Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut