Tony Awards shine night of New York

BEIJING, June 8 -- Hundreds of people lined the streets outside New York City's Radio City Hall, cheering nominees of the Tony Awards Sunday evening.

The British musical ¡°Billy Elliot¡± dominated Sunday night's Tonys, collecting eight awards, including director of a musical, book of a musical and choreography. ¡°Shrek The Musical¡± won the Costume Design of a Musical.

¡°Billy Elliot,¡± the story of a coal miner's son who dreams to dance, was expected to dominate the musical prizes, while Reza's satiric look at the collapse of middle-class propriety was the favorite for the best play crown.

This year¡¯s Tony Awards is held in New York City's Radio City Hall, and was also broadcasted in Time Square, New York City¡¯s heart area of theater industry. A few theaters line their way down the Broadway, form an theater industry environment with abundant elements.

During the 12-month Broadway season ending May 24, 43 shows opened -- the most in more than 25 years, said the Broadway League. There were 10 new musicals, eight new plays, four musical revivals, 16 play revivals and five special shows.

The Tony Awards were established in 1947 and are named for Antoinette Perry, whose nickname was Toni Perry, who died in 1946, was an actress, stage director and philanthropist who was a founder of the American Theatre Wing.

The Tonys are presented by the League and the American Theatre Wing, a nonprofit service organization. Around 750 people from the theater industry -- from actors, directors and journalists -- vote for the Tony Awards.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from New York. (XHTV)