The 10th Annual Tony Awards took place at the Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom on April 1, 1956. The Master of Ceremonies was Jack Carter.
Ceremony
The presenter was Helen Hayes, who was President of the American Theatre Wing, and several of the nominees. Jack Carter was host for the first part of the ceremony, and Helen Hayes hosted the second part. More than 500 people attended the dinner dance.
[1]
For the first time, the ceremony was broadcast on television, on the DuMont Channel 5 in New York City, in an effort to create "wider public interest in Broadway's most important award-giving ceremony". Also for the first time, the nominees were announced ahead of the ceremony.[2]
Music for the dinner dance was by Meyer Davis and his Orchestra.
^Zolotow, Sam. "Theatre Wing's 'Tony' Awards Presented at Dinner Here: 'Damn Yankees' and 'Anne Frank' Cited as Top Offerings Producing Trio Scores Again Other Award Winners", The New York Times, April 2, 1956, p. 20
^Gelb, Arthur. "Popularizing the 'Tony' Awards", The New York Times, April 1, 1956, p.93