NEW YORK: The profane and hysterical “The Book of Mormon” took home nine Tony Awards including the prize for best musical, a considerable achievement for a pair of first-time Broadway playwrights known more for their raunchy cartoons featuring potty-mouthed kids. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the Emmy Award-winning “South Park,” found a kindred soul in Robert Lopez, who co-wrote the Tony-winning “Avenue Q,” and all three found themselves with plenty of awards when they collaborated to gently mock Mormons and send-up Broadway itself. Collecting the best musical prize Sunday, a subdued Parker, who tied Josh Logan of “South Pacific” with four Tonys in one evening, said he'd be remiss if he didn't thank his late book co-writer _ Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion. “You did it, Joseph! You got the Tony!” Parker said looking skyward and holding up his award. The show, which netted honors for best musical, best book, best direction of a musical, best score, best featured actress and four technical awards, came in with a leading 14 nominations and was the heavy favorite for the top musical prize. “We know what the best musical is — it's like taking a hooker to dinner,” comedian Chris Rock said before reading the nominees and announcing the winner. “War Horse” — a World War I tale about horses told with puppets and actors — won five Tonys, including the best play award. The revival of “The Normal Heart” and “Anything Goes” both won three apiece. Mark Rylance won the best acting award for a play for his powerful role of Johnny “Rooster” Byron in Jez Butterworth's “Jerusalem.” Just as he did three years ago when he won for “Boeing-Boeing,” Rylance quoted a poem by Louis Jenkins, an obscure poet from Minnesota. “Unlike flying or astral projection, walking through walls is a totally earth-related craft, but a lot more interesting than pot-making or driftwood lamps,” he said to the bemused crowd. When asked later why he had recited the poem, he said, “I don't know. I was getting a little bored.” Norbert Leo Butz won for best actor in a musical. Butz, who plays a frumpy FBI agent hot on the heels of a con man in “Catch Me If You Can” took home his second Tony. His previous win was in 2005 for “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.” Sutton Foster won for best actress in a musical and gave a tearful speech. “It doesn't feel like a job,” she said of the Cole Porter musical “Anything Goes,” which also won best musical revival and earned Kathleen Marshall an award for best choreography.
