Seth Numrich as Albert in "War Horse." Photo by Associated Press.
As he left the Tony Awards ceremony at the Beacon Theatre in New York on Sunday night, Twin Cities-bred actor Seth Numrich was giddy. The star of "War Horse" had six reasons to be. His drama cleaned up at the Tonys, winning best play.
"I'm really thrilled that we won all five Tonys that we were nominated for and that the Handspring Puppet Theatre Company, which made all the puppets, got a special award," Numrich said Sunday night as he was walking from the Tonys to a "War Horse" cast party. "It's great to be there, to be part of this show and this whole event." Numrich, the son of Twin Cities actor Charles Numrich, grew up in St. Paul and was home-schooled before becoming the youngest-ever drama student at Juilliard. He was 16 when he enrolled at the famed New York performing arts conservatory.
"Theater has been my way of learning about everything," he said last week.
"War Horse" is a World War I-era story of a boy who joins the British cavalry in order to reunite with his horse, which has been sold into national service. Three people manipulate the puppet horse onstage, which Numrich rides.
He said that he is signed on with "War Horse" through January. A national tour of "War Horse" has been announced and it is tipped to be part of the Hennepin Theatre Trust's 2012-2013 Broadway season.
Numrich made his Broadway debut last year playing Al Pacino's son-in-law in "The Merchant of Venice." While "War Horse" won big on the drama side, including winning the best play Tony, "The Book of Mormon" was the big musical winner. It took home nine Tonys, including one for featured actress Nikki James, who was unknown to most of the nation until Sunday night, when her pitched, emotional speech gave the Tonys a Halle Berry Oscar moment. There were several shows with Twin Cities connections up for awards at last night Tonys. "Anything Goes," which features Twin Citian Laura Osnes in a starring role, won for best musical revival. It beat out "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," which stars John Larroquette and Daniel Radcliffe. But "The Scottsboro Boys," which had an eight-week pre-Broadway tryout at the Guthrie Theater last summer, got skunked. The show was nominated for a dozen Tonys but took home no statues.
