Cyndi Lauper was 31 and having plenty of fun when she picked up her first career GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 27th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1985. Nearly three decades later, "Kinky Boots," a musical with music and lyrics by Lauper, leads the field with 13 nominations for the 2013 Tony Awards, taking place June 9 in New York.
The production's collective nods include Best Musical, Best Choreography and Best Sound Design of a Musical, as well as a nomination for Lauper for Best Original Score (Music And/Or Lyrics) Written For The Theatre category. Should Lauper emerge a winner, she would join a select company of individuals who have won both a GRAMMY and a Tony and form one of the latest connections between the two awards shows, which have more than 120 years of collective history between them.
That history has intersected on numerous occasions. For example, recent Tony Award-winning musicals that have won GRAMMYs in the Best Musical Theater Album category include Once — A New Musical (2012), American Idiot — Featuring Green Day (2010) and West Side Story (2009).
Actress Julie Harris, who won a GRAMMY in 1977 for Best Spoken Word Recording, ranks as the performer with the most Tony Awards with six. Seven-time GRAMMY winner Stephen Sondheim ranks as the composer with the most Tony Awards with eight.
Of the nearly 1,000 recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, 31 have been inducted in the Musical Show category to date. GRAMMY Hall Of Fame-inducted recordings of musicals that have earned Tony Awards include the original Broadway cast recordings of "Camelot" (1960), "Fiddler On The Roof" (1964), "Hello, Dolly!" (1964), "The Music Man" (1958), and "My Fair Lady" (1956).
Of course, these examples represent but a taste of the GRAMMY/Tony shared lineage. In advance of Sunday's 67th annual Tony Awards, here is a serving of individuals who have doubled their career pleasure with both a GRAMMY and a Tony.
GRAMMY/Tony Awards Playlist
Mel Brooks*
Brooks has worn many hats in his esteemed career, including actor, comedian, composer, film director, lyricist, producer, and screenwriter. After winning his first GRAMMY for Best Spoken Comedy Album in 1998, Brooks took home two GRAMMYs in 2001 for "The Producers," his hit musical based on his 1968 film of the same name. "The Producers" currently stands as the musical production that has been awarded the most Tony Awards with 12. In addition to his career awards, Brooks earned a World War II Victory Medal for his service in the U.S. Army.
David Bryan
Bryan's day job as keyboardist for Bon Jovi has yielded platinum albums and sold-out tours worldwide. The New Jersey rockers picked up their first career GRAMMY for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles in 2006. A classically trained pianist, Bryan turned his talents to a different stage with "Memphis," a production based loosely on Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips, one of the first white DJs to play black music in the '50s. The musical, which made its Broadway debut in 2009, earned Bryan two Tony Awards for Orchestrations and Score (Music And/Or Lyrics) in 2010.
Cy Coleman
Impressively, Coleman earned GRAMMY nominations in five consecutive decades, from the '50s to the '90s. His first career nomination came at the inaugural GRAMMY Awards in 1958 for Song Of The Year for "Witchcraft," a Top 10 hit for Frank Sinatra. In 1991 Coleman broke through with his first career GRAMMY for Best Musical Show Album for The Will Rogers Follies. That same year, Coleman picked up his third and final Tony for Score (Musical) for "The Will Rogers Follies," a production based on the life and career of humorist Will Rogers. Coleman died in 2004.
Whoopi Goldberg*
The multitalented Goldberg has scaled heights as a comedian, singer/songwriter, actress, and talk-show host. She won a GRAMMY in 1985 for Best Comedy Recording for Whoopi Goldberg — Original Broadway Show Recording. Goldberg's lone Tony to date came in 2002 as a producer of the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie," a tale of small-town girl Millie Dillmount who moves to New York.
Marvin Hamlisch*
In 1974 Hamlisch took home four GRAMMYs, including Song Of The Year for "The Way We Were." Featured in the 1973 film of the same name, the song features lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (both GRAMMY winners who have yet to pick up Tony Awards) and sublime vocals courtesy of Barbra Streisand. In 1976 Hamlisch won his lone Tony Award for Score (Musical) for "A Chorus Line," which garnered a nomination for Best Cast Show Album in 1975. The musical also earned the composer a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Hamlisch died Aug. 6, 2012.
Audrey Hepburn*
A film and fashion icon, Hepburn's résumé included such notable films as Roman Holiday (1953), Funny Face (1957) and Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961), the latter featuring music by 20-time GRAMMY winner Henry Mancini. She won her first Tony in 1954 for Actress (Dramatic) for her role in "Ondine" and later was honored with a Special Tony Award in 1968. Hepburn earned her lone career GRAMMY for Best Spoken Word Album For Children for Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales in 1993, the same year she died.
John Kander And Fred Ebb
The dynamic songwriting team of composer Kander and lyricist Ebb was arguably best known for writing music for stage musicals. But the duo also composed music for film, including writing "Theme From New York, New York," the theme song from Martin Scorcese's 1977 drama New York, New York that would later become one of Frank Sinatra's signatures. The duo's hit musicals include "The Happy Time" (1968), "Zorba" (1968), "Chicago" (1975), and "Woman Of The Year" (1981), all of which spawned GRAMMY nominations. Kander and Ebb earned their lone career GRAMMY for Best Score From An Original Cast Show Album for Cabaret in 1967. That same year, the musical "Cabaret" earned the duo a Tony for Composer And Lyricist. The 1972 film adaptation starred Liza Minnelli, a Tony winner and GRAMMY Legend Award recipient. The film's soundtrack was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2008.
Rita Moreno*
A singer, dancer and actress, Moreno's career has spanned nearly 70 years. In 1972 she earned her lone career GRAMMY to date for Best Recording For Children for The Electric Company, a soundtrack album for the popular children's television program. In 1975 she earned her sole Tony Award for Actress, Supporting or Featured (Dramatic) for her portrayal of Googie Gomez in "The Ritz." More recently, Moreno was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Latin Recording Academy in 2012.
Tim Rice
A master lyricist, Rice earned his first of six career GRAMMYs in 1980 for Best Cast Show Album for Evita — Premier American Recording. He also notched a Song Of The Year win in 1993 for "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)" with fellow GRAMMY/Tony winner Alan Menken. In 2000 Rice won a GRAMMY for Best Musical Show Album for the album accompanying his hit musical collaboration with Sir Elton John, "Aida." The musical also earned Rice a Tony for Original Musical Score.
Richard Rodgers* And Oscar Hammerstein II
The late legendary duo of composer Rodgers and lyricist Hammerstein won their lone collective GRAMMY in 1960 for Best Show Album (Original Cast) for The Sound Of Music. The original Broadway production of "The Sound Of Music" opened in 1959 and has resurfaced with many revivals in the years since. The musical won a Tony for Musical in 1960, tying with "Fiorello!" Collectively, the duo's musicals earned 34 Tony Awards. The original Broadway cast recordings from the duo's musicals that have been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame include "Oklahoma!" (1943), "Carousel" (1945), "South Pacific" (1949), and "The King And I" (1951).
Stephen Sondheim
Sondheim's storied GRAMMY history includes a win for Song Of The Year in 1975 for "Send In The Clowns." With vocals by Glynis Johns, the song was featured in "A Little Night Music," an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's 1955 film Smiles Of A Summer Night. The musical earned Sondheim a Tony in 1973 for Score (Musical). Sondheim went on to earn GRAMMYs in three consecutive decades, with his latest award coming in 1994 for Best Musical Show Album for Passion. Sondheim also has a Pulitzer Prize for drama to his credit.
Barbra Streisand*
Streisand's GRAMMY star was born in 1963 when she won the first two of her eight career awards, including Album Of The Year (Other Than Classical) for her debut, The Barbra Streisand Album. In addition to two Tony nominations, including Actress (Musical) in 1964 for her portrayal of entertainer Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl," Streisand was honored with a Special Tony Award in 1970. The original Broadway cast recording of "Funny Girl" was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2004. Streisand was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in 2011 for her career accomplishments and philanthropic endeavors.
Charles Strouse
In 1977 Strouse earned GRAMMYs as a producer and composer for Best Cast Show Album for Annie, the album from the Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie. Strouse's score also won him a Tony for Score that same year. A decade prior, Strouse won his first Tony in 1961 for the music to "Bye, Bye Birdie," which also earned him a nomination for Best Show Album (Original Cast) at the 3rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1960.
Jonathan Tunick
A masterful orchestrator, Tunick is arguably best known for his collaborations with Sondheim, beginning with 1970's musical comedy "Company." He won his lone GRAMMY to date in 1988 for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) for "No One Is Alone," a song featured on the 1987 album Cleo Laine Sings Sondheim. In 1997 Tunick picked up his first Tony for Orchestrations for musical adaptations featured in the show "Titanic."
* Denotes one of a select group of individuals to win a GRAMMY, Emmy, Oscar, and Tony