The 79th Tony Awards crowned Death of a Salesman with six trophies, while Schmigadoon!, The Lost Boys, and Ragtime each captured four. A crowd of almost 6,000 readers weighed in on eight categories, voting for shows and performers that mirrored official results in most cases.

Readers favored Schmigadoon! as Best Musical, edging out The Lost Boys 45% to 25%. In the musical revival slot, 54% chose Ragtime over the reimagined Cats. The play revival vote saw Death of a Salesman dominate with over 60%. In acting categories, Joshua Henry topped readers’ ballots for Leading Actor in a Musical.

The only notable divergence appeared in Leading Actor in a Play: readers selected Nathan Lane 43% to John Lithgow’s 36%, Lithgow ultimately taking the award for his role in Giant. This split highlights how public taste can differ from academy choices, offering producers insight into audience preferences that may influence future casting and marketing strategies.

The data underscores that while academy votes set the official record, audience sentiment remains a powerful barometer for commercial success on Broadway.