Broadway awards celebrate its revival

Disney's Lion King won this year's best musical award and five other Tonys

Though the lion's share of awards at this year's ceremonies went to The Lion King, British performers in British-inspired productions picked up many top awards.

Natasha Richardson accepts her best actress award

Natasha Richardson won this year's leading actress award in a musical for her performance in a British-inspired revival of Cabaret for her performance as Sally Bowles.

The Scottish actor, Alan Cumming, won best leading actor in a musical for his Broadway debut alongside her as the cabaret's master of ceremonies.

Art - a British production - won best stage play

The Lion King had the most Tonys - six in all, including best musical - edging out the other musical with a deep-pocketed corporate backer, Ragtime.

Cabaret won the best musical revival award, however and had four Tonys in all, as many as its bigger-budget rival Ragtime.

Broadway is celebrating a very good year.

According to the League of American Theatres and Producers, which runs the awards, figures due to be released later this week will show 11.3m people seeing a Broadway show this season - the highest figure in nearly 20 years.

Revenues are expected to reach $545m, up nearly 10%.

After many years in which musicals have dominated Broadway, the straight play has powerfully re-emerged this year.

Alan Cumming's Broadway debut won him a Tony

The dark comedy Beauty Queen of Leenane, written by London-based Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, won four awards.

But Art, a British production backed by Sean Connery, won the Tony for best stage play.