Three's a charm: John Lithgow, Laurie Metcalf achieve Tony trifectas

The 79th Tony Awards telecast kicked disconnected with a bang by giving retired 2 large awards successful the archetypal 30 minutes — and earlier viewers could blink some John Lithgow and Laurie Metcalf had each won the 3rd Tony Award of their careers.

Lithgow won champion show by an histrion successful a starring relation successful a play for his portrayal of the controversial, beloved British writer Roald Dahl successful Mark Rosenblatt’s poignant play “Giant,” directed by Nicholas Hytner. Times theatre professional Charles McNulty called Lithgow’s show “at erstwhile terrifying and ne'er thing little than human,” and “one of the bravest” of the Broadway season.

Lithogow’s win, however, was acold from assured. He was successful the moving against Nathan Lane successful the season’s astir talk-about show’s “Death of a Salesman,” and galore bets were surely placed connected the second to sweep.

Lithogow is among a cadre of accomplished movie and tv actors who person a heavy emotion of the stage. His archetypal Tony triumph came for champion featured histrion successful a play for his 1972 Broadway debut successful “The Changing Room.” His 2nd came 30 years aboriginal successful 2002 erstwhile helium he won for champion histrion successful a philharmonic for “Sweet Smell of Success.”

Metcalf won champion featured histrion for her portrayal of Willie Loman’s protective wife, Linda Loman, successful “Death of a Salesman.” This is Metcalf’s 3rd triumph successful little than a decade, and was not a astonishment arsenic she has inherited “Helen Hayes’ mantle of First Lady of the American Theater,” according to McNulty.

Perhaps that explains her perfunctory, somewhat rote code — which inactive didn’t detract from the joyousness of her win. Viewers cognize a towering endowment erstwhile they spot one.

Lithgow, to the contrary, was intelligibly stunned — and profoundly honored.

“I’ve had dozens and dozens of static, ecstatic moments connected stage, but I person to archer you close now, this infinitesimal has got to beryllium 1 of the best,” helium said arsenic helium held his award.