Schools of the Stars: Where the 74th Annual Tony Award Winners Went to College

“We would not be here if it wasn’t for the arts educators in our lives,” said Josh Groban to his Carnegie Mellon University classmate Leslie Odom, Jr. in a bit from CBS’ Broadway’s Back! concert, the second half of the 74th Annual Tony Awards broadcast. The two sang “Beautiful City” from Godspell, dedicating it to teachers who have had to “work so hard this year to keep students inspired.”

In our yearly Schools of the Stars feature, Playbill takes a look at the colleges, universities, and arts conservatories where the Tony winners honed their crafts.

READ: Highlights From the Acceptance Speeches at the 74th Annual Tony Awards

For more theatre education news and to learn how you can follow in these artists footsteps, click here.

Best Play
Matthew Lopez (The Inheritance): University of South Florida

Best Revival of a Play
Charles Fuller (A Soldier’s Play): Villanova University and La Salle University

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Andrew Burnap (The Inheritance): University of Rhode Island and Yale School of Drama

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Mary-Louise Parker (The Sound Inside): University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge!): Ithaca College

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Adrienne Warren (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical): Marymount Manhattan College

Best Book of a Musical
Diablo Cody (Jagged Little Pill): University of Iowa

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Christopher Nightingale (A Christmas Carol): Magdalene College, Cambridge

Best Choreography
Sonya Tayeh (Moulin Rouge!): Wayne State University

Best Orchestrations
Katie Kresek (Moulin Rouge!): Purchase College, The Mannes College of Music, and Columbia University
Charlie Rosen (Moulin Rouge!): Berklee College of Music
Matt Stine (Moulin Rouge!): University of Wisconsin
Justin Levine (Moulin Rouge!): New York University

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge!): Harvard College and Yale School of Drama

Best Scenic Design of a Play and Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell (A Christmas Carol): Birmingham City University

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Catherine Zuber (Moulin Rouge!): Yale School of Drama

Best Sound Design of a Play
Simon Baker (A Christmas Carol): Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski (Moulin Rouge!): Carnegie Mellon University

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Hugh Vanstone (A Christmas Carol): Did not attend college.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Justin Townsend (Moulin Rouge!): University of Massachusetts and California Institute for the Arts

Best Direction of a Play
Stephen Daldry (The Inheritance): University of Sheffield and East 15 Acting School, University of Essex

Best Direction of a Musical
Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge!): Yale University

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
David Alan Grier (A Soldier’s Play): University of Michigan and Yale School of Drama

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Lois Smith (The Inheritance): University of Washington and the Actors Studio

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Lauren Patten (Jagged Little Pill): The New School

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!): Queens College and University of California, San Diego (and High School of the Performing Arts)