By Michael Kuchwara
The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Hairspray took firm hold of the 2003 Tony Awards Sunday, winning eight, including best musical and prizes for its full-figured stars, Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Take Me Out, Richard Greenberg's drama about a gay baseball player, was named best play.

TONY WINNERS

• Play: Take Me Out. • Musical: Hairspray • Revival-play: Long Day's Journey Into Night. • Revival-musical: Nine. • Book of a musical: Hairspray, Mark O'Donnell, Thomas Meehan. • Original score: Hairspray, music, Marc Shaiman, lyrics, Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. • Actor-musical: Harvey Fierstein, Hairspray. • Actress-musical: Marissa Jaret Winokur, Hairspray. • Featured actor-musical: Dick Latessa, Hairspray. • Featured actress-musical: Jane Krakowski, Nine. • Actor-play: Brian Dennehy, Long Day's Journey Into Night. • Actress-play: Vanessa Redgrave, Long Day's Journey Into Night. • Featured actor-play: Denis O'Hare, Take Me Out. • Featured actress-play: Michele Pawk, Hollywood Arms. • Direction of a musical: Jack O'Brien, Hairspray. • Direction of a play: Joe Mantello, Take Me Out. • Scenic design: Catherine Martin, La Boheme. • Costume design: William Ivey Long, Hairspray. • Lighting design: Nigel Levings, La Boheme. • Choreography: Twyla Tharp, Movin' Out. • Orchestrations: Billy Joel and Stuart Malina, Movin' Out. • Special theatrical event: Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. • Special Awards: Cy Feuer, Paul Huntley, the principal ensemble of La Boheme, Johnson-Liff Casting Associates, the Acting Company. • Regional Theater: Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis.

Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece, Long Day's Journey Into Night, was named best revival, while Brian Dennehy and Vanessa Redgrave, the play's tortured parents, received the other top acting honors.

An emotional Redgrave, winning her first Tony, recalled all the American actors, singers and dancers who inspired her over the years as she accepted her award.

Nine took the musical revival award, while Jane Krakowski, the voluptuous mistress in the show, received the featured-actress award.

Winokur gushed as she picked up the actress-musical prize for Hairspray:

"If a 4-foot-11, chubby, New York girl can be a leading lady in a Broadway show and win a Tony," she said to raucous cheers, "then anything can happen."

When he took the stage, Fierstein said, "Boy, am I glad this was not a beauty contest," looking at his main competition, the Spanish heartthrob Antonio Banderas, star of Nine.

Marc Shaiman, composer of Hairspray, jokingly referred to the short musicians strike that shut down Broadway musicals in March during his acceptance speech.

"If anyone cuts me off, there's a virtual orchestra at Hairspray on Tuesday," he said, alluding to how the threat of virtual (computer-driven) orchestras was an issue in the dispute.

Shaiman shared the award with co-lyricist Scott Wittman, with whom he's been partners for 25 years and to whom he declared his continued love.

Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, the two authors of Hairspray, consciously talked over each other while proclaiming the need for collaboration and listening to each other.

Jack O'Brien, the show's director, also was honored as was featured actor Dick Latessa, who portrays Fierstein's diminutive husband.

Three of the shows producers, Rick Steiner, Fred Mayerson and John Osher, hail from Cincinnati. It was Tony number three for Steiner, who holds his first for Big River. The 1985 show was his first foray into Broadway producing.

In an upset, a visibly shocked Joe Mantello received the direction prize for his work on Take Me Out - an award that Robert Falls of Long Day's Journey Into Night was favored to win.

"Acting is a team sport and we have the best team in the world," said an enthusiastic Denis O'Hare as he picked up the prize for featured actor. O'Hare plays a nebbish business manager who discovers the joys of baseball in Take Me Out.

Michele Pawk, who played Carol Burnett's alcoholic mother in the short-lived Hollywood Arms, won the featured-actress prize.

"I have never ever been more proud to be a member of this community," said Pawk. "Men kissing each other on stage, drag queens, children - it's a perfect world. As it should be."

Billy Joel, who won a pre-telecast award for orchestrations, opened the ceremonies in Times Square, singing "New York State of Mind."

The song is featured in Movin' Out, a dance celebration of songs by Joel, who, along with Stuart Malina, won the award for best orchestrations. The show's creator, Twyla Tharp, also garnered the award for choreography.

The Tonys, chosen in 22 categories, are voted on by more than 700 members of the theatrical community and journalists.