Hugh's the wizard of Oz, then?

Hugh Jackman was the toast of Broadway today after capturing the Tony award for best actor in a musical.

The Van Helsing and X-Men star hosted the most prestigious theatre awards in America - and then walked away with the top prize for The Boy From Oz, a musical based on the life of flamboyant fellow Australian Peter Allen who died of Aids in 1992.

Jackman, 35, who first rose to fame in the West End production of Oklahoma! dedicated the award to Allen, who was once married to Liza Minnelli, and then joked he would be "sharing the Fosters" at a party to celebrate his victory.

Jackman's compatriot and fellow actor Nicole Kidman disappointed hundreds of fans at the Los Angeles premiere of The Stepford Wives to attend the ceremony at the Radio City Music Hall in New York where she presented an award. Kidman, who stars alongside Glenn Close, Bette Midler and Matthew Broderick in the remake, was accompanied by her sister Antonia.

History was made when the Tony for leading dramatic role was won by a black actress for the first time. Phylicia Rashad was honoured for her performance in the revival of A Raisin In The Sun, which also stars rapper and record producer Sean "P Diddy'' Combs in his Broadway debut. Combs was also a presenter at the awards, along with Scarlett Johansson. Hopes of British success were dashed when Christopher Plummer and Simon Russell Beale, who won critical acclaim in Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, lost out to Jefferson May, who tackles 40 parts in I Am My Own Wife.

Other Britons nominated were Alfred Molina, who starred in Fiddler On The Roof, and Euan Morton who played Boy George in Taboo, which closed within weeks after poor reviews on Broadway.

Eileen Atkins missed out as best actress in The Retreat From Moscow, as did the play's author William Nicolson and Yorkshireborn playwright Bryony Lavery for Frozen.

The Tony for best play was also won by I Am My Own Wife, which tells the true story of a transvestite who survives the Nazis and then communism.

Best performance for an actress in a musical was won by Idina Menzel, in Wicked, a prequel to the Wizard Of Oz.

The best revival of a play was won by Henry IV, which starred Kevin Klein as Sir John Falstaff.