The Helen Hayes awards after party.

“I’d like to thank the CVS on 7th Street for being open all hours after the show. I’d like to thank Chop’t Salad. I don’t know how they do it…”

If there were awards for funniest speech at the 27th annual Helen Hayes awards, Candide‘s Geoff Packard would have been a contender. He’ll have to be satisfied with his tie for Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical, with Oklahoma!‘s Nicholas Rodriguez.

Indeed, most of the night felt like a showdown between Shakespeare Theatre’s Candide and Arena Stage’s celebratory Oklahoma!. The former picked up wins for musical direction and choreography (a particularly big get for Parker Esse, who beat out giant Maurice Hines and stalwart winner Irina Tsikurishvili). Candide, meanwhile, took home awards in such resident musical categories as direction, best actress, supporting actress and set design. In the end, they ended up sharing the title for Best Resident Musical (the enthusiastic awards, D.C.’s version of the Tonys, doesn’t shy away from sharing honors).

Other top winners at the award ceremony, which was held at the Warner Theatre Monday evening, included Synetic’s silent production of Othello, which won for costume design, direction (Paata Tsikurishvili), and Best Ensemble. Woolly Mammoth’sClybourne Park (a Pulitzer winner this year) took home a direction trophy for Howard Shalwitz as well as a tie for Best Resident Play. Folger Theatre, which had lots of nominations this year, won for supporting acting (Louis Butelli), lead acting (Graham Hamilton) and a tie for best Resident Play for a streamlined take on Hamlet.

It was a tough year for small companies, even when the nominations came out. A handful managed to score wins, such as Erika Rose in Theater J’s In Darfur and Tom Teasley for sound design in Constellation’s epic The Ramayana. Factory 449 and No Rules were recognized with the previously announced John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company.

The non-resident play categories usually provide the best opportunity for celebrity appearances at the awards, but though Laurence Fishburne won for his turn in Thurgood at the Kennedy Center, he was a no-show. Audiences had to be content with cameos from performer and choreographer Tommy Tune, who won the Helen Hayes tribute (and broke into an impromptu rendition of “S’Wonderful” onstage) and London musical theatre dame Elaine Paige, in town for Follies rehearsals.

A full list of winners is available online.