‘Will Rogers,’ ‘Yonkers’ Win the Top Tonys : Theater: Life of the Oklahoma humorist edges ‘Miss Saigon’ among musicals. Neil Simon drama of a troubled family is named best play.

“The Will Rogers Follies,” an all-American song-and-dance extravaganza, was named best musical of the 1990-91 Broadway season Sunday, beating out the highly publicized “Miss Saigon” at the annual Tony Awards ceremonies.

“Lost in Yonkers,” Neil Simon’s tale of a deeply troubled family, took the prize for best play. It was the second best-play award for Simon, who won in 1985 for “Biloxi Blues.” His other past Tony honors include an award in 1965 for “The Odd Couple” in the now-discontinued best-author category and a special Tony in 1975.

“I was in the men’s room when Anthony Quinn was on. Did anything interesting happen?” Simon joked in accepting the award for “Lost in Yonkers.” Quinn, in giving the prize for best direction of a musical, named “Lost in Yonkers” by accident when he opened an envelope.

“The Will Rogers Follies,” a Ziegfeld-like recreation of the life of the famous Oklahoma humorist and rope spinner, took six awards, including two for Tommy Tune as best director and choreographer. Tune has now won nine Tony Awards during his theatrical career.

“Lost in Yonkers” dominated the acting prizes, winning three of the four honors for best performances in a play. “Miss Saigon” did the same in the musical acting categories, taking three of four awards.

Jonathan Pryce, the sleazy, amoral pimp in the show, was named best actor in a musical. He thanked “the multiracial cast of ‘Miss Saigon.’ ”

Lea Salonga, who plays the doomed title character in “Miss Saigon,” picked up the best actress in a musical prize.

Actors’ Equity, the actors’ union, initially denied Pryce permission to appear in the American production, but later relented. Salonga’s appearance was also questioned.

A third Tony went to Hinton Battle, who plays the hero’s best buddy in “Miss Saigon.” He won for featured actor in a musical.

Mercedes Ruehl, who called her role in “Lost in Yonkers” as a sweet-tempered, simple-minded aunt “an actor’s banquet,” won as best actress in a play.

Irene Worth and Kevin Spacey, who play an ill-tempered matriarch and her gangster son in the same show, won featured acting prizes.

It was Worth’s third Tony Award. She received best actress prizes in 1965 for “Tiny Alice” and in 1976 for a revival of Tennessee Williams’ “Sweet Bird of Youth.”

Nigel Hawthorne, who was writer C. S. Lewis in the already closed “Shadowlands,” captured the best actor award.

“Six Degrees of Separation,” expected to give “Lost in Yonkers” stiff competition, took home only one award--to Jerry Zaks for direction of a play.

Composer Cy Coleman and lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green won for their score of “The Will Rogers Follies.” The trio sang their acceptance speech, changing the lyrics from one of their songs in the show, “Give a Man Enough Rope,” to “Give a Man Enough Hope.”

It was Coleman’s second Tony Award-winning score in a row. He picked up the prize last season for “City of Angels.”

A tearful, 11-year-old Daisy Eagan of “The Secret Garden” picked up a featured performer prize.

Marsha Norman took the Tony for the best book of a musical for her adaptation of “The Secret Garden.”

“The Will Rogers Follies” took two production awards for its costumes by Willa Kim and lighting by Jules Fisher. Heidi Landesman’s elaborate Edwardian set for “The Secret Garden” received the scenic design award.

“Fiddler on the Roof,” which stars Topol and came to Broadway after a long national tour, was named best revival.