Even though last year’s ceremony was literally billed as “Broadway’s Back,” it really feels true this year. This is peak Tonys, albeit with (some) masks. I was decidedly not with-it this year—I didn’t even know what was nominated until discovering three days ago that the ceremony was going to be this week. But it can be fun to watch the Tonys when there’s a lot I don’t know, because I always come away with surprises and new shows I’m desperate to learn more about.
Ariana DeBose handled the hosting duties with utterly winning aplomb. You’d hardly believe it was her first time, and she instantly joined Neil Patrick Harris and Hugh Jackman on my list of great Tony hosts. The opening number, which offered rapid mash-ups of a ton of classical musicals, was a lot of fun, and DeBose brought it back around at the end of the night for a second round of mash-ups specific to the evening’s musical performances. She also had an amusing number in the middle about dreaded audience participation, in which she fully sat on Andrew Garfield’s lap while he blushed, and she brought us the important knowledge that Laurence Fishburne can do a killer Daffy Duck impression. In addition to her performance chops, she just kept the night moving and helped everything feel cohesive.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard an actor expressly thank their understudy in an acceptance speech before, but “We Heart Understudies” was the clear theme of the night. After Broadway’s rocky reopening and the struggle to stay afloat during Omicron, understudies, swings, and standbys kept Broadway going, and nearly everyone who won mentioned understudies, backstage crew, and/or COVID protocol managers in their speeches. After the performance from SIX, DeBose even returned to the stage to let us know that the show’s dance captain had been tapped only twelve hours before to step in as one of the principles. It was really lovely to see these under-recognized backbones of live theatre being applauded by pretty much everyone onstage.
I’ll just mention the plays quickly since, as usual, I can’t speak too much about them. The Lehman Trilogy was the big winner of the night, garnering Best Director, Best Leading Actor, and the top prize in the play categories. Take Me Out also did well, winning Best Revival and Best Featured Actor for a very emotional Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Of the major musical awards, Company won the most. It took home Best Revival and both Featured Acting trophies, including a third Tony for the always excellent Patti LuPone. A Strange Loop won Best Musical and Best Book, which means Trevor Noah interviewed a future Tony winner last week! Writer Michael R. Jackson was understandably thrilled, and in his speech for Best Book, he gave a shoutout to fellow Black queer men who’d helped him on his long journey to Broadway. Meanwhile, SIX won Best Score. Myles Frost won Best Leading Actor for MJ. From their Tony performance, it’s obvious he’s doing a great job, but I just don’t think I could sit down to watch a Michael Jackson musical. And I went into the night knowing very little about Paradise Square, but by the end of their performance, I knew the Tony for Best Leading Actress belonged to Joaquina Kalukango. She was an utter wreck when she won, and I hope she loved every moment of it.
I’ll circle back later this week to talk about my favorite performances, but this was a great Tony Awards for me. A nice cross-section of winners, a delightful and charismatic host, and, best of all, a bunch of new shows to check out! Broadway’s back, and even though I know I’m not ready to sit in a crowded indoor theatre for hours, I’m glad they’ve found a way to make it work and stay open. Theatre is special, and with how the community has adapted to work through the ongoing pandemic, Broadway has proven it’s indomitable.
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