Memo to the Oscars from the Tonys this is what diversity looks like

Early in the evening, Tony host James Corden joked, "Think of tonight as the Oscarsbut with diversity." The audience laughed, but Sundaynightthe awards for the best of Broadway turned out to be masterclass in the power of a diverse range of faces and races.

The broadcast earned the Tonysitshighest ratings in 15 years, in a large part due to the boisterous Broadway phenomenon Hamilton. But what would Hollywood have thought of the concept created byactor and composerLin-Manuel Miranda? A musical telling the life story ofthe U.S. Secretary of theTreasury in the style of hip hopwith a deliberately diverse cast?Thank you very much Mr. Miranda, we'll call you.

But by infusing the history lesson with the braggadocio style of rap and R&B, many believe Hamilton has reinvigorated Broadway, perhaps even pointed a new way forward. While Hollywood still debates whether the world is ready for a black James Bond, part of the what gives this history lesson a new sense of relevance is the colour-blind casting, breathing new life into familiar names such asGeorge Washington, Marquis de Lafayette and more.

Beyond the avalanche of acclaim for Hamilton, the success ofmany of this year's Tony nominees suggestsa growing appetite for a broader rangeof stories.After her performance in12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong'oreturned tothe stage for Eclipsed,Broadway's first play with an all-black and all-female cast.Also winning raves this year is the remounting of The Color Purple, which also features a bounty of roles for black actors, and Shuffle Along,a tap dancing tour-de-forcestarring Audra McDonald.

To put that in perspective, that's moreactors of colour winning in one night than in the last nineyears of the Oscars combined.- Eli Glasner

Group the explosion in opportunities for actors of colour together andlast night witnessed ahistoricevent whereeach of the four actors that won in the Tonymusical categories wereblack. To put thatinperspective, that's moreactors of colour winning in one night than in the last nineyears of the Oscars combined.

While some may argue, with so many diverseproductions occurringsimultaneously, 2016 is an exception to the rule. However, the very fact that producers wereconfident enough to invest in such a wide range of stories suggest Broadway may have more faith in its audience than the penny pinchers in Hollywood. Indeed withHamilton faston its way to earning over a billion dollars, it's clear audiences are eager for stories that reflect the modern American experience (and they don't mind handing over a small fortune to see them.)

This is not to say that Broadway has solved racism. In fact many of this year's most-lauded actors say there's more work to be done. Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter, Leslie Odom Jr., who won for his role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton,has said the lack of complex roles for black actors is so acute he plans on focusing on his music career following Hamilton. Looking into 2017, few expect the range of plays and musicals for the year ahead to rival thisseason.The real question is what comes out of the seeds that Hamilton is sowingperhapsa new generation of actors and writers inspiredto tell their own stories.

Meanwhile, when it comes to diversity,the hip-hop history lesson is just the beginning. FromSpring Awakening, where actors perform American Sign Language, to the Latin rhythmsof the GloriaEstefan-inspiredOn Your Feet,Broadway is breaking boundaries and wooing new audiences.While Hollywood is busy arguingabout who should direct the inevitableHamilton movie,executives should be taking notes. Instead of playing it safe with familiar faces and bland remakes, shake things up.As Kevin Costneroncesaid:"Build it and they will come."

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