Raise the curtain, lower the lights and ready your Lin-Manuel Miranda lip bite , because Broadway is back and so are the Tony Awards .
Yes, the 74th annual ceremony finally aired on Sunday night, more than 15 months after it was originally scheduled , following a period of major upheaval around the world including in the theater industry, which shuttered in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Heading into the night, the Alanis Morissette jukebox musical Jagged Little Pill led the pack with 15 nominations , but it was the stage adaptation of the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge! The Musical that ultimately came out on top. After sweeping the technical categories early in the telecast, Moulin Rouge scored a best direction trophy for Alex Timber and a featured acting Tony for Danny Burstein. Then unsurprisingly, since he was the only one nominated in the category Aaron Tveit won for best leading actor in a musical. And when it came time hand out the best musical award, Moulin Rogue once again trounced its competition.
As for plays, Jeremy O. Harris Slave Play was poised to dominate after amassing 12 nominations, the most for any play in the history of the Tonys, but in the end it was completely shut out at the ceremony. Instead, the two-part AIDS drama The Inheritance, inspired by E.M. Forsters Howards End, took home four trophies, including a surprise win for best play.
The much-delayed show spanned four hours across two separate televised events taking place live at New York Citys Winter Garden Theater. Dubbed The Tony Awards Present: Broadways Back, this years ceremony began with an awards presentation streamed on Paramount+, followed by a two-hour concert special where the nights top three prizes best play revival, best play and best musical were unveiled on CBS.
To guide viewers through the admittedly confusing affair, previous winners Leslie Odom Jr. and Audra McDonald who was also nominated this year for best leading actress in a play hosted the show.
This years Tonys were engineered to celebrate more than just a Broadway season cut short. The show also featured a slate of nostalgia-inducing performances, in addition to the numbers highlighting the casts of each nominated musical. There was Jennifer Holliday honoring the 40th anniversary of Dreamgirls ; a John Legend-assisted number with the company of Aint Too Proud; a reunion of the cast of Hairspray ; the stylings of Mirandas Freestyle Love Supreme group; and Idina Menzel belting her heart out alongside Wicked co-star Kristin Chenoweth. Ah yes, nature and Broadway are healing.
Check out the complete list of nominees and winners below.
Best Musical
WINNER: Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina The Tina Turner Musical
Best Play
Grand Horizons
WINNER: The Inheritance
Sea Wall/A Life
Slave Play
The Sound Inside
Best Revival of a Play
Betrayal
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
WINNER: A Soldiers Play
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
WINNER: Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
WINNER: Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldiers Play
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge!
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
WINNER: Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Daniel J. Watts, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
WINNER: Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER: Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
WINNER: David Alan Grier, A Soldiers Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance
Daniel J. Watts, Tina The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
WINNER: Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tou, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
WINNER: Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista
Best Direction of a Musical
Phyllida Lloyd, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill
WINNER: Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Direction of a Play
David Cromer, The Sound Inside
WINNER: Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
Kenny Leon, A Soldiers Play
Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal
Robert OHara, Slave Play
Best Book of a Musical
WINNER: Jagged Little Pill, Diablo Cody
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, John Logan
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
WINNER: A Christmas Carol, music by Christopher Nightingale
The Inheritance, music by Paul Englishby
The Rose Tattoo, music by Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb
Slave Play, music by Lindsay Jones
The Sound Inside, music by Daniel Kluger
Best Choreography
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jagged Little Pill
WINNER: Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Anthony Van Laast, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Orchestrations
Tom Kitt for Jagged Little Pill
WINNER: Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine for Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Ethan Popp for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Riccardo Hernndez and Lucy Mackinnon for Jagged Little Pill
WINNER: Derek McLane for Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Soutra Gilmour, Betrayal
WINNER: Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Derek McLane, A Soldiers Play
Clint Ramos, Slave Play
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dede Ayite for Slave Play
Dede Ayite for A Soldiers Play
Bob Crowley for The Inheritance
WINNER: Rob Howell for A Christmas Carol
Clint Ramos for The Rose Tattoo
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Emily Rebholz, Jagged Little Pill
Mark Thompson, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
WINNER: Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti & Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
WINNER: Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol
Lindsay Jones, Slave Play
Daniel Kluger, Sea Wall/A Life
Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, Jagged Little Pill
WINNER: Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
Jon Clark, The Inheritance
Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
Allen Lee Hughes, A Soldiers Play
WINNER: Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Bruno Poet, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Justin Townsend, Jagged Little Pill
WINNER: Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
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