A lot of us needed that awards show last night - a celebration of passion, talent, and love for community - given the horrific events of the weekend.
In the opening number the musical acting nominees joined James Corden on stage (from left to right: Benanti, Corden, Krakowski, Miranda, Goldsberry, Levi, and Danielle Brooks
The Tonys were particularly defiantly joyous Sunday evening with an exuberant musical production, which featured the fun curveball conceit of having each performing cast do a miniature version of a classic showtune outside the theater before or after they performed their show's number onstage inside. Other highlights included: Audra McDonald doing a high kick while pregnant; James Corden's bit with the Tony accountants; Frank Langella being more concerned with the tragedy in Orlando than his Tony; and a hilarious view of the nominees through the prism of their guest star work in the Law & Order franchise. Poor Danny Burstein! Or, rather, 'well employed Danny Burstein' who guest starred on Law & Order so many times it was like watching a man age in time lapse photography...
While the Tonys remain a money loser for CBS, they're a hugely important tradition reminding easily distracted Americans that live theater exists, that many of the actors they enjoy on screens have the opportunity to really stretch on stage, and that the American Theater Wing is often a progressive institution. Tales of little boys and girls watching them when young and becoming fascinated with the performing arts are legion. Though we didn't see it last night, when nearly all the winners were straight, the Tonys usually come with a healthy dose of gay pride, too... it's practically the only awards show where you can usually expect to hear someone thank their same sex partner or spouse or new love. But at the Tonys, with that tight-knit diverse theater community, you can count on straight allies to carry the flag of "love is love" in the absence of actually gay acceptance speeches.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer and star of "Hamilton"
Tony Award Winners
Musical
Hamilton (I'm finally seeing it Wednesday woohoo)
Play
The Humans
Revival, Musical
The Color Purple (this is the first revival of the show, the original did not win best musical)
Revival Play
A View From the Bridge (This show has been on Broadway 5 times, 2nd win in this category)
Actress in a Musical
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple (Broadway debut, 1st nom & win)
Actor in a Musical
Leslie Odom, Jr Hamilton (3rd show, 1st nom & win)
Actress in a Play
Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey Into Night (3rd show, 1st nom & win). LANGE NOW HAS THE TRIPLE CROWN!
Actor in a Play,
Frank Langella, The Father (18th show, 7th nom, 4th win)
Featured Actress in a Musical
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton (5th show, 1st nom & win)
Featured Actor in a Musical
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton (Broadway debut, 1st nom & win)
Featured Actress in a Play
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans (9th show, 3rd nom, 1st win)
Featured Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans (4th show, 2nd nom, 1st win)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead presented the Tony to Renée Elise Goldsberry
Score
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton (He's written 2 shows, won for both)
Book of a Musical
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Director of a Play
Ivo Van Hove, A View from the Bridge (Broadway debut, 2 noms, 1st win)
Director of a Musical
Thomas Kail, Hamilton (2 noms, 1st win)
Scenic Design, Play
David Zinn, The Humans (4 noms, 1st win)
Scenic Design Musical,
David Rockwell, She Loves Me (6 noms, 1st win)
Lighting Design, Play
Natasha Katz, Long Day's Journey Into Night (13 noms, 6 wins -- 3 consecutive years now)
Lighting Design, Musical
Howell Binkley, Hamilton (7 noms, 2 wins)
The Tony nominated actresses of "Eclipsed"
Costume Design, Play
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed (1st nom, 1st win)
Costume Design, Musical
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton (6 noms, 1st win)
Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton (4 noms, 2 wins)
Orchestrations
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton (2 noms, 2 wins)
Special (Non-Competitive) Honors
Lifetime Achievement Sheldon Harnick and Marshall W Mason
Special Tony Awards National Endowment for the Arts and Miles Wilkin
Regional Theater Tony Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award Brian Stokes Mitchell
Tony Honours for Excellence in Theater Seth Gelblum, Joan Lader, and Sally Ann Parsons
Trivia from the Night
• Hamilton (11), The Humans (4) were the big winners of the night. The only other multiple Tony winners were A View From the Bridge, The Color Purple, and Long Day's Journey Into Night which each won two trophies.
• Lin-Manuel Miranda has been nominated for a Tony 5 times now, winning 3 times in writing categories. Both of his losing nominations were for Leading Actor in a Musical (The Heights and Hamilton)
• Though people of color have often won Tonys (it's not like the Oscars in that regard), this is the first year where every single musical acting award went to a person of color.
• Hamilton is now the second most winning show in history (The Producers won 12)- losing only two of its categories: Best Actress and Scenic Design)
• Danny Burstein, always a treat onstage, lost on his sixth nomination. This is an all time record. Danny Burstein was previously tied for most nominated without winning at 5 with George C. Scott, Dana Ivey, John McMartin, Tom Aldredge and Jan Maxwell.
• Tevye is the most nominated character for men in musical theater though only one man has ever won playing him. Fiddler on the Roof has been on Broadway six times with five different men nominated for playing him: Zero Mostel played him twice (65 - win / 77 - not nominated); Herschel Bernardi (82), Topol (91), Alfred Molina (05), and Danny Burstein (16) were also nominated playing him.