Tony Awards 2021: Winners, Performances, and Takeaways

by Nathaniel R

The incredible Audra McDonald hosted the 74th annual Tony Awards last night

Did you watch the Tony Awards on Paramount Plus or the "Broadway's Back" concert on CBS last night? Two years and three months after the 73rd Tony Awards and 11 months after the nominations were announced the 74th "Annual" Tony Awards were finally held. Those awards were celebrating the very short very depressing theater season of 2019/2020 which ended with lots of sickness (Moulin Rouge the Musical in particular was hit very hard by COVID-19 in the spring of 2020) and lots of crushed dreams as several shows never opened and others were pushed back two years and some had to close well before they ran out of steam. Cut to September 2021 and the shows that did somehow survive the two years shutdown are reopening or will reopen by the end of the year.

Let's look at the winners, the hightlights, and what we can clean from all of this after the jump... 

Best Musical 

• Jagged Little Pill (15 nominations / 2 wins)
• Moulin Rouge: The Musical (14 nominations / 10 wins) Review
• Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (12 nominations / 1 win)

Six scheduled musicals were never able to open so for the first time that we can recall in our NYC years there were only jukebox musicals to choose from. In the end Moulin Rouge! had enough razzle dazzle to slay its competition winning 10 Tonys in total. 

Best Play 

• Grand Horizons (2 nominations)
• The Inheritance (11 nominations/ 4 wins)
• Sea Wall: A Life (4 nominations)
• Slave Play (12 nominations)
• The Sound Inside  (6 nominations)

In comparison to the musical field there were several options for Tony voters for new plays. The Inheritance was the last show I was able to see before Broadway's closing and though it moved me considerably (I sobbed in part two which is very unlike me!) I certainly didn't expect it to triumph over the much more widely discussed Slave Play.

TAKEWAY: It's easy to suspect that with the twin wins of The Inheritance and Moulin Rouge! the Tony voters were in the mood to celebrate the traditions, conscious and otherwise, of Broadway more than its innovations. They chose a classic text inspired (Howards End) very gay piece for Play and a huge glitzy adapted spectacle for Musical. 

Best Revival of a Play

• Betrayal  (4 nominations)
• Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune  (2 nominations)
• A Soldier’s Play  (7 nominations / 2 wins)

As with musicals, there were only 4 revivals to choose from for voters since more than half of the expected shows weren't able to open (two of those never-born revivals, Plaza Suite and Take Me Out are coming this season instead).  While Betrayal was star-led and well regarded A Soldier's Play took this one. (It was originally an Off Broadway hit in '81 and then an Oscar nominated movie in '84)

TAKEWAY: The Tony Awards and the follow up concert last night gave lots of air time to black artists and the fight for racial justice including a a special Tony to The Broadway Advocacy Coalition and a special spoken word / dance performance during the CBS concert, but A Soldier's Play and Tina had to carry that banner alone in terms of wins since the polarizing Slave Play went 0 for 12 with its nominations (which honestly surprised us but perhaps it shouldn't have!)

Best Book of a Musical

• Jagged Little Pill Diablo Cody (1st show, 1st nomination)
• Moulin Rouge! The Musical John Logan (4th show as writer, 2nd nomination for writing)
• Tina – The Tina Turner Musical Katori Hall (2nd show), Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins (1st nomination for all)

Diablo Cody (Juno) is halfway to her EGOT now.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre 

• A Christmas Carol Music: Christopher Nightingale
• The Inheritance Music: Paul Englishby
• The Rose Tattoo Music: Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb
• Slave Play Music: Lindsay Jones
• The Sound Inside Music: Daniel Kluger

The rare time that no musicals were honored in this category (since most of the shows that played in that very short season were jukebox musicals) 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

I just peed a little.

• Ian Barford (4th show, 1st nomination) Linda Vista
• Andrew Burnap (1st show, 1st nomination) The Inheritance
• Jake Gyllenhaal (3rd show, 1st nomination) Sea Wall/A Life
• Tom Hiddleston (1st show, 1st nomination) Betrayal
• Tom Sturridge (3rd show, 2nd nomination)  Sea Wall/A Life
• Blair Underwood (2nd show, 1st nomination) A Soldier’s Play

This was the win that surprised me the most but perhaps all the stars cancelled each other out so newcomer Burnap, who is just 30, won. It surprises because The Inheritance always feels like a true ensemble piece rather than a leading man piece. In the end Tony Awards voters were into The Inheritance much more than critics or ticket buyers.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

• Joaquina Kalukango (4th show, 1st nomination) Slave Play
• Laura Linney (12th show, 5th nomination) My Name is Lucy Barton
• Audra McDonald (12th show, 9th nomination, 6 wins) Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
• Mary-Louise Parker (8th show, 4th nomination, 1 win) The Sound Inside

Mary Louise Parker won her second Tony and was very emotional about her fellow nominees. She joked to Audra McDonald "you have enough of these, you can't have this one." But one really must ask now... what will Laura Linney (who is just as incredible onstage as she is onscreen -- which isn't always the case) have to do for a win? 

Her speech was lovely and her dress, also lovely, had a story. It belonged to her mother and MLP quipped that the dress was older than she was. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical 

• Aaron Tveit (5th show, 1st nomination) Moulin Rouge! The Musical

In the buildup to this envelope opening when they joked about the rules of a sole nominee needing 60% of the votes to win, I had a weird panic... what if he doesn't... this joke would be so cruel. But of course Tveit who treads the boards regularly was well liked enough to get 60% "yays" from the ballot. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical 

• Karen Olivo (5th show, 2nd nomination, 1 win) Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Elizabeth Stanley (5th show, 1st nomination) Jagged Little Pill
• Adrienne Warren (3rd show, 1st nomination) Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

As suspected Adrienne Warren took this one for her lively Tina Turner. The "biopic" thing about the Oscars is also sort of true for stage though it's far less automatic for statues. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

• Ato Blankson-Wood (3rd show, 1st nomination) Slave Play
• James Cusati-Moyer (2nd show, 1st nomination) Slave Play
• David Alan Grier (6th show, 4th nomination) A Soldier’s Play
• John Benjamin Hickey (8th show, 2nd nomination, 1 win)  The Inheritance
• Paul Hilton (1st show, 1st nomination) The Inheritance

As suspected. It's such a good role!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play 

• Jane Alexander (14th show, 8th nom, 2 wins) Grand Horizons
• Chalia La Tour (1st show, 1st nomination) Slave Play
• Annie McNamara (1st show, 1st nomination) Slave Play
• Lois Smith (11th show, 3rd nomination) The Inheritance
• Cora Vander Broek (1st show, 1st nomination) Linda Vista

Lois Smith just set an all time record, winning at 90. She's the oldest actor ever to win the competitive Tony. Very well deserved too as she was incredible in Part Two of The Inheritance. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

• Danny Burstein (18th show, 7th nomination) Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Derek Klena (4th show, 1st nomination) Jagged Little Pill
• Sean Allan Krill (4th show, 1st nomination) Jagged Little Pill
• Sahr Ngaujah (3rd show, 2nd nomination) Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Daniel J. Watts (9th show, 1st nomination) Tina – The Tina Turner Musical 

Seventh time was the charm for Danny Burstein, one of Broadway's greatest treasures.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

• Kathryn Gallagher (2nd show, 1st nomination), Jagged Little Pill
• Celia Rose Gooding (1st show, 1st nomination), Jagged Little Pill
• Robyn Hurder (6th show, 1st nomination) Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Lauren Patten (2nd show, 1st nomination), Jagged Little Pill
• Myra Lucretia Taylor (7th show, 1st nomination) Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Lauren Patten sang the show-stopper "You Outta Know" in Jagged Little Pill though for the Tony Awards performance the cast performed a medley of "Ironic" and "All I Really Want" so it was her co-stars Elizabeth Stanley and who got the job of selling tickets to the show (since that's what those live broadcast numbers are always about)

Best Scenic Design of a Play 

• Bob Crowley (28th show, for scenic design this is his 16th nom, 9 wins) The Inheritance
• Soutra Gilmour, (2nd show, 1st nomination in this category) Betrayal
• Rob Howell (13th show, for scenic design 7th nomination, 2 wins) A Christmas Carol
• Derek McLane (42nd show, 5th nom for scenic design), A Soldier’s Play
• Clint Ramos (as scenic designer 3rd show, 1st nomination) Slave Play

A third scenic design win for Rob Howell for the immortal Christmas show.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical 

• Riccardo Hernández and Lucy Mackinnon, Jagged Little Pill
• Derek McLane (43rd show, 6th nom for scenic design), Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Mark Thompson (15th show, 3rd nom for scenic design) and Jeff Sugg (10th show as projection designer, 2nd nomination), Tina – The Tina Turner Musical 

This was a given considering the elephant and such and transposing the glitz of Baz Luhrmann's movie classic to stage well in the visual departments.

Best Costume Design of a Play 

• Dede Ayite (3rd show as lead designer, 1st nomination), Slave Play
• Dede Ayite (4th show as lead designer, 2nd nominaton), A Soldier’s Play
• Bob Crowley (for costume design 21st show, 6th nomination), The Inheritance
• Rob Howell (for costume design 12th show, 4th nomination, 1 win), A Christmas Carol
• Clint Ramos (for costume design 10th show, 4th nomination, 1 win), The Rose Tattoo

A second costume design win for Rob Howell (who also won scenic design for this same show)

Best Costume Design of a Musical

• Emily Rebholz (8th show, 1st nomination), Jagged Little Pill
• Mark Thompson (for costume design 13th show, 4th nomination) Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
• Catherine Zuber (51st show, 17th nomination, 9 wins) Moulin Rouge! The Musical

A 10th win for the always busy Zuber. 

Best Lighting Design of a Play

• Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
• Jon Clark, The Inheritance
• Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
• Allen Lee Hughes, A Soldier’s Play
• Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

• Bruno Poet, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
• Justin Townsend, Jagged Little Pill
• Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Townsend beat himself (as well as one competitor) to win for Moulin Rouge!

Best Sound Design of a Play 

• Paul Arditti & Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
• Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol
• Lindsay Jones, Slave Play
• Daniel Kluger, Sea Wall/A Life
• Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside

TAKEAWAY: A Christmas Carol really cleaned up in the technicals even though it missed the "Revival" nomination. So we suspect this means the Tony Voters just weren't that into revivals and plays this past year, especially from a technical standpoint. Minimalism can only take you so far with voters. 

Best Sound Design of a Musical 

• Jonathan Deans, Jagged Little Pill
• Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Nevin Steinberg, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical 

Best Direction of a Play 

• David Cromer, The Sound Inside
• Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
• Kenny Leon, A Soldier’s Play
• Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal
• Robert O’Hara, Slave Play 

Best Direction of a Musical

• Phyllida Lloyd, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
• Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill
• Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Best Choreography

• Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jagged Little Pill
• Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Anthony Van Laast, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Best Orchestrations 

• Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill
• Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Ethan Popp, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

More takeaways?

BEST PERFORMANCES 

1. "Duets" - legendary duos reunited from Ragtime, Rent, and Wicked. For music theater geeks like us this was bringing the house down
2. "Moulin Rouge (medley)" - Danny Burstein 4ever. It's so hard to properly convey his stage charisma but he brings it in every show. He's nearly always the MVP no matter how good everyone else is in any given musical. Even in Follies, which is always about the women, he was just riveting in a role that's usually underwhelming. 
3. Spoken Word/Dance - Tony nominee Daniel J Watts (Tina) and tap dancer Jared Grimes and assorted dancers did a thrilling political number. "What does your silence sound like?"
4. "Aint to Proud to Beg (medley)" - Though the Temptations' biopic-like show is underwhelming and a bit monotonous, in short doses like this it's fabulous. John Legend and James Harkness were particularly fun together as they danced off stage.
5. "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" - We sometimes feel for Jennifer Holliday that she's had to sing this one song over and over again thousands of times for 40 years (literally) but on the other hand it's always a thrill. Great pipes tragically depreciate over time -- even for the very best singers of all time -- but thankfully Holliday started young (she won the Tony for Dreamgirls when she was just 21!) so at nearly 61 she can still bring it.  

TAKEWAY: it was quite strange to see a who four hours of Broadway celebration and hear not one original song. Everything was from the American theater songbook or from off broadway music realms like pop and rock. Hopefully the 2021/2022 season (which is just beginning) will bring us some new music. You can't have a living artform without new works.

Comments

[Lynn Lee]

I'm also surprised and pleased by the love for THE INHERITANCE, which just happens to have been the last play I saw on Broadway before the pandemic. I thought it was excellent (I like to think E.M. Forster would have thought so, too), though it's been so long I had to refresh my memory of which character Andrew Burnap played. (For fans of HOWARDS END, he's kinda-sorta the Helen Schlagel/Helena Bonham-Carter analog, though their characters map a lot less than some of the others.) Agree it's really much more of an ensemble piece.

But yes, Lois Smith was a standout. As she always is.

[Joseph W]

I so wanted to see The Inheritance and Moulin Rouge. I wonder hopefully if they filmed at least the British version to play in cinemas.

[Joe G.]

I was pretty shocked when the Inheritance won because it had such a muted critical reception.

Watching the show, I'm not sure who was directing the Best Musical performances, but the editing and placement of the camera didn't capture the thrill of those shows. It just looked bad - especially Moulin Rouge. Honestly, it made me appreciate Thomas Kail's emmy nominated work that much more.

The duets section was thrilling, and the spoken word section was great to see to. I do wish they'd figure out a way to feature scenes or moments from plays and have performers do that. It would be hard, but there's an excitement there too, even if it doesn't sell as many tickets.

The show did its job - it made me excited to go back to the theater.

[Joe G.]

Audra was a lovely host for the first half, and did a really great job being charming and keeping things moving.

[Peggy Sue]

Sad for Laura Linney. She was dressed to win.

[Michael R]

Somebody cast Ms. Holliday in a show - stat!

[Finbar McBride]

The headline here should address the overdue recognition of Latinx artists. Playwright Matthew Lopez was spot on in his acceptance speech.

For me, the evening's greatest thrill was Chita Rivera standing tall at center stage reminding the audience she opened West Side Story in that spot exactly 64 years ago that night. The spontaneous roar of the crowd in appreciation of her longevity as a dancer, an actress, a woman of color was thrilling!

[thevoid99]

I'm just happy that David Alan Grier now has a Tony. The man is an incredible actor as well as a funny motherfucker. I grew up watching him on In Living Color. I love the Calhoun Tubbs character he played on that show. Always comes up with the funniest blues songs ever.

[Ryan T.]

As someone above said, the show did its job. It got me excited about going back to Broadway! I'm seeing my first show since the pandemic tomorrow and another one on Friday! And then big winner Moulin Rouge at the end of October!

As for the awards themselves, I love all the first-time winners especially for those veterans like Burstein and Smith. As much as I love Tveit, I almost wished we got that awkward scenario of no winner because I'm still angry they didn't nominate Chris McCarrell from The Lightning Thief (they ignored the show completely even though it was the one musical which had ORIGINAL songs). If they had, they didn't need the whole 60% rule.

That said, I could've used another hour of those Duets reunion performances.

And finally, The Slave Play blank out was embarrassing for them.

[Fadhil]

I had really wished Linney won!
Maybe she would eventually when she starred in a famous play revival, a la Lange and The Vanessa Redgrave, both for Long Day's Journey into Night.
or perhaps a biopic musical which seems to be an automatic award magnet for leading ladies now, maybe "Abbie! The Abigail Adams Musical"?

I am so tired of all these jukebox musicals. Give us new music, from Sondheim too if we can!!!!!

[Jésus Alonso]

Just noticed that David Byrne got *this* close of joining the EGOT winners club... He's won Grammy, Oscar, and just won a Tony, and got nominated - but lost - the Emmy for "American Utopia"... (he lost to "Hamilton", in my opinion, quite unfairly, as Spike Lee's "David Byrne's American Utopia" is a masterpiece of planification to shoot a live performance, and one of the very best concert films / filmed plays, I've ever seen).

Hope he wins an Emmy in the future and this master joins the club. I still think that "True Stories" should be hailed as one of the best (and most underrated) films of the 80s

[Glenn Dunks]

Could you explain why Moulin Rouge particularly "was hit very hard by COVID-19"?