If you missed the Tony Awards, we’ve got you covered.
This Sunday 11 June saw the 76th annual Tony Awards event air from New York City. From shock winners to history-makers, this year’s theatre award show had everything. If you missed it, don’t worry, here are all the main things that happened.
What Are The Tony Awards?
The Tony Awards have been going annually since 1949, typically hosted from New York City. It sees awards given for Broadway productions and performances. From leads to directors, costume designers and everyone else who has impacted each show that hit our stages this year.
This award is the equivalent of a television Emmy Award, Grammy Award for music and an Academy Award for film. If someone receives all four awards, they are given EGOT status. So what have you missed from the Tony Awards?
Ariana DeBose’s Opening Number
Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose took the reins and hosted the Tony Awards for a second year in a row. As happens every year, the host opens with a major musical number. Last year, DeBose flaunted her triple threat skills by acting, singing and dancing in a thrilling musical sequence that gave all shows that year a round of applause.
This year, the host made a statement with her opening number. The number opens with DeBose opening her script to see it blank. This makes reference to the ongoing WGA (Writers Guild of America) strikes, that sees writers asking to be paid more for their work.
DeBose said, “Our siblings over at the WGA are currently on strike in pursuit of a fair deal – and how many of us know what it is?”
This didn’t halt her performance though. DeBose took her opportunity and performed a stellar dance extravaganza celebrating songs such as “On Broadway” and “Take the A Train”.
Liverpool’s Own Comes Out On Top
The name on everyone’s lips recently is Jodie Comer. And for good reason! After finishing Killing Eve, and winning a BAFTA and Emmy while she was at it, Comer took to the theatre stage next. Since last year, Comer has been portraying Tessa in Suzie Miller’s one-woman play, Prima Facie.
Comer hasn’t had the best week, having to cut the show short on 7 June due to the hazardous air quality in New York following Canada’s wildfires. However, her week did end on more of a high, coming away with the Tony for Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play.
Non-Binary Actors Make History
There has been an ongoing conversation around opening up award categories so as not to involve gender. Jamie Lee Curtis, speaking at this years Oscars, said, “Of course that inclusivity involves the bigger question which is, how do you include everyone when there are binary choices which is very difficult.”
While this conversation is still ongoing, history was made this year, with the first two openly non-binary actors winning in their categories.
J Harrison Ghee won for Best Lead Actor In A Musical for their role in Some Like It Hot. Ghee accepted their award and said, “For every trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming human who was ever told you couldn’t be seen, this is for you.”
Additionally, Alex Newell won for Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Musical. An overwhelmed Newell said, “Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queer non-binary, fat, Black lil baby from Massachusetts.”
That is everything you missed from the Tony Awards, with a history-defining ceremony unlikely to ever be forgotten.