“A Strange Loop” was named best musical on the seventy fifth Tony Awards on Sunday, whereas “The Lehman Trilogy” captured the prize for best play. “Company” gained best musical revival and “Take Me Out” nabbed the award for best revival of a play.
“Company,” which flipped the gender of the protagonist of Stephen Sondheim’s basic musical to inform a extra female-focused story, earned 5 prizes. Its victory was bittersweet, coming roughly seven months after its creator died on the age of 91.
“The Lehman Trilogy,” an epic drama charting the historical past of one of many monetary establishments that helped spark the 2008 recession, additionally gained 5 Tony Awards, together with prizes for Sam Mendes’ route and for the lead efficiency of Simon Russell Beale.
And, with “A Strange Loop” profitable the highest musical award, actress Jennifer Hudson grew to become solely the seventeenth individual to attain an EGOT — profitable an Emmy, a Grammy, and Oscar, and a Tony in aggressive classes. Hudson did not carry out, however as an alternative was a producer.
The ceremony, which unfolded with attribute razzle dazzle, caps some of the tumultuous intervals within the historical past of the theater enterprise. After being closed for almost two years attributable to Covid, Broadway started slowly reopening on the finish of final summer time, however its restoration has unfolded in suits and begins.
“What a season it’s been,” host Ariana Debose mentioned in her opening monologue. “For many of you it’s been a roller coaster — starts, stops, dramatic twists and turns.”
Omicron devastated the business in the course of the top of vacation season and almost each manufacturing has needed to cancel performances or had key solid members miss reveals attributable to outbreaks of the virus (“Six,” one of many best musical nominees, needed to depend on an understudy to tug off its efficiency on the Tony Awards broadcast).
Marianne Elliott, honored for directing “Company,” acknowledged the existential challenges going through Broadway whereas accepting her award. “Our industry has been through so much,” mentioned Elliott. “It felt at times that live theater was endangered.” She went on to dedicate her prize to all of these “…fighting for the survival of this beautiful, transportive and essential art form.”
Despite the obstacles, some 34 reveals premiered on Broadway this season, 29 of which obtained at the very least one Tony nomination. The reveals ranged from lavish musicals to extra avant-garde choices.
Deirdre O’Connell picked up best actress in a play for her work as a Florida hospice chaplain who’s held hostage within the wildly experimental drama, “Dana H.” It was a present by which O’Connell mouthed her traces to a recording of Dana Higginbotham, the real-life kidnapping sufferer she performed on stage.
“Please let me standing here be a little sign to you from the universe to make the weird art,” O’Connell mentioned.
Myles Frost gained main actor in a musical for channeling pop star Michael Jackson in “MJ,” whereas the best main actress in a musical prize went to “Paradise Square’s” Joaquina Kalukango, whose efficiency of the present’s anthem “Let it Burn” was an emotional spotlight of the ceremony. “Paradise Square” examines the battle between Irish Americans and Black Americans in the course of the Civil War, a chunk of historical past that Kalukango acknowledged in her speech.
Supporting actor in a play went to Jesse Tyler Ferguson for his efficiency as an accountant turned baseball fanatic in “Take Me Out,” whereas Phylicia Rashad earned best supporting actress in a play for her flip as a struggling manufacturing facility employee in “Skeleton Crew.” In 2004, Rashad grew to become the primary Black actress to win the Tony Award for best actress in a play for “A Raisin in the Sun.” This was her second prize in three nominations.
Patti LuPone gained her third Tony, this one for supporting actress in a musical, for her efficiency as a hard-drinking girl who lunches in “Company.” She beforehand was acknowledged for 1981’s “Evita” and the 2008 revival of “Gypsy.” LuPone’s co-star Matt Doyle picked up a best supporting actor statue for his show-stopping work in “Company,” the capstone of which was his interpretation of the tongue-twisting quantity, “Getting Married Today.”
For “A Strange Loop,” the awards love may turbo-charge ticket gross sales. The present, which was embraced by critics, is the meta story of a Black homosexual man writing a musical a few Black homosexual man writing a musical. It already captured a Pulitzer Prize in 2020 after it performed Off-Broadway. However, “The Lehman Trilogy” gained’t be capable to capitalize on its victory. The present ended its restricted run in January. And being within the winner’s circle doesn’t at all times characterize the distinction between failure and success. One of the season’s greatest hits, “The Music Man,” which boasts some severe star wattage in Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, was shut out fully regardless of incomes six nominations.
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter motion, Broadway, which has traditionally been dominated by white creators, confronted strain to raise extra various voices. And that was mirrored in lots of the reveals that made their solution to the stage, as a report variety of productions from Black playwrights that had their premiere in the course of the season.
“I feel like the phrase ‘Great White Way’ is becoming more of a nickname as opposed to a how-to-guide,” quipped DeBose.
“A Strange Loop” creator Michael R. Jackson used his acceptance speech for profitable best ebook of a musical to acknowledge the significance of the sort of illustration achieved this season.
“I felt unseen, I felt unheard, I felt misunderstood, and I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft for myself as a Black gay man to try to just get through the day,” he mentioned, explaining the explanations he channeled his life into his artwork.
New York City was pummeled by the pandemic, bearing the brunt of the early days of the virus. So it was becoming that lots of the reveals honored on Sunday evening unfolded in and across the 5 boroughs. “Company” tells the deeply private story of a Manhattanite conflicted about her want for love and relationship, whereas “Take Me Out” seems at varied members of town’s vibrant homosexual group. “The Lehman Trilogy,” which co-writer Ben Powers described in his acceptance speech as “a hymn” to New York, memorializes the strivers who’ve supplied the Big Apple with its distinctive thrum for many years. At the identical time, “A Strange Loop,” a have a look at an artist struggling to interrupt by means of, is a reminder of the dreamers whose hopes and aspirations have ushered town by means of an period of plague into an unsure future.
Angela Lansbury, the winner of 5 statues for reveals corresponding to “Sweeney Todd” and “Mame,” obtained the Tony for lifetime achievement. The night additionally included a tribute to Sondheim, with Bernadette Peters singing “Children Will Listen,” one in every of his best-loved songs from “Into the Woods.”
Here’s the whole checklist of Tony nominees and winners:
Best Play
“Clyde’s”
“Hangmen”
WINNER: “The Lehman Trilogy”
“The Minutes”
“Skeleton Crew”
Best Musical
“Girl From The North Country”
“MJ”
“Mr. Saturday Night”
“Paradise Square”
“Six: The Musical”
WINNER: “A Strange Loop”
Best Revival of a Play
“American Buffalo”
“for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
“How I Learned to Drive”
WINNER: “Take Me Out”
“Trouble in Mind”
Best Revival of a Musical
“Caroline, or Change”
WINNER: “Company”
“The Music Man”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
WINNER: Simon Russell Beale, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adam Godley, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adrian Lester, “The Lehman Trilogy”
David Morse, “How I Learned to Drive”
Sam Rockwell, “American Buffalo”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues”
David Threlfall, “Hangmen”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Gabby Beans, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
LaChanze, “Trouble in Mind”
Ruth Negga, “Macbeth”
WINNER: Deirdre O’Connell, “Dana H.”
Mary-Louise Parker, “How I Learned to Drive”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Billy Crystal, “Mr. Saturday Night”
WINNER: Myles Frost, “MJ”
Hugh Jackman, “The Music Man”
Rob McClure, “Mrs. Doubtfire”
Jaquel Spivey, “A Strange Loop”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sharon D Clarke, “Caroline, or Change”
Carmen Cusack, “Flying Over Sunset”
Sutton Foster, “The Music Man”
WINNER: Joaquina Kalukango, “Paradise Square”
Mare Winningham, “Girl From The North Country”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Alfie Allen, “Hangmen”
Chuck Cooper, “Trouble in Mind”
WINNER: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Take Me Out”
Ron Cephas Jones, “Clyde’s”
Michael Oberholtzer, “Take Me Out”
Jesse Williams, “Take Me Out”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Uzo Aduba, “Clyde’s”
Rachel Dratch, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”
Kenita R. Miller, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
WINNER: Phylicia Rashad, “Skeleton Crew”
Julie White, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”
Kara Young, “Clyde’s”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER: Matt Doyle, “Company”
Sidney DuPont, “Paradise Square”
Jared Grimes, “Funny Girl”
John-Andrew Morrison, “A Strange Loop”
A.J. Shively, “Paradise Square”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Jeannette Bayardelle, “Girl From The North Country”
Shoshana Bean, “Mr. Saturday Night”
Jayne Houdyshell, “The Music Man”
L Morgan Lee, “A Strange Loop”
WINNER: Patti LuPone, “Company”
Jennifer Simard, “Company”
Best Direction of a Play
Lileana Blain-Cruz, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Camille A. Brown, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
WINNER: Sam Mendes, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Neil Pepe, “American Buffalo”
Les Waters, “Dana H.”
Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Brackett, “A Strange Loop”
WINNER: Marianne Elliott, “Company”
Conor McPherson, “Girl From The North Country”
Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage, “Six: The Musical”
Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowulf Boritt, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”
Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, “Skeleton Crew”
WINNER: Es Devlin, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Anna Fleischle, “Hangmen”
Scott Pask, “American Buffalo”
Adam Rigg, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, “Flying Over Sunset”
WINNER: Bunny Christie, “Company”
Arnulfo Maldonado, “A Strange Loop”
Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, “MJ”
Allen Moyer, “Paradise Square”
Best Book of a Musical
“Girl From The North Country”
Conor McPherson “MJ”
Lynn Nottage
“Mr. Saturday Night”
Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
“Paradise Square”
Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan
WINNER: “A Strange Loop”
Michael R. Jackson
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics)
“Flying Over Sunset”
Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics: Michael Korie
“Mr. Saturday Night”
Music: Jason Robert Brown Lyrics: Amanda Green
“Paradise Square”
Music: Jason Howland
Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare
WINNER: “Six: The Musical”
Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
“A Strange Loop”
Music & Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson
Best Costume Design of a Play
WINNER: Montana Levi Blanco, The Skin of Our Teeth
Sarafina Bush, for coloured women who’ve thought-about suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind
Jane Greenwood, Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite
Jennifer Moeller, Clyde’s
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Fly Davis, Caroline, or Change
Toni-Leslie James, Paradise Square
William Ivey Long, Diana, The Musical
Santo Loquasto, The Music Man
WINNER: Gabriella Slade, SIX: The Musical
Paul Tazewell, MJ
Best Lighting Design of a Play
WINNER: Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy
Jane Cox, Macbeth
Yi Zhao, The Skin of Our Teeth
Joshua Carr, Hangmen
Jiyoun Chang, for coloured women who’ve thought-about suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Neil Austin, “Company”
Tim Deiling, “Six: The Musical
Donald Holder, Paradise Square
WINNER:Natasha Katz, MJ
Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset Jen Schriever, A Strange Loop
Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
WINNER: Mikhail Fiksel, “Dana H.”
Palmer Hefferan, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Mikaal Sulaiman, “Macbeth”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Simon Baker, “Girl From The North Country”
Paul Gatehouse, “Six: The Musical”
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Company”
Drew Levy, “A Strange Loop”
WINNER: Gareth Owen, “MJ”
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Warren Carlyle, “The Music Man”
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, “Six: The Musical”
Bill T. Jones, “Paradise Square”
WINNER: Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”
Best Orchestrations
David Cullen, “Company”
Tom Curran, “Six: The Musical”
WINNER: Simon Hale, “Girl From The North Country”
Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, “MJ”
Charlie Rosen, “A Strange Loop”