76th Tony Awards Recap

It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these Tony Awards Recaps, but then again it’s been a while since I’ve watched a whole Tony Awards Ceremony live and in full.

This year’s awards were quite different to previous years. For the firs time Broadway’s night of nights was held no where near Broadway, rather they were uptown in Washington Heights at the grand United Palace theatre. It was also the first unscripted show in order to respect the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. But in spite of it all, the night lost none of the magic of Broadway. Rather the talent and joy of the performances shone through and the genuine camaraderie of the Broadway community was there for all to see.

The night was capably hosted by Ariana DeBose for the second year running. She started the night off with a dance medley of favourite Broadway shows before adeptly shifting into an unscripted opening monologue. Throughout the night she was a casual and fun host that captured the freewheeling spirit of the night.

Without the usual starched and scripted introductions the performances from each nominated shows took centre stage and there were so many to capture your attention. The live performances are what makes the Tony’s unique. Often it’s seen as a great advertisement for your show but also it serves as an enduring, and sometimes only, record of the work.

Standout performances were from the casts of Some Like it Hot and New York, New York, both performing their title songs. Both casts performed with unbridled enthusiasm and brought a hint of old school, Broadway glamour to the night. Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond performed a touching song from their nominated show, Parade, with Platt reinstating why he is truly becoming an enduring leading man of the stage. Another standout was the performance by Sara Bareilles and Brian d’Arcy Jame of It Takes Two from Into the Woods. Both were utterly captivating and completely convincing as the Baker and his Wife with a rendition that rivals the original by Joanne Gleason and Chip Zein.

Less engaging were the performances from the cast of Camelot performing a confusing medley of songs, highlighting the weaknesses in the troubled show. The cast of Shucked performed with enthusiasm but just reinforced the strange, WFT nature of the show that seems an odd choice as Best Musical nominee.

A couple of shows that weren’t nominated also got a chance to perform with Will Swenson taking a turn as Neil Diamond in a sing-a-long performance of Sweet Caroline from the new Diamond bio-musical A Beautiful Noise. Lea Michelle was absolutely outstanding as the great Fanny Brice when the cast from Funny Girl performed Don’t Rain On My Parade.

Perhaps the enduring theme from many of the award recipients was a message of inclusivity and acceptance of all. And in the context of a more polarised and divided America the Tony Awards can be a beacon of this acceptance in the community. Most historically, this message of inclusivity was seen in two Trans/Non-Binary actors winning awards for Best Lead and Best Featured Actor in a Musical. J. Harrison Ghee won Best Lead for their performance in Some Like it Hot and Alex Newell won Best Featured for their performance in Shucked. It was a monumental and historical moment that wasn’t lost on them and the entire audience. The awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical went to Victoria Clark and Best Featured Actress in a Musical went to Bonnie Milligan, both from Kimberly Akimbo. Michael Arden won for Best Direction of a Musical with his speech being momentarily censored by the broadcasters while he was making a profound and powerful statement about his acceptance in the Broadway community.

The story of a young 15 year old girls who is prematurely aging Kimberly Akimbo won the award for Best Musical. Leading up to the Awards this show was the hot favourite after being praised by critics and fans alike for its touching story of love, acceptance and what it means to savour life. The revival of Parade won the award for Best Revival of a Musical, beating out two Sondheim revivals in the process.

In the world of plays the night belonged to Tom Stoppard’s new play Leopoldstadt. At 85, the great playwright has written the grandest and most autobiographical of plays about the plight of Jews in 1930s Austria. Deservedly so it won the awards for Best Play, Best Featured Actor and Best Director. Topdog/Underdog won for best Revival of a Play.

Earlier in the night, John Kander and Joel Grey were awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards, deservedly so, for their incredible body of work. They were recognised with a performance of Hot Honey Rag from Chicago by Ariana DeBose and Julianne Hough afterwards both came out on stage. Unfortunately, neither was given the chance to talk which felt like a missed opportunity, and a bit of a slight, to give the stage to two of Broadway’s greatest of greats in a primetime slot. Jerry Mitchell, another Broadway great who earlier won the Isabelle Stevenson Award, wasn’t event acknowledged in the main show.

This was a paired back and simpler Tony Awards compared with the grand shows of pre-Covid times. Perhaps it’s indicative of an industry still recovering, perhaps it’s also the mark of a slightly underwhelming season without the landmark standouts or great names of previous years. That being said, it was a joyous production, made better by the fact that after years Australian audiences could watch it on free-to-air, albeit streamed, TV. The night shone through with that special sauce that makes the Tony’s and Broadway special. There is genuine warmth, genuine joy and genuine acceptance in this this night. And this years, with the usual grandeur stripped away the genuine heart of Broadway shone through making it a memorable Tony Awards.