NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� 鈥淪chmigadoon!,鈥� an adaptation of that gently mocks big, brassy Broadway shows, won the best new musical Tony Award on a night when actor and playwright Bess Wohl made history.
The musical parodies golden-age Broadway classics like 鈥淭he Music Man鈥� and 鈥淥klahoma!鈥� centered on a modern-day couple finding themselves in a 鈥淏rigadoon鈥�-like fantasyland where the wholesome townspeople keep breaking into song. The win is a redemption for creator Cinco Paul, whose TV series was canceled after two seasons. He won Tonys for the score and the book Sunday.
鈥淪ometimes singing, dancing, jokes and a happy ending are all you need,” said producer Lorne Michaels, the creator of 鈥淪aturday Night Live,鈥� after the win.
The win for 鈥淪chmigadoon!鈥� also completes what some unofficially call a 鈥渟tudio EGOT,鈥� giving the producing company credits for winning awards at all four major ceremonies. Apple already has Emmys for comedies 鈥淭ed Lasso鈥� and the Oscar for best picture for 鈥淐ODA鈥� and a Grammy via Chris Stapleton鈥檚 contribution to the 鈥淔1鈥� soundtrack.
Who took home the Tony Awards
The prize for the best new play went to Wohl鈥檚 about a consciousness-raising women鈥檚 group in 1970s Ohio, which earlier this year also won the
Wohl鈥檚 play collects stories from second-wave feminists from all walks of life as they tackle misogyny, racism and traditional gender roles. Wohl is only the fourth woman to win a best play Tony, joining Wendy Wasserstein, Yasmina Reza and Frances Goodrich.
鈥淚 want to honor women everywhere who have the courage to use their voice,” said Wohl, who thanked her mom, daughters and female producers. “And to all the girls out there: May you speak your truth, and may the world be wise enough to listen.鈥�
鈥淟iberation鈥� joins a list of 18 plays that have won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the in the same year.
The Tony for best play revival went to Arthur Miller鈥檚 masterpiece that looks at the unraveling of the American Dream. It won the 1949 Tony for best new play and best revival crowns in 1984, 1999 and 2012.
It earned a leading six Tonys: 鈥淩oseanne鈥� star Laurie Metcalf won her third Tony for playing Willy Loman鈥檚 wife opposite Nathan Lane in the revival, which also won for lighting, scenic design and sound design. Joe Mantello won best director for a play.
鈥楻agtime,’ 鈥楪iant,鈥� and other stand-out plays
鈥� a big, soaring musical that depicts an America being remade by immigration, racial violence, industrial wealth and political unrest 鈥� won the best musical revival.
Caissie Levy, who was Broadway鈥檚 first Elsa in 鈥淔rozen,鈥� won her first Tony for playing the matriarch of a wealthy suburban family in 鈥淩agtime.鈥� She thanks all the babysitters who let her become both a mother and a Broadway performer.
Moments later, Joshua Henry, a four-time nominee, won his first Tony as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in 鈥淩agtime.鈥� 鈥淓ven in the face of pain and tragedy, he found a way to be heard,鈥� Henry said of his character. “Every artist in this room, every artist at home, fight 鈥� fight to be heard
for best lead actor in a play for 鈥淕iant鈥� playing children鈥檚 writer in Mark Rosenblatt鈥檚 production set in 1983, when the author is facing intense backlash for his antisemitic comments. At 80, he is the oldest man ever to win a competitive acting Tony.
鈥淭wo Tony bookends with 53 years between them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n those years, I have worked with hundreds of just fantastic theater artists. I鈥檝e had dozens and dozens of ecstatic moments on the stage, but I have to tell you right now, this moment has got to be one of the best.鈥�
Shoshana Bean, who won best featured actress in a musical for playing a single mom in 鈥淭he Lost Boys,鈥� echoed the themes of 鈥淟iberation鈥� in her speech.
鈥淭his is for the mamas. This is for the single mamas. This is for my single mama. You are the wild heroes. This is for the incredible army of women that surround and uplift me,” she said.
which reimagines the 1980s classic feline musical as a celebration of queer ballroom culture, won for best direction of a musical by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch.
鈥淲e honor the Black and brown trans women and gay men who were ballroom鈥檚 pioneers, as well as today鈥檚 icons, and our cast of astonishing triple-threats, including people from their 20s to their 80s, and every decade in between,鈥� Levingston said.
Lesley Manville, an Oscar nominee for 鈥淧hantom Thread,鈥� won best lead actress in a play, making her Broadway debut in a modern retelling of Sophocles鈥� classic tragedy 鈥淥edipus.鈥�
Pink’s performance as the host
Pink, the Tony’s host, started the show spinning and then dangling uncomfortably from a harness over the stage, dressed like Peter Pan. Former host Neil Patrick Harris stepped in to suggest the first-time host just be herself.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e Pink, Pink. You can do anything,鈥� he told her.
After lifting Harris off the stage with her legs, Pink relented to his suggestion, added a top hat and belted out 鈥淟ady Marmalade鈥� with contributions from dozens of performers including Lea Michele and Megan Thee Stallion 鈥� and some 170 performers.
In her opening remarks, Pink, who has not yet gotten a Broadway credit, called herself theater鈥檚 second-biggest fan after her teenage daughter, Willow. 鈥淚鈥檓 not here just to steal peoples鈥� wigs, although I will be doing that. I鈥檓 here to celebrate the hardest-working people in show business,鈥� she said.
鈥淪chmigadoon!鈥� and 鈥淒eath of a Salesman鈥� each went into the main telecast with a lead of three Tonys after a pre-show on Pluto TV hosted by Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess that announced the more technical awards. Qween Jean became the first openly trans Tony winner ever for making the costumes for 鈥淐ats: The Jellicle Ball.鈥�
Plenty of medleys and dance sequences
After the big opening number, Pink was generally a genial, exuberant figure, popping up in new outfits for a few self-deprecating bits, but then roaring to life when leading a very convincing 鈥淎ll That Jazz鈥� as 鈥淐hicago鈥� celebrated its 30th anniversary, with the pop singer nailing the Bob Fosse-inspired choreography.
The In Memoriam section was led by Leslie Odom Jr. singing a powerful 鈥淲ithout You鈥� from 鈥淩ent,鈥� honoring such lost figures as actors Robert Duvall, Robert Redford and Diane Keaton, as well as playwright Tom Stoppard. Rachel Zegler then stunned with a version of 鈥淲hat I Did For Love鈥� from 鈥淎 Chorus Line,鈥� which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Other performances included the original lead cast members of 鈥淭he Book of Mormon鈥� 鈥� Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O鈥橫alley and Nikki M. James 鈥� reuniting to
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