Despite a robust theatre season, an air of uncertainty hung over the 2023 Tony Awards as they kicked off Sunday in New York.
For weeks, it appeared as though the 76th annual ceremony was in danger of being canceled or postponed indefinitely because of the ongoing writers strike, which represents screenwriters and playwrights. Eventually, the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing ― the two organisations that present the Tonys ― agreed to keep the event script-free to avoid being picketed, thus requiring some improvisation from host Ariana DeBose and other presenters.
Fortunately, the Broadway community is well-equipped at navigating the pressure of a live performance. Any early concerns that the night would be lacking in razzle-dazzle were quickly tossed aside when DeBose opened the show with a jaw-dropping dance routine.
“We don’t have a script, you guys,” she joked in a subsequent monologue. “To anyone who thought last year was a bit unhinged, to them I say, ‘Darlings, buckle up.’”
The night’s big winners were the musical Kimberly Akimbo, with five awards in total, and the Holocaust drama Leopoldstadt, which won four.
There were some historic acting wins, too. J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell became the first two out non-binary performers to win in acting categories. Ghee won best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical for “Some Like It Hot,” while Newell’s scene-stealing turn in “Shucked” nabbed them the award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical. The ceremony also included several impassioned nods to the LGBTQ+ community, most notably by Michael Arden, who won for best direction of a musical for “Parade.”
Other big wins included Sean Hayes as “America’s first publicly dysfunctional celebrity” Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar, and Jodie Comer, who plays a lawyer who specialises in defending men accused of sexual assault who becomes the victim of an assault herself in Prima Facie. The two won best actor and actress in a leading role in a play for their respective performances.
Check out the full list of nominees and winners below.
Best Book of a Musical
WINNER: “Kimberly Akimbo,” David Lindsay-Abaire
“& Juliet,” David West Read
“New York, New York,” David Thompson and Sharon Washington
“Shucked,” Robert Horn
“Some Like It Hot,” Matthew López and Amber Ruffin
Best Original Score
WINNER: “Kimberly Akimbo,” Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire
“Almost Famous,” Cameron Crowe and Tom Kitt
“KPOP,” Helen Park and Max Vernon
“Shucked,” Brandy Clark and Shane McAnall
“Some Like It Hot,” Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
WINNER: Sean Hayes, “Good Night, Oscar”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog”
Corey Hawkins, “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog”
Stephen McKinley Henderson, “Between Riverside and Crazy”
Wendell Pierce, “Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
WINNER: Jodie Comer, “Prima Facie”
Jessica Chastain, “A Doll’s House”
Jessica Hecht, “Summer, 1976”
Audra McDonald, “Ohio State Murders”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
WINNER: J. Harrison Ghee, “Some Like It Hot”
Christian Borle, “Some Like It Hot”
Josh Groban, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Brian d’Arcy James, “Into the Woods”
Ben Platt, “Parade”
Colton Ryan, “New York, New York”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
WINNER: Victoria Clark, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Annaleigh Ashford, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Sara Bareilles, “Into the Woods”
Lorna Courtney, “& Juliet”
Micaela Diamond, “Parade”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
WINNER: Brandon Uranowitz, “Leopoldstadt”
Jordan E. Cooper, “Ain’t No Mo’”
Samuel L. Jackson, “August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson”
Arian Moayed, “A Doll’s House”
David Zayas, “Cost of Living”
Best Performance an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
WINNER: Miriam Silverman, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”
Nikki Crawford, “Fat Ham”
Crystal Lucas-Perry, “Ain’t No Mo’”
Miriam Silverman, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”
Katy Sullivan, “Cost of Living”
Kara Young, “Cost of Living”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER: Alex Newell, “Shucked”
Kevin Cahoon, “Shucked”
Justin Cooley, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Kevin Del Aguila, “Some Like It Hot”
Jordan Donica, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER: Bonnie Milligan, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Julia Lester, “Into the Woods”
Ruthie Ann Miles, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
NaTasha Yvette Williams, “Some Like It Hot”
Betsy Wolfe, “& Juliet”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
WINNER: Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding, “Life of Pi”
Miriam Buether, “Prima Facie”
Rachel Hauck, “Good Night, Oscar”
Richard Hudson, “Leopoldstadt”
Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, “A Christmas Carol”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
WINNER: Beowulf Boritt, “New York, New York”
Mimi Lien, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Scott Pask, “Shucked”
Scott Pask, “Some Like It Hot”
Best Costume Design of a Play
WINNER: Brigitte Reiffenstuel, “Leopoldstadt”
Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, “Life of Pi”
Dominique Fawn Hill, “Fat Ham”
Emilio Sosa, “Ain’t No Mo’”
Emilio Sosa, “Good Night, Oscar”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
WINNER: Gregg Barnes, “Some Like It Hot”
Susan Hilferty, “Parade”
Jennifer Moeller, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Clint Ramos & Sophia Choi, “KPOP”
Paloma Young, “& Juliet”
Donna Zakowska, “New York, New York”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
WINNER: Tim Lutkin, “Life of Pi”
Neil Austin, “Leopoldstadt”
Natasha Chivers, “Prima Facie”
Jon Clark, “A Doll’s House”
Bradley King, “Fat Ham”
Jen Schriever, “Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman”
Ben Stanton, “A Christmas Carol”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
WINNER: Natasha Katz, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Ken Billington, “New York, New York”
Lap Chi Chu, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
Heather Gilbert, “Parade”
Howard Hudson, “& Juliet”
Natasha Katz, “Some Like It Hot”
Natasha Katz, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Best Sound Design of a Play
WINNER: Carolyn Downing, “Life of Pi”
Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams, “Ain’t No Mo’”
Joshua D. Reid, “A Christmas Carol”
Ben & Max Ringham, “A Doll’s House”
Ben & Max Ringham, “Prima Facie”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
WINNER: Nevin Steinberg, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
John Shivers, “Shucked”
Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann, “Into the Woods”
Gareth Owen, “& Juliet”
Kai Harada, “New York, New York”
Best Direction of a Play
WINNER: Patrick Marber, “Leopoldstadt”
Saheem Ali, “Fat Ham”
Jo Bonney, “Cost of Living”
Jamie Lloyd, “A Doll’s House”
Stevie Walker-Webb, “Ain’t No Mo’”
Max Webster, “Life of Pi”
Best Direction of a Musical
WINNER: Michael Arden, “Parade”
Lear deBessonet, “Into the Woods”
Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like It Hot”
Jack O’Brien, “Shucked”
Jessica Stone, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Best Choreography
WINNER: Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like It Hot”
Steven Hoggett, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Susan Stroman, “New York, New York”
Jennifer Weber, “& Juliet”
Jennifer Weber, “KPOP”
Best Orchestrations
WINNER: Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter, “Some Like It Hot”
Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, “& Juliet”
John Clancy, “Kimberly Akimbo”
Jason Howland, “Shucked”
Daryl Waters & Sam Davis, “New York, New York”
Best Play
WINNER: “Leopoldstadt”
“Ain’t No Mo’”
“Between Riverside and Crazy”
“Cost of Living”
“Fat Ham”
Best Musical
WINNER: “Kimberly Akimbo”
“& Juliet”
“New York, New York”
“Shucked”
“Some Like It Hot”
Best Revival of a Play
WINNER: “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog”
“August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson”
“A Doll’s House”
“The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”
Best Revival of a Musical
WINNER: “Parade”
“Into the Woods”
“Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
