No script? No problem!
There was plenty of uncertainty in the run-up to this year鈥檚 Tony Awards, which at one point seemed unlikely to happen at all because of the ongoing Hollywood writer鈥檚 strike.
But the ceremony went off without a hitch on Sunday night. The event was scriptless, to honor a compromise with striking writers, but chock-full of high-spirited Broadway performances drawing raucous cheers from an audience clearly thrilled just to be there at all.
It was a night of triumph for the small-scale but huge-hearted musical 鈥淜imberly Akimbo,鈥� about a teenager with a rare aging disease, but also a night notable for inclusion: Two nonbinary performers, Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee, made history by winning their respective acting categories.
The ceremony also touched on the specter of antisemitism in very different places: World War II Europe, with best play winner 鈥淟eopoldstadt,鈥� and early 20th-century America, with 鈥淧arade,鈥� winner for best musical revival.
In the end, the lack of scripted banter didn鈥檛 much dampen the proceedings, and little wonder: Broadway folks are trained in improv. And of course there was more room for singing and dancing 鈥� including from current shows not in competition 鈥� and nobody was complaining about that.
Oh, and the show ended right on time. Oscars, are you listening?
Some key moments of the night:
BROADWAY HEADS UPTOWN
It wasn鈥檛 just the writers strike that made for a different evening. The venue was new, too. It was on Broadway, yes, but miles from the theater district. The ceremony took place uptown in Washington Heights, in the ornate, gilded United Palace, a former movie theater filled with chandeliers and carpets and majestic columns.
鈥淭hank you for coming uptown 鈥� never in my wildest dreams,鈥� quipped Lin-Manuel Miranda, who has helped bring events to the venue in the neighborhood where he set his 鈥淚n the Heights.鈥� The afterparty was held in tents outside the building instead of the usual festivities in the fancy food halls of the Plaza Hotel near Central Park.
A BLANK PAGE, BUT A FULL NIGHT
Oscar winner and Broadway luminary Ariana DeBose, hosting for the second year running, immediately addressed the elephant in the room. Speaking to the audience before the pre-show telecast began, she explained nothing would be scripted and told winners the only words they鈥檇 see on teleprompters would be 鈥渨rap up please.鈥� When the main telecast began, she appeared on camera reading a Tony script, but the pages were blank.
Instead of words, DeBose and others spoke with their dance moves, doing a brassy number in the theater鈥檚 grand lobby, staircases and aisles, complete with gravity-defying leaps. Afterward, DeBose warned anyone who may have thought last year was 鈥渦nhinged鈥�: 鈥淏uckle up!鈥�
DeBose, who performed in the original cast of 鈥淗amilton鈥� and won an Oscar for 鈥淲est Side Story,鈥� also passionately explained why the Tonys are so crucial to the economic survival of Broadway, and to touring productions around the country.
A TIMELY REMINDER OF ANTISEMITISM IN EUROPE 鈥�
An early award brought a sobering reminder of the horrors of antisemitism. Brandon Uranowitz of 鈥淟eopoldstadt,鈥� Tom Stoppard鈥檚 sweeping play about a Jewish family in Vienna, thanked the celebrated playwright 鈥渇or writing a play about Jewish identity and antisemitism and the false promise of assimilation,鈥� and noted his ancestors, 鈥渕any of whom did not make it out of Poland, also thank you.鈥�
Uranowitz, who won for featured actor in a play, also joked that the thing he wanted most in life was to repay his parents for the sacrifices they made 鈥� only he couldn鈥檛, because he works in the theater.
鈥� AND IN AMERICA
鈥淟eopoldstadt鈥� went on to win best play, while best musical revival went to another searing work about antisemitism: 鈥淧arade,鈥� starring Ben Platt as Leo Frank, a Jewish man lynched in 1915 in Georgia. In his acceptance speech for best director, Michael Arden echoed the play鈥檚 somber themes: 鈥淲e must battle this. It is so, so important, or else we are doomed to repeat the horrors of our history.鈥�
He added his own story of how, growing up, he often had been called the 鈥渇-word,鈥� referring to a homophobic slur. He then earned some of the night鈥檚 loudest cheers when he triumphantly reclaimed the slur while pointing out that he now had a Tony.
`I SHOULD NOT BE UP HERE鈥�
It was an emotional moment when Alex Newell of 鈥淪hucked鈥� became the first out nonbinary person to win an acting Tony, taking the prize for best featured actor in a musical. Newell, also known for 鈥淭he Glee Project鈥� and 鈥淕lee,鈥� thanked close family for their love and support and then addressed the outside world.
鈥淭hank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queer, nonbinary, fat, Black, little baby from Massachusetts,鈥� they said. 鈥淎nd to anyone that thinks that they can鈥檛 do it, I鈥檓 going to look you dead in your face and tell you that you can do anything you put your mind to.鈥�
Like the Oscars, the Tonys have only gendered categories for performers.
`THIS IS FOR YOU鈥�
J. Harrison Ghee was the second nonbinary actor of the night to make history, winning best actor in a musical for their role in 鈥淪ome Like It Hot,鈥� based on the classic 1959 film. They play a male musician on the run who disguises as a woman in what becomes a voyage of discovery about gender (the movie role involved disguise, but no discovery). Ghee said they had been raised to use their gifts not for themselves, but to help others.
鈥淔or every trans, non-gender-conforming, nonbinary human who ever was told you couldn鈥檛 be seen, this is for you,鈥� Ghee said, tapping the Tony for emphasis.
LEA MICHELE GETS HER TONY MOMENT
Not to mix show metaphors or anything, but Lea Michele was not about to throw away her shot. The 鈥淔unny Girl鈥� lead was not eligible for a Tony because she didn鈥檛 originate the role last year (that would be Beanie Feldstein, who Michele replaced in a matter of months).
But the former 鈥淕lee鈥� star, who has turned around the fortunes of the revival production, is seen by many as the ultimate Fanny Brice, and her gorgeously belted rendition of 鈥淒on鈥檛 Rain On My Parade鈥� 鈥� 13 years after she first performed it at the Tonys 鈥� definitely did not disappoint.
PARTY TIME
Most Tony attendees spent a good five hours in the United Palace, and the room got pretty warm. So folks were happy to step outside to the afterparty, where guests munched on ceviche, mangoes on sticks and mini-Cuban sandwiches, and sipped specially designed cocktails.
Ghee was a clear star of the party, towering over most guests 鈥� literally and figuratively 鈥� as they clutched their Tony and accepted well wishes or agreed to selfies. Ghee also chatted with last year鈥檚 winner of the same award, Myles Frost, who played Michael Jackson in 鈥淢J.鈥�
鈥淥ur industry is shifting forward! We are erasing labels and boundaries and limits,鈥� Ghee said when asked their main takeaway of the night. The actor wore a bright blue custom ensemble by Bronx designer Jerome LaMaar, with a choker of glistening jewels.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e getting it custom made, you can really do something,鈥� they quipped.
鈥斺赌斺赌�
For more on the 2023 Tony Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/tony-awards
By Jocelyn Noveck
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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