NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — “Guys, stop texting me!” begged Kecia Lewis, with comical exasperation. The veteran Broadway performer had just won her first Tony Award in her 40-year career, for the Alicia Keys musical “Hell’s Kitchen,” and was trying to read her acceptance speech on her phone. But she was being distracted by those pesky congratulatory messages.
Luís soon had the audience laughing to tears, describing how in those four decades she wanted to give up many times – but received enough encouragement from the right people to continue. Many award winners encourage others to pursue their dreams, but Lewis, in a speech that was one of the best of the night, issued a blunt order: “Don’t do it. To give. Above!”
The Tonys are often the most entertaining awards shows, with Broadway performers showcasing their best work. Sunday’s show was no exception, with performances augmented by special appearances from the likes of Jay-Z and Hillary Clinton.
As always, the Tonys crowned veterans (Jonathan Groff, best actor in a musical) and newcomers (Maleah Joi Moon, best actress in a musical), and had the added factor of making history for women: Female directors accounted for seven of the 10 directing nods, including four of the five nominees for best musical. Danya Taymor won for directing “The Outsiders,” the second woman in her family to do so, after her aunt, “Lion King” director Julie Taymor.
The praised “Stereo” by David Adjmi, about a rock band trying to make a successful album and stay together, was crowned best play as expected. But the final awards ceremony of the night brought a twist that made people scream in surprise. “The Outsiders,” based on the classic young adult novel, beat “Hell’s Kitchen” for best musical. Nothing like a last-minute nail biter to keep the crowd buzzing long into the night.
Some key moments of the night:
The audience at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater, a new venue for the Tonys, rose to its feet at the night’s first musical excerpt, from “Hell’s Kitchen” — a rush of joy and high energy. A medley of songs featured the show’s stars – including Lewis, singing with young sensation Moon – before a piano took the stage with Keys herself, singing her and Jay-Z’s 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind.” , and exchanging lines with Moon. The crowd REALLY went crazy when Keys he got off the stage, left the auditorium and joined Jay-Z himself, rapping his lines on the steps of the theater’s large lobby. “I had to do something crazy,” Keys explained mid-song. “It’s my hometown!”
HBO’s hit “Succession” continues to deliver. No fewer than three of its stars have recently given stellar performances. On Sunday, it was Jeremy Strong turn to the glory of Tony. The actor, who played troubled media heir Kendall Roy on TV, took home his first Tony for best actor in a play for the revival of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 political play “An Enemy of the People.” , Strong thanked the unsung, unseen heroes of Broadway — “the ushers and the front of house staff, who see me coming in every day looking like I just got hit by a truck,” he said, “and see me walking in some form looking even worse.”
Daniel Radcliffe may have made his name – and fame – as Harry Potter on screen, but he’s now an established stage actor. On Sunday, he won his first Tony in five Broadway shows, for best actor in the revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” the Stephen Sondheim- George Furth musical that goes back in time. “This is one of the best experiences of my life,” Radcliffe said. Speaking about his obvious kinship with co-stars Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, with whom he played “Old Friends” on the broadcast, he noted, “I don’t really need to act in this show, I just need to look at you and feel everything I want to feel.” . I will never have it this good again. Groff cried in the audience.
Then it was Radcliffe’s turn to cry when Groff was named best actor in a musical (“Merrily” also won best musical revival). Groff — a Broadway darling and previously nominated for “Spring Awakening” and “Hamilton” — told the crowd that he used to watch the Tonys in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as a child. He paid tribute to his parents in the audience: “Thank you for letting me dress up as Mary Poppins when I was 3,” he said. “Thank you for letting me act out scenes from ‘I Love Lucy’ on my 10th birthday. Thank you for always allowing my weird flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it.”
Like Groff, Moon was thinking about her family when she won best actress in a musical for “Hell’s Kitchen,” in a close race with veteran Kelli O’Hara. The 21-year-old, who plays a role loosely based on Keys, dedicated her award “to my parents… Dad, you worked your whole life. Mom, you came to America when you were 17 and have been surviving ever since. ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is about a 17-year-old on the verge of a dream. I can’t imagine how many dreams were postponed, how many sacrifices you made to give me the life I have today. So tonight, all I hope is for you to celebrate.
Hillary Clinton may have been a US senator, secretary of state and first lady, but she is also a committed theater geek – one of the reasons she was greeted with one of the warmest standing ovations of the night. But she was now appearing as a producer, presenting “Sufa,” Shaina Taub’s historical musical about the suffragettes of the early 20th century. “I know a little about how hard it is to make change,” Clinton told the crowd with a wink. She added: “It is now an election year and we need to be reminded how important it is to vote.” Earlier in the evening, Taub, the second woman in Broadway history to write, compose and star in a musical, won both best score and best book, and made a similar call. “If you were inspired by the story of ‘Suffs,’ please make sure you and everyone you know register to vote,” she urged.
Danya Taymor — niece of Julie Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony for directing a musical — became the sixth woman to win the honor, for “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of the classic young adult novel. Taymor, who performs an extraordinary fight scene in the show that is part drama, part dance and all explosive power, was part of a group that made history: Seven of the 10 directing nominees were women, including four of the five best musical nominees. She issued a message “to all young artists who want to create,” telling them that “what some may perceive as a weakness or a disadvantage in you may just be your superpower. Don’t be afraid to trust your instinct.”
More life lessons were offered over drinks and small plates at the after-party. The audience filed out of the Koch Theater and across Lincoln Center Plaza, where a glittering disco ball was installed above the famous fountain. At David Geffen Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic, guests dined on risotto with lobster, corn and asparagus; foraged mushrooms with pancetta, grilled shrimp and steak. Above all, they mingled, and Lewis, carrying his Tony, was a major attraction. In an interview, she reflected on the time she considered quitting acting, about eight years ago: “One of my friends said, ‘What are you going to do, are you going to drive a bus?’ You won’t be happy.'” She said she drove for Uber and Lyft for a while. Ultimately, she got some time off. Lewis, who plays a stern but influential piano teacher and mentor, says that after the shows, she talks to fans who often tell their own mentor stories “Everyone talks about their aunt, grandmother, cousin, piano teacher, vocal coach, gym teacher. And I always tell them, ‘Go, thank them. to them.'”
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