by: Alana Brown-Davis
The 78th Tony Awards were held this past Sunday and were nothing short of delightful. With performances from hostess Cynthia Erivo and a spectacular “Hamilton” reunion, the night was definitely one to be remembered. The viewership for this year’s awards show shot up astronomically. Since the pandemic, the Tony’s as well as other awards shows have been struggling with engagement. The entertainment industry as a whole has endured somewhat of an identity crisis in the past five years. However, moments like these where a bastion of the arts continues to prevail are a sign of better days ahead. Here are a few of the winners of the Tony Awards.
Winners of the Musical Category
The ceremony was a beautiful event for all theatre lovers and a sign that Broadway is heading in the right direction. It was a night filled with “firsts.” Darren Criss won his first Tony for ‘Best Lead Actor’ for his starring role in “Maybe Happy Ending.” Nicole Scherzinger won her first Tony for ‘Best Lead Actress’ for her starring role in “Sunset Blvd.” “Sunset Blvd.” also took home the prize for ‘Best Revival of a Musical’ beating out heavyweight contender “Gypsy”.
Along with “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Death Becomes Her,” “Maybe Happy Ending” was nominated for ten Tony’s, winning ten of them including the lauded “Best Musical” award. “Buena Vista Social Club” won four, earning awards in various design, choreography, and orchestrations. The highlight of their wins came from Natalie Venetia Balcon who took home the trophy for ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical’. Jak Malone won ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical’ for “Operation Mincemeat”
Winners of the Play Category
“Purpose” and “Eureka Day” took top prize for ‘Best Play’ and ‘Best Play Revival’, respectively. “Purpose” actress Kara Young also won the gold for ‘Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play’. In their first ever Tony Award win, Cole Escola took home ‘Best Actor In a Play’ for their role in “Oh,Mary!” Also in her first Tony Award win, Sarah Snook won ‘Best Actress In a Play’ for “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in Play’ went to Francis Jue for “Yellow Face.”
Special Tony Awards
Several special Tony Awards were presented throughout the evening. During the preshow, Harvey Fierstein received the lifetime achievement award and the 2025 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for advocacy work through the arts was presented to Celia Keenan-Bolger. In addition to these, special Tonys were awarded to the musicians of “Buena Vista Social Club” and the technical effects team of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow.”