Are you a theatre newbie trying to understand and remember everything that happened at this year's Tony Awards? Are you a theatre expert, but you want to hear more about what happened at this year's event? Do you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, but you like Josh Groban and/or Sara Bareilles?! If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then this article is for you.
Let's start from the beginning. The most important thing to discuss right away was how well the hosts, Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban, did this year. They opened the show with a beautiful and funny song dedicated to the night's losers. In fact, both of the hosts have been nominated for Tony awards that they did not end up winning, so they were the perfect people for the song. The two proceeded to keep the energy fun as the night went on. Their best moments included a skit about Sara's talent at witchcraft (a nod to "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" play), a beautiful tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chita Rivera, and a costume swap towards the end where they each wore they other's Broadway outfit. This last one was probably the funniest, as Sara Bareilles rocked the old man beard from Josh's "The Great Comet" character, and Groban showed off his long ponytail and waitress outfit for Bareilles' character from "Waitress."
The biggest surprise of the night was the sweep that "The Band's Visit" pulled off. Now, don't get me wrong, I love this album and there have been glowing reviews for this show. It definitely deserved every win that it got. However, before the award show, every article, fan, and friend suggested to me that "Spongebob Squarepants the musical" was going to be the big winner of the night. Though both shows are wonderful, it is clear to see why "The Band's Visit" took the night. The performance of "Omar Sharif" was stunning, and Katrina Lenk hand the audience holding its breath as she gave everything to that song.
One of my favorite moments of the show was definitely when Lindsey Mendez won. I have been waiting for this woman to win a Tony for a while now. She has a magnificent voice and has played some incredible characters, including Elphaba from "Wicked." She finally won a Tony this year for "Best Featured Actress in a Musical" for her role as Carrie Pepperidge. Mendez's acceptance speech had me in tears as I watched her hard work really get recognized.
Another one of my favorite moments from the night includes the performance of "Mama Will Provide" from "Once on This Island" the musical. The cast and characters of this show are all fun and intense. It was a joy to watch them perform and interact with the audience. Watching Nathan Lane react to a live goat in the audience is definitely a memorable image. Alex Newell played Asaka, mother of the Earth, in this performance, and his vocal blew the audience away.
Other incredible moments that deserve mentioned include:
-The breathtaking performance of "Seasons of Love" by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama club students.
-The performance by the cast of "Mean Girls," especially the entirely iconic entrance for Regina George, played by Taylor Louderman.
-The parody of Sia's "Chandelier" sung by Bareilles and Groban, teasing the rigor of eight show weeks on Broadway.
-Andrew Garfield's eloquent, opening acceptance speech and all of the other acceptance speeches that celebrated the diversity of humanity.