The fact that Stereophonic, a play about a rock band making a hit album, won the most Tony Awards on Sunday night, including best new play, was not surprising. With thirteen nominations, it had gotten the most of any play ever.
With the exception of Best Musical, there were actually very few surprises during this incredibly boring 77th annual Tony Awards. With 13 nominations, it was widely anticipated that Hell’s Kitchen, a musical that is partially based on Alicia Keys’ biography and incorporates her music, would win that title. Then, halfway through the performance, it appeared as though Suffs, the original musical, might win instead. Shaina Taub, the show’s writer and star won Tony Awards for both the writing and the soundtrack of the original production.
But no—the enthusiastic film version of S.E. Hinton’s well-liked young adult novel and its subsequent motion picture, The Outsiders, won the night’s grand prize. Danya Taymor, who also won, directed it. The only two prizes that Hell’s Kitchen took home were for Maleah Joi Moon, the lead actress, and her instructor, Kecia Lewis.
The Outsiders is a fantastic production, and perhaps Broadway is in need of some excitement right now. The Tonys, for sure, did, since…
1.The show was a little Dull.
Too many people struggled with their speeches, even among those whose line of work is to make language sound interesting. The majority of those speeches consisted of long lists of gratitude, with the exception of Jonathan Groff’s moving speech about growing up with parents who didn’t always understand him but still supported him since he had a main role in a musical.
Even the typically radiant host Ariana DeBose had dull moments anytime she opened her mouth, despite the amazing performances.
Because of the SAG-AFTRA strike last year, there were no scripts. Perhaps we ought to return to that.
2.Political Plays were everywhere
This theatrical season featured a number of political plays: Patriots is about Putin’s ascent to power, Enemy of the People is about a fight over an environmental disaster, and Suffs is about women struggling for the right to vote.
The Tony stage also featured a political segment. A number of speakers and winners either made it a point to urge voters to cast ballots in this election year, spoke boldly about “making change,” or did both. However, not much of it was particular; I didn’t hear anyone criticize a candidate by name, voice their opinion about a matter that wasn’t getting enough coverage in the media, or call attention to anything.
3.Star Power or Desperation? Celebrity Blitz Overshadows Broadway Talent
Presenters were Nick Jonas, Brooke Shields, Cynthia Erivo, Angelina Jolie, and Hillary Clinton. Alicia Keys and Jay-Z performed their hit song “Empire State of Mind,” which closes Hell’s Kitchen; nevertheless, they are not in the Broadway version. The Who’s Pete Townshend, who isn’t on Broadway either, played guitar on “Pinball Wizard” during the Tommy cast performance. Eddie Redmayne performed with the Cabaret cast, and acting honors went to Daniel Radcliffe, Jeremy Strong, and Sarah Paulson.
In other words, the Tony Awards attempted to cram celebrities with both Broadway and celebrity credentials into the program. More likely, it was supposed to feel good. Rather, it seemed a bit desperate.
4.Broadway’s Balancing Act: Fresh Blood vs. Familiar Favorites
The Broadway attitude right now seems to be a “little desperate.” And that makes sense. The number of Tony-eligible productions that premiered this season—36 of them in just the last weeks of April alone—is impressive, but the attendance hasn’t yet returned to 2019 levels.
Travelers are typically drawn to musicals, and the Tony Awards demonstrated this by featuring a number from each nominee. However, they also included a play. In stereo. (Which, in fairness, has a good deal of music.)
This is due to Stereophonic’s current popularity. It takes place in a recording studio where young musicians are striving to make music in spite of their conflicting personalities, and it just seems new and fresh. It lacks stars, but it offers strong performances, tense screenplay, and catchy music instead. It’s creative. It’s astounding. It’s something that is unique to this place.
That is not at all like the situation in the musicals. These days, musicals are so expensive that producers don’t seem to want to support any production that isn’t based on well-known content. As a result, theaters are crowded with stage adaptations of films, novels, and even records. Despite the fact that each play this season featured at least one inventive, poignant, or really imaginative sequence, musicals felt rather safe overall this year.
Stereophonic is merely one of several examples. The play Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins received Best Revival of a Play. It’s a crazy roller coaster trip because of its complex family drama, unexpected set, and powerful performers. And a plethora of others.
You really couldn’t go wrong if you watched a show on Broadway this season.
5. Making the case for theater: Powerful Pre-Show Speech
The majority of the most impactful speeches took place prior to the main Tony honors ceremony; several design honors, as well as the special achievement awards, were broadcast live on Pluto TV.
One of the best of those was directed by George C. Wolfe, a Tony Award winner for outstanding achievement who argued for the value of theater in society.
Theater “doesn’t need to look like you to be about you,” he declared. Also, he stated that theater is “celebrating and exploring the human heart” during a “remarkably complicated time in this country.”
That was a speech worthy of being heard at prime time.
Tony Awards 2024: complete list of winners
CBS broadcasted the 77th Tony Awards on Sunday night. The complete list of 2024 Tony Award nominees is shown below; winners are indicated in bold.
Best Performance: Leading Actor in a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
- Brody Grant, The Outsiders
- Dorian Harewood, The Notebook
- Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses
- Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Performance: Leading Actor in a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People
- William Jackson Harper, Uncle Vanya
- Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
- Liev Schreiber, Doubt: A Parable
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots
Best Performance: Leading Actress in a Musical
Maleah Joi Moon accepts the #TonyAwards trophy for best actress in a musical for #HellsKitchen pic.twitter.com/zAivq98CQi
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 17, 2024
- Tony Awards Winner: Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
- Edin Espinosa, Lempicka
- Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses
- Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook
- Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Performance: Leading Actress in a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
- Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic
- Jessica Lange, Mother Play
- Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
- Amy Ryan, Doubt: A Parable
Best Musical
The Outsiders brings home the Tony for Best Musical. Congrats! pic.twitter.com/g0LNrt9Dfo
— The Tony Awards (@TheTonyAwards) June 17, 2024
- Tony Awards Winner: The Outsiders
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Illinoise
- Suffs
- Water for Elephants
Best Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Stereophonic
- Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
- Mary Jane
- Mother Play
- Prayer for the French Republic
Best Revival of a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Merrily We Roll Along
- Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
- Gutenberg! The Musical!
- The Who’s Tommy
Best Revival of a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Appropriate
- An Enemy of the People
- Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Best Performance: Featured Actress in a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen
- Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen
- Amber Iman, Lempicka
- Nikki M. James, Suffs
- Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot
- Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along
- Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Performance: Featured Actress in a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
- Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Doubt: A Parable
- Juliana Canfield, Stereophonic
- Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play
- Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic
Best Performance: Featured Actor in a Musical
Daniel Radcliffe wins and his Merrily We Roll Along co-star Jonathan Groff is overwhelmed with emotion 🥹🥲 #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/0cDYTzs6ig
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 17, 2024
- Tony Awards Winner: Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
- Roger Bart, Back To The Future: The Musical
- Joshua Boone, The Outsiders
- Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell’s Kitchen
- Sky Lakota-Lynch, The Outsiders
- Steven Skybell, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Performance: Featured Actor in a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Will Brill, Stereophonic
- Eli Gelb, Stereophonic
- Jim Parsons, Mother Play
- Tom Pecinka, Stereophonic
- Corey Stoll, Appropriate
Best Original Score
- Tony Awards Winner: Shaina Taub, Suffs
- Adam Guettel, Days of Wine and Roses
- David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love
- Will Butler, Stereophonic
- Jamestown Revival and Justin Levine, The Outsiders
Best Direction of a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Danya Taymor, The Outsiders
- Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along
- Michael Greif, Hell’s Kitchen
- Leigh Silverman, Suffs
- Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants
Best Direction of a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic
- Anne Kauffman, Mary Jane
- Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
- Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate
- Whitney White, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Best Sound Design of a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Cody Spencer, The Outsiders
- M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, Here Lies Love
- Kai Harada, Merrily We Roll Along
- Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
- Gareth Owen, Hell’s Kitchen
Best Sound Design of a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic
- Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
- Leah Gelpe, Mary Jane
- Tom Gibbons, Grey House
- Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate
Best Lighting Design of a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Jane Cox, Appropriate
- Isabella Byrd, An Enemy of the People
- Amith Chandrashaker, Prayer for the French Republic
- Jiyoun Chang, Stereophonic
- Natasha Katz, Grey House
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, The Outsiders
- Brandon Stirling Baker, Illinoise
- Isabella Byrd, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
- Natasha Katz, Hell’s Kitchen
- Bradley King and David Bengali, Water for Elephants
Best Scenic Design in a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: David Zinn, Stereophonic
- dots, Appropriate
- dots, Enemy of the People
- Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
- David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Best Choreography
- Tony Awards Winner: Justin Peck, Illinoise
- Annie-B Parson, Here Lies Love
- Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen
- Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders
- Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
- AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders
- Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen
- Takeshi Kata, Water for Elephants
- David Korins, Here Lies Love
- Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini, Lempicka
- Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, Back To The Future: The Musical
Best Orchestrations
- Tony Awards Winner: Jonathan Tunick, Merrily We Roll Along
- Timo Andres, Illinoise
- Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic
- Justin Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), The Outsiders
- Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone, Hell’s Kitchen
Best Costume Design of a Musical
- Tony Awards Winner: Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby
- Dede Ayite, Hell’s Kitchen
- David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants
- Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
- Paul Tazewell, Suffs
Best Costume Design of a Play
- Tony Awards Winner: Dede Ayite, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
- Dede Ayite, Appropriate
- Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic
- Emilio Sosa, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
- David Zinn, An Enemy of the People
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