Tony Awards cap record $1.91 billion Broadway season with tight races for 'The Lost Boys' and 'Schmigadoon!'
The 79th Tony Awards, hosted by Pink at Radio City Music Hall, celebrate a record-breaking Broadway season that grossed $1.91 billion, with 'The Lost Boys' and 'Schmigadoon!' leading a crowded field of nominees.
A season of records and tight races
Broadway's biggest night arrived on Sunday with no clear favorite in the top categories, reflecting a season of both commercial success and artistic breadth. The industry generated $1.91 billion in grosses, the highest total on record, as audiences turned out for established hits and new productions alike. New musicals "The Lost Boys" and "Schmigadoon!" led all nominees with 12 nods each, followed by the revival "Ragtime" with 11.
This year Broadway generated $1.91 billion in grosses, the highest total on record.
The best musical showdown
Alongside the leading contenders, "Titaníque" and "Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)" built strong followings, making the best musical category one of the most competitive in recent memory. Early awards handed wins to "Schmigadoon!" for Cinco Paul's book and for orchestrations by Doug Besterman and Mike Morris. Deadline noted that most prognosticators were going with "Schmigadoon!" for the top prize, though the publication itself predicted a win for "The Lost Boys."
Play and revival contests
For best play, Pulitzer Prize winner "Liberation" by Bess Wohl entered with momentum, but David Lindsay-Abaire's "The Balusters" emerged as a formidable challenger after winning top honors at the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards. The best musical revival race appeared to be a two-show contest between a sweeping production of "Ragtime" and "Cats: The Jellicle Ball," a ballroom-inspired reinvention of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical. "Cats: The Jellicle Ball" won an early award for costume design by Qween Jean.
Star power and ceremony highlights
Pop singer Pink hosted the ceremony, kicking things off with an opening number penned by Pasek and Paul and featuring approximately 170 performers. The acting races featured a mix of Broadway veterans and Hollywood stars, including Nathan Lane, John Lithgow and Daniel Radcliffe. All seven nominees for best musical and best musical revival performed during the broadcast. The ceremony also included anniversary celebrations for "Chicago" (30 years, with a tribute led by Queen Latifah), "The Book of Mormon" (15 years, with an original cast reunion), "A Chorus Line" (50 years, with a performance by Rachel Zegler), and "Rent" (30 years, with a song by Leslie Odom Jr.).
It's the biggest night of the year for a small but extremely vocal percentage of the population, as New York's theater community celebrates the dead salesmen, cake carriers, and Jellicle cats that defined this Broadway season.
Early creative arts winners
A pre-show hosted by Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess presented the creative arts Tony Awards. "The Lost Boys" won for best lighting design of a musical (Jen Schriever and Michael Arden). "Death of a Salesman" took lighting design of a play (Jack Knowles) and sound design of a play (Mikaal Sulaiman). "Ragtime" won sound design of a musical (Kai Harada). "Fallen Angels" won costume design of a play (Jeff Mahshie). Adding intrigue to the season was the announcement that the revival "Chess" will close early after its leading lady Lea Michele was passed over for a nomination.
