The 79th Tony Awards, held on June 7 in New York City, honored the finest achievements in Broadway theater. The ceremony, hosted by singer-songwriter P!nk at Radio City Music Hall, featured spectacular performances, celebrity appearances, and several historic milestones.
Major Winners of the Night
Schmigadoon!, adapted from the Apple TV+ series created by Cinco Paul, emerged as a standout winner, taking home four awards including Best New Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. Producer Lorne Michaels, accepting the top prize, remarked, "Sometimes singing, dancing, jokes and a happy ending are all you need."
The award for Best New Play went to Liberation by Bess Wohl, which also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama earlier this year. In her acceptance speech, Wohl stated, "I want to honor women everywhere who have the courage to use their voice."
Death of a Salesman Dominates
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman was the most awarded production of the night, securing six Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play and Best Direction of a Play for Joe Mantello. Laurie Metcalf won Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in the production.
Historic Achievements
John Lithgow made Tony Awards history by becoming the oldest man to win a competitive acting Tony at age 80. He received Best Leading Actor in a Play for Giant, where he portrayed author Roald Dahl. Lithgow reflected on his career, saying, "Two Tony bookends with 53 years between them."
Ragtime won Best Revival of a Musical, with stars Caissie Levy and Joshua Henry earning leading acting honors. Cats: The Jellicle Ball received recognition for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Costume Design of a Musical. Costume designer Qween Jean made history as the first openly transgender person to win a Tony Award. Accepting her award, she described the achievement as "monumental" and spoke about the importance of representation.
Opening Performance
P!nk opened the ceremony with a large-scale performance of "Lady Marmalade" alongside Megan Thee Stallion and a cast of performers, before later joining the cast of Chicago for a rendition of "All That Jazz."
