"A Strange Loop," "The Lehman Trilogy" take home top prizes at 75th Annual Tony Awards
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NEW YORK -- "A Strange Loop" and "The Lehman Trilogy" took home the top prizes at the 75th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday night.
This year's Tonys were a celebration of resilience through COVID and gratitude to be back.
"A Strange Loop," a show about a Black, gay writer's struggles to create his own musical and break free of self-doubt, won the Tony for Best Musical. Its creator, Michael R. Jackson, was given a standing ovation when he won the Tony for Best Book of a Musical.
"I started writing this musical when I was 23 years old. I'm 41 years. I'm old as hell," Jackson said. "I felt unseen, I felt unheard, I felt misunderstood, and I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft for myself as a gay, Black man to try and just get through the day."
A production highlight from the acclaimed new musical "MJ," about Michael Jackson, was introduced by the late star's children, Prince and Paris Jackson. The show's star, Myles Frost, won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.
"I am so honored and so blessed and so grateful," he said.
The landmark Stephen Sondheim musical "Company," a quintessentially New York City story of love, marriage and friendship, won Best Revival of a Musical, plus Tonys for featured performers Matt Doyle and Patti LuPone.
"Thank you to the stage managers, the backstage crews, the front of house," LuPone said. "A huge gratitude to all the understudies across all of the stages in New York and to all the COVID safety people."
Director Marianne Elliott in her acceptance speech thanked Sondheim, who died in November.
"To have collaborated with him so closely, to have made a show about New York on Broadway with New York's most important theater-maker of my lifetime is a privilege that I never would've imagined or even dared to imagine," she said.
Best Revival of a Play went to "Take Me Out," about a Major League Baseball center-fielder coming out as gay. Jesse Tyler Ferguson won his first Tony in the featured actor category for the show.
"So to stand in front of this community that I admire and love so much, just means so much to me. I cannot believe I get to do this for a living. Mom and Dad, thank you for letting me for move to New York when I was 17 years old. I told you it would be OK," Tyler Ferguson said.
This year's Tonys were a celebration of resilience through COVID and gratitude to be back.
Exuberance filled the stage when a rousing musical theater standard song was performed by Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster, and the cast of "The Music Man."
Among the other Tony winners were Joaquina Kalukango, who won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for "Paradise Square."
"Thank you to my incredible company. This is ours. Look at what we have created," she said.
"The Lehman Trilogy" won Best Play and one of its lead actors, Simon Russell Beale, took home a Tony in his category.
An eventful inspiring night at Radio City music Hall.
Check below for all the winners, performances, red carpet interviews and more.
"A Strange Loop" wins Best Musical
"A Strange Loop" took home the Tony Awards' top prize of Best Musical on Sunday. "A Strange Loop" was the most nominated show of the season with 11 nominations, winning two.
WATCH: "Six" rocks Radio City Music Hall
The cast of "Six" rocked Radio City Music Hall at the 75th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday. Watch part of their performance in the tweet above.
WATCH: Billy Porter performs moving In Memoriam tribute
Star of stage and screen Billy Porter performed during a moving tribute to those the Broadway community has lost in the past year. Watch the full In Memoriam segment in the tweet above.
Joaquina Kalukango wins Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Joaquina Kalukango won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for "Paradise Square." This is her second nomination and first win.
Myles Frost wins Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Myles Frost took home the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in "MJ the Musical." This is Frost's Broadway debut.
WATCH: Tony nominee Joaquina Kalukango performs from "Paradise Square"
Tony nominee Joaquina Kalukango delivered a jaw-dropping performance from the new musical "Paradise Square" at the 75th Annual Tony Awards. Watch a clip in the tweet above.
Deirdre O'Connell wins Best Leading Actress in a Play
Deirdre O'Connell took home the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for "Dana H." This is her first nomination and win.
Simon Russell Beale wins Best Leading Actor in a Play
Simon Russell Beale won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for "The Lehman Trilogy." This is his second nomination and first win.
WATCH: "Spring Awakening" cast reunites
Members of the original cast of the 2007 Best Musical winner "Spring Awakening" reunited for a special performance at the 75th Annual Tony Awards. Watch part of their performance in the video above.
"The Lehman Trilogy" wins Best Play
The Tony Award for Best Play went to "The Lehman Trilogy" on Sunday night. The show received eight nominations and has won four so far.
WATCH: "A Strange Loop" performs at the Tony Awards
"A Strange Loop," one of the nominee for Best Musical, performed at the 75th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday Night. Watch part of their performance in the tweet above.
WATCH: Bernadette Peters performs moving tribute to Stephen Sondheim
Broadway star Bernadette Peters performed a moving tribute to the late Stephen Sondheim, who died in November. Watch part of her performance in the tweet above.
WATCH: "Girl from the North Country" brings Bob Dylan to Broadway
The new musical "Girl from the North Country" brings the music of Bob Dylan to Broadway. Watch a clip of their Tony Awards performance in the tweet above.
"Company" wins Best Revival of a Musical
The revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Company" won Best Revival of a Musical at the 75th Annual Tony Awards. The original production took home multiple Tony Awards in 1971, including Best Musical, and a 2007 revival also won Best Revival of a Musical.
Michael R. Jackson wins Best Book of a Musical for "A Strange Loop"
Michael R. Jackson takes home the Tony for Best Book of a Musical for "A Strange Loop." He was also nominated this year for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre.
WATCH: Tony Award-winning "Company" performs
The Tony Award winning production of "Company" hit the stage Sunday to perform the show's opening number. Catch a clip in the tweet above.
Matt Doyle wins Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Matt Doyle took home the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for the revival of "Company." This is his first nomination and first win.
"Take Me Out" wins Best Revival of a Play
"Take Me Out" took home one of the top prizes Sunday night -- Best Revival of a Play. The original production won the Tony for Best Play in 2003.
WATCH: Billy Crystal and "Mr. Saturday Night" perform at the Tonys
Veteran comedian and Tony nominee Billy Crystal got the audience involved for a performance from "Mr. Saturday Night." Watch the video in the tweet above.
Phylicia Rashad wins Best Featured Actress in a Play
Phylicia Rashad won the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for "Skeleton Crew." This is her third nomination and second win.
WATCH: "MJ the Musical" moonwalks into Radio City Music Hall
The cast of "MJ the Musical" hit the stage to show off their Tony Award winning choreography Sunday night. Watch part of their performance in the tweet above.
WATCH: Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster perform with "The Music Man"
"The Music Man" stars Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster took to the stage with their cast for a tap-dancing, big band performance at the 75th Annual Tony Awards! Watch part of the number in the tweet above.
Marianne Elliott wins Best Direction of a Musical
Marianne Elliott has won the Tony for Best Direction of a Musical for the revival of "Company." This is her fourth nomination and third win.
Sam Mendes wins Best Direction of a Play
Sam Mendes took home the Tony for Best Direction of a Play for "The Lehman Trilogy." This is his third nomination and second win.
WATCH: Host Ariana DeBose kicks off the 75th Annual Tony Awards
Oscar winner and Tonys host Ariana DeBose kicked off the 75th Annual Tony Awards with a spectacular song-and-dance number. Watch the full performance in the tweet above.
Patti LuPone wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Patti LuPone wins the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for the revival of "Company." This is her eighth nomination and third win.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson wins Best Featured Actor in a Play
Jesse Tyler Ferguson wins the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for the revival of "Take Me Out." This is his first nomination and first win.
Creative awards presented at 75th Annual Tony Awards
Winners in several creative categories have been announced at the 75th Annual Tony Awards.
- Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre: Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, "Six"
- Best Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon, "MJ"
- Best Orchestrations: Simon Hale, "Girl from the North Country"
Design awards presented at 75th Annual Tony Awards
Design awards were handed out during a streaming special on Paramount+.
- Costume Design of a Musical: Gabriella Slade, "Six"
- Costume Design of a Play: Montana Levi Blanco, "The Skin of Our Teeth"
- Scenic Design of a Musical: Bunny Christie, "Company"
- Scenic Design of a Play: Es Devlin, "The Lehman Trilogy"
- Lighting Design of a Musical: Natasha Katz, "MJ"
- Lighting Design of a Play: Jon Clark, "The Lehman Trilogy"
- Sound Design of a Musical: Gareth Owen, "MJ"
- Sound Design of a Play: Mikhail Fiksel, "Dana H."
All eyes on Broadway stars at the Tonys red carpet
All eyes were on the shows and stars of Broadway on Sunday night for the 75th Annual Tony Awards.
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reports, the Tonys are celebrating a season that's bolder than ever from musicals with diverse themes and styles to plays packing an emotional wallop.
Glamorous Broadway stars and creatives hit the red carpet revved up with excitement and gratitude.
"To be able to be like, oh my gosh, I'm making a Broadway debut, that was exciting enough, but then to make a Broadway debut and then get a Tony nomination? Are you kidding me?" said John-Andrew Morrison, nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for "A Strange Loop."
"I always try and remain grateful, and, you know, it is about gratitude and just going, 'I am living my best life,'" said Sharon D. Clarke, nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for the revival of "Caroline, or Change."
"I went to high school down the street ... I went to Hunter College over there. You know, I'm a true New Yorker. It doesn't get better than this," said Jeannette Bayardelle, nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for "Girl from the North Country."
This season, "A Strange Loop" earned the most Tony nominations of any production with 11.
As for the other nominated shows, it is safe to predict Tony acceptance speeches will feature multiple mentions of two late, great legends -- Stephen Sondheim and Michael Jackson.
Nominee Myles Frost plays Jackson, who died in 2009 is and is immortalized with "MJ" which has 10 nominations.
Sondheim, who died in November, had been involved in the critically acclaimed revival of his landmark show about life, love and friendship in New York City -- "Company," which received 9 nominations.
Discussions of both men's genius came up early on the red carpet.
"'Into the Woods' was the first Broadway musical I ever saw, with my late mother, so to come full circle and be in [Sondheim's] show, for the first time, one of his shows in New York, which happened to be his last show, is very full circle for me personally," said Jennifer Simard, nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the revival of "Company."
"Just a gem of human being. Truly a light of a man," actor Utkarsh Ambudkar said of Sondheim.
"Our 13 Broadway debuts in 'MJ the Musical,' they're all pinching themselves that they're performing tonight on the Tony Awards. I'm so excited for their performance," said Christopher Wheeldon, director and choreographer of "MJ."
And who doesn't love the living legend that is Angela Lansbury, recipient of the 2022 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. The 96-year-old won five Tonys since she made her Broadway debut in the 1950s.
On the red carpet: Alfie Allen and "Hangmen" co-star Gaby French
On the red carpet: Jesse Williams
On the red carpet: Ruben Santiago-Hudson
On the red carpet: "A Strange Loop"
On the red carpet: Utkarsh Ambudkar
On the red carpet: Lynn Nottage
On the red carpet: Sharon D. Clarke
On the red carpet: John-Andrew Morrison
Stars hit the red carpet at the 75th Annual Tony Awards
Texas high school theatre director receives Excellence in Theatre Education Award
Since 2015, the Tony Awards have presented a special award to a K-12 theatre educator in the United States nominated by members of the public "who has demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession."
The winner receives a $10,000 grant for their theatre program and tickets to the Tony Awards ceremony and gala.
This year's honoree is Roshunda Jones-Koumba, theatre director at G. W. Carver Magnet High School in Houston, Texas.
For more information about the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, click here.
Tony Awards present special honors
In addition to the competitive award categories, several special honors are handed out every year at the Tony Awards, with winners being announced prior to the ceremony.
The Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to institutions, organizations and individuals that "have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theatre" but are not eligible in the competitive award categories. This year's recipients are the Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC); Broadway For All; music copyist, Emily Grishman; Feinstein's/54 Below and United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE.
To learn more about the recipients and watch their acceptance speeches, click here.
Other special honors include:
- the Regional Theatre Tony Award, presented to the Court Theatre in Chicago;
- the Isabelle Stevenson Award for philanthropy, presented to Shubert Organization chairman and CEO Robert E. Wankel;
- the Special Tony Award recognizing extraordinary contribution to the theatre, presented to New York Theatre Workshop artistic director James C. Nicola,
- and the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, presented to Angela Lansbury.
How to watch the 2022 Tony Awards
- What: The 75th annual Tony Awards honor the best of Broadway for the 2021-2022 season
- Date: Sunday, June 12, 2022
- Time: 8 p.m.
- Location: Radio City Music Hall
- Online stream: Paramount+
- On TV: WCBS
