“Or the hair and the costume associates who get the looks together or the musicians who, by the way, sometimes play scores they have never seen before - that’s a feat. “And let’s not forget the stage managers and the associates and the dance captains who rehearse them to go on at a moment’s notice,” she continued. “I want to give a round of applause to the people who played a vital role in keeping Broadway shows open these past few months: the understudies, the swings and the standbys,” she said. Host Ariana DeBose broached the subject about 20 minutes into the ceremony. Rumors swirled that nothing was going to be done, and Harvey Fierstein even tweeted a tribute for the ceremony to use at will. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.After an unprecedented post-shutdown Broadway season, the theater industry held hope that the Tony Awards would honor the understudies, swings and standbys who keep the industry afloat. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor.
Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. SIX ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST: (Singing) We're one of a kind, no category.Ĭopyright © 2022 NPR. LUNDEN: For NPR News, I'm Jeff Lunden in New York. And O'Connell lip-synced to the woman's real voice.ĭANA HIGGINBOTHAM: Please let me standing here be a little sign to you from the universe to make the weird art. But some lesser known actors, for, now collected major trophies, among them Myles Frost, the 22-year-old star of "MJ," and Joaquina Kalukango, the star of the musical "Paradise Square." Perhaps the most unique performance of the season was that of best actress Deirdre O'Connell in "Dana H." The play tells a harrowing story of a woman who was abducted. Some familiar actors won Tonys, among them Patti LuPone, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Phylicia Rashad. LUNDEN: Other winners included "The Lehman Trilogy," an epic three-actor drama which took home five awards, including best play, and "Take Me Out," which won two awards, including best revival. LUNDEN: Sondheim was also memorialized in the segment with Bernadette Peters.īERNADETTE PETERS: (Singing) Careful the things you say. For trusting me to tell his story in a different way and putting a woman front and center. In addition to best musical revival, director Marianne Elliott took home her third Tony and thanked Sondheim. LUNDEN: It opened just two weeks after the composer-lyricist's death. LUNDEN: The musical, which took home the most awards, five, was a gender-swapped version of Stephen Sondheim's 1970 show "Company."ĬOMPANY ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST: (Singing) Phone rings, door chimes, in comes company. And I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft myself as a Black, gay man to try to just get through the day. MICHAEL R JACKSON: I wrote it at a time when I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. Jackson, also took home a Tony for his semi-autobiographical script. UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (As Thoughts, singing) Big, Black and queer-ass American Broadway. JAQUEL SPIVEY: (As Usher, singing) Big, Black and queer-ass American Broadway. The Michael Jackson musical "MJ" took home four, but the big winner was "A Strange Loop." That meta show about a Black, queer usher writing a musical about a Black, queer usher writing a musical was awarded best musical. LUNDEN: "Six" took home a couple of awards, including best score. SIX ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST: (Singing) We're six. LUNDEN: One of the actors for the Tony-nominated musical "Six" was actually a sub filling in for a castmate who tested positive. Host Ariana DeBose praised some other workers.ĪRIANA DEBOSE: I want to give a round of applause to some people who played a vital role in keeping Broadway shows open these past few months - the understudies, the swings and the standbys. The union-mandated COVID safety managers kept track of vaccination status and test results for casts and crews on Broadway shows. LUNDEN: Just keeping Broadway open this season was something of a miracle. HARDEN: One hundred and fifty of them are here tonight as guests of the Tonys. MARCIA GAY HARDEN: The Broadway League celebrates the crucial role played by the COVID safety managers. (SOUNDBITE OF TELECAST OF 75TH ANNUAL TONY AWARDS) JEFF LUNDEN, BYLINE: About an hour into the broadcast, actress Marcia Gay Harden made a special shout-out to a group of workers in the back of the theater who helped Broadway reopen successfully. And as Jeff Lunden reports, voters spread the love around.
Marcia gay harden on broadway full#
The 75th Annual Tony Awards celebrated Broadway's first full season since the COVID shutdown.