A stripped-back take on Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman dominated this year's Tony awards, winning six trophies, while Lesley Manville and John Lithgow took home lead acting honors.
Death of a Salesman's Historic Wins
Death of a Salesman was named best revival of a play, with director Joe Mantello praising Miller's story as one that 'still talks to us through time.' Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, calling it a play that 'continues to teach us who we are as humans and Americans.' Lane's co-star Laurie Metcalf also won her third Tony, beating out June Squibb and Aya Cash to be named best featured actress in a play. The six wins make it the most awarded play revival in Tonys history. Death of a Salesman previously won for best play in 1949 and for best revival in 1984, 1999, and 2012.
Lead Acting Awards
Manville saw off competition from Rose Byrne and Carrie Coon to take home the leading actress in a play award for the Broadway transfer of Oedipus. The actor previously won an Olivier for her performance. 'I'm a bit overwhelmed, it was my first time on Broadway so this is such a big deal,' Manville said on stage. Lithgow was named best leading actor in a play for his role as Roald Dahl in the antisemitism drama Giant, after also winning an Olivier during the show's West End run. He beat out Lane, Mark Strong, and Daniel Radcliffe. 'It's an extraordinarily important play of this moment,' Lithgow said, winning his third Tony. At 80, he also made history as the oldest man to ever win a competitive acting Tony.
Best Play and Musical
Bess Wohl's intergenerational feminism epic Liberation was named best play after recently winning the Pulitzer Prize for drama. 'This is the honor of a lifetime,' Wohl said. It's the first time a female playwright has won the award since 2009; Wohl is only the fourth woman to have won. The award for best musical went to the stage version of the cancelled Apple TV series Schmigadoon!. 'Sometimes singing, dancing, a lot of jokes and a happy ending is really all you need,' producer Lorne Michaels said in his speech. The show also picked up three other awards.
Other Major Winners
A new take on Ragtime won four Tonys, including best revival of a musical and leading actor and actress in a musical for Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy, respectively. It marked Henry's first win after four nominations. 'Every artist in this room, every artist at home, fight, fight, fight to be heard,' Henry said. The Lost Boys, an adaptation of the hit 80s vampire movie, also won four trophies including featured actor and actress from a musical. Cats: The Jellicle Ball, the queer ballroom reinvention of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic, picked up three awards, including best direction of a musical. Costume designer Qween Jean made Tonys history as the first openly transgender winner of an award. Alden Ehrenreich was named best featured actor in a play for his Broadway debut in a revival of the 2008 dating comedy drama Becky Shaw, beating Christopher Abbott and Ruben Santiago-Hudson.
Ceremony Highlights
The ceremony was hosted by singer Pink, who poked fun at her acrobatic reputation by kicking off the evening as Peter Pan flying into the theatre, before leading a star-packed version of her Moulin Rouge hit Lady Marmalade with guests including Lea Michele and Megan Thee Stallion. Pink called herself 'Broadway's biggest fan' who wanted to pay tribute to 'the hardest-working people in showbiz.' The awards come after the most recent Broadway season broke a new record with nearly $1.91 billion in ticket sales. Nominated shows that left empty-handed included The Rocky Horror Show, Chess, The Balusters, Titaníque, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), and Every Brilliant Thing. Last year's ceremony saw major wins for robot musical Maybe Happy Ending and actors including Nicole Scherzinger and Cole Escola.
