Broadway has finally reopened after a year and a half of going dark and the annual Tony Awards have also returned even if they are in a shortened format due to so many productions not being able to open.

In a gala event that spanned two networks and needed two hosts, the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League presents the annual Tony Awards and musical performances in the Wintergarden Theatre.

Cast members of “Hairspray” perform “You Can’t Stop the Beat”.

Audra McDonald is the first host of the night. She notes that it feels like homecoming after 560 nights of darkness.

The first award of the night was for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play to David Alan Grier for his role in “A Solder’s Play”.

The award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical went to Danny Burstein for his role in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”. This is his first Tony win.

The award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play went to Lois Smith for her role in “The Inheritance”. This is her first Tony win.

The award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical went to Lauren Patten for her role in “Jagged Little Pill”. This is her first Tony nomination and win.

David Byrne and his musical “American Utopia” was presented with a Special Tony Award.

Tony Award winning actor Ali Stoker performs “What I Did for Love” from “A Chorus Line”.

The award for Best Scenic Design of a Play went to Bob Howell for “A Christmas Carol”.

The award for Best Costume Design of a Play went to ob Howell for “A Christmas Carol”.

The award for Best Lighting Design of a Play went to Hugh Vanstone for “A Chrtmas Carol”.

“Freestyle Love Supreme” was presented with a Special Tony Award.

The award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical went to Derek McLane for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”.

The award for Best Costume Design of a Musical went to Catherine Zuber for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”.

The award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical went to Justin Townsend for “Moulin Rouge! The Msical”. This is his first Tony win.

The award for Best Sound Design of a Musical went to Peter Hylenski for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”. This is his first Tony Award.

The award for Best Sound Design of a Play went to Simon Baker for “A Chrstmas Carol”.

Lin-Manuel Miranda presented the award for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre went to Christopher Nightingale for “A Christmas Carol”.

Award winning singer Jennifer Nettles performs “Anyone Can Whistle” from “Anyone Can Whistle”.

Cyndi Lauper and Wayne Brady present the award for Best Book of a Musical went to Diablo Cody for “Jagged Little Pill”. This is her first Tony win.

The award for Best Orchestrations went to Justin Levine, Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, and Matt Stine for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”.

The award for Best Choreography went to Sonya Tayeh for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”. Known for her choreography on the dance competition show “So You Think You Can Dance”, this is the first nomination and Tony Award win for Tayeh. She was the first woman to win the award in 10 years.

The Broadway Advocacy Coalition was presented with a Special Tony Award. BAC was founded in 2016 in response to social injustice and racism.

The award for Best Direction of a Play went to Stephen Daldry for “The Inheritance”.

The award for Best Direction of a Musical went to Alex Timbers for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”. This is his first Tony Award win.

Original “Dreamgirl” Sheryl Lee Ralph introduced Jennifer Holiday who performed “And I Am Telling You “I’m Not Going”. Holiday earned a standing ovation for her performance.

The award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play went to Andrew Burnap for his role in “The Inheritance”. This is his first Tony Award nomination and win.

The award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical went to Aaron Tveit for his role in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”. Tveit was the only nominee in the category. It is his first Tony nomination and win. Tveit was very emotional during his acceptance speech.

The award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play went to Mary-Louise Parker for her role in “The Sound Inside”.

The award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical went to Adrenne Warren for her role in “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical”. This is her first Tony Award win.

Leslie Odem Jr takes over the hosting duties and gets the night of music and awards on CBS started with a musical performance touting that Broadway is Back!

David Byrnes from “American Utopia” welcomes fans to dance along…but keep the aisles clear…during their performance of “Burning Down the House”. Audience members stood and danced along to the music.

Everyone in the audience had to either have the vaccine shots or test negative to enter the theatre and all audience members must have their faces covered. Only the performers on stage are unmasked.

The cast of “Moulan Rouge” performed on their stage before a live audience. The day Broadway shut down, the musical was in between two performances.

EGOT winner John Legend joins members of the cast from “Ain’t too Proud” for a performance of “My Girl” and “Ain’t too Proud to Beg”. Legend is currently best known as one of the coaches on the singing competitoin show “The Voice”, but he has also won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

The award for Best Revival of a Play went to “A Soldier’s Play”.

In a special Tony performance, is a presentation of tap and a recitation on silence.

The award for Best Play went to “The Inheritance”. The award was dedicated to all those who were lost to AIDS and Covid. Writer Matthew Lopez is the first Latin writer to win the award.

Anika Noni Rose and Ben Platt performed “Move On” from “Sunday in the Park with George”.

Award winning entertainer Josh Groban joins host Leslie Odem Jr on stage to honour the arts teachers and perform “Beautiful City” from “Godspell”.

“Kinky Boots” creator Cyndi Lauper presents the cast from “Jagged Little Pill” for a live performance of “Ironic” and “All I Really Want”.

Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters presents the In Memoriam segment of the show; honouring those who have passed on over the past year. Brian Stokes Mitchell sang “Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha”. Norm Lewis and Keli O’Hara performed “A Place for Us” from “West Side Story”. The entertainment world has lost over 300 members over the past year…some as a result of the Covidvirus. The segment showed only a portion of those that have passed on.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer got a standing ovation for his part in getting Broadway open once again.

The cast of “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” performed “We Don’t Need Another Hero”, “Simply the Best”, and “Proud Mary”.

Chita Rivera and Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber present the award for Best Musical to “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”.
Titus Burgess and Andrew Reynolds performed “It Takes Two” from “Into the Woods”.

Leslie Odem Jr performs “You Matter to Me “ from “Waitress” in a duet.

Kristen Chenow4th and Idina Menzel join up for a performance of “For Good” from “Wicked”.

Members of the cast from “Rent” perform “What You Want”

Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell perform “Wheels of a Dream” from “Ragtime”.

Freestyle Love Supreme closes out the night with a performance.

Graciela Daniele was presented a Special Tony Award for her Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

Julie Halston won the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award.

The Tony for Excellence in the Theatre went to:
Fred Gallo
Irene Gandy
Beverly Jenkins
the New Federal Theatre and founder Woodie King Jr.