The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, which is more commonly known as the Tony Awards, is an annual series of awards that recognize the excellence in live Broadway theatre.
Antoinette Perry, more widely known to those around her as “Tony,” was an actress, director, and co founder of the American Theatre Wing, an organization based on supporting excellence and education in theatre. But there isn’t much about her out there, and her career as an actress and director isn’t as more widely known. Her contributions however to the American Theatre Wing were vast and significant enough that some close friends, one by the name of Brock Pemberton, suggested a series of awards be given in her honor. On April 6, 1947, the first Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre was held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City.
When handing out the awards, Brock Pemberton had nicknamed them as a Tony and ever since the name had stuck.
In the past years, the Tony’s have hosted and awarded some of the best and biggest Broadway shows that have come and gone. From Neil Patrick Harris to James Corden, our hosts have been Broadway stars and well-known actresses/actors and singers. However this year there seems to be a new face, not as well known on Broadway as the others, Kevin Spacey.
If you didn’t get a chance to watch this year's awards, here are some things that you missed:
The musical, Dear Evan Hansen took the haul of awards, snatching Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Featured Actress, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Orchestrations.
Rachel Bay Jones, first time Tony winner, took home the prize in one of the most competitive categories: She won Featured Actress for her role in Dear Evan Hansen.
After giving a very emotional and heartfelt performance of "Waving Through a Window," Ben Platt, the star of Dear Evan Hansen won the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. The young 23-year-old first-time winner took a chance to thank everyone for the way the experience changed his life. He went on to say in his speech, "When I was six years old, I was a prince in Cinderella, and I have spent every day of my life since then just madly in love with musical theater.” He continued, saying that the stage is where he was lucky to find "everything I ever loved and where I belong." Ending his speech he gave a heartwarming last touch, reminding all of us at home to follow our dreams. "To all young people watching at home, don't waste any time trying to be like anybody else, because the things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful."
Composers, Justin Paul and Benj Pasek, are now both one letter closer to getting their EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), after winning a Tony for Best Original Score in Dear Evan Hansen.
The Late Show host, Stephen Colbert, took a stab at President Trump while announcing nominees. He gave the presidency and its failure a Broadway like description saying, “it could close early,” and “reviews have not been kind.”
Bette Midler, after 40 years, wins her second Tony for Best Actress. Following her win, Bette Midler's gave one hell of an acceptance speech, which went on for four minutes. When the orchestra tried to play her out with the exit music, she proceeded to shout, "Shut that crap off!"
Kevin Spacey referenced her speech towards the end of the Tony’s jokingly saying that he wanted to hurry "before Bette Midler thanks, anyone else."
Sara Bareilles took time during the awards to pass out pies, explaining "Every award show passes out snacks," and unfazed by Spacey’s protests she continued, saying, "They do when they're promoting their musical, Waitress, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre!"
Who’s the new guy?