Now, I realize what unfolds at the Tony Awards. I’ve been observing them intently for numerous years, at times with companions and themed treats (2022’s “A Strange Fruit Loop,” I’m pointing at you), occasionally at a more official viewing gathering. Periodically, I revisit “Bigger,” Neil Patrick Harris’s exuberant opening piece at the 2013 event, anticipating the familiar rise in my emotions each time he reaches the peak of his rap: “We were that kid.” (Is someone chopping onions here?) Yet, nothing could fully brace me for being present in the room where it occurs (…apologies!) during the 77th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday evening.
Below, I’ve compiled four aspects you probably didn’t notice if you were watching the Tonys from home. We’re live in five…four…three…can I receive some applause, please?
The pre-show (which is actually quite delightful)
Certainly, the pre-show can be viewed at home via Pluto TV, yet most individuals only realize to tune into the Tonys for the CBS broadcast at 8 p.m. Hosted by Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar, “The Tony Awards: Act One” was a joy, serving as a pleasant shift from the chaos of the red carpet to the live event—and providing much-deserved acknowledgment to the creative and design teams behind each show. Directors George C. Wolfe and Jack O’Brien also won their Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at that moment, delivering two particularly charming speeches. “Most folks present tonight were dissuaded by their parents, teachers, partners, financial consultants,” O’Brien humorously noted (yet not entirely) about starting a career in theater. “But we couldn’t help it, could we?” The audience adored this.