Theatrical Luminaries Shine on the 2024 Met Gala Carpet

This week, an enthusiastic assembly of stage performers, directors, scenic artists, and producers gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the 2024 Met Gala, seizing a night off from Broadway to commemorate “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”

Who was there? Several 2024 Tony candidates: Cabaret actors Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin; Stereophonic‘s Sarah Pidgeon and Juliana Canfield; Appropriate‘s Sarah Paulson (alongside her prior co-star Elle Fanning, who left the play earlier in March); An Enemy of the People‘s Jeremy Strong; Merrily We Roll Along‘s Jonathan Groff; Hell’s Kitchen‘s Maleah Joi Moon; and Justin Levine, a genius mind behind The Outsiders. Alex Edelman, on the other hand, is recognized with a Special Tony Award this year for his “outstanding debut” in Just for Us.

Which other theater talents, currently active on or off-Broadway, attended? The promising young ensemble from The Wiz—Nichelle Lewis, Avery Wilson, Phillip Johnson Richardson, and Kyle Ramar Freeman—and Cole Escola, whose uproarious Oh, Mary! is moving from the Lucille Lortel Theatre downtown to Broadway this summertime. There are additional gala guests we’d wish to include here—Rachel Zegler, who steps onto Broadway this autumn! Andrew Scott, who must come to Broadway shortly!—but we’ll refrain from jumping too far ahead of ourselves now.

Others at the museum headlined theater seasons gone by. Consider: Ben Platt and his Parade director, Michael Arden (who collaborated with scenic designer Derek McLane—another Tony contender this year, thanks to his contributions to Purlie Victorious—to envision former theater enthusiast Ariana Grande’s fantastic act at the Met on Monday night); Hugh Jackman from The Music Man; Alex Newell of Shucked; J. Harrison Ghee from Some Like It Hot; Lea Michele of Funny Girl; and Michael Shannon, who—not to be overlooked—performed in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre for a New Audience the previous year.

Finally, there were attendees who haven’t graced a Broadway stage recently, but are cherished community members nonetheless. This circle featured Challengers actor Mike Faist (once part of Dear Evan Hansen with Platt); Wicked performer Cynthia Erivo (formerly of The Color Purple); 3 Body Problem actor Alex Sharp (who formerly appeared in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time); and Succession star Kieran Culkin (who, years ago, was part of Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth). Summing up, Monday’s event gathered a highly theatrical audience, entirely suited to a thoroughly theatrical occasion.

Scroll down to rediscover all the theater personalities (and creators) present at the 2024 Met Gala.

Met Gala 2024: Witness Every Celebrity Arrival, Explore the Latest Narratives, and Gain Unique Behind-the-Scenes Access Here