It’s the night where musical theater lovers of the world unite to appreciate the world of Broadway and everything that makes the shows as great as they are. The 73rd Annual Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden at Radio City Music Hall, showcased and recognized over 30 plays and musicals new to Broadway this year. For those that missed the Tonys, never fear. Here are the best performances from the award show:
Hadestown
The new musical is based on the 2010 folk opera concept album of the same name by Anaïs Mitchell. It premiered on Broadway in April, and it tells the story of mythical Greek character Orpheus as he travels to the underworld to rescue his fiancée, Eurydice. The company performed a jaw-dropping mashup of “Road to Hell” and “Wait For Me.” It was the most nominated musical of the year and collected the most Tonys throughout the night. Hadestown is currently the most talked about and sought after musical on Broadway.
Tootsie
Seasoned Broadway actor Santino Fontana has another triumph with his role as Michael, who is getting too old to be an actor, so he adopts the look and persona of a woman named Dorothy to obtain more Broadway roles. Fontana and the company of Tootsie performed “Unstoppable,” where he sings about his master plan and physically transforms from Michael to Dorothy in the middle of the song. Fontana truly wowed audiences with the performance.
Beetlejuice
You can’t say his name three times, but listening to the music isn’t a crime. The 1988 fantasy horror film is now a Broadway musical. Beetlejuice stars Alex Brightman as the titular character and the young Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia. The company performed a mashup of “Day-O” and “The Whole Being Dead Thing.” Part of the appeal of Beetlejuice is the exquisite set, and the crew obviously couldn’t bring that to the Tony Awards. However, they were able to incorporate interesting projections and a giant snake into the performance, which made it so interesting to watch.
Choir Boy
Though Choir Boy gave a musical performance, it’s actually categorized as a straight play. The play follows the lives of young singers from the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, a school dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men. The group performed an a cappella musical scene from the play that showcased their individual talents as well as the way the men blended together.
