While viewers in past years might have retired early from the 3 hour Tony Awards show, 2019’s host James Corden gave them plenty of reasons to stay tuned through to the final awards in tonight’s 73rd Annual Tony Awards. Ever the natural showman, Corden ranged from singing and dancing on the Radio City Music Hall stage, to cheeky bits in the men’s room, down the main floor aisles, and into the top most balcony.
Here, Corden leads the opening number, backed by casts from all the nominated shows, answers why we all, performers and audiences alike, leave the comfort of home to come together to be a part of a live, never to be replicated moment of theatre.
The business of the evening was to showcase all the nominees. Musicals got their traditional staging, some taking more stage time than others. Plays usually get short shrift, but tonight, it was Corden’s lovely idea to allow the playwrights to talk about their plays and thus we learned from Anais Mitchell that Hadestown, 15 years in the making, began its journey in the tiny town of New Haven, Vermont.
Tony Award Presentations
Jonathan Mandell, our New York theatre critic, lists his choices from among the nominees (after defending his choices here), and the winners of the 2019 Tony Awards.
Best Musical – Hadestown
Nominated
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Beetlejuice
Hadestown
The Prom
Tootsie
Best Play – The Ferryman
Nominated
Choir Boy
The Ferryman,
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus,
Ink, What the Constitution Means to Me
Best Revival of a Play – The Boys in the Band
Nominated
Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
The Boys in the Band
Burn This
Torch Song
The Waverly Gallery
Best Revival of a Musical – Oklahoma!
Nominated
Kiss Me, Kate
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Best Book of a Musical – Tootsie: Robert Horn
Nominated
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations: Dominique Morisseau
Beetlejuice: Scott Brown & Anthony King
Hadestown: Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom: Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Tootsie: Robert Horn
Best Original Score – Hadestown. Music & Lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell
Nominated
Be More Chill. Music & Lyrics: Joe Iconis
Beetlejuice. Music & Lyrics: Eddie Perfect
Hadestown. Music & Lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom. Music: Matthew Sklar. Lyrics: Chad Beguelin
To Kill a Mockingbird. Music: Adam Guettel
Tootsie. Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play – Bryan Cranston, Network
Nominated
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird
Adam Driver, Burn This
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play – Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Nominated
Annette Bening, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical – Santino Fontana, Tootsie
Nominated
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Damon Daunno, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana, Tootsie
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical – Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Nominated:
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Eva Noblezada, Hadestown
Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play – Bertie Carvel, Ink
Nominated
Bertie Carvel, Ink
Robin De Jesús, The Boys in the Band
Gideon Glick, To Kill a Mockingbird
Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This
Benjamin Walker, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play – Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird
Nominated
Fionnula Flanagan, The Ferryman
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird
Kristine Nielsen, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical – André De Shields, Hadestown
Nominated
André De Shields, Hadestown
Andy Grotelueschen, Tootsie
Patrick Page, Hadestown
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical – Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Nominated
Lilli Cooper, Tootsie
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Mary Testa, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Best Scenic Design of a Play – Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Nominated
Miriam Buether, To Kill a Mockingbird
Bunny Christie, Ink
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Santo Loquasto, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Jan Versweyveld, Network
Best Scenic Design of a Musical – Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Nominated
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Peter England, King Kong
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
David Korins, Beetlejuice
Best Choreography – Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Nominated
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Best Costume Design of a Play – Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Nominated
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Clint Ramos, Torch Song
Ann Roth, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ann Roth, To Kill a Mockingbird
Best Costume Design of a Musical – Bob Mackie, The Cher Show
Nominated
Michael Krass, Hadestown
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bob Mackie, The Cher Show
Paul Tazewell, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Best Lighting Design of a Play – Neil Austin, Ink
Nominated
Neil Austin, Ink
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Peter Mumford, The Ferryman
Jennifer Tipton, To Kill a Mockingbird
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, Network
Best Lighting Design of a Musical – Bradley King, Hadestown
Nominated
Kevin Adams, The Cher Show
Howell Binkley, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Bradley King, Hadestown
Peter Mumford, King Kong
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice
Best Sound Design of a Play – Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Nominated
Adam Cork, Ink
Scott Lehrer, To Kill a Mockingbird
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Nick Powell, The Ferryman
Eric Sleichim, Network
Best Sound Design of a Musical – Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown
Nominated
Peter Hylenski, Beetlejuice
Peter Hylenski, King Kong
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Drew Levy, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown
Best Direction of a Play – Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
Nominated
Rupert Goold, Ink
Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird
Ivo van Hove, Network
George C. Wolfe, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Best Direction of a Musical – Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
Nominated
Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom
Best Orchestrations – Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown
Nominated
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown
Simon Hale, Tootsie
Larry Hochman, Kiss Me, Kate
Daniel Kluger, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Harold Wheeler, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
The most memorable speeches of the evening came from those reflecting on their lifetime working in theatre.
These were not presented as part of tonight’s program.
Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Rosemary Harris, Actress
Terrence McNally, Playwright
Harold Wheeler, Composer, Orchestrator
Special Tony Awards
Marin Mazzie
Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company
Jason Michael Webb
Regional Theatre Tony Award
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Palo Alto, CA
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
Judith Light
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
Broadway Inspirational Voices – Michael McElroy, Founder
Peter Entin
FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9
Joseph Blakely Forbes
More video clips from the 2019 Tony Awards
The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University Celebrate Excellence in Theatre Education
Madeline Michel from Monticello High School in Charlottesville, Virginia. Michel’s drama program took on heightened resonance when, in the aftermath of the Charlottesville anti-supremacist rally, Michel and her students used theatre to address racial inequality, elevating and leading the conversation for a wounded community.
