‘Hadestown’, ‘Oklahoma!’ And ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ Shine At 2019 Tony Awards

Broadway’s biggest night, the 73rd annual Tony Awards took place Sunday night at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Among the big winners were Hadestown, The Ferryman, The Boys in the Band, and the newest revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

A Tony Award winner himself, James Cordon returned to host for the second time and opened the show with a tongue-in-cheek number and tribute to the thrill of live performance.

“There is a visceral bliss you only get in a theatre seeing people do this,” sang The Late Show host as he encouraged audiences to take a break from binging TV and go to the theatre.

One of the earliest winners of the evening was choreographer Sergio Trujillo, who picked up an award for his thrilling work on Ain’t Too Proud: The Life And Times Of The Temptations. After thanking the cast, his associate choreographer and the show’s director Des McAnuff, “a true visionary”, Trujillo sang the praises of the current line-up of the legendary group saying, “to my five classic Temptations who go out and dance like it’s the last time they were ever going to dance”.

Shortly after the cast got to show off those award-winning moves with an electrifying performance of ‘Ain’t To Proud To Beg’ and other Temptations’ hits.

One of the biggest winners of the evening was the new critically-acclaimed musical Hadestown, based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The show took home eight awards, including best musical for its contemporary take on mythology.

Amid the Broadway newcomers, the awards also honoured veterans of the industry such as the legendary costume designer Bob Mackie who’s designed iconic looks for the likes of Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Elton John and most prominently Cher. Before he dressed the stars, Mackie was a costume designer on Broadway and tonight, he won the Tony Award for his designs for the new musical The Cher Show, in which he’s also depicted as character.

But the most emotional moment of the show came from musical actress Ali Stroker who made history as the first wheelchair user to win a Tony for her role as Ado Annie in the Broadway revival of Oklahoma!.

“This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation or a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena,” said Stroker in her stirring speech.

See the full list of winners below and watch some of the performances here.

Best Musical: Hadestown

Best Play: The Ferryman

Best Revival of a Musical: Oklahoma!

Best Revival of a Play: The Boys in the Band

Best Book of a Musical: Tootsie, Robert Horn

Best Original Score: Hadestown, music and lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell

Best Direction of a Play: Sam Mendes, The Ferryman

Best Direction of a Musical: Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown

Best Leading Actor in a Play: Bryan Cranston, Network

Best Leading Actress in a Play: Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery

Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Santino Fontana, Tootsie

Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show

Best Featured Actor in a Play: Bertie Carvel, Ink

Best Featured Actress in a Play: Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Featured Actor in a Musical: André De Shields, Hadestown

Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Rachel Hauck, Hadestown

Best Costume Design of a Play: Rob Howell, The Ferryman

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Bob Mackie, The Cher Show

Best Lighting Design of a Play: Neil Austin, Ink

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Bradley King, Hadestown

Best Sound Design of a Play: Fitz Patton, Choir Boy

Best Sound Design of a Musical: Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown

Best Choreography: Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Orchestrations: Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater: Rosemary Harris, Terrence McNally, Harold Wheeler

Isabelle Stevenson Award: Judith Light

Regional Theater Tony Award: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Special Tony Award: Marin Mazzie, Jason Michael Webb, Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater: Broadway Inspirational Voices – Michael McElroy, Founder, Peter Entin, FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, Joseph Blakely Forbes

Format: UK English