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San Francisco Chronicle
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area artists make Tony Awards history
Among the big winners at the 78th Tony Awards was the Bay Area, as three theater artists with ties to the region took home the nation's highest honors for commercial theater. Two San Francisco natives — and Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School alumni — won acting awards during the ceremony Sunday, June 8, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Francis Jue, who's performed locally with San Francisco Playhouse and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, nabbed best performance by a featured actor in a play for ' Yellow Face,' David Henry Hwang's semiautobiographical comedy about racial representation in theater. Darren Criss, an alumnus of American Conservatory Theater's Young Conservatory program, won best performance by a leading actor in a play for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' Hue Park and Will Aronson's sci-fi show about two robots who've been abandoned by their humans. Meanwhile, Oakland playwright Jonathan Spector won best revival of a play for 'Eureka Day,' his comedy about a mumps outbreak at a progressive Berkeley private school with anti-vaxx parents. Berkeley's own Aurora Theatre Company commissioned and premiered the play in 2018. It was each artist's first Tony Award, and Spector's marks the first such honor in recent memory for a current Bay Area resident. Spector in his acceptance speech thanked 'my theater community, who gave me space to find my voice as a writer.' Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Josh Costello, who helmed the world premiere, revisits 'Eureka Day' at Marin Theatre in September. In his acceptance speech, Criss thanked Craig Slaight, the former director of ACT's Young Conservatory program, 'for shepherding me and so many people here.' Fellow nominee Julia Mattison, co-composer of 'Death Becomes Her,' is also a Young Conservatory alum, and the two helped Slaight, who retired in 2017, travel to New York and attend the ceremony. 'I was honored and humbled to be invited and to have the gift of the arrangements to make it possible,' Slaight told the Chronicle the morning after the ceremony. 'For (Criss) to mention me in his remarks was just so moving.' 'Maybe Happy Ending' is slated to tour to San Francisco as part of BroadwaySF's 2026-27 season, the operator of the Golden Gate, Orpheum and Curran theaters announced Monday, June 9. It joins previously announced titles 'Death Becomes Her' and 'The Outsiders.' Casting has not yet been announced. The Tony Awards ceremony, hosted by ' Wicked ' star Cynthia Erivo, also made history for Asian American representation. Jue's and Criss' wins, alongside Nicole Scherzinger's for best actress in a musical for her role in 'Sunset Blvd.,' doubled the number of actors with Asian heritage who have won Tonys throughout history. Criss' mother is Filipina, Jue is Chinese American, and Scherzinger has Filipino and Native Hawaiian ancestry. The only other winners of Asian descent are Chinese American actor BD Wong (1988), Filipina actor and singer Lea Salonga (1991) and Ruthie Ann Miles (2015), whose mother is Korean. In accepting his award, Jue told the audience he was wearing a tuxedo that the actor Alvin Ing had made for himself for the opening of ' Pacific Overtures ' on Broadway in 1976. Ing gave it to Jue 20 years ago, Jue said, telling Jue to wear it 'when I accepted my Tony Award.' In a statement to the press after walking offstage, Jue said, 'Isn't it interesting that it is still unusual, historic, groundbreaking to tell an Asian American story on Broadway? And to tell it at a time when this country is wrestling with its identity, with who gets to be American, who gets to say who gets to be American?' His character in 'Yellow Face,' an avatar for the real-life father of Hwang, who emigrated from China, begins the show as a fervent champion of what Jue called traditional American values such as 'freedom and inclusion and justice.' He continued, 'We're living in challenging times where we're being asked whether we still value those things that we always assumed make us American.' The Antoinette Perry Awards have honored Broadway plays and musicals annually since 1947. They're named for the actor, producer and director who co-founded the American Theatre Wing, which co-presents the awards with the Broadway League. Nominees are chosen by a committee of a few dozen theater professionals who serve three-year terms, and winners are voted on by a group of more than 800. Tony Awards can boost box office receipts or extend runs for shows still performing on Broadway as well as further career opportunities for winning artists. For Bay Area audiences, they also boost chances that a particular title might tour nationally.
Los Angeles Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pasadena Playhouse wades into the vaccine debate with 2025-26 season led by Tony winner ‘Eureka Day'
Pasadena Playhouse announced a 2025-26 season Thursday led by Jonathan Spector's satire 'Eureka Day,' a newly minted Tony Award winner for best revival of a play, which centers on a mumps outbreak at a progressive private school in Berkeley whose PTA tries to come up with a vaccine policy that suits everyone — to hilarious results in an era of vaccine skepticism. 'In these times we need laughter and we need to be able to think critically about ourselves,' Playhouse artistic director Danny Feldman said. 'An audience laughing together is such a good entrance to heavy themes and big ideas.' Next up will be Peter Shaffer's 'Amadeus,' which opened in 1979 and won the Tony for best play in 1981 with Ian McKellen winning lead actor honors. Director Miloš Forman made it into a 1984 film, which won eight Oscars including best picture. Shaffer also won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay. The story is a fictional account of the contentious relationship between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rival, Antonio Salieri, the court composer of the Austrian emperor. Calling 'Amadeus' one of the great pieces of historical fiction for theater, Feldman said it's a show he's been planning for the Playhouse for quite some time. Another Feldman favorite, and the third show on next season's calendar, is a world-premiere adaptation of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's 1947 musical, 'Brigadoon.' The adaptation, by Alexandra Silber, remains true to the original, Feldman said, but 'really puts it forward for today's audience ... with covert but impactful changes that sharpen it in an exciting way.' The two-person hip-hop musical, 'Mexodus,' rounds out the main stage offerings. A fifth show will be announced at a later date. Written by and starring Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, 'Mexodus' explores the little known history of the Underground Railroad to Mexico. Using looped musical tracks that the men lay down live during the show, the production follows the journey of an enslaved man who flees south and meets a rancher. 'It's more of a musical experience than a traditional musical, so it's very genre busting and innovative,' Feldman said of the technique used to bring the music to life. 'It's a bit of a magic trick.' Two family shows are on the schedule: 'The Song of the North,' created, designed and directed by Hamid Rahmanian for children ages 6-12; and 'The Lizard and El Sol,' originally developed and produced by the Alliance Theater in Atlanta for ages 5 and younger. The former will be presented on the Playhouse's main stage, which is a departure from past family programming. 'The Song of the North,' based on a classic Persian love story and presented near the Iranian New Year, promises breathtaking visuals through the use of 483 handmade shadow puppets wielded by talented puppeteers. 'The Lizard and El Sol,' staged at local parks as well as in the Playhouse courtyard, tells the charming tale of a lizard in search of the newly missing sun. It's based on a Mexican folktale and presented mostly in Spanish, although it can be enjoyed by non-Spanish speakers too, Feldman said. 'We don't look at our family programming as separate,' says Feldman. 'It's really core to our mission.' The season announcement comes during a banner year for Pasadena Playhouse. The State Theater of California celebrated its 100th anniversary in May, and in April it announced it had raised $9.5 million to buy back the historic campus it lost to bankruptcy in 1970 — putting the company in charge of its fate for the first time in more than 50 years. That good news came two years after the theater became the second-ever L.A. organization to win the the Regional Theatre Tony Award. 'As we purchased our building and came into this moment of thinking about the next century, it felt like there was a very big assignment with this season,' Feldman said. 'How are we turning the corner into our next chapter?' His answer: 'An expansion and continuation of what I think we do best at the Playhouse,' which is to think about the presentation of art and theater through a California lens. Feldman said that with it being the state theater, he feels a unique responsibility to ensure that the work presented on the Playhouse stage engages with the world — but that it is also theater for everyone. 'What I love about this year is that it really is the full spectrum,' Feldman said. 'Comedies and tragedies and musicals and plays — old things and new things and kids' things.' For tickets and additional information about the upcoming season, go to
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jessica Hecht Reveals the Hardest Part of Being a Tony Nominee (Exclusive)
Jessica Hecht Reveals the Hardest Part of Being a Tony Nominee (Exclusive) originally appeared on Parade. Jessica Hecht, like the rest of us, struggles with the technical aspects of watching live awards show nomination announcements. Some categories are announced on a morning show. Some on a social media simulcast. Is the livestream on YouTube, the awards show's website, behind a pay wall? "Oh my god! Should I be on Chrome?" she quips. Unlike us fans and journalists, however, Hecht actually was nominated for a Tony Award this year. She's up for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her work as PTA mom Suzanne in Eureka Day. On nominations morning, however, Hecht couldn't figure out how to watch the nominees being announced. "I was at home," she tells Parade while chatting in our office studio. "I feel fairly computer savvy, but I couldn't get the feed of the nominations coming out. I love not knowing when they come out. I love just forgetting. Of course, it creates so much anxiety either way, but a couple of people had said, 'Oh my God, they're coming out tomorrow.' So I walked the dog, I had my bagel, and then I was like, 'Okay, let me try to go online,' and I couldn't get it together. About 9:20, I started to get texts, and I thought, 'Well, thank you, my friends.'" 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 This is Hecht's third Tony nomination. She was nominated previously for roles in the 2010 production of A View from the Bridge and the 2023 production of Summer, 1976. Hecht is a true staple of the New York acting scene, however, and in addition to numerous theater roles has also popped up in everything from Succession and Law & Order to Friends and The Boys. Her next film Eleanor the Great comes out later this year and on the day of our meeting, she'd come straight from a costume fitting in New Jersey for another upcoming project. Unlike many of the 2025 Tony nominees, Hecht's show Eureka Day, isn't currently on Broadway, completing its limited run earlier this year. The show, which is also nominated for Best Revival of a Play, focused on the five members of a private school's PTA board, navigating a vaccine policy in the wake of a mumps outbreak. Hecht's Suzanne often serves as the comic relief during the first act of the play before her much darker backstory is revealed towards the end of the play. Since this is Hecht's third Tony nomination, she knows the perks of both being a nominee as well as the downsides of the month-long press tour leading up to Broadway's big night. "If you don't get nominated," she tells us, "You have like 24 hours, maybe 48 at the most, kind of like, 'Oh, I guess I just paled in comparison,' but you deal with it. You say to yourself, 'But I do feel proud of my work.' I very rarely get nominated for certain kinds of awards, almost never. Someone once told a friend of mine, that being an underdog is better for your acting, which I believe." "If you do get nominated," she continues, "You have about a month of this low-grade worthlessness you cannot shake. 'Why am I wearing this? Why do I look so old today? Why does everybody else know how to pose? Why is everybody so quick with the answers?' It's about four weeks of that. You have to think about what you're ready for." With the Tony Awards presented tonight, hopefully most of the dog-and-pony show elements are in Hecht's rearview. When asked if she has a speech prepared for if she wins, Hecht says, "It's very dry, what I do write out in my mind. I really love my agents, so I always think one day I want to thank my agents. I'm really close to my mom. All the classics. I'm more mortified about who I would forget. If I win something one day, it's going to be a little bit of a list." Ahead of the Tony Awards, Parade chatted with Jessica Hecht about her pre-show rituals, working with Scarlett Johansson and her many appearances on Law & Order. Read the full interview below: Related: Did it feel different getting nominated this time for versus the other two times? The first time was for an Arthur Miller play [in the 2010 production of A View From the Bridge], and being with Liev [Schreiber] and Scarlett [Johansson] was so precious, because Arthur is my truly favorite writer. And there's something about elevating your sense of self because you're doing that kind of work, that you think [awards] shouldn't matter. Then, to be honest, when I was doing Summer, 1976Laura [Linney, who was not nominated for a Tony that year,] was my goddess, so I wish we had experienced that together. It just goes to show that it's random, because she was just made the whole thing work. This one was really delicious, but this ensemble is fire, as my kids would say. Many times as we were doing the play, I just looked around and thought, "This is the most kick ass ensemble I have ever been with." They would throw things at you, so alive. I owe them such a debt of gratitude. What was it like with the five of you off stage? Did you hang out? There's the sense of the community that you already have here. Bill [Irwin], I knew a bit from the New York theater scene, and I feel a reverence for Him, and he's extraordinary. Each person had a different place in my history here. We didn't hang out a ton because I'm not a big hanger outer, but Bill arranged a couple of beautiful meals for us. Your character is so funny in most of the play, but then has a few very dramatic moments towards the end. You get to really show the breadth of what you can do as an actor. What is it like figuring out a character that complex? Well, I think people who have experienced terrible tragedies often create a really complex and meticulous way of overriding that. This character is beautifully written because her life's biggest tragedy occurs when her kids are little, and so the play is constructed around being in an environment where you are around children and you feel the joy of that. You are trying to maintain safety and hope and the preciousness of childhood for many kids, until that totally cracks. So the play is written, to my mind, like the little playpen until the walls collapse, and then you're suddenly without any safety net. What was the most difficult part of the show? There's two things for me. One was to not make it a satire. I was very anxious about that when we were developing it. When you're dealing with stuff that could be considered woke subjects. The way many left-leaning people are navigating life has been the subject of a lot of comedy. I was desperate for it not to fall into that, so to create something that made people think they knew the characters was essential for me. Then the second half of the play, when she reveals to someone who she thinks is her friend, the rationale for her beliefs, I couldn't quite figure that out. Anna [D. Shapiro, the director] was so gracious, helping and guiding me, but not telling me what it should be. That was an extraordinary part of our rehearsal process. Related: Do you have any pre-show rituals? I do. I sing show tunes. I'm not a great singer, but I can carry a tune. I have a little library of show tunes that I don't realize I have. When I go backstage, or even in the dressing room, I just kind of let them out. Most of my casts really indulge that. I'm very silly backstage. I was silly until the moment we go on, because I get super nervous, and the only antidote for that, for me, is silliness. What show tune do you sing most often? I go to a lot of different ones. "Start Spreading the News." Sometimes when it's cold, we do "Steam Heat." We do anything that is the old, like, "Whatever Lola Wants." The only musical I've ever done is Fiddler [on the Roof], so I do that. It makes me so happy. Because 's limited run ended in the winter, have you been able to see some of the other nominees? Yes! Oh my gosh! I saw Operation Mincemeat last week. Isn't it awesome? It's so good! They were so wonderfully creative. I saw English right before it closed, which is exceptional. I saw John Proctor, which I loved. I have a few things for this week, so I'm catching up. To pivot, you're in the movie , which premiered at Cannes in May. You work with June Squibb who is an icon. What was it like working with her? First of all, she was a huge theater star. People don't realize that she was a hoofer. She was iconic in these wonderful character parts and musicals. She goes to Sardi's every weekend if she's here shooting, and so she had these Sunday night dinners. I went a couple of times, and I brought the actors that I'm friendly with, who were like, "How do you know June Squibb?" All these people who really know theater history just love her. The exquisite thing about the way she works is she's actually very clear. She doesn't mess around. She makes a decision, and if she feels maybe that's not right, at least she'll try. If you give her a direction, she'll always try it, or she'll say, "You know what, I don't think I'd do that the way you're describing," and we move on to a new idea. She knows herself, and she has such a way of focusing everything. She's also just a beautiful energy. She's so present. It was incredible to work with her. Related: Scarlett Johansson is the director, and this is the first movie that she's directed. How was it having her direct? Absolutely wonderful. First of all, she's very girlfriendy. The first few minutes is talking about your outfit and what you want to eat. Then she's very specific about what it should be. She understands filmmaking so precisely, and so the way she directs is utterly doable and also really helps to make the scene as perfect a storytelling vehicle as possible. She drops you into such a human and specific place. She's wonderful. She's my hero. You're also in , which is one of my favorite movies. You guys are all staying in this big house and doing these crossword puzzle competitions, what was it like filming that? Awesome, oh my God. Peter Hedges is a great director, and he had us doing all this family stuff to get into the character of the family. The family was Amy Ryan, one of the greatest actors ever. She's my great friend as well. Norbert [Leo Butz]. John Mahoney was the dad. Diane Wiest was the mom. We sat around the first couple days. We sang the Bob Dylan songs as a family, and ate pancakes, and then Juliette [Binoche] came, and she's actually very girlfriendy and wonderful. I couldn't believe I was with Juliette Binoche. It was as advertised, great. You were also in , and so many Broadway actors were on that show. Was Broadway just abuzz with that one? With that one, it was early on, maybe the second season. I don't watch a lot of TV, and they were like, "It's a small part, but people seem to like this show." For most actors, if there's just a little juice in the scene, and they say that it'll be recurring, you're like, "Sure!" Also, you just don't get paid a lot in the theater, so this is a nice way to make a little cash. So I had no idea what the thing was, and I just had the most wonderful time there. What do you get recognized most often for? I think Breaking Bad, and then Friends, and then a show that I loved doing, which was The Sinner, and for a while that was running a lot during COVID. I think it has to do with what's popular, but also, I just had one little scene, but Alexander[Payne]'s film Sideways. There's a great quote about film acting: as long as you have a beginning, middle and end to your scene, that's all it takes to have a truly memorable part in a film. You've been in four different episodes, plenty of other guest roles in procedurals. All evil. How is it popping on those for one episode? Crying for dollars. Amy Ryan actually coined that phrase, which is so funny. All those shows require a little crying. They're fun. They're a real testament to the actual trade of acting. You have a job to do, which is to play this person who is suffering or anguished in some way, and the craft of acting comes into play much more than anyone ever realizes. What is the oddest part that you've ever taken in one of those? I did one where I played a slave owner. It's so bad that I just have to say it. I had taken a couple of kids from Haiti, and I enslaved them. I played some really wonky ones. I played a nun in a few things. That made me very proud, because I love spiritual people. I played a few nuns. If they've got a nun role, they know who to call! Look at me. Who else would you call? Come on! This interview was condensed and edited for length and clarity. Jessica Hecht Reveals the Hardest Part of Being a Tony Nominee (Exclusive) first appeared on Parade on Jun 8, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
News18
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Tony Awards 2025 Full Winners List: Sarah Snook Is Best Actress, Stranger Things Dominates
Last Updated: Stranger Things The First Shadow won Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design of a Play at the Tony Awards 2025. Broadway's biggest night lit up New York City on Sunday as the 78th Tony Awards were held. Cynthia Erivo led the celebrations as host. One of the evening's standout moments came when Succession star Sarah Snook bagged the award for Best Actress in a Play for her stunning solo act in The Picture of Dorian Gray. History was made too when Kara Young became the first Black artist to win back-to-back Tony Awards. Stranger Things won big as well. This year's nominees, spread across 26 competitive categories, were earlier revealed on May 1. Check out the full winner's list below: Best Play (English) The Hills of California John Proctor is the Villain Oh, Mary! Purpose- WINNER Best Musical Buena Vista Social Club Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her Maybe Happy Ending-WINNER Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Best Revival of a Play Eureka Day- WINNER Romeo + Juliet Thornton Wilder's Our Town Yellow Face Best Revival of a Musical Floyd Collins Gypsy Pirates! The Penzance Musical Sunset Blvd.- WINNER Best Book of a Musical Buena Vista Social Club Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Real Women Have Curves: The Musical Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!- WINNER Jon Michael Hill, Purpose Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face Harry Lennix, Purpose Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California Mia Farrow, The Roommate LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose Sadie Sink, John Proctor is the Villain Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray – WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending-WINNER Andrew Durand, Dead OutlawTom Francis, Sunset Blvd. Jonathan Groff, Just in Time James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her Audra McDonald, Gypsy Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.-WINNER Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play Glenn Davis, Purpose Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain Francis Jue, Yellow Face – WINNER Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary! Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play Tala Ashe, English Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day Marjan Neshat, English Fina Strazza, John Proctor is the Villain Kara Young, Purpose – WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical Brooks Ashmanskas, SMASH Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw Danny Burstein, Gypsy Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical – WINNER Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical Joy Woods, Gypsy Best Scenic Design of a Play (English) The Hills of California The Picture of Dorian Gray Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER Good Night, and Good Luck Best Scenic Design of a Musical Swept Away Maybe Happy Ending – WINNER Buena Vista Social Club Death Becomes Her Just in Time Best Costume Design of a Play Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray – WINNER Rob Howell, The Hills of California Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary! Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Best Costume Design of a Musical Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her – WINNER Catherine Zuber, Just in Time Best Lighting Design of a Play The Hills of California Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER Good Night, and Good Luck John Proctor is the Villain The Picture of Dorian Gray Best Lighting Design of a Musical Sunset Blvd. – WINNER Buena Vista Social Club Floyd Collins Maybe Happy Ending Death Becomes Her Best Sound Design of a Play Stranger Things: The First Shadow – WINNER John Proctor is the Villain Good Night, and Good Luck The Hills of California The Picture of Dorian Gray Best Sound Design of a Musical Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER Sunset Blvd. Just in Time Maybe Happy Ending Floyd Collins Best Direction of a Play Knud Adams, English Sam Mendes, The Hills of California Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!-WINNER Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray Best Direction of a Musical Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending-WINNER David Cromer, Dead Outlaw Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd. Best Choreography SMASH Gypsy Death Becomes Her BOOP! The Musical Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER Best Orchestrations Just in Time Maybe Happy Ending Floyd Collins Buena Vista Social Club – WINNER Sunset Blvd. First Published: June 09, 2025, 09:40 IST
Pink Villa
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Tony Awards 2025: Audra McDonald Called Biggest Snub, Death Becomes Her Deprived of Any Wins and More
The 2025 Tony Awards dazzled with star power and standout performances, but it was the night's upsets and omissions that left the theater world abuzz. Chief among them: Audra McDonald's highly anticipated win never materialized, and fan-favorite Death Becomes Her barely registered on the winners list. All eyes were on Audra McDonald as she vied for her record-setting seventh Tony Award for her searing turn as Mama Rose in Gypsy. Critics hailed her performance as one of the season's finest, and the production was widely seen as a top contender in multiple categories. Yet as the night wore on, Gypsy failed to secure a single win, with Sunset Boulevard sweeping key categories instead. Another shock came with the underperformance of Death Becomes Her, the lavish musical adaptation that entered the night with 10 nominations and high expectations. While the show scored a win for costume design, it was otherwise completely shut out in major categories — a result that left its devoted fanbase disappointed and puzzled. In contrast, fellow new musicals Maybe Happy Ending and Buena Vista Social Club enjoyed multiple wins. While the night's biggest snubs dominated conversation, there were also plenty of moments that caught audiences off guard in the best way. Nicole Scherzinger, whose Best Actress chances had seemed uncertain after late-season controversy, clinched a major comeback win for Sunset Boulevard, besting frontrunner McDonald. Darren Criss added to the night's unexpected outcomes by taking home Best Actor in a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending, prevailing over the heavily favored Jonathan Groff. The ceremony itself kept the energy high, with key awards and show-stopping performances packed into the opening hour — including a lively Best Play win for Purpose. Meanwhile, beloved critical darling Dead Outlaw ended the evening without a single trophy, and Eureka Day staged an upset in the Best Revival of a Play category, beating Yellow Face. Even the commercial breaks joined in the surprises, as a live backstage ad featuring Criss caught viewers' attention and added a playful, meta flourish to the telecast.
