The 75th Tony Awards were held this past Sunday and among the big winners, this year were several titles including LGBTQ+ stories.
The ceremony was hosted by “Westside Story” star Ariana DeBose. The openly queer performer opened up the awards show with a number that highlighted the many contributions of LGBTQ+ artists.
Billy Porter performed “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady to honor the Broadway artists who had died in the past year.
One title, A Strange Loop was the true underdog this year.. Michael R. Jackson’s musical tells a story of a queer Black man writing a musical about a queer Black man writing a musical, while working as a theater usher. The play was nominated for 11 Tonys and won two, for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. Jackson wrote the book along with the music and lyrics.
A revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company, also took home award for Best Revival of a Musical. In the revival, a same-sex couple is included among the couples trying to push single Bobbie into marriage. Matt Doyle, who plays one the partners in the play, won for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical.
Take Me Out, Richard Greenberg’s play about a gay pro baseball player, won for Best Revival of a Play, and out actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson won Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for his performance in the production.
The night also saw a few “firsts” for the LGBTQ+ community.
Best Score went to ‘Six: The Musical’ starring Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Marlow is the first out nonbinary composer-lyricist to win.
Adam Rigg, a nominee for Scenic Design of a Play for The Skin of Our Teeth, made history as the first out agender nominee.
The LGBTQ media advocacy group, GLAAD praised last night’s Tony Awards for telling “stories about the lives” of the queer community.
“A Strange Loop, Company, and Take Me Out showcase the outstanding work of multiple LGBTQ artists and tell important stories about the lives of LGBTQ+ artists and tell important stories about the lives of LGBTQ people with depth, nuance, and humanity."
They continued, “These productions winning top honors at this year’s Tony Awards is a key reminder that our stories matter and deserve recognition. As a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills sweep the nation today, creating and awarding authentic and deeply affecting stories is more crucial than ever before.”
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