The 73rd annual Tony Awards brought Broadway’s biggest stars together at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night.
James Corden hosted the show for his second time. With pressures from CBS to increase the ratings, he inserted some humorous bits. He tried to improve ratings by starting drama between Ben Platt and Rachel Brosnahan to running into previous hosts Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban in the bathroom.
Corden’s Opening Musical Number
This year’s host, making his return after first emceeing the 2016 Tonys, pulled out all the stops to kick off Broadway’s biggest night. What started as James Corden sitting on a couch going through his TV queue turned into a song and dance about the differences between live performances and binge-watching.
However, most of this year’s standout moments came from the winners.
Ali Stroker
Ali Stroker is now the first actor who uses a wheelchair to ever win (and even be nominated for) a Tony Award. She won best featured actress in a musical for her portrayal of Ado Annie in 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. You are,” Stroker said on stage after receiving a standing ovation from the audience.
Rachel Chavkin: Sole Female Nominee
Hadestown‘s Rachel Chavkin earned the Tony for best director of a musical, making her only the 10th woman in the awards show’s 73-year history to win in the category. She was also this year’s sole female nominee in the category.
“I wish I wasn’t the only woman directing a musical on Broadway this season. There are so many women who are ready to go. There are so many artists of color that are ready to go,” Chavkin said in her acceptance speech. “And we need to see that racial diversity and gender diversity reflected in our critical establishment, too. This is not a pipeline issue. It is a failure of imagination by a field whose job is to imagine the way the world could be.”