The 72nd annual Tony Awards took place last night, honoring the best shows in the theater industry. This year, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child and The Band’s Visit stole the show.
The Band’s Visit, a musical revolving around an Egyptian police orchestra who are stranded in Israel, took home a staggering 10 awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Although the musical was originally based on a film, it did not have the familiarity that plays like Mean Girls, Spongebob Squarepants, or Frozen did, yet still took the prize. Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, a theatrical two-part drama that is a sequel to the top-selling book series, took the award for Best Play, along with Best Scenic Design.
Angels in America was among the winners of the night, winning Best Revival of a Play, along with Best Leading Actor in a Play and Best Featured Actor in a Play. Actor Andrew Garfield, who played the lead role of Prior Walter, explained the show as “the agony and the ecstasy of living and dying.” Once On This Island, a fairy tale music revolving around a cast on a Caribbean island following a hurricane, took the audience by surprise for winning Best Revival of a Musical. The musical beat classics like My Fair Lady and Carousel in this category.
Other shows including Carousel, Three Tall Women, Spongebob Squarepants, and My Fair Lady garnered awards, while Bruce Springsteen and John Leguizamo were awarded the Special Tony Award. Springsteen on Broadway proved to be a hit during its run thus far; he received special recognition for his sold-out show, offering a thank you to professionals in theater for “making me feel welcome on your block.” Comedian Leguizamo received the award for his diverse stories and audiences over the last 30 years.
The night was filled with live renditions, including a surprise performance from students of Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The survivors of the recent shooting at their school sang “Seasons of Love.”
This year was one of the best for Broadway, breaking the record with $1.65 billion in sales. The 2017-2018 season sales jumped 14 percent with Mean Girls and Harry Potter garnering a lot of attention, along with Springsteen on Broadway, which grossed nearly $61 million since its debut last October. Some shows are lasting through the calendar year, while others are coming to an end this summer and fall.
Visit Ticket Club to grab tickets to an upcoming Broadway show this year.
