NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Even the ushers at Radio City Music Hall seemed thrilled to be in the room where it happened.
A few of them could be seen grooving, like everyone else at to the 鈥淗amilton鈥� reunion performance 鈥� a medley of some of that blockbuster musical鈥檚 biggest songs, performed by the original cast. The occasion was the of Lin-Manuel Miranda鈥檚 juggernaut that spawned multiple touring companies, a West End production and a 鈥� and is still going strong.
But while the theater was buzzing to songs like 鈥淢y Shot,鈥� 鈥淭he Schuyler Sisters,鈥� 鈥淗istory Has Its Eyes on You鈥� and 鈥淭he Room Where It Happens,鈥� some people were unfortunately NOT in the room where, er, it was happening. They were the ones who鈥檇 taken a trip to the bar or a stroll around the lobby, and were then held from entering until the next commercial break 鈥� missing perhaps the night鈥檚 most anticipated highlight.
They also missed the entire audience singing along with Jonathan Groff, aka King George, 鈥淒a-da-da, dat-da, dat, da-da-da, da-ya-da, Da-da, dat, dat, da-ya-da.鈥� Note for next year: Exit at your own peril!
Some other notable moments from Tony night:
Cole Escola plans a call to Mom, thanks a Grindr date
thank Mom, their agents, their co-stars and their spouses.
Cole Escola, one of the major stars of this Tony night, promised Mom a call, but also decided to thank 鈥淭eebo from Grindr鈥� 鈥� the dating app 鈥� when accepting the award for lead actor in a play.
Escola is star and writer of the riotous 鈥淥h, Mary!鈥� 鈥� a reimagining of the life of Mary Todd Lincoln (and her beleaguered husband, Abe) that addresses the question: What if the Lincoln assassination wasn鈥檛 such a bad thing for Mary? (Mary wants to be a cabaret star, you see.) The show is seeing audiences collapse in laughter for 80 minutes every night on Broadway.
Escola, a downtown cabaret star, beat out like George Clooney and Daniel Dae Kim for the acting award. They mentioned their co-nominees in their speech, saying they had enjoyed sharing 鈥渨arm salads鈥� at pre-awards lunches.
Escola is the first nonbinary actor to win a Tony in the category.
And this guy鈥檚 still single
When writers Hue Park and Will Aronson accepted the award for best book of a musical, the first handed out, Park felt it necessary to point out that they weren鈥檛 an actual couple. 鈥淚 am very much single,鈥� he clarified, for anyone wondering.
Then later, when the duo won for best score, Park deemed a reminder necessary: 鈥淏y the way, I鈥檓 still single.鈥�
And then at the end of the night, 鈥淢aybe Happy Ending,鈥� the charming and quirky romance between decommissioned robots in a futuristic Korea, won the big prize: best musical. Park did not get the mic. But producer Jeffrey Richards did, and he reminded the crowd: 鈥淗ue is still single.鈥�
Broadway as home, sweet home
the 鈥淲icked鈥� star and powerhouse vocalist hosting the evening, said it first: 鈥淎s they apparently say in a very fertile piece of intellectual property," she said with a wink, 鈥渢here鈥檚 no place like home. And Broadway has always been mine.鈥�
It鈥檚 a familiar theme on Tony night: the theater community as a welcoming haven for those who may feel different or unseen. It was echoed winner of a lifetime achievement award, describing how he joined the theater after being welcomed by a company in Brooklyn. And it was expressed very emotionally by Nicole Scherzinger, winning best actress in a musical for 鈥淪unset Blvd.鈥�
鈥淕rowing up, I always felt like I didn鈥檛 belong,鈥� said Scherzinger, former lead singer of the pop group Pussycat Dolls in the minimalist version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber show. 鈥淏ut you all have made me feel like I belong, and I have come home at last.鈥� Those last words echo the lyrics of one of Desmond鈥檚 big numbers, 鈥淎s If We Never Said Goodbye.鈥�
鈥淪o if there鈥檚 anyone out there who feels like they don鈥檛 belong, or your time hasn鈥檛 come, don鈥檛 give up,鈥� Scherzinger continued. 鈥淛ust keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and your light now more than ever.鈥�
You really COULD have heard a pin drop
There鈥檚 always lots of chatter going on during an awards show. But the way the crowd quieted down during powerful, agonized performance of 鈥淩ose鈥檚 Turn鈥� from 鈥淕ypsy鈥� was striking. In the song's quiet moments, you heard utter silence in the vast room.
McDonald, the Tonys' most awarded actor, is clearly revered by the theater community, who cheered her with standing ovations. But the award she was up for went to Scherzinger.
鈥楽uccession,鈥� succeeding again
It鈥檚 been two years since but its stars keep turning up at awards shows 鈥� and often winning. and was nominated for an Oscar this year. this year and is though he wasn鈥檛 nominated. And now it was the turn of 鈥� Emmy and Golden Globe winner 鈥� to win a Tony.
Snook, who played mercurial sibling Shiv Roy in the series, took the Tony for best actress in a play for 鈥淭he Picture of Dorian Gray,鈥� in which she plays all 26 roles.
Remembering a friend
Tony winner and musical theater regular was a friend to many in the theater community, and was remembered more than once on Tony evening.
During the early pre-show, was honored with the Isabelle Stevenson award, for her advocacy work in the arts. She spoke movingly of her deep friendship with Creel and their advocacy work together.
Later, singer and actor Sara Bareilles performed a soulful duet of 鈥淭omorrow鈥� from 鈥淎nnie,鈥� harmonizing with Erivo, during the memorial segment. That segment ended with a photo of Creel, also a dear friend to Bareilles, who teared up.
Both Bareilles and Keenan-Bolger are involved with the Gavin Creel Fellowship, an initiative that plans to provide $25,000 grants to five emerging theater actors each year.
And she is telling you she鈥檚 not going
The final award had been announced 鈥� best musical to 鈥淢aybe Happy Ending鈥� 鈥� and the audience started to disperse. But Erivo had another idea.
Riffing on the concept of leaving, she launched into the famous 鈥淒reamgirls鈥� ballad 鈥淎nd I Am Telling You I鈥檓 Not Going鈥� 鈥� with rewritten lyrics.
It was a yet another powerhouse performance from someone who has one of the best voices on the planet. The audience stopped dispersing 鈥� and started cheering.
___
For more coverage of the 2025 Tony Awards, visit .
Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
