- Title: John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber, other celebs arrive for the Tony Awards
- Date: 27th September 2021
- Summary: VARIOUS OF OPENING NUMBER OUTSIDE THE THEATER WITH LESLIE ODOM JR
- Embargoed: 11th October 2021 05:20
- Keywords: arrivals awards broadway musicals play red carpet stage theater tony awards
- Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Theatre,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA002EWHUXXP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Broadway stars hit the red carpet outside the Winter Garden theater in New York on Sunday (September 26) to celebrate the best in theater and the return of Broadway.
AIDS play "The Inheritance" and musical "Moulin Rouge!" won the top honors in a four-hour ceremony that promoted the return of live theater and called for better opportunities for Black writers and performers.
The annual awards show was never held in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic that shut down live performances for 18 months.
Many of the big shows, including "Hamilton," "The Lion King," and "Wicked" had emotional reopenings earlier this month marked by tears and joy both on and off stage. Audiences must be fully vaccinated and masks are required.
"It's been over a year but the Tonys are here," sang "Hamilton" star Leslie Odom Jr, opening the TV special called "Broadway's Back" that featured appearances by stars ranging from John Legend and Jake Gyllenhaal to Chita Rivera and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.
"Moulin Rouge! The Musical," based on the 2001 movie, won 10 awards, including best musical, and for lead actor Aaron Tveit.
"A Soldier's Play," about the murder of a black officer on a U.S. army base in 1944," was voted best play revival. Yet it was a disappointing night for "Slave Play," a provocative show about race and sexuality that went into Sunday's ceremony with a leading 12 nominations but won none of them.
"The table's got to be bigger," said Kenny Leon, director of "A Soldier's Play," saying Broadway needs to do better to elevate Black voices.
The anti-racism non-profit Broadway Advocacy Coalition that fights to make theater more diverse, was given an honorary award.
Newcomer Adrienne Warren won best actress in a musical for playing rock singer Tina Turner in "Tina - The Tina Turner Musical."
None of the Tony-nominated plays are currently playing on Broadway or plan to return, after closing because of the pandemic or finishing their runs shortly before it broke.
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