Tony Highlights A historic win and a strong night for women
NEW YORK — When effervescent actress Ali Stroker came onstage to accept her historic trophy as the first actor in a wheelchair to win a Tony, it wasn’t just the feel-good moment of the night. It may have been one of the most joyous Tony moments in years.
The crowd jumped to its feet in unison as Stroker, who won best featured actress in a musical for a sexy, saucy performance as Ado Annie in “Oklahoma!” arrived onstage.
“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,” she said. “You are.”
The buoyant moment was emblematic of a feel-good evening at the Tonys that featured crowd-pleasing performances, a Broadway-loving host in the form of James Corden and a theme of inclusivity. The big winner: “Hadestown,” the soulful musical by Anais Mitchell based on an ancient Greek myth, which triumphed over much more traditionally commercial fare.
The victory of “Hadestown” was also notable for the number of women it brought to the podium; it was not only written by a woman but also directed by one, and producer Mara Isaacs accepted the award. Director Rachel Chavkin won her own Tony, as did Mitchell for best score. In all, “Hadestown” won eight Tonys.
But despite a great night for a show that began its long, improbable journey to Broadway as a community theater project in rural Vermont, Chavkin echoed a note of frustration about the persistent lack of diversity on creative teams.
“I wish I wasn’t the only woman directing a musical on Broadway this season,” she said. “There are so many women who are ready to go. There are so many artists of color who are ready to go. ... 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.”
The acting awards brought a slew of satisfying victories for beloved veterans. Comic legend Elaine May, 87, won her first Tony for playing an Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother in Kenneth Lonergan’s “The Waverly Gallery,” charming the crowd with a witty acceptance speech.
And Broadway favorites Santino Fontana and Stephanie J. Block took the top musical acting prizes. Fontana won his first Tony as the cross-dressing lead in “Tootsie,” an adaptation of the 1982 Dustin Hoffman comedy about a struggling actor who impersonates a woman to get cast in a show.
The actor paid tribute to his late grandmother, a “fiery, redheaded woman” who, he revealed, was an inspiration for his performance: “Every day I get to bring her into the room, and it has been the best experience of my life.”
Block earned her own first Tony for playing a real-life legend — Cher. In an ebullient speech, she told her young daughter: “Mommy won a trophy but like I always tell you, it’s not about winning; it’s about showing up, doing your best, loving all people and finding joy along the way.”
Yet another veteran winning his first Tony — at 73 — was Andre De Shields, best featured actor in a musical for his silky smooth narrator in “Hadestown.” He thanked his hometown of Baltimore and offered “three cardinal rules of my sustainability and longevity.”
“One, surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming,” he said. “Two, slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be. And three, the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing.”
