Tony Awards Make History

The intimate, funny-sad musical Kimberly Akimbo nudged aside splashier rivals on Sunday to win the musical crown at the Tony Awards on a night when Broadway flexed its creative muscle amid the Hollywood writers’ strike and made history with laurels for nonbinary actors J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell, the AP reports. Kimberly Akimbo, with songs by Jeanine Tesori and a book by David Lindsay-Abaire, follows a teen with a rare genetic disorder that gives her a life expectancy of 16 navigating a dysfunctional family and a high school romance. Victoria Clark, as the lead in the show, added a second Tony to her trophy case, having previously won one in 2005 for The Light in the Piazza.

Earlier, Tony Awards history was made when Newell and Ghee became the first nonbinary people to win Tonys for acting. Last year, composer and writer Toby Marlow of Six became the first nonbinary Tony winner. “Thank you for the humanity. Thank you for my incredible company who raised me up every single day,” said leading actor in a musical winner Ghee, who stars in Some Like It Hot, the adaptation of the classic cross-dressing comedy film. Newell, who plays Lulu—an independent, don’t-need-no-man whiskey distiller in Shucked—has been blowing audiences away with their signature number, “Independently Owned.” They won for best featured actor in a musical. “Thank you for seeing me, Broadway," Newell said to an ovation.

Second-time Tony Awards host Ariana DeBose opened a blank script backstage before dancing and leaping her way to open the main show with a hectic opening number that gave a jolt of electricity to what is usually an upbeat, safe, and chummy night. The writers' strike left the storied awards show honoring the best of musical theater and plays without a script. Before the pre-show began, DeBose revealed to the audience the only words that would be seen on the teleprompter: “Please wrap up.” Later in the evening, virtually out of breath after her wordless opening performance, she thanked the labor organizers for allowing a compromise. Winners demonstrated their support for the striking writers either at the podium or on the red carpet with pins. (More from the ceremony here; list of the big winners here.)