A gender-flipped revival of Stephen Sondheim’s classic 1970 musical Company and the new play The Lehman Trilogy each won five awards at the 2022 Tony Awards. The awards were held at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sunday (June 12).
MJ, a jukebox musical built around the music of Michael Jackson, won four awards. Myles Frost won best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical for playing the superstar. He is the third performer in four years to win a Tony for playing a pop icon, following Stephanie J. Block as Star (Cher) in The Cher Show and Adrienne Warren as Tina Turner in Tina. The stronger-than-expected showing for MJ came in the same venue where Jackson experienced one of his biggest professional disappointments – when he went 0-4 at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards in March 1988 with Bad, his follow-up to the Grammy-sweeping Thriller.
A Strange Loop won just two awards, but one was the night’s biggest award, best musical. Michael R. Jackson wrote the book, music and lyrics for A Strange Loop, which bills itself as “The Big, Black & Queer American Musical.” Jackson is just the fifth individual to single-handedly write the book, music and lyrics for a Tony winner for best musical since the inception of the category in 1949. The previous individuals to achieve this feat were Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 1986), Jonathan Larson (Rent, 1996), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, 2016) and Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown, 2019). As you can see, the incidence of Tony winning musicals that were the creative output of just one individual are sharply on the rise.
A Strange Loop won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Rent and Hamilton also won that award, as have just four other Tony winners for best musical – South Pacific (1950), Fiorello! (1960), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1962) and A Chorus Line (1976).
Jennifer Hudson was one of 44 individuals or entities who received a producer’s credit (and thus a Tony Award) for A Strange Loop. With this award, she becomes the 17th individual to become an EGOT. She is the third-youngest person to complete the awards sweep (trailing Robert Lopez and John Legend) and the third Black EGOT (following Whoopi Goldberg and Legend). Other credited producers of the show included such bold-faced names as RuPaul, Don Cheadle, Alan Cumming, Mindy Kaling and Billy Porter.
Company won best revival of a musical for a second time. A 2007 revival also won that award. Company is the third musical to win best revival of a musical twice. Revivals of The King and I and La Cage Aux Folles were also won that award twice. All three of these shows won best musical in their original incarnations.
Two actors from Company won Tonys. (No actors in previous productions of the show had won Tonys.) Broadway legend Patti LuPone won best featured actress for playing Joanne, a role originated by another Broadway legend, Elaine Stritch. Matt Doyle won best featured actor for playing Jamie, the gender-switched role originated by Beth Howland (as Amy). This was the third Tony win for LuPone, who won best actress in a musical in Evita and Gypsy.
Marianne Elliott won best direction in a musical for Company. She previously won two Tonys for best direction in a play for co-directing War Horse (2011) and directing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2015). Elliott, 55, is the first woman to win in both of these categories.
Simon Hale won best orchestrations for his work on Girl from The North Country, a musical of Bob Dylan songs. Hale was nominated in the same category three years ago for Tootsie.
Sam Mendes won best direction of a play for The Lehman Trilogy. Mendes won that same award three years ago for The Ferryman. Mendes won an Oscar for best director for 1999’s American Beauty.
Take Me Out won best revival of a drama. Richard Greenberg’s play won best play in 2003.
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, which received seven nods, and The Music Man, which received six nods, were both shut out.
Bernadette Peters sang “Children Will Listen” from Into the Wood (1987) in tribute to Stephen Sondheim, who died in November. This is the second major awards show to pay tribute to Sondheim. On the Grammys in April, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Platt, Leslie Odom Jr. and Rachel Zegler sang three Sondheim songs (“Not a Day Goes By,” “Send in the Clowns” and “Somewhere”) as part of the In Memoriam segment.
Billy Porter sang “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady (1956) over the In Memoriam spot – an unexpected but apt choice. The heartfelt ballad from the Lerner & Loewe classic gave the spot added poignance.
Angela Lansbury, a five-time Tony winner who hosted the Tony telecast five times (more than anyone else), received a lifetime achievement award. Lansbury, 96, was not present to accept the award in person.
The 75th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by recent Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, were broadcast live coast-to-coast on CBS on Sunday, June 12, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/5 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT. This marked the first time in Tony history that the show aired live coast-to-coast. (Yeah!) Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss produced the show, with Weiss also directing.
The Tonys were preceded by a one-hour special on Paramount+, “The Tony Awards: Act One,” co-hosted by Darren Criss and Julianne Hough.
The 2021-22 eligibility season ran from Aug. 1, 2021 to May 4, 2022. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
Here’s a complete list of 2022 Tony nominees (with winners marked and bolded). Musical categories are listed first, followed by plays:
Best Musical
Girl From The North Country, Producers: Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Steven Lappin, Sony Music Entertainment/Sony ATV, David Mirvish, Len Blavatnik, The Dodgers, Eric & Marsi Gardiner, Dianne Roberts, John Gore Organization, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Tommy Mottola, Independent Presenters Network, Rod Kaats, Diana DiMenna, Mary Beth O’Connor, Barbara H. Freitag, Patrick Catullo, Aaron Lustbader, The Old Vic, Matthew Warchus, Kate Varah, Georgia Gatti, The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham, Mandy Hackett
MJ, Producers: Lia Vollack, John Branca, John McClain, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music Entertaiment, Roy Furman, Cue to Cue Productions, James L. Nederlander, Kumiko Yoshii, Naoya Kinoshita, Latitude Link, Candy Spelling, Stephen C. Byrd, John Gore Organization, Sandy Robertson, Ed Walson, Peter W. May, CJ ENM, Martin Bandier, Michael Cassel Group, Albert Nocciolino, Playful Productions, Ken Schur, Willette & Manny Klausner, Doug Morris, Michael David, Estate of Michael Jackson
Mr. Saturday Night, Producers: James L. Nederlander, Face Productions, Inc., Hunter Arnold, Michael Cohl, TEG Dainty, Candy Spelling, Steve Traxler, Marc David Levine, Caiola Productions, Crossroads Live, Jamie deRoy, Roy Furman, Arny Granat, Grove Entertainment, John Gore Organization, Wolf Gutterman, Van Kaplan, Larry Magid, Peter May, Carl Moellenberg, Beth W. Newburger, Albert Nocciolino, Eva Price, Iris Smith, The Shubert Organization, Howard Tenenbaum, Barry and Fran Weissler
Paradise Square
Producers: Garth H. Drabinsky, Peter LeDonne, Jeffrey A. Sine, Matthew C. Blank, Joe Crowley, RSR Finance LLC, Hunter & Mariana Milborne, Len Blavatnik, Joseph Coffey, Sherry Wright & Craig Haffner, Bernard Abrams, James Scrivanich, Rick Chad, Arthur M. Kraus, Broadway & Beyond Theatricals, Brian Luborsky, Gilbert & Elisa Palter, The Shubert Organization, Terry Schnuck, Urban One, Inc., Robert Wolf, Richard Stursberg, Mark W. Everson, Sanjay Govil, Jeremiah J. Harris, Amabel James, Sheila C. Johnson,
Dennis Mehiel, Louise H. & John G. Beard, Henry R. Muñoz, III & Kyle Ferari Muñoz, Walter Swett, Zachary Florence, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
SIX: The Musical, Producers: Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes, George Stiles, Kevin McCollum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
WINNER: A Strange Loop
Producers: Barbara Whitman, Pasek, Paul & Stafford, Hunter Arnold, Marcia Goldberg, Alex Levy & James Achilles, Osh Ashruf, A Choir Full Productions, Don Cheadle & Bridgid Coulter Cheadle, Paul Oakley Stovall, Jimmy Wilson, Annapurna Theatre, Robyn Coles, Creative Partners Productions, Robyn Gottesdiener, Kayla Greenspan, Grove Entertainment, Kuhn, Lewis & Scott, Frank Marshall, Maximum Effort Productions Inc., Joey Monda, Richard Mumby, Phenomenal Media & Meena Harris, Marc Platt & Debra Martin Chase, Laurie Tisch, Yonge Street Theatricals, Dodge Hall Productions/JJ Malley, Cody Renard Richard, John Gore Organization, James L. Nederlander, The Shubert Organization, RuPaul Charles, Alan Cumming, Ilana Glazer, Jennifer Hudson, Mindy Kaling, Billy Porter, Page 73 Productions, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons
Best Revival of a Musical
Caroline, or Change, Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Julia C. Levy, Sydney Beers, Steve Dow, Lot’s Wife, Hunter Arnold, Caiola Productions/Willette & Manny Klausner, Chambers -D’Angora/Joseph & Alyson Graci
WINNER: Company, Producers: Elliott & Harper Productions, The Shubert Organization, Catherine Schreiber, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Crossroads Live, Anapurna Theatre, Hunter Arnold, No Guarantees, Jon B. Platt, Michael Watt, John Gore Organization, Tim Levy, Grove – REG, Hornos – Mollenberg, Levine – Federman – Adler, Beard – Merrie – Robbins, LD Entertainment/Madison Wells Live, Benjamin Lowy/Roben Alive, Daryl Roth/Tom Tuft, Salmira Productions/Caiola Productions, Aged in Wood/Lee – Sachs, Berinstein – Lane/42nd.club, Boyett – Miller/Hodges – Kukieiski, Finn – DeVito/Independent Presenters Network, Armstrong – Ross/Gilad – Rogowsky, Boardman – Koenigsberg/Zell – Seriff, Concord Theatricals – Scott Sanders Productions/Abrams – May, deRoy – Brunish/Jenen – Rubin, Fakston Productions/Sabi – Lerner – Ketner, Maggio – Abrams/Hopkins – Tackel, Levy & Chauviere, Jujamcyn Theaters
The Music Man
Producers: Barry Diller, David Geffen, Kate Horton, Fictionhouse
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Billy Crystal, Mr. Saturday Night
WINNER: Myles Frost, MJ
Hugh Jackman, The Music Man
Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire
Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change
Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset
Sutton Foster, The Music Man
WINNER: Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square
Mare Winningham, Girl From the North Country
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
WINNER: Matt Doyle, Company
Sidney DuPont, Paradise Square
Jared Grimes, Funny Girl
John-Andrew Morrison, A Strange Loop
A.J. Shively, Paradise Square
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Jeannette Bayardelle, Girl From the North Country
Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night
Jayne Houdyshell, The Music Man
L Morgan Lee, A Strange Loop
WINNER: Patti LuPone, Company
Jennifer Simard, Company
Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop
WINNER: Marianne Elliott, Company
Conor McPherson, Girl From the North Country
Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage, SIX: The Musical
Christopher Wheeldon, MJ
Best Book of a Musical
Girl From the North Country, Conor McPherson
MJ, Lynn Nottage
Mr. Saturday Night, Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
Paradise Square, Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan
WINNER: A Strange Loop, Michael R. Jackson
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Flying Over Sunset, Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Michael Korie
Mr. Saturday Night, Music: Jason Robert Brown, Lyrics: Amanda Green
Paradise Square, Music: Jason Howland, Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare
WINNER: SIX: The Musical, Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
A Strange Loop, Music & Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Warren Carlyle, The Music Man
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, SIX: The Musical
Bill T. Jones, Paradise Square
WINNER: Christopher Wheeldon, MJ
Best Orchestrations
David Cullen, Company
Tom Curran, SIX: The Musical
WINNER: Simon Hale, Girl from The North Country
Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, MJ
Charlie Rosen, A Strange Loop
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, Flying Over Sunset
WINNER: Bunny Christie, Company
Arnulfo Maldonado, A Strange Loop
Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, MJ
Allen Moyer, Paradise Square
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Fly Davis, Caroline, or Change
Toni-Leslie James, Paradise Square
William Ivey Long, Diana, The Musical
Santo Loquasto, The Music Man
WINNER: Gabriella Slade, SIX: The Musical
Paul Tazewell, MJ
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Neil Austin, Company
Tim Deiling, SIX: The Musical
Donald Holder, Paradise Square
WINNER: Natasha Katz, MJ
Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset
Jen Schriever, A Strange Loop
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Simon Baker, Girl From The North Country
Paul Gatehouse, SIX: The Musical
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Company
Drew Levy, A Strange Loop
WINNER: Gareth Owen, MJ
Best Play
Clyde’s
Author: Lynn Nottage; Producers: Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Khady Kamara
Hangmen
Author: Martin McDonagh; Producers: Robert Fox, Jean Doumanian, Elizabeth I. McCann, Craig Balsam, Atlantic Theater Company, Jon B. Platt, Len Blavatnik, Richard Fishman, John Gore Organization, Stephanie P. McClelland, David Mirvish, The Shubert Organization, Jamie deRoy/Sandy Robertson, Patrick Myles/Alexander ‘Sandy’ Marshall, M. Kilburg Reedy/Excelsior Entertainment, Playful Productions, The Royal Court Theatre
WINNER: The Lehman Trilogy, Author: Stefano Massini, Ben Power; Producers: National Theatre, Neal Street Productions, Barry Diller, David Geffen, Kash Bennett, Lisa Burger, Caro Newling, Ambassador Theatre Group, Stephanie P. McClelland, Annapurna Theatre, Delman Whitney, Craig Balsam/Heni Koenigsberg/John Yonover, Fiery Angel/Seth A. Goldstein, Starry
Night Entertainment, Gavin Kalin Productions, Paul & Selina Burdell/Bill Damaschke, 42nd.club/Phil & Claire Kenny, CatWenJam Productions, Amanda Dubois, Glass Half Full Productions, Dede Harris/Linda B. Rubin, Kallish Weinstein Creative, Kors Le Pere Theatricals LLC, James L. Nederlander, No Guarantees, Mark Pigott KBE, KStJ, Playing Field, Catherine Schreiber/Adam Zell, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Richard Winkler/Alan Shorr/Dawn Smalberg, The Shubert Organization, Independent Presenters Network, John Gore Organization, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jillian Robbins
The Minutes, Author: Tracy Letts; Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Rebecca Gold, Carl Moellenberg, Spencer Ross, Louise Gund, Elizabeth Armstrong, Blakeman Entertainment, HornosBerger, Across the River Productions, Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley/Leah Lane, Jayne Baron Sherman, Kathleen K. Johnson, Emily Dobbs, Robert Flicker, Jacob Soroken Porter, The Shubert Organization, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Skeleton Crew, Author: Dominique Morisseau; Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove
Best Revival of a Play
American Buffalo, Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Steve Traxler, Stephanie P. McClelland, GFour Productions, Spencer Ross, Gemini Theatrical, Chris and Ashlee Clarke, Suna Said Maslin, Ted & Richard Liebowitz/Cue to Cue Productions, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Brad Blume, Caiola Productions, Joanna Carson, Arthur Kern, Willette Klausner, Jeremiah J. Harris and Darren P. Deverna, Van Kaplan, Patrick Myles/David Luff, Alexander Marshall, Ambassador Theatre Group, Kathleen K. Johnson, Diego Kolankowsky, Steve and Jacob Levy, Morwin Schmookler, Brian Moreland, Jacob Soroken Porter, The Shubert Organization
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Producers: Nelle Nugent, Ron Simons, Kenneth Teaton, Ellen Ferguson and Vivian Phillips, Willette and Manny Klausner, Hunter Arnold, Dale Franzen, Valencia Yearwood, One Community, Audible, Dennis Grimaldi, Terry Nardozzi and Tracey Knight Narang, Grace Nordhoff/Mickalene Thomas, Angelina Fiordellisi/Caiola Productions, The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham, Mandy Hackett
How I Learned to Drive, Author: Paula Vogel; Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove, Daryl Roth, Cody Lassen, Vineyard Theatre
WINNER: Take Me Out, Producers: Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Khady Kamara
Trouble in Mind, Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Julia C. Levy, Sydney Beers, Steve Dow
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
WINNER: Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy
Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy
Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy
David Morse, How I Learned to Drive
Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues
David Threlfall, Hangmen
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Gabby Beans, The Skin of Our Teeth
LaChanze, Trouble in Mind
Ruth Negga, Macbeth
WINNER: Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H.
Mary-Louise Parker, How I Learned to Drive
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Alfie Allen, Hangmen
Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind
WINNER: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out
Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s
Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out
Jesse Williams, Take Me Out
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Uzo Aduba, Clyde’s
Rachel Dratch, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Kenita R. Miller, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
WINNER: Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Julie White, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Kara Young, Clyde’s
Best Direction of a Play
Lileana Blain-Cruz, The Skin of Our Teeth
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
WINNER: Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy
Neil Pepe, American Buffalo
Les Waters, Dana H.
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowulf Boritt, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, Skeleton Crew
WINNER: Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy
Anna Fleischle, Hangmen
Scott Pask, American Buffalo
Adam Rigg, The Skin of Our Teeth
Best Costume Design of a Play
WINNER: Montana Levi Blanco, The Skin of Our Teeth
Sarafina Bush, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind
Jane Greenwood, Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite
Jennifer Moeller, Clyde’s
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Joshua Carr, Hangmen
Jiyoun Chang, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
WINNER: Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy
Jane Cox, Macbeth
Yi Zhao, The Skin of Our Teeth
Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
WINNER: Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H.
Palmer Hefferan, The Skin of Our Teeth
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy
Mikaal Sulaiman, Macbeth
