Deadline is live blogging tonights 72nd annual Tony Awards, which are being billed, jokingly or not, as including “stuff youve heard of before!” That was a line in the Sara Bareilles/Josh Groban song the Tony hosts performed last week on Stephen Colberts The Late Show. And while its true — certainly everyone knows Harry Potter and SpongeBob SquarePants and Mean Girls and Lauren Ambrose and My Fair Lady — dont be misguided into thinking the Broadway season being celebrated has been just a rehash, more of the same old same old.
To do so would devalue the remarkable amount of talent, skill and innovation that went into the productions being honored tonight. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, while fitting fully into the Potterverse, is a gorgeous, thoroughly modern thing all on its own, and worthy of all the accolades — and likely awards — it has gotten or will get. My Fair Lady, Angels in America and Carousel are revivals, but each brings an up-to-the-minute knowledge and vivacity to their material.
And then there are the shows that likely wont be familiar to anyone outside the Broadway universe. The Bands Visit, for starters. TV viewers shouldnt let any unfamiliarity with the work have them turning channels. That musical, a strong contender for best of the year, is a remarkable work: Enjoy it in what ever little morsel is meted out tonight, and then see it in full the first chance you get.
RelatedTonys Opening Number: Hosts Sara Bareilles & Josh Groban Celebrate The Losers
And remember, join me in this live blog tonight, as I offer my thoughts on the Tony happenings as they happen live from Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. Were also updating the winners list here live. Here is the list so far:
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Nathan Lane, Angels in America
Best Book of a Musical
The Bands Visit, Itamar Moses
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
Best Choreography
Justin Peck, Carousel
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Best Orchestrations
Jamshied Sharifi, The Bands Visit
Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Greg Evans June 10, 20186:01 pm
With Lane such a powerhouse though, his rivals bear mention: Anthony Boyle, is a young talent wholl be back on this Tony stage, mark my words. And Michael Cera and Brian Tyree Henry, better knwon for their TV and film work, proved they were stage actors throgh and through with truly compelling performances. And my personal favorite in this category, David Morse, was, to me, the best thing in Iceman.
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:57 pm
WINNER:
Best Book for a Musical
The Bands Visit, Itamar Moses
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:57 pm
WINNER:
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Nathan Lane, Angels in America
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:57 pm
Nathan was as close to a shoo-in as this night had. He transforms himself on that stage – starts out as Nathan Lane and ends up Roy Cohn. Its a remarkable performance.
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:56 pm
This could be the start of a big night for The Bands Visit, is the various Bway prognosticators are on point. It could be the little musical that could, a truly lovely, smart, adult musical, the opposite of the big budget, splashy rivals like Frozen, Mean Girls and SpongeBob. I think it found its niche.
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:50 pm Greg Evans June 10, 20185:48 pm
Gavin Lees Im Not A Loser number is truly one of the big, splasy, old-fashioned Broadway numbers of the season, a tremendous crowd pleaser.
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:47 pm
hes not a loooooooser
gavin lee we love you and all your legs! tapping his lil heart out at the #TonyAwards
— SpongeBob Broadway (@SpongeBobBway) June 11, 2018
gavin lee we love you and all your legs! tapping his lil heart out at the 
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:41 pm
Another solid winner. Mendez all but steals every scene shes in, no small feat when she shares most of the Joshua Henry and Jessie Mueller.
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:41 pm
Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen hugging while walking off stage wins for best moment. #TonyAwards
— Kelly (@kellymo222) June 11, 2018
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:40 pm
WINNER:
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:38 pm
After a plain-Jane, 45-second acceptance speech, an on-screen graphic teases a performance from Springsteen later in tonights show.
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:36 pm
Loud chorus of “Bruuuuuuuuuce” and a standing O for Springsteen. He carries a printed-out speech, but no guitar, onstage.
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:36 pm
Billy Joel is introducing his “good friend,” Bruce Springsteen, who will receive a special Tony Award
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:34 pm
Click to read:
Tony Awards: Hosts Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban Celebrate The Losers In Opening Number
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:33 pm
Im hoping this wont be the last award for Carousel. Pecks choreography was lovely, and mixing classic musical theater with some modern flashes. Though I have to say I had a soft spot for SpongeBob in this category, no pun intended
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:32 pm
WINNER:
Best Choreography
Justin Peck, Carousel
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:29 pm
Schumer makes a good point here, and gets to what has been one of the overriding themes of this broadway – the re-appraisal of older works from a new viewpoint. My Fair Lady is a prime example – Lauren Ambroses Eliza is fierce
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:26 pm Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:26 pm
Amy Schumer presenting a musical number from “My Fair Lady” — calls Henry Higgins a “mansplaining expert” and says the show makes a great case for “equal rights for women … because we dont have that!”
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:25 pm
Laurie Metcalf was the expected winner here, and rightly so. She is brilliant and goes toe to toe with the transcendent Glenda Jackson. If this doesnt make up for a lot of the Roseanne nastiness of recent weeks, nothing well. Congrats Laurie!
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:24 pm
Metcalf keeps it basic and brief. Class all the way.
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:24 pm
WINNER:
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:22 pm
Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban have some fun spoofing their airbrushed images as musical artists. They say viewers may know their work from “Starbucks … or a hotel lobby … or your moms Rav-4 … or summer camp slide shows … or that mix-tape you labeled Emotional.'”
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:18 pm Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:16 pm
WINNER:
Best Orchestrations
Jamshied Sharifi, The Bands Visit
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:12 pm
has to be said, as good as Garfield is in this role, could easily have gone to Tom Hollander or Mark Rylance – worthy rivals
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:10 pm
“Mean Girls'” Tina Fey notes that four shows based on movies are up for Tony Awards tonight — “but only one of these movies paid for my boat.”
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:09 pm
Andrew Garfield, a winner for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play for Angels in America. salutes “the countless LGBTQ people who have fought and died … for the right to live and love.” Citing the Supreme Court decision, he adds: “Lets just bake a cake for anybody who wants a cake to be baked.”
Greg Evans June 10, 20185:08 pm
Great choice. Garfield was one of the standouts is a truly standout production. He re-created the role of Pryor Walter when it had long belonged to Stephen Spinella. Well deserved
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:07 pm
WINNER:
Best Performance by a Lead
Actor in a Play
Andrew Garfield,
Angels in America
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:06 pm Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:06 pm
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:06 pm
Hearty cheers (even some here in the press room) for the opening number.
Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:04 pm
Co-hosts Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban kick off the show with a winning, rousing duet “to the people who lose” (an elaborate and self-effacing wink at their own awards futility)
Erik Pedersen June 10, 20185:04 pm Dade Hayes June 10, 20185:00 pm
The wins by Harry Potter (and one for costumes by My Fair Lady) were part of the creative arts awards handed out before the show.
The televised event is beginning now! Dade Hayes June 10, 20184:59 pm
Going to be hard to top this line from Chita Riveras acceptance of her lifetime achievement Tony. Laughed the 85-year-old dance legend: “Theres still a lot of salt left in this shaker!”
Dade Hayes June 10, 20184:57 pm
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child starts off strong, winning Tony Awards for Best Scenic Design and Best Costumes for a play.
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