Highlights From The 72nd Annual Tony Awards

By Brent Furdyk. 11 Jun 2018 1:09 AM

From a jaw-dropping performance from Bruce Springsteen to Robert De Niro’s proclamation of “[Bleep] Trump!” to some stunning Broadway performances, check out these highlights from the 2018 Tonys, hosted by Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban.

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‘This Is For The People Who Lose’

When you have singers as talented as co-hosts Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles, it shouldn’t be surprising that they kicked off the Tonys with a song, with the pair facing each other while playing matching grand pianos and singing a sad lament about how “neither one of us has ever won anything,” which segued into a peppy number about all the nominees who’ll leave this year’s Tonys empty-handed. “This one’s for the loser inside of you!”
Andrew Garfield's First Tony

The Tonys kicked off the show with one of its biggest awards, with Andrew Garfield winning for his performance in “Angels in America”, Tony Kushner’s groundbreaking play about the AIDS crisis. “This means a great deal, thank you so much,” said Garfield in his acceptance speech. “At a moment in time where maybe the most important thing we remember right now is the sanctity of the human spirit, it is the profound privilege to play Prior Walter in ‘Angels in America’, because he represents the purest spirit of humanity and especially that of the LGBTQ community,” he said, dedicating the award to LGBT who fought and died for gay rights. “It is a spirit that says no to oppression. It is a spirit that says no to bigotry, no to shame, no to exclusion. It is a spirit that says we are all made perfectly and we all belong.”
Tina's Boat

Introducing “Mean Girls” as a nominee for Best Musical, Tina Fey (who brought her hit movie to Broadway) pointed out that four nominees in the category are based on movies, quipping: “But only one of these movies paid for my boat.”
'Mean Girls'

Following Tina Fey’s hilarious introduction, viewers were treated to a show-stopping number from “Mean Girls”.
More From Groban And Bareilles

The co-hosts returned to let the crowd know that while many of them were familiar with them from their Broadway shows (“Waitress” for Barielles, Groban for “Great Comet”) the duo joked that TV viewers were more likely to know them for their music on the radio. “Or at a Starbucks, or in a hotel elevator” said Bareilles. “Or in a romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson,” added Groban. “Or maybe in your mom’s Rav 4,” quipped Bareilles, with the pair also noting their music would likely be heard during a summer-camp slide show, a wedding for your friend Trish or, as Groban joked, “on a mix CD from college you labelled ‘emotional.’”
Amy's Intro

“Hi, I am beautiful theatre actress Amy Schumer,” joked the first-time Tony nominee for her role in Steve Martin’s “Meteor Shower”. In introducing the next Best Musical nominee, a revival of “My Fair Lady”, Schumer noted the play was based on the George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalian”, “a comedy about class and sexism. It tells the story of scruffy flower girl Eliza Dootlittle, who is transformed by Henry Higgins, a mansplaining expert on dialects.”
'My Fair Lady'

In a medley of songs from the iconic musical, star Lauren Ambrose no doubt shocked numerous viewers who only know her from HBO’s “Six Feet Under” with her soaring vocals on “The Rain in Spain” and “I Could Have Danced All Night”.
The Boss (Part 1)

The Boss (Part 1)
After a businesslike introduction from friend and fellow rocker Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen took to the stage to accept a special award for his critically acclaimed show “Springsteen on Broadway”. “This is deeply appreciated. Thank you for making me feel so welcome on the block,” Springsteen said after a standing ovation from the audience. “Being part of the Broadway community has been a great thrill and an honour and one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced.” He also thanked wife (and Broadway co-star) Patti Scialfa “for her love and inspiration every night.”
Tituss Burgess

“For an actor, the exhilaration of performing on Broadway for a live audience is equalled only by the sheer joy of performing with and paying tribute to me,” quipped “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” star Tituss Burgess. “Which is why presenting the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical — a category I’ve been snubbed in several times — is both painful and courageous on my part, to say the least.”
A 'SpongeBob' Serenade

The next musical to be featured was “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical”, with star Gavin Lee (as cranky Squidward) performing the show’s “I’m Not A Loser”.
'8 Times A Week'

Groban and Bareilles, clad in matching gold outfits, returned to the stage to sing another song, this one set to Sia’s “Chandelier”, in which they gripe about performing eight shows a week. “I’m holding on for dear life,” sang Bareilles, with Groban adding, “Someone check on my kids and my wife… What the hell is this eight times a week?”
Third Time's The Charm

Picking up his third Tony, Nathan Lane took the award for Featured Actor in a Play, thanking “Angels in America” writer Tony Kushner (an “adorable genius… even his emails are Pulitzer-worthy”) and losing his composure completely while thanking his husband, Devlin Elliott (“the greatest blessing in my life”) after tearfully declaring, “I’m a mess!”
'Carousel'

Ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov introduced a performance of “Blow High, Blow Low” from “Carousel”, another of this year’s nominated musicals, spotlighting the spectacular dancing and crisp choreography featured in this Broadway revival.
Ar’iel Stachel’s Emotional Win

Winning his first Tony for his Broadway debut in “The Band’s Visit”, Ar’iel Stachel delivered the most emotional acceptance speech of the night accepting the award for Featured Actor in a Musical. “Both of my parents are here tonight,” he said, gesturing to the audience as he became overcome with emotion. “I have avoided so many events with them because for so many years of my life I pretended I was not a Middle-Eastern person. And after 9/11 it was very, very difficult for me, and so I concealed and I missed so many special events with them.” He lauded the playwrights “for telling a small story about Arabs and Israelis getting along at a time when we need that more than ever. I am part of a cast of actors who never believed we’d be able to portray our own races, and I am doing that… I want any kid watching to know that your biggest obstacle may turn into your purpose.”
'Seasons Of Love'

The members of the Drama Department at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High earned a standing ovation for their spirited rendition of “Seasons of Love” from “Rent” in celebration of their teacher, Melody Herzfeld, who hid more than 60 of her students in her drama classroom during the horrific shooting that took place in the school.
Always Great

Following her 30-year hiatus from acting in order to serve in Britain’s Parliament, Glenda Jackson won her first Tony Award, Leading Actress in a Play for “Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women”. After issuing a few thank-yous, Jackson declared that “there are people in this audience, people in this country, in this city, from every other country in the world. An you, as always, are welcoming and kind and generous. And America has never needed that more. But then, America is always great.”
'Frozen'

The magic of Disney was on display in a number from “Frozen”, the Broadway hit based on the animated blockbuster.
Webber And Chita

Andrew Lloyd Webber, recipient of the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater and Chita Rivera, recipient of the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, received the evening's most schizophrenic tribute, with Groban and Bareilles performing a mashup medley of songs from their respective greatest hits before the pair took to the stage to present the award for Best Direction of a Musical.
'Once On This Island'

The cast of "Once On This Island" delivered a spirited number from the musical before winning the award for Best Revival of a Musical.
De Niro's Declaration

No single person received a bigger and more raucous round of applause than Robert De Niro when he took to the stage and quipped, "I'm gonna say one thing: [Bleep] Trump." Once the applause died down, he added. "It's no longer 'Down with Trump,' it's '[Bleep} Trump."
The Boss (Part 2)

Demonstrating why he'll always be the Boss, Bruce Springsteen delivered a devastatingly dramatic monologue about his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, while accompanying himself on piano, which segued into a stunning stripped-down performance of his 1980s hit "My Hometown".
Something Drastic

Springsteen is a tough act to follow, which led to Bareilles and Groban wearing each other's costumes from their respective musicals, with Bareilles even sporting a bushy fake beard. "I know what you're all thinking, sure," quipped Groban. "But after De Niro, CBS told us to do something drastic, so here we are."
Tony's First Tony

Former "Monk" star Tony Shalhoub took home his first Tony for Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance in "The Band's Visit", and delivered an emotional acceptance speech that he kicked off with a joke. "Listen, it's late and I know you're all tired so I'm going to make this as long as I possibly can," he quipped. In his speech, Shalhoub paid tribute to his grandfather, who arrived at New York's Ellis Island from Lebanon nearly a hundred years ago, and honoured the founders of the Theater Wing. "May we, their descendents, never lose sight of what they taught us."
'The Band's Visit' Takes Best Musical

The night's final award went to "The Band's Visit", winner of best musical. "In 'The Band's Visit', music gives people hope and makes borders disappear," said producer Orin Wolf, adding that the show "offers a message of unity in a world that more and more seems bent on amplifying our differences. In the end, we are all far more alike than different, and I am so proud to be part of a community that chooses to support that message."

Highlights From The 72nd Annual Tony Awards

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