“Love is love is love is love is love and can not be swept aside”, said the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, as he accepted his Tony Award for best score, offering a timely reminder to the audience at the Beacon Theatre that “nothing here is promised, not one day”.
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Meanwhile, the cast of Hamilton went without their usual prop muskets during their performance in deference to the Orlando terror victims. “You can’t let that moment go by”, he said. The latter won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carole King in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”. The two-time Academy Award victor said: “This is a dream come true and it fills me with such happiness, even on such a sad day as this”.
“I’ve never been one to rush into things”, said Ms. Houdyshell.
“Just shocked. It’s something that I think you just want to take time to really process because it seems to be happening too much”, said actress Glenn Close.
Directed by Thomas Kail and featuring a book, music and lyrics by Miranda, Hamilton is inspired by the book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
This is the first time in the award’s 70-year history that the four major awards have been won by actors of colour.
Guests at the Tony Awards have donned silver ribbons in solidarity with victims in what is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
Renee Elise Goldsberry accepts the award for featured actress in a musical for “Hamilton” at the Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre on Sunday, June 12, 2016, in NY.
When Lin-Manuel Miranda won the Tony for best score for In the Heights in 2008, he accepted the award with a passionate rap and the fevered enthusiasm that’s become his trademark.
“Hamilton” is up for two of the biggest awards: Best Musical and Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Lin-Manuel Miranda and co-star Leslie Odom Jr. are nominees).
Then she reminded the audience why celebrating art matters even at times of tragedy: “Art can entertain us, and at times like these, console us”.
Miranda, as predicted, collect awards for his book and score, with Hamilton also winning in the categories of featured actor and actress in a musical, director, orchestrations, choreography and costume and lighting design and, of course, musical.
The victories began flowing early for “Hamilton” at Sunday night’s Tony Awards – and they just kept coming.
Producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, who is bringing the show to the West End, said: “Just occasionally in life the stars align as they have now, and I have the flawless theatre available for one of the most brilliant, original and entertaining musicals I have ever seen”.
In a recorded video message, President and Michelle Obama paid tribute to the blockbuster musical, recalling how the composer and star had performed a number for them, seven years ago, from what would go on to be included in the current Hamilton production.
And that’s why William Ivey Long, a veteran Broadway costume designer and Tony victor, designed the silver ribbons.
For all the talk about diversity and inclusiveness this season (absent at the Oscars, present at the Tonys), nothing could beat one powerful image: All four of the musical acting winners were black actors.
English actress Cynthia Erivo won the Tony for best actress for her Broadway debut in “The Color Purple”.
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Goldsberry is a seasoned Broadway vet and plays the powerful Angelica Schuyler. The Tony Award victor proved he truly is a triple threat as he sang, danced and acted his way as one of Broadway’s best.
