A 'Giant' win, vampires and the Pink of it all: 7 essential moments from the 2026 Tony Awards

9 hours ago 1

The 79th Tony Awards went disconnected without a hitch astatine Radio City Music Hall, Sunday. The show, hosted by Pink, ran conscionable implicit 3 hours and was comparatively unsurprising erstwhile it came to the wins it delivered. Although each twelvemonth it seems much marquee movie and tv stars look successful the assemblage arsenic celebrities of a definite caliber proceed to flock to the signifier successful hunt of a much authentic—and immediate—connection to their audience.

This twelvemonth viewers could spot Adrien Brody, John Lithgow, Laurie Metcalf, Rose Byrne, Daniel Radcliffe, Nathan Lane, Alden Ehrenreich and more. Despite, oregon possibly due to the fact that of the prima power, the amusement stuck to its expected publication with “Schmigadoon!” winning champion musical, “Ragtime” champion philharmonic revival, “Liberation” champion play and “Death of a Salesman” champion revival.

Still, the nighttime had capable laughs, groans and tender moments to support things interesting. Here are 7 of our favorites.

Vampires arsenic metaphor for what ails America

Ali Louis Bourzgui astatine the 2026 Tony Awards.

Who knew vampires made specified a bully metaphor for America’s worst excesses? When 26-year-old Ali Louis Bourzgui took to the signifier astatine Radio City Music Hall aft an upset triumph for show by an histrion successful a featured relation successful a musical, helium utilized the undead to poignantly picture the country’s biggest sociopolitical challenges.

“Vampires correspond those who person shunned their ain humanity successful bid to execute a nonexistent consciousness of superiority. The billionaires volition ne'er find happiness from their money. The colonizers volition ne'er find fulfillment from the onshore and lives they steal. The fascists volition ne'er find meaning from their conformity, not successful this beingness oregon eternity,” said Bourzgui, who originated the relation of David successful the philharmonic adaptation of the cult vampire fearfulness movie “The Lost Boys.”

—Jessica Gelt

A Tony trifecta for John Lithgow and Laurie Metcalf

John Lithgow astatine the 2026 Tony Awards

It’s ever a bully feeling erstwhile actors we person known and emotion get rewarded by a well-deserved win, and truthful it was connected Sunday nighttime erstwhile John Lithgow and Laurie Metcalf took back-to-back wins aboriginal successful the show. The erstwhile for show by an histrion successful a starring relation successful a play for his portrayal of the controversial, beloved British writer Roald Dahl successful Mark Rosenblatt’s play “Giant.” The second for featured histrion for her portrayal of Willy Loman’s protective wife, Linda, successful “Death of a Salesman.” The plays were rather different, but the winners shared a precise circumstantial honor: the nighttime marked the 3rd Tony triumph for each actor.

Lithgow won his erstwhile trophies successful 1972 and 2002, and Metcalf successful 2017 and 2018.

—Jessica Gelt

Nathan Lane is an ‘American theatrical treasure’

Nathan Lane accepts the champion revival of a play grant for "Death of a Salesman" astatine the 2026 Tony Awards.

Unless Nathan Lane gets a ace astatine playing King Lear, his Willy Loman successful Joe Mantello’s accumulation of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” volition spell down arsenic 1 of the highest challenges of his acting career. Not winning the Tony for his indefatigable show indispensable sting, but John Lithgow was favored to triumph for his brave crook arsenic the baleful Roald Dahl of Mark Rosenblatt’s “Giant.” Lane had to person been prepared but a subtle wince of disappointment could beryllium detected erstwhile the camera pryingly caught his contiguous reaction.

So it was gratifying to spot Lane person his owed from Mantello, who upon accepting his grant for directing credited Lane with being the inspiration for the production. And erstwhile “Salesman” won for champion revival, it was lone fitting that Lane accepted the grant connected behalf of the institution astir a play that, ultimately, helium pointed out, is astir a family.

It was a constituent that Laurie Metcalf, who won for her featured show arsenic Linda Loman, besides raised erstwhile she thanked Lane, Christopher Abbott (who played Biff) and Ben Ahlers (who played Happy) —her ferocious Loman family— for making her better.

A three-time Tony-winner already, Lane doesn’t request different trophy to guarantee him that he’s an American theatrical treasure. But this wasn’t conscionable different Broadway outing for him. This was Miller’s masterwork successful a accumulation that volition beryllium remembered agelong aft the tally of this year’s Tony Awards are agelong forgotten.

—Charles McNulty

Joshua Henry is simply a bully person, a large histrion and everybody loves him

Joshua Henry astatine the 2026 Tony Awards.

The biggest lasting ovation of the nighttime came erstwhile Joshua Henry won the grant for show by an histrion successful a starring relation successful a philharmonic for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Coalhouse Walker Jr. successful the revival of “Ragtime.” Wearing a show-stopping achromatic suit with aureate flowers, Henry rushed to the signifier arsenic the star-studded assemblage leapt to its feet to present a rousing lasting ovation.

Henry archetypal came to the afloat attraction of fans playing Aaron Burr successful the 2017 nationalist circuit of “Hamilton,” and has since gone connected to separate himself arsenic 1 of Broadway’s astir charming and relatable stars. His optimism and kindness radiance through, arsenic does his fierce emotion of his creation form, which was evident arsenic helium gave his acceptance speech, thanking — successful peculiar — his archetypal vocal manager for believing successful him. He besides gave a poignant shout-out to the show’s archetypal formed members Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald, and sent each the emotion to his 3 young sons.

—Jessica Gelt

Pink had fun, but didn’t look to cognize wherefore she was there

Neil Patrick Harris and Pink astatine the 2026 Tony Awards.

Pop prima Pink kicked disconnected the amusement with a wink and a motion to her deed “Lady Marmalade,” and went connected to wow the assemblage with an action-packed opener filled with much than 150 performers and riffs from each Broadway amusement imaginable, positive a spirited quality by Megan Thee Stallion. But the enactment that resonated astir came aboriginal connected erstwhile she spun hopelessly connected a enactment supra the signifier dressed arsenic Peter Pan and a disquieted Neil Patrick Harris appeared to inquire wherefore she was performing successful specified an old-fashioned show.

“I conscionable privation to amusement however overmuch I emotion theatre adjacent though I’ve ne'er been connected Broadway,” Pink said, inactive dangling, but nailing a fewer tricks. “I’m conscionable acrophobic radical mightiness beryllium like, ‘Why’s Pink hosting the Tonys?’”

That wasn’t the archetypal clip she seemed to beryllium apologizing to the assemblage for being there.

—Jessica Gelt

Darren Criss gives blessed endings

Darren Criss and Nicole Scherzinger astatine the 2026 Tony Awards.

Darren Criss is simply a Broadway superstar who consistently delivers “Happy endings,” according to co-presenter Nicole Scherzinger.

In what mightiness person been the show’s astir racy and deliciously groan-worthy joke, Scherzinger, stood side-by-side with the “Maybe Happy Endings” prima to present the penultimate awards of the night, and noted, “You gave the satellite blessed endings.”

“I did?” asked Criss, feigning innocence.

“You’re a giver,” said Scherzinger.

The brace took a bushed done bubbling titters from the assemblage earlier knowingly yelling, “Happy Pride everyone!”

—Jessica Gelt

Leslie Odom Jr. delivers a moving successful memoriam

Leslie Odom Jr. astatine the 2026 Tony Awards.

Tony Award victor Leslie Odom Jr. sang a soulful rendition of “Without You” from “Rent” during the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment, which honored artists who died successful 2025 and 2026, including Diane Keaton and Robert Redford. These yearly segments are mournful — and tricky — and the “Hamilton” prima managed to make an understated ambiance that acceptable the cleanable code for the somber projection of precocious mislaid greats specified arsenic Robert Duvall, Tom Stoppard and Carmen de Lavallade.

—Jessica Gelt

Read Entire Article