PHOTOSBravo! The 10 Must-See Moments From The 2017 Tony Awards
Broadway’s biggest stars turned out for the 71st Annual Tony Awards last night in New York City. From Lin-Manuel Miranda to Cynthia Nixon, the show featured some of the Great White Way’s most familiar faces. However, the Tonys also highlighted some newcomers this year, like Josh Groban and John Legend, the latter of whom took home his first Tony! Kevin Spacey also made his debut as the show’s host and put his best dancing foot forward. Click through to see the best moments from this year’s show!
The Tonys took a chance this year, hiring Kevin Spacey as the host at the last minute. Kevin joked throughout the show that he was not the show’s first choice for host, and his opening medley featured cameos from Stephen Colbert and Billy Crystal, who gave him advice on how to host Broadway’s biggest night.
Bette Midler shocked the audience when she refused to be played off the stage during her acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Musical. “Shut that crap off!” the Hello, Dolly star yelled as producers tried to cut her speech short. Bette went on to talk for four whole minutes, rattling off a huge list of thank you’s.
The Tonys were full of surprise appearances, like when Tina Fey turned up to present the award for Best Actor in a Musical, which she presented to Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt.
Another unexpected presenter was Jill Biden, wife of former Vice President Joe Biden, who introduced a performance from the Tony-nominated play Bandstand. Excited fans Mariska Hargitay and Anna Kendrick posed for pics with the political duo backstage.
American Idol season one runner-up Justin Guarini even made an appearance at the Tonys. The singer performed with fellow Broadway stars during the In Memoriam sequence.
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First time Broadway star Josh Groban made his Tonys debut with a performance from his play Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet. The singer looked right at home on the Radio City stage.
Longtime Broadway star James Earl Jones won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Naturally, some stars couldn’t help but get political in their speeches. Winner Cynthia Nixon said, “My love, my gratitude and my undying respect go out to all of the people in 2017 who are refusing to just stand and watch” people hurt others.
Another surprise from the night was all the Broadway “outsiders” who won awards. Dear Evan Hansen, a musical lacking the typical glitz and glam of Broadway, took home the Tony for Best Musical.
And John Legend even won big! The singer/songwriter took home a Tony for his play Jitney, which he co-produced. The actor is now just one Emmy away from being an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).
What was your favorite moment from the night? Sound off in the comments below!
