The 2026 Tonys paid homage to Chicago‘s landmark 30th anniversary on Sunday night.
Alex Newell kicked things off with a performance of “When You’re Good To Mama,” after an introduction by Queen Latifah, who commemorated the show’s three-decade run on Broadway. Latifah’s intro paid homage to her own Oscar-nominated starring turn as Matron “Mama” Morton in the 2002 film.
“And now, ladies and gentleman, from one mother hen to another, the keeper of the keys, the countess of the clink, the mistress of murderers row; Matron ‘Mama’ Morton!” Latifah said before welcoming the Tony winner to the stage.
Pink, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Adrienne Warren, Julianne Hough, Whitney Leavitt and Dylan Mulvaney were among those who also appeared in the starry performance.
The long-running musical hit a new high at the box office this year, boosted by Leavitt and her Dancing With the Stars partner Mark Ballas’ limited run in the show. Chicago reached close to $1.5 million during the week of April 14, as the average ticket price went up to $171, and capacity at the Ambassador Theatre increased to 100 percent.
