Broadway shared the wealth at the 79th Tony Awards on Sunday.
“Death of a Salesman,” a radical revival that restages Arthur Miller’s classic in a garage, was the big winner with six prizes, while “Schmigadoon!,” “The Lost Boys” and “Ragtime” each earned four statues. But no single show dominated the evening. Instead, it was a night that rewarded stage veterans like John Lithgow (“Giant”), Shoshana Bean (“The Lost Boys”) and Joshua Henry (“Ragtime”), as well as newcomers like Alden Ehrenreich (“Becky Shaw”). It was also a history-making ceremony, with “Liberation”’s Bess Wohl becoming the first female playwright in 38 years to win best play, while Apple, which produced “Schmigadoon!,” became the fastest streaming service to complete an EGOT.
Here are five key takeaways from a memorable celebration of theater.
Did This Show Produce Itself?
“Death of a Salesman” triumphed on Sunday, winning the award for best revival of a play. But one of the show’s leading creative forces went unacknowledged — for good reason. “Death of a Salesman” marked the return of Scott Rudin, the superstar producer who spent five years in exile after investigative stories were published about his abusive behavior with staff. It’s customary to name-check the producer of a show in an acceptance speech, but neither Joe Mantello nor Laurie Metcalf mentioned Rudin when they picked up their statues for best director and best featured actress, respectively. When the show won best revival, Nathan Lane — its star, and not one of its producers — rattled off a list of thank-yous, and again didn’t mention Rudin. Heading into the night, awards watchers wondered whether a Rudin backlash might deprive “Death of a Salesman” of top prizes. Sunday night’s ceremony offered a different message — Broadway is willing to work with Rudin, but applauding him is still a bridge too far.
