‘Kimberly Akimbo’ Is Triumphant at 76th Tony Awards

The musical Kimberly Akimbo—acclaimed by critics and audiences, and the little engine that could in a sea of more traditionally razzle-dazzle competitors—took home the biggest honors at the 76th Tony Awards, with 5 awards, including best musical, lead actress in a musical (Victoria Clark), and featured actress in a musical (Bonnie Milligan).

It beat out Some Like It Hot, whose four Tony Awards including a history-making win for J. Harrison Ghee, who, alongside Alex Newell (Shucked), became the first non-binary actors to win Tony Awards. Both actors gave powerful, moving speeches, directly addressed to LGBTQ, trans and non-binary youth.

Leopoldstadt, Sir Tom Stoppard’s play about generations of a Jewish family, won Best Play and four other Tony awards. Will & Grace star Sean Hayes won Best Actor (Play) for his role as Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar, while Jodie Comer beat out Jessica Chastain for the Lead Actress (Play) award for her searing performance in Prima Facie.

Yes, there were awards on Sunday night—without a script because of the ongoing WGA strike—but it was more emphatically a showcase for Broadway, a massive advertising billboard in CBS primetime to get as many people as possible to book tickets to support a theater industry still struggling to find its post-pandemic footing.

Not for nothing did the evening open with a roof-raising rendition of “New York, New York” from the musical of the same name. That was the message of the evening: book those tickets now! No awards were given out before the first commercial break. “Buckle up,” said host Ariana DeBose said at the beginning, envisioning what surprises and mischief a scriptless evening could unleash.

There was a lot of pointed and emotional speechmaking, perfectly timed for Pride month. After such a long and sustained period of homophobia and transphobia being voiced and signed into law—and broadcast by news programs with very little questioning of those behind it by ill-informed anchors and reporters—members of the queer community on Broadway took an opportunity to vocalize resistance and pride, and tell queer youth watching that they were not alone.

Ghee said, “For every trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming human who ever was told you couldn’t be, you couldn’t be seen, this is for you.”

Newell said: “Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here, as a queer, non-binary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts. To anyone who thinks they can’t do it…you can do anything you put your mind to.”

Michael Arden, who won the Best Direction of a Play Tony for Parade, gave a powerful speech, highlighting how the show revealed the importance of fighting all the forces of hatred around anti-Semitism, white supremacy, homophobia, and transphobia. Arden said trans, non-binary, and queer youth could count his and others’ support.

“Growing up I’ve been called the f word more times than I can count and now I can say I’m a f***** with a Tony,” Arden added to huge cheers and applause—with CBS muting the F-word itself. Will they also mute all those Republican presidential candidates, politicians and their supporters propagating homophobia and transphobia on their various programs, one wonders.

Denée Benton called Ron DeSantis the “current Grand Wizard” of Florida. Wishing the audience a happy Pride month, actor Wilson Cruz thanked the vast majority of Americans watching who support LGBTQ people and equality.

Accepting the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt) joked that he had long wanted to repay his parents for the sacrifices they had made for him, but he worked in theater so could not. They could keep the Tony at their place, he said, adding—more seriously—all parents should accept their children when they say who they are.

Bonnie Milligan, who won the featured actress in a musical Tony for Kimberly Akimbo, paid moving tribute to her family, and said to all those who had been told they did not look right, or that their identities—or who they loved—were wrong, “Well, guess what, you’re right.”

Some Like It Hot had led the field for the Tony Awards, with 13 nominations. Musicals & Juliet, Shucked, and New York, New York followed with 9 nominations apiece. Kimberly Akimbo, the critical favorite and a true Broadway original, scored 8 nominations.

Out of 38 eligible productions in 26 categories, this year there were 17 new plays, nine new musicals, six play revivals, and six musical revivals. The campaigns for all the nominees now begin in earnest. Big-name contenders included Audra McDonald, Samuel. L. Jackson, Jessica Chastain, Wendell Pierce (though Death of a Salesman did not receive a nomination for Best Play Revival), Comer, Ben Platt, Sara Bareilles, and Josh Groban.

Notable snubs had included Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella facing the same fate in the Best Musical category, Laura Linney going un-nominated for Summer, 1976 (her co-star Jessica Hecht was nominated), Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan going un-nominated for The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, and the acclaimed Sharon D. Clarke not being nominated for Death of a Salesman. Phillipa Soo was not nominated for Camelot or Into the Woods.

11 productions were shut out completely of all categories: musicals A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical and Bad Cinderella, plays Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man & The Pool, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Pictures From Home, The Collaboration, The Kite Runner, The Thanksgiving Play, and Walking With Ghosts, and musical revivals Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and 1776: The Musical.

769 Tony voters ultimately anointed the winners.

THE 2023 TONY AWARDS—FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND NOMINATIONS

Best Play

Ain’t No Mo’

Between Riverside and Crazy

Cost of Living

Fat Ham

WINNER Leopoldstadt

Best Musical

& Juliet

WINNER Kimberly Akimbo

New York, New York

Shucked

Some Like It Hot

Best Revival of a Play

A Doll’s House

August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson

The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window

WINNER Topdog/Underdog

Best Revival of a Musical

Camelot

Into the Woods

WINNER Parade

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topdog/Underdog

Corey Hawkins, Topdog/Underdog

WINNER Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar

Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy

Wendell Pierce, Death of a Salesman

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot

WINNER J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot

Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Brian D’Arcy James, Into the Woods

Ben Platt, Parade

Colton Ryan, New York, New York

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House

WINNER Jodie Comer, Prima Facie

Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976

Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods

WINNER Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo

Lorna Courtney, & Juliet

Micaela Diamond, Parade

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’

Samuel L. Jackson, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson

Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House

WINNER Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt

David Zayas, Cost of Living

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham

Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ain’t No Mo’

WINNER Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window

Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living

Kara Young, Cost of Living

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Kevin Cahoon, Shucked

Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo

Kevin del Aguila, Some Like It Hot

Jordan Donica, Camelot

WINNER Alex Newell, Shucked

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Julia Lester, Into the Woods

Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

WINNER Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo

NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot

Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet

Best Book of a Musical

David West Read, & Juliet

WINNER David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo

Robert Horn, Shucked

Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, Some Like It Hot

David Thompson and Sharon Washington, New York, New York

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Almost Famous, music by Tom Kitt; lyrics by Cameron Crowe and Tom Kitt

WINNER Kimberly Akimbo, music by Jeanine Tesori; lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire

KPOP, music and lyrics: Helen Park and Max Vernon

Shucked, music and lyrics: Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark

Some Like It Hot, music and lyrics: Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

Best Orchestrations

Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & Juliet

John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo

Jason Howland, Shucked

WINNER Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, Some Like It Hot

Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, New York, New York

Best Direction of a Play

Saheem Ali, Fat Ham

Jo Bonney, Cost of Living

Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House

WINNER Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt

Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’

Max Webster, Life of Pi

Best Direction of a Musical

WINNER Michael Arden, Parade

Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods

Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot

Jack O’Brien, Shucked

Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo

Best Choreography

Steven Hoggett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

WINNER Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot

Susan Stroman, New York, New York

Jennifer Weber, & Juliet

Jennifer Weber, KPOP

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Miriam Buether, Prima Facie

WINNER Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi

Rachel Hauck, Good Night, Oscar

Richard Hudson, Leopoldstadt

Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, A Christmas Carol

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

WINNER Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York

Mimi Lien, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Scott Pask, Shucked

Scott Pask, Some Like It Hot

Michael Yeargan and 59 Productions, Camelot

Best Costume Design of a Play

Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi

Dominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham

WINNER Brigitte Reiffensutel, Leopoldstadt

Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’

Emilio Sosa, Good Night, Oscar

Best Costume Design of a Musical

WINNER Gregg Barnes, Some Like It Hot

Susan Hilferty, Parade

Jennifer Moeller, Camelot

Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, KPOP

Paloma Young, & Juliet

Donna Zakowska, New York, New York

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin, Leopoldstadt

Natasha Chivers, Prima Facie

Jon Clark, A Doll’s House

Bradley King, Fat Ham

WINNER Tim Lutkin, Life of Pi

Jen Schriever, Death of a Salesman

Ben Stanton, A Christmas Carol

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, New York, New York

Lap Chi Chu, Camelot

Heather Gilbert, Parade

Howard Hudson, & Juliet

Natasha Katz, Some Like It Hot

WINNER Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Sound Design of a Play

Jonathan Deans and Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’

WINNER Carolyn Downing, Life of Pi

Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol

Ben and Max Ringham, A Doll’s House

Ben and Max Ringham, Prima Facie

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Kai Harada, New York, New York

John Shivers, Shucked

Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, Into the Woods

Gareth Owen, & Juliet

WINNER Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement

Joel Grey and John Kander

Isabelle Stevenson Award

Jerry Mitchell

Regional Theater Tony Award

Pasadena Playhouse

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater

Lisa Dawn Cave, Victoria Bailey and Robert Fried

Tony Award for Excellence in Theater Education

Jason Zembuch Young