2023 Tony Awards Goes On Without Writers: ‘Some Like It Hot,’ ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ & ‘Leonpoldstadt’ Win Top Honors

On Sunday night, Broadway honored the best live theater of the year at the 76th annual Tony Awards.

At a time of the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, it was a possibility that the ceremony would not happen this year, but the WGA and the Tony Awards’ organizers reached an agreement where the show would not be picketed and the writers would not work on the telecast. The previous time this occurred was in 1988 when Phantom of the Opera and Into the Woods competed for Best Musical.

The Tonys was the first major ceremony to take place amid the current writers’ strike. While other awards shows need a host and numerous presenters to say written remarks about the competitors and provide good ratings, the Tonys already have a built-in fan base that only requires around a dozen performances and winners’ speeches to succeed.

Ariana DeBose returned as the host, and she excelled at executing the unscripted show. Typically, the Tony Awards begin with an original musical performance as an opening monologue, but this year, without writers, the ceremony began with a medley of classic musical theater songs in addition to a well-rehearsed dance number that followed DeBose and a group of dancers from the dressing room at the United Palace Theater to the stage. One highlight of Karla Puno Garcia‘s choreography was when DeBose jumped from the top of the stairs and landed in the arms of a dancer at the bottom.

As the presenters took the stage to announce the winners and hand out prizes, some only said their names, the category and the list of nominees while others attempted to make jokes. Denée Benton memorably called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis the state’s “grand wizard.”

J. Harrison Ghee from Some Like It Hot and Alex Newell, who performed in Shucked, were the first openly nonbinary performers to receive awards. During their acceptance speech, Newell said, “As a queer, non-binary, fat Black little baby from Massachusetts, to anyone that thinks they can’t do it, you can do anything you put your mind to.” Ghee and Newell’s wins continue the conversation over whether the awards ceremony should include gendered categories.

WINNERS LIST

Best Play
Ain’t No Mo’, Jordan E. Cooper
Between Riverside and Crazy, Stephen Adly Guirgis
Cost of Living, Martyna Majok
Fat Ham, James Ijames
Leopoldstadt, Tom Stoppard

Best Musical
& Juliet
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
Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog

Best Revival of a Musical
Into the Woods
Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Parade
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Book of a Musical
& Juliet, David West Read
Kimberly Akimbo, David Lindsay-Abaire
New York, New York, David Thompson & Sharon Washington
Shucked, Robert Horn
Some Like It Hot, Matthew Lopez & Amber Ruffin

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Almost Famous, Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt
Kimberly Akimbo, Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire
KPOP, Music & Lyrics: Helen Park & Max Vernon
Shucked, Music & Lyrics: Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally
Some Like It Hot, Music: Marc Shaiman, Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Corey Hawkins, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Sean Hayes, Goodnight, Oscar
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Wendell Pierce, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976
Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot
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 Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
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, The Piano Lesson
Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House
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’
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, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
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
Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
Natasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot
Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet

Best Direction of a Play
Saheem Ali, Fat Ham
Jo Bonney, Cost of Living
Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House
Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt
Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’
Max Webster, Life of Pi

Best Direction of a Musical
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
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Susan Stroman, New York, New York
Jennifer Weber, & Juliet
Jennifer Weber, KPOP

Best Orchestrations
Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & Juliet
John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
Jason Howland, Shucked
Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter, Some Like It Hot
Daryl Waters & Sam Davis, New York, New York

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Prima Facie
Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi
Rachel Hauck, Goodnight, Oscar
Richard Hudson, Leopoldstadt
Dane Laffrey & Lucy MacKinnon, A Christmas Carol

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
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 & 59 Productions, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot

Best Costume Design of a Play
Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi
Dominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Leopoldstadt
Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’
Emilio Sosa, Goodnight, Oscar

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Some Like It Hot
Susan Hilferty, Parade
Jennifer Moeller, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Clint Ramos & 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
Tim Lutkin, Life of Pi
Jen Schriever, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Ben Stanton, A Christmas Carol

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, New York, New York
Lap Chi Chu, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Heather Gilbert, Parade
Howard Hudson, & Juliet
Natasha Katz, Some Like It Hot
Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Sound Design of a Play
Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’
Carolyn Downing, Life of Pi
Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol
Ben & Max Ringham, A Doll’s House
Ben & Max Ringham, Prima Facie

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada, New York, New York
Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
Gareth Owen, & Juliet
John Shivers, Shucked
Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Regional Theater Tony Award
Pasadena Playhouse

Lifetime Achievement Award
John Kander and Joel Grey

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater
Lisa Dawn Cave, Victoria Bailey and Robert Fried

Isabelle Stevenson Awards
Jerry Mitchell