‘Hadestown’ leads Tonys, nets rare female director trophy

THE ARTY and original “Hadestown” was leading the Tony Awards with seven wins, including a rare win for a woman director of a musical, while Ali Stroker made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to win a Tony Award. Stroker, paralyzed from the chest down due to a car crash when she was two, won for featured actresses in a musical for her work in a dark revival of “Oklahoma!”

“This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation or a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena,” she said. “You are.”

Rachel Chavkin, the only woman to helm a new Broadway musical this season, won the Tony for best director of a musical for “Hadestown.” She told the crowd she was sorry to be such a rarity on Broadway.

“There are so many women who are ready to go. There are so many people of color who are ready to go.” A lack of strides in embracing diversity on Broadway, she said, “is not a pipeline issue” but a lack of imagination.

Bryan Cranston seemed to tap into the vibe when he won the Tony for best leading man in a play award for his work as Howard Beale in a stage adaptation of “Network.”

“Finally, a straight old white man gets a break!” he joked.

Playwright Jez Butterworth’s “The Ferryman” was crowned best play. It’s a vigorous family epic set in Northern Ireland in 1981 during the Troubles. It requires a 21-person cast, plus a baby and animals. It won the Olivier Award for best new play last year in London.

Butterworth, who earlier asked the crowd to give his partner, actress Laura Donnelly, a round of applause for giving birth to their two children in two years while working on the ensemble drama, handed the best play trophy to Donnelly. A Donnelly family story inspired him to write the play.

Other winners included the legendary Elaine May, who took home her first ever Tony for best leading actress, playing the Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother in Kenneth Lonergan’s comic drama “The Waverly Gallery.” Andre DeShields captured featured actor in a musical for “Hadestown,” his first Tony at the age of 73.

The first acting award went to Celia Keenan-Bolger, who won for best featured actress in a play for her role as Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Bertie Carvel won best featured actor in a play for “Ink.” Oscar-winning director and producer Sam Mendes has won his first directing Tony Award for guiding “The Ferryman.” “The Ferryman’s” Rob Howell took home two Tonys— for best play set designs and costumes. Robert Horn won for best book of a musical for “Tootsie.”

Early “Hadestown” wins were for scenic design, sound design, lighting design and orchestrations. It would also go on to earn singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell a Tony for best score. Legendary designer Bob Mackie won the Tony for best costume designs for a musical for “The Cher Show.”

The dark retelling of “Oklahoma!” beat the lush and playful revival of the rival Golden Age musical “Kiss Me, Kate” to the Tony Award for best musical revival. “The Boys in the Band” was crowned best play revival.

Sergio Trujillo won the best choreography prize for “Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations,” saying in his speech that he arrived in New York decades ago without legal permission. “I’m here to tell you the American dream is alive,” he said. /