‘Evan Hansen’ takes top honors at Tonys
Musical wins six awards; Midler won’t stop talking
NEW YORK - An intimate, heart-wrenching musical about loneliness, teen angst and suicide in the age of hyperconnectivity capped its unlikely journey to Broadway smash by winning top honors at the Tonys.
“Dear Evan Hansen,” starring 23-year-old Ben Platt in a breakout — and knockout — performance, took six awards Sunday evening at Radio City Music Hall, including best musical and best actor for Platt. It also won best score for its young composers, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, already Oscar winners for the movie “La La Land.”
Platt, in his acceptance speech, addressed young people who might be suffering some of the social anxiety faced by his character, high school senior Evan Hansen. “To all young people watching at home, don’t waste any time trying to be like anybody else,” he said, “because the things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful.”
Another memorable speech came from the night’s other big musical star, Bette Midler, winning best actress (her first competitive Tony) for her lauded turn in “Hello, Dolly!” Midler took the stage in a sequin gown, and made it clear she wouldn’t leave the podium until she was good and ready. When the orchestra tried to play her off, she didn’t just speak over it — she shot back merrily: “Shut that crap off!”
Her speech provided host Kevin Spacey — who sang, did a little soft-shoe, trotted out his impressions, and was generally game for anything — with his best line of the night. Appearing as his “House of Cards” character Frank Underwood, he wisecracked that he’d better leave, “before Bette Midler thanks anyone else.”
In the highly competitive drama category, “Oslo,” a three-hour play about the 1993 Middle East peace accords by J.T. Rogers, beat out a field that included “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” by Lucas Hnath, the Pulitzer-winning “Sweat,” by Lynn Nottage, and “Indecent” by Paula Vogel. (In a new touch, all four playwrights personally introduced their work).
Unlike last year, when “Hamilton” dominated the show and won 11 Tonys, the wealth was spread out this time. “Hello, Dolly!” won four, including best musical revival and best featured actor for Broadway veteran Gavin Creel. And best director of a musical went to Christopher Ashley of “Come From Away,” the crowd-pleasing show about the people of Gander, Newfoundland, who sheltered thousands of stranded airline passengers on Sept. 11.
The boisterous “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” which had 12 nominations, ended up winning just two technical awards, for best set and lighting.
It was clearly Evan Hansen’s night. The show’s writer, Steven Levenson, won for best book of a musical, and Alex Lacamoire earned one for best orchestrations (after winning last year for “Hamilton.”) And Rachel Bay Jones won her first Tony — featured actress — for her heartbreaking portrayal of a mother who struggles to understand and help her son, Evan, as he gets caught in a terrible lie that he cannot control.
In drama, top acting honors went to Kevin Kline for “Present Laughter” — his third Tony — and to Laurie Metcalf — her first — for “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” Best director went to Rebecca Taichman for “Indecent.”
Cynthia Nixon won her second Tony, featured actress in a play, for Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes.”
Other winners included August Wilson’s “Jitney,” which collected the Tony for best play revival. And in choreography, Andy Blankenbuehler joined his “Hamilton” colleague Lacamoire with a repeat win this year, this time for “Bandstand.”