John P. Filo / CBS Broadcasting, Inc. (NEW YORK) — The Band’s Visit was the big winner at the 2018 Tony Awards, broadcast live from New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, walking off with 10 trophies, including best musical and leading actor and actress in a musical wins for Tony Shalhoub and Katrina Lenk, respectively. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child picked up six awards.
Legendary actress Glenda Jackson won for Best Leading Actress in a Play for Three Tall Women, and Nathan Lane walked off with Best Featured Actor in a Play honors for Angels in America.
The AIDS-themed drama Angels in America also copped six awards, including best play revival, as well as Best Leading Actor in a Play honors for Andrew Garfield, who ended his acceptance speech by declaring, “Bake a cake for anyone who wants a cake” — a reference to the recent Supreme Court ruling in favor a bakery owner who refused to design a cake for a gay couple.
The politically charged evening was highlighted by Robert De Niro, there to introduce Bruce Springsteen’s performance of “My Hometown,” delivering a profanity-laced stab at President Donald Trump. “I just want to say one thing — F*** Trump,” De Niro said. “It’s no longer down with Trump. It’s f*** Trump,” he said, drawing loud cheers from the audience.
Several other artists also aired their views, including Best Featured Actress in a Musical winner for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel, Lindsay Mendez, who capped off her speech by saying she was “proud to be part of a community that celebrates diversity,” adding, “To all you artists out there, just be true to yourself and the world will take note.”
A touching moment occurred when it was announced that in a pre-awards ceremony, Melody Herzfeld, head of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Drama Department received the Excellence in Theater Education Award. The school’s drama students followed with a performance of “Seasons of Love,” from the Tony-winning musical Rent. The Parkland, Florida, high school was the site of a mass shooting that claimed the lives of 17 people and injured more than a dozen others.
Another rock legend, Billy Joel, was also on hand to present Springsteen with a special Tony for Springsteen on Broadway.
The show was hosted by Josh Grobin and Sara Bareilles, who opened with a tongue-in-cheek song aimed at consoling the evening’s losers. Later, they performed a number bemoaning the grueling Broadway schedule, sung to the tune of Sia’s “Chandelier.”
Here’s the complete list of Tony winners:
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Andrew Garfield for Angels in America
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Laurie Metcalf for Three Tall Women
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lindsay Mendez for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Nathan Lane for Angels in America
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Ari’el Stachel for The Band’s Visit
LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Glenda Jackson for Three Tall Women
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Tony Shalhoub for The Band’s Visit
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Katrina Lenk for The Band’s Visit
BEST PLAY
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Angels in America
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Once on This Island
BEST MUSICAL
The Band’s Visit
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
David Cromer for The Band’s Visit
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
John Tiffany for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Itamar Moses for The Band’s Visit
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Christine Jones for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
David Zinn for SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Catherine Zuber for My Fair Lady
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Neil Austin for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Tyler Micoleau for The Band’s Visit
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Gareth Fry for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Kai Harada for The Band’s Visit
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Justin Peck for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Jamshied Sharifi for The Band’s Visit
Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories:
SPECIAL TONY AWARDS FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATRE
Chita Rivera
Andrew Lloyd Webber
SPECIAL TONY AWARDS
John Leguizamo
Bruce Springsteen
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