Takeaways from the Tony Awards 2023

by Chris Peterson, Onstage Blog Founder

The Tonys this year did not disappoint. We had some memorable moments, surprising wins and water cooler talking points to last the next few months. Here are some of the takeaways I had from last night’s festivities.

Ariana DeBose can host as long as she wants

Once again, Ariana DeBose did not disappoint as host of the ceremony. Following up on a fantastic job last year, she cemented her status as Tonys host for as long as she wants it. Obviously, being in this room is like home to her, and you can see she’s more at ease hosting in front of this crowd than any other.

As her career skyrockets, I’m sure we won’t see her do this too many more times, or if ever again, but she’s been a highlight for the past two years.

This should be the last year of gendered acting categories

If you needed proof that the Tonys need to do away with gendered acting categories, last night proved it with two non-binary performers making history with their wins. Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee have paved the way for other non-binary and trans performers to get more roles and be recognized for them on Broadway’s biggest stage. The Tony Awards committee needs to make this change as soon as possible as more opportunities for them are surely coming.

LGBTQ+ Rights were front and center

As expected, especially during Pride Month, LGBTQ+ fights were going to be mentioned quite often during the awards ceremony. From speeches from Alex Newell to Michael Arden, the ceremony was going to be a platform to advocate for the freedoms and safety of the LGBTQ+ population. I hope those watching found it as beautiful as I did.

Some Upsets

Going into the ceremony, there weren’t too many categories that I thought were up for grabs. So that left a lot of room for surprise wins. From Topdog/Underdog winning Best Revival of a Play to Michael Arden winning Best Director of a Musical, there were some pleasant surprises throughout the night. Even though it was basically a coin toss, I was expecting Jessica Chastain to win, so Jodie Comer’s victory also was a bit of a surprise.

Deserved Wins

From Bonnie Milligan to Sean Hayes to Brandon Uranowitz, there were folks that won last night that absolutely deserved their victories. Being involved in this industry, I’ve been fortunate to watch the journeys of some of these people and how long it took for them to get here. It was incredibly satisfying to see them win. I cried multiple times seeing them walk up that stage.