Dads are rad and all, but today is also about Broadway’s biggest night.
The 77th Annual Tony Awards will take place tonight (Sunday, June 16) at 8 p.m. ET. The magic is happening, for the first time, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. The awards ceremony typically takes place at Radio City Music Hall. Here’s what you need to know going into the big night and how to tune in.
A brief history of the Tony Awards
The American Theatre Wing created the Tony Awards in 1947 to “celebrate excellence in the theatre.” The award is named after past chairwoman Antoinette Perry. She was an actress, director, and producer who had recently died, and so the Wing wanted to honor her memory.
The first awards ceremony was held on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947 at the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Vera Allen, the Wing’s chairwoman at the time, hosted the event. Arthur Miller, Helen Hayes, Ingrid Bergman, Elia Kazan and Agnes de Mille all took home awards that evening.
Who is hosting the Tony Awards this year?
Ariana DeBose will assume hosting duties for her third consecutive year. Last year, because of the writer’s strike, she had to dance the opening number without dialogue. This year she has a script and probably some more dance moves as well.
How about presenters?
As is tradition, many past winners will come back to present this year’s awards. They include Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ben Platt, Idina Menzel, Adrienne Warren, Jennifer Hudson, Jeffrey Wright, and Sean Hayes.
Also scheduled to appear are Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, who starred in this season’s revival of Gutenberg! The Musical! Angelina Jolie and Nick Jonas are also getting in on the act.
Who is going win?
This year is unusual because there are no clear frontrunners in the musical category. The five best musical nominees vary widely. Alicia Keys’s jukebox musical Hell’s Kitchen has the most nominations at 13. But there is also Suffs, a Hilary Clinton-produced suffragette piece, and The Outsiders, which is very popular with young people.
The most buzzed-about new show isn’t technically a musical. Stereophonic, by David Adjmi with music by Will Butler, tells the story of a fictional rock band about to hit it big while recording a new album. It is now the most nominated play in Tony history.
In the acting categories, a similar theme is playing out. Audiences will have to tune in to see who takes home the Tony for best leading actress in a play. Many believe it is between Jessica Lange for her work in Mother Play and Sarah Paulson for her work in Appropriate.
In the leading actor category, Jeremy Strong for An Enemy of the People and Leslie Odom Jr. for Purlie Victorious will battle it out.
Most critics believe Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff are sure to take home the gold for their work in Merrily We Roll Along, though.
How can I watch or stream the Tony Awards live?
To watch all the drama unfold on the stage, tune into CBS if you are a traditional cable subscriber. CBS is also available for free with an over-the-air antenna and good reception.
If you cut the cord, you can stream the Tony Awards live on Paramount+. If you are seeking a free option, Paramount+ offers a free seven-day trail for new users.
According to the American Theatre Wing, a live pre-show called The Tony Awards: Act One will air before the big show beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. Viewers can stream it live for free on Pluto TV.