Tony Awards: The Hits And Misses
Not many surprises, really: Audra McDonald (Best Actress/Play) and Neil Patrick Harris (Best Actor/Musical) got the biggest applause of the night. Neil’s performance as Hedwig rocked the house, and the perf of Carole King and Jessie Mueller (Best Actress/Musical) sold a ton of tickets to the baby boomers who tuned in. Acceptance speeches I enjoyed the most: James Monroe Iglehart, for his featured-actor turn in “Aladdin,” delivering a joyful dance; and Mark Rylance, giving a shout-out to modern-day Globe visionary Sam Wanamaker. Biggest news of the night: the strength of “A Raisin in the Sun,” which captured supporting actress/play (Sophie Okenedo), direction (Kenny Leon), and revival/play. The Jennifer Hudson stunt — giving airtime to a show (“Finding Neverland”) that doesn’t even have a Broadway booking — backfired on its mogul, Harvey Weinstein, cuz the song was forgettable. Hugh Jackman was polished.
