Unforgettable! Relive These Five Memorable Moments from the 75th Tony Awards
(Illustrations by Ryan Casey for Broadway.com)
The Tony Awards' return to Radio City Musical Hall was a night of powerful speeches, standing ovations for amazing performances and more. Here are five illustrations of the most memorable moments from Broadway's biggest night to help make the magic last a little longer.
ARIANA DeBOSE'S OPENING NUMBER
Oscar winner Ariana DeBose quickly proved herself to be an excellent host for the 2022 Tony Awards thanks to the epic opening number "Round of Applause." Written by Six Tony winners Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, the song saluted several barrier-breaking stars as well as unsung heroes who help bring live theater to life. The dance-heavy performance showcased lyrics from Cabaret, Chicago, Hamilton, Rent, Hairspray, Wicked, Dreamgirls, The Wiz and more, making it the perfect primer for the night to come.
BERNADETTE PETERS' TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN SONDHEIM
In November 2021, we lost musical theater titan Stephen Sondheim. Tony winner Bernadette Peters, who has appeared in four Sondheim Broadway productions, performed a tribute to the late legend by singing "Children Will Listen" from Into The Woods. She was accompanied by photos and video of Sondheim, causing an emotional response from viewers.
MICHAEL R. JACKSON'S A STRANGE LOOP ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
A Strange Loop creator Michael R. Jackson won a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, and his acceptance speech is one to remember. After being met with a standing ovation, Jackson said, "I started writing this musical when I was 23 years old. I’m 41 years old; I’m old as hell... I felt unseen. I felt unheard. I felt misunderstood. And I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft for myself as a Black, gay man to try to just get through the day…Y’all know I’m all about quality in high art. We talk a lot about representation, and I’m all about representation, but let’s make sure that we are staying on our grind in our art, and that we are doing the very best work we can do." The Pulitzer Prize-winning show went on to win Best Musical.
SPRING AWAKENING'S TOUCHING REUNION
The original Broadway cast of Spring Awakening has reunited several times over the year for the musical's 15th anniversary concert and the HBO documentary that followed the creation of the concert, and they took the stage once again at the 2022 Tony Awards. Stars Skylar Astin, John Gallager Jr., Jonathan Groff, Gerard Canonico, Lea Michele, Gideon Glick, Lilli Cooper, Krysta Rodriguez, Gerard Canonico, Jennifer Damiano and more performed "Touch Me" from the 2007 Tony-winning musical.
JOAQUINA KALUKANGO'S STIRRING PERFORMANCE
Paradise Square star Joaquina Kalukango left it all on the stage with her performance of "Let It Burn" at the ceremony. With passion and precision at every note, and a single tear down the cheek, Kalukango brought the entirety of Radio City Music Hall to its feet. The night wasn't over for Kalukango, who moments later won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
