10 Best Moments From the 2026 Tony Awards' 'Leading Lady Marmalade' Opening Number
Right away, P!NK established herself as the hostess with the mostest at the 79th Annual Tony Awards
(Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
What to Know
- P!NK opened the 2026 Tony Awards with a show-stopping performance of “Leading Lady Marmalade,” a Broadway-inspired reimagining of the Moulin Rouge! hit
- Written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick, the number featured choreography by Sarah O’Gleby and more than 170 Broadway performers
- The performance was packed with Broadway and pop culture references, including appearances by Megan Thee Stallion, Lea Michele, Neil Patrick Harris, June Squibb, Carrie Coon and Laurie Metcalf
"Standing on stage at the Tony Awards!" P!NK kicked off the 2026 Tony Awards with an incredible performance of "Leading Lady Marmalade." The Tony Awards-themed spin on the Moulin Rouge! number was written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick and choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby. Featuring over 170 Broadway performers, we'll be rewatching it for the next week memorizing every reference, but here are the top moments we caught while watching live!
1. Ragtime's Nick Barrington delivering the line: "Megan, a Stallion from Thee"
2. Queen's gambit! Chess star Lea Michele stuns as Florence Vassy
3. Marla Mindelle as Celiné Dion (of course)
4. Icon June Squibb takes the mic
5. "Gitchie, gitchie Lesley Manville, gitchie, gitchie Carrie Coon... Gitchie, gitchie Laurie Metcalf!" (And the impeccable camera pan to capture Manville's reaction)
6. Layton Williams Iceberg splits
7. "Joe Turner's gone but Taraji's here"
8. Paddington cameo and marmalade pun ("Maybe next season!")
9. "Haven't you heard? The flying twinks are all vampires now." —Neil Patrick Harris, to P!NK as Peter Pan
10. Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Bryce Pinkham, Nicholas Christopher and André De Shields joint slay
Watch the full performance below!