A year and a half of Broadway being dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the lights
came back up finally for the 2021 Tony Awards.
Leslie Odom Jr., best known for playing Aaron Burr in the hit musical Hamilton, hosted this irreplaceable award show that was sorely missed.
The Tony’s functioned like it normally would with the addition of masks and the
requirement of proof of the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to the regular streaming on CBS, this
year the Tony’s were also streamed on the new streaming platform, Paramount+.
The opening number, performed by Leslie Odom Jr., called attention to how Broadway
was back and we can finally try and get to normal. The excitement that is Broadway was
finally back. Odom Jr. used this platform to urge fans of Broadway and causal viewers to get the
vaccine and join the effort to stop COVID-19.
Leslie Odom Jr. referenced classic musicals and fan favorites
like Hairspray, Waitress, and The Lion King, performances in his musical performance. This night was also filled this star-studded night with numbers from the cast of Moulin Rouge, Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth along with a reunion of
the original cast of Hairspray.
Now the moment we had all been waiting for since March 2020- the winners of the 74th
Tony Awards. The standout show of the night was Moulin Rouge, starring Aaron Tveit, swept the night by winning 10 Tony Awards
including Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, and Best
Choreography.
The 74th Tony Awards was a night filled with music, lights, and community that was
sorely missed. Welcome back, Broadway!
