5 biggest moments at the Tony Awards

‘Smooth Criminal’ Myles Frost Brings MJ to Broadway

“MJ the Musical” was up for Best Musical, thanks partly to its leading man, Myles Frost. The young phenom embodied the spirit of the late superstar Michael Jackson during a stellar performance of “Smooth Criminal” from the show’s production. Celebrating Jackson’s heroes like the Nicholas Brothers and Bob Fosse, Frost and the company wowed the Radio City Music Hall audience like the King of Pop did on his high-octane tour dates. Frost would later win for Best Actor in the Leading Role in a Musical.

Phylicia Rashad Wins Among Sea of Black Talent

The category for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play was stacked with Black nominees. Uzo Aduba (“Clyde’s”), Kenita R. Miller (“for colored girls”), Kara Young (“Clyde’s”), and Phylicia Rashad (“Skeleton Crew”) took up four of the six nomination slots. In the end, Rashad took home the second Tony of her career.

Joaquina Kalukango ‘Let It Burn,’ and Brings Down the House

The company of “Paradise Square” performed on stage as nominees for Best Musical. While the show’s ensemble – chronicling the conflict between Black and Irish Americans in New York during the Civil War – gave a fantastic performance, the show’s star, Joaquina Kalukango, shocked the audience with a powerful performance. Her rendition of “Let It Burn” brought tears to her own eyes and prompted a standing ovation. She would win the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical later on in the evening.

Billy Porter Honors The Departed In Memoriam

Each year, The Tony Awards takes time to honor artists who died during the season. The 2022 ceremony commemorated those who passed on in a plaintive, simple fashion. Adorned in a silver outfit, Tony and Emmy-Award winner Billy Porter sang “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady. As he did so, the faces of the deceased such as Sidney Poitier flashed across the screen. Porter’s performance was dynamic, restrained and poignant  – a warm tribute to the departed.

A Strange Loop Wins Best Musical; Jennifer Hudson Gets EGOT

The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, “A Strange Loop,” only took home two Tony Awards out of 11 nominations. However, one was the final award of the evening: Best Musical. The spellbinding show about a Black queer man writing a musical about a Black queer man writing a musical took home one of the most significant awards of the year.

With the win, Jennifer Hudson – one of the show’s producers – earned her first Tony Award, achieving the EGOT status of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. She is the second Black female to become an EGOT after Whoopi Goldberg.