Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Aug 3, 2024
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The 2024 Tony Awards were a huge celebration of Broadway’s best of the 2023-2024 Broadway season. This year, 21 musicals and 16 plays joined the great white way, but only a few were able to take home the coveted Tony Awards. Hosted by Ariana DeBose, of ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Wish’, here is a recap of the 2024 Tony Awards.
Sweeps are incredibly common within the Tony Awards, and this year was no exception. ‘The Outsiders’ musical was a hot topic at this year’s awards winning four Tonys. ‘The Outsiders’ won Best Direction of a Musical, Best Sound Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Musical.
‘The Outsiders’ performance featured a mashup of ‘Tulsa ‘67’ and ‘Grease Got a Hold’, with the choreography from the infamous rumble scene. The performance gave audiences who may not be quite familiar with the show or the story of ‘The Outsiders’. Audiences were happy to see the rumble scene included in the Tony’s performance, as it is one of the strongest scenes in the show. The lighting design and choreography in the rumble scene alone are enough to entice audiences to see the show. The lighting changes are perfectly timed with the choreography, and the Tony’s performance was greatly translated for the camera.
This year’s Tony Awards were full of first-time winners. Daniel Radcliffe of ‘Harry Potter’ fame received his first-ever Tony award for the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s, ‘Merrily We Roll Along’. Radcliffe played Stephan in the musical, and the show was also awarded Best Musical Revival and Best Orchestration.
Another first-time winner from ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ was Jonathan Groff, who won Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Groff is most known for his performances in ‘Glee’, ‘Hamilton’, and ‘Frozen’. While Groff is a Broadway veteran, with two past nominations under his belt, this is his first time taking home the trophy for his acting.
Angelina Jolie also took home a Tony for her work on producing ‘The Outsiders’. Jolie was joined onstage by her daughter, Vivienne, as well as the cast and creative team for the musical.
History was made at this year’s Tony Awards, as the new play ‘Stereophonic’ became the play with the most nominations in Tony Award history. ‘Stereophonic’ tells the story of a band trying to make it big in 1976. American playwright David Adjmi wrote the play. Music written for the play was composed by Will Butler from the indie rock band Arcade Fire. ‘Stereophonic’ won Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, with Will Brill, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play, Best Direction of a Play, and Best Play.
‘Cabaret’ Controversey
Of course, as all awards shows go, there was controversy surrounding the awards given out. While many predicted the recent revival of ‘Cabaret’ to win Best Musical Revival and to sweep the acting categories, this was not the case. ‘Cabaret’ received a Tony for Best Scenic Design of a Musical, as the production is especially immersive and is meant to make audience members feel as if they are visiting a Berlin nightclub.
The ‘Cabaret’ performance caused controversy online, as fans described the performance as too unsettling and Eddie Redmayne’s performance of the Emcee being too weird. Audiences have also commented on the unsettling performances from the ensemble and sexual innuendos from Gayle Rankin’s performance as Sally Bowles. However, this is the point of the show ‘Cabaret’. ‘Cabaret’ is supposed to be an unsettling show, as it takes place in front of the background of a looming World War II. The club serves as an escape or distraction from the outside world and the rising war. It is supposed to be odd, unsettling, and even a bit trashy, due to the nature of the club and the world surrounding it.
While it was predicted that Gayle Rankin would take home the Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Maleah Joi Moon won for her role in ‘Hell’s Kitchen’. ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is the new musical with music and lyrics from Alicia Keys. The semi-autobiographical musical tells the story of Alicia Keys’ upbringing in Manhattan. While this award was not considered a snub, Maleah Joi Moon’s win was a surprise contender in the mix. However, her performance at the show proved that she was deserving of this award.
Overall, the 2024 Tony Awards were full of dazzling performances and exciting awards. Seeing new and original shows honored at this year’s award show was especially exciting for audiences and Broadway fans. While the 2024-2025 Broadway season is gearing up to begin, the 2024 Tony Awards were a successful show and a great ending to the Broadway season.
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
