The 72nd Annual Tony Awards were held on June 10, 2018, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2017–18 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and was broadcast live by CBS. Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban served as hosts.McPhee, Ryan. "Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban Will Host the 2018 Tony Awards" Playbill, April 18, 2018
The Band's Visit was the most winning production of the season, with 10 awards, including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Tony Shalhoub, Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Katrina Lenk, and Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Ari'el Stachel. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child won six awards, including Best Play, while Angels in America won three, including Best Revival of a Play.
The ceremony received positive reviews, with many highlighting the performances of Bareilles and Groban as hosts. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, it was nominated for four awards Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special, Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Special and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
Eligibility
The official eligibility cut-off date for Broadway productions opening in the 2017–2018 season was April 26, 2018."The Tony Awards Return to Radio City Music Hall on June 10, 2018" tonyawards.com, October 12, 2017
Original plays 1984 The Children Farinelli and the King Harry Potter and the Cursed Child John Lithgow: Stories by Heart Junk Latin History for Morons Meteor Shower The Parisian Woman The Terms of My Surrender
Original musicals The Band's Visit Escape to Margaritaville Frozen Mean Girls Prince of Broadway SpongeBob SquarePants Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Play revivals Angels in America Children of a Lesser God The Iceman Cometh Lobby Hero M. Butterfly Marvin's Room Saint Joan Three Tall Women Time and the Conways Travesties
Musical revivals Carousel My Fair Lady Once on This Island
Notes In November 2017, the Broadway production of 1984, which ran from May 18 through October 8, 2017 at the Hudson Theatre, was deemed ineligible for competition at the 72nd Tony Awards.Broadway.com Staff. "First 2018 Tony Awards Eligibility Rulings: 1984 Won't Compete & More", Broadway.com, November 9, 2017 In April 2018, the Tony Awards Administration Committee reversed its decision and allowed 1984 to be considered for nominations.
Awards events Nominations The Tony Award nominations were announced on May 1, 2018 by Hamilton alum Leslie Odom Jr. and Katharine McPhee, who was starring in Waitress on Broadway at the time.McPhee, Ryan. "Leslie Odom Jr. and Katharine McPhee to Announce 2018 Tony Award Nominations" Playbill, April 12, 2018
Mean Girls and SpongeBob SquarePants each received 12 nominations, tying as the most-nominated shows of the season. The Band's Visit received 11 nominations, as did the revivals of Angels in America and Carousel. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the Lincoln Center Theater revival of My Fair Lady each received ten nominations."Check Here for the 2018 Tony Award Nominations" Playbill, May 1, 2018
Angels in America broke the record for most nominations for a play in Tony Awards history with 11 nominations, beating the record previously held by 2007's The Coast of Utopia and the 2010 revival of Fences.
Other events The annual Meet the Nominees Press Reception took place on May 2, 2018, at the InterContinental New York Hotel. The annual Nominees Luncheon took place on May 22, 2018, at the Rainbow Room. A cocktail party was held on June 4, 2018, at the Sofitel New York Hotel to celebrate the season's Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre and Special Award recipients.
Creative Arts Awards The Creative Arts Tony Awards were presented prior to the televised ceremony. The hosts are Brandon Victor Dixon and Marissa Jaret Winokur. This ceremony presents awards in technical categories and several previously announced special awards.McPhee, Ryan. "Brandon Victor Dixon and Marissa Jaret Winokur Will Host the 2018 Creative Arts Tony Awards" Playbill, June 8, 2018
Ceremony Presenters The ceremony's presenters included:
Rachel Bloom – backstage presenter Kerry Washington – presented Best Actor in a Play Tina Fey – introduced Mean Girls Carey Mulligan – presented Best Featured Actress in a Play Amy Schumer – introduced My Fair Lady Billy Joel – presented Special Tony Award to Bruce Springsteen Tituss Burgess – presented Best Featured Actress in a Musical Ethan Slater – introduced SpongeBob SquarePants Erich Bergen and Katharine McPhee – presented Best Book of a Musical Tatiana Maslany – presented Best Featured Actor in a Play Mikhail Baryshnikov – introduced Carousel Uzo Aduba – presented Best Featured Actor in a Musical Ming-Na Wen – presented Excellence in Theatre Education Award Matthew Morrison – introduced Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama department
Patti LuPone – special presentation on the Tonys' history Claire Danes – presented Best Actress in a Play James Monroe Iglehart – introduced Frozen Chita Rivera and Andrew Lloyd Webber – presented Best Direction of a Musical Jeff Daniels – presented Best Direction of a Play Christopher Jackson – presenter of the In Memoriam tribute Amanda Sudano, Brooklyn Sudano, and Mimi Sommer – introduced Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells – presented Best Play Melissa Benoist – introduced Once on This Island John Leguizamo – presented Best Revival of a Play Rachel Brosnahan – introduced The Band's Visit Brandon Victor Dixon and Marissa Jaret Winokur – presenters of the Creative Arts winners Christine Baranski – presented Best Revival of a Musical Robert De Niro – introduced Bruce Springsteen Kelli O'Hara – presented Best Actor in a Musical Leslie Odom Jr. – presented Best Actress in a Musical Bernadette Peters – presented Best Musical
Performances The following shows and individuals performed on the ceremony's telecast:Gans, Andrew. "Casts of 'Mean Girls', 'Frozen', 'The Band's Visit', 'SpongeBob', More Will Perform on 2018 Tony Awards" Playbill, June 7, 2018"Watch the 2018 Tony Awards Performances From 'Mean Girls', 'Frozen', Bruce Springsteen, and More" Playbill, June 11, 2018
"This One's for You" – Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban "Where Do You Belong?" / "Meet the Plastics" – Mean Girls "The Rain in Spain" / "I Could Have Danced All Night" / "Get Me to the Church on Time" – My Fair Lady "Bikini Bottom Day" (with new lyrics) / "I'm Not a Loser" – SpongeBob SquarePants "8 Times a Week" (parody of "Chandelier" by Sia) – Bareilles and Groban "Blow High, Blow Low" – Carousel "Seasons of Love" – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama department
"For the First Time in Forever" / "Let It Go" – Frozen Chita Rivera and Andrew Lloyd Webber medley – Bareilles and Groban "For Forever" – Dear Evan Hansen "Last Dance" – Summer: The Donna Summer Musical "One Small Girl" / "Mama Will Provide" – Once on This Island "Omar Sharif" – The Band's Visit "My Hometown" – Bruce Springsteen "This One's for the Dreamers" – Bareilles and Groban
Non-competitive awards The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre was presented to Chita Rivera and Andrew Lloyd Webber.McPhee, Ryan. "Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chita Rivera to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honors at 2018 Tony Awards" Playbill, April 23, 2018
The Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre was awarded to photographer Sara Krulwich, costume beader Bessie Nelson, and Broadway dry cleaning service Ernest Winzer Cleaners.McPhee, Ryan. "Sara Krulwich, Bessie Nelson, and Ernest Winzer Cleaners to Receive 2018 Tony Honors" Playbill, April 25, 2018
The Excellence in Theatre Education Award was presented to Melody Herzfeld of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.Clement, Olivia. "7 Memorable Moments From the 2018 Tony Awards" Playbill, June 11, 2018
The Isabelle Stevenson Award was presented to Nick Scandalios, who is the Executive Vice President of the Nederlander Organization.
The Regional Theatre Tony Award was awarded to La MaMa E.T.C. (Experimental Theatre Club) of New York City, which has a monetary grant of $25,000.McPhee, Ryan. "New York's La MaMa Will Receive 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award" Playbill, April 30, 2018
The Special Tony Award was given to John Leguizamo and Bruce Springsteen.Hetrick, Adam. "Bruce Springsteen and John Leguizamo to Receive 2018 Special Tony Awards" Playbill, May 1, 2018
Winners and nominees Source:Hetrick, Adam. " 'The Band's Visit' and 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Win Big at 2018 Tony Awards" Playbill, June 10, 2018
Best Play ‡ Best Musical ‡ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Jack ThorneThe Children - Lucy Kirkwood Farinelli and the King - Claire van Kampen Junk - Ayad Akhtar Latin History for Morons - John Leguizamo |valign="top" |The Band's Visit Frozen Mean Girls SpongeBob SquarePantsBest Revival of a Play ‡Best Revival of a Musical ‡Angels in America The Iceman Cometh Lobby Hero Three Tall Women TravestiesOnce on This Island Carousel My Fair LadyBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a PlayAndrew Garfield – Angels in America as Prior Walter Tom Hollander – Travesties as Henry Carr Jamie Parker – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as Harry Potter Mark Rylance – Farinelli and the King as Philip V of Spain Denzel Washington – The Iceman Cometh as Theodore "Hickey" HickmanGlenda Jackson – Three Tall Women as A Condola Rashad – Saint Joan as Joan of Arc Lauren Ridloff – Children of a Lesser God as Sarah Norman Amy Schumer – Meteor Shower as CorkyBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a MusicalTony Shalhoub – The Band's Visit as Tewfiq Zakaria Harry Hadden-Paton – My Fair Lady as Henry Higgins Joshua Henry – Carousel as Billy Bigelow Ethan Slater – SpongeBob SquarePants as SpongeBob SquarePantsKatrina Lenk – The Band's Visit as Dina Lauren Ambrose – My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle Hailey Kilgore – Once on This Island as Ti Moune LaChanze – Summer: The Donna Summer Musical as Diva Donna / Mary Gaines Taylor Louderman – Mean Girls as Regina George Jessie Mueller – Carousel as Julie JordanBest Performance by a Featured Actor in a PlayBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a PlayNathan Lane – Angels in America as Roy Cohn Anthony Boyle – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as Scorpius Malfoy Michael Cera – Lobby Hero as Jeff Brian Tyree Henry – Lobby Hero as William David Morse – The Iceman Cometh as Larry SladeLaurie Metcalf – Three Tall Women as B Susan Brown – Angels in America as Hannah Pitt, Ethel Rosenberg, et al. Noma Dumezweni – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as Hermione Granger Deborah Findlay – The Children as Hazel Denise Gough – Angels in America as Harper PittBest Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a MusicalAri'el Stachel – The Band's Visit as Haled Norbert Leo Butz – My Fair Lady as Alfred P. Doolittle Alexander Gemignani – Carousel as Enoch Snow Grey Henson – Mean Girls as Damian Hubbard Gavin Lee – SpongeBob SquarePants as Squidward TentaclesLindsay Mendez – Carousel as Carrie Pipperidge Ariana DeBose – Summer: The Donna Summer Musical as Disco Donna Renée Fleming – Carousel as Nettie Fowler Ashley Park – Mean Girls as Gretchen Wieners Diana Rigg – My Fair Lady as Mrs. HigginsBest Direction of a PlayBest Direction of a MusicalJohn Tiffany – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Marianne Elliott – Angels in America Joe Mantello – Three Tall Women Patrick Marber – Travesties George C. Wolfe – The Iceman ComethDavid Cromer – The Band's Visit Michael Arden – Once on This Island Tina Landau – SpongeBob SquarePants Casey Nicholaw – Mean Girls