Recapping the 2025 Tony Awards

Summary

All Of It Podcast Episode Summary: Recapping the 2025 Tony Awards

Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Michael Shulman, Staff Writer at The New Yorker
Release Date: June 9, 2025
Runtime: Approximately 26 minutes

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Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, Alison Stewart delves into a comprehensive recap of the 78th Annual Tony Awards, a night that celebrated Broadway's finest while sparking conversations around representation and artistic integrity. Joined by Michael Shulman, a seasoned staff writer from The New Yorker, the duo dissects the evening's highlights, controversies, and standout performances.

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Patti LuPone Controversy

One of the most talked-about moments leading up to the Tony Awards was Patti LuPone’s outspoken remarks regarding the musical "Hell’s Kitchen," leading to a significant backlash.

• Alison Stewart ([01:46]): "I gotta talk about Patti LuPone, first of all... What has surprised you about the fallout from this piece?"

• Michael Shulman ([02:24]): "She used the B word about Glenn Close during the interview. She's salty. She doesn't hold back. So I was. For me, the piece came out, and it was like a roller coaster."

LuPone criticized the neighboring musical's noise levels, inadvertently sparking a debate on racial microaggressions and professionalism within the Broadway community. Shulman highlights LuPone's candidness, noting her "Patti LuPone-esque" bluntness, which, while unexpected, ignited passionate responses from the audience and industry alike.

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Highlights from the Tony Awards

The awards night was marked by several key victories and memorable moments:

• Best Musical: "Maybe Happy Ending" emerged victorious, a unique narrative about two robots navigating love, securing six Tonys including Best Lead Actor for Darren Criss.

• Best Play: The new dramedy "Purpose" by Brandon Jacobs Jenkins won narrowly over established titles like "Sunset Boulevard" and "Gypsy".

• Notable Wins for Asian Actors:

  • Darren Criss ([06:09]) for Best Actor in a Musical
  • Nicole Scherzinger for Best Actress in a Musical
  • Frances Zhu for Best Featured Actress, recognized for her role in "Hell’s Kitchen"

Shulman emphasizes the significance of these wins in promoting diversity on Broadway, noting, "she was the first black playwright to win that category in 38 years" ([09:37]).

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Hosting and Performances

Cynthia Erivo took the helm as host, delivering a heartfelt opening performance that set the tone for the evening.

• Alison Stewart ([04:28]): "Cynthia was such a great host. Her opening and closing numbers were fantastic."

• Michael Shulman ([04:40]): "I thought she knocked it out of the park... she brought down the house with that number right away."

The episode highlights standout performances, including a special medley celebrating the 10th anniversary of "Hamilton", featuring original cast members and a poignant reunion that captivated the audience.

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Sound Quality Concerns

A recurring issue throughout the broadcast was the sound quality, particularly during musical performances.

• Alison Stewart ([10:34]): "The Tony broadcast always has such terrible sound quality... the vocals were not mixed loud enough."

• Michael Shulman ([10:46]): "There were just some moments when people were mic'd badly... it wasn't all right."

This technical shortcoming was a point of frustration for both hosts and listeners, detracting from the overall viewing experience.

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Audience Reactions and Call-Ins

The episode features live audience participation, shedding light on diverse perspectives:

1. Melissa from Brooklyn ([15:36]): She praised "Real Women Have Curves," expressing disappointment over its lack of nominations and suggesting potential bias against predominantly female casts.

2. Rob from Woodside ([17:55]): A scenic designer voiced his upset over the exclusion of design categories from the main broadcast, highlighting a trend of undervaluing essential behind-the-scenes contributions.

Alison Stewart ([18:28]): "I think the obvious answer is it doesn't involve famous people and there's less of an audience for design..."

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Special Moments and Personalities

• Jack Malone’s Acceptance Speech: Celebrated for its heartfelt message on gender identity and performance.

  • Excerpt: "I walk out on that stage and tell the audience that I'm a woman. I'm not one... you might have just bid farewell to cynicism...” ([14:26])

• Ariana DeBose’s Performance: Adding star power, the Oscar-winning actress brought charisma to the stage, notably portraying the "slow-motion bullet" in the "Hamilton" medley.

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"Hamilton" 10th Anniversary Performance

A significant highlight was the celebration of "Hamilton"’s decade-long legacy, featuring original cast members and new talents like Ariana DeBose. The performance underscored the show's enduring impact and continued relevance in Broadway.

• Michael Shulman ([23:35]): "It was a great reminder that, yes, we were right. This was good."

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Conclusion and Reflections

In wrapping up, Alison Stewart and Michael Shulman reflect on the balance between celebrated hits and overlooked gems within the Tony Awards. Shulman appreciates the mix of "homegrown hits and homegrown stars" while acknowledging the influence of Hollywood influences on Broadway.

• Michael Shulman ([24:54]): "We thought last night was a great mix of... homegrown stars like Cola Scola in Omari and maybe happy ending mixed with, you know, real bona fide star power."

The episode concludes with a tease of a "big surprise announcement" regarding one of the night's winners, encouraging listeners to stay tuned for future updates.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michael Shulman on Patti LuPone's Bluntness ([02:24]): "She used the B word about Glenn Close during the interview. She's salty. She doesn't hold back."

• Cynthia Erivo’s Opening Number ([04:40]): "Sometimes all you need is a sign."

• Jack Malone’s Acceptance Speech ([14:26]): "If you watched our show and found yourself believing in Hester, well, then I am so glad to tell you..."

• Michael Shulman on Design Awards Omission ([18:28]): "I think everybody... [awards shows] don't put the lifetime achievement award in the main broadcast..."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of All Of It offers an in-depth look into the 78th Tony Awards, balancing celebratory accolades with critical discussions on representation and industry practices. Through insightful commentary and engaging dialogue, Alison Stewart and Michael Shulman provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of Broadway’s most prestigious night.

Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. Night was the 78th annual Tony Awards. It was a night of musical celebrations, shout outs for Pride Month, a couple of very close races in the showdown between acclaimed musicals revivals Sunset Boulevard and Gypsy Sunset Boulevard came out on top. And for the very tight race for best play, the new dramedy Purpose from playwright Brandon Jacobs, Jenkins took home the Tony. It was a big night for Asian actors. Darren Criss, who is half Filipino, won best actor in a musical. Nicole Scherzinger, who is Hawaiian and Filipino, won best actor, actress in musical. And from yellowface, Frances Zhu won for playing a Chinese patriarch. The ceremony also took time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hamilton with an epic medley and a reunion of the original cast. Joining me now further to break down the biggest night in Broadway is New Yorker staff writer Michael Shulman. Yes, he wrote that piece on Patti LuPone. And, listeners, we want to hear from you. What did you think of the Tony Awards last night? What was your favorite part? What show were you excited to see win? Who do you think should have gotten a little more love? We want your Tony reactions. Our Phone numbers are 2124-339692-22433. WNYC. It's nice to have you in studio.

[Michael Shulman]

Hi. Thanks for having me.

[Alison Stewart]

I gotta talk about Patti LuPone, first of all.

[Michael Shulman]

Oh, boy.

[Alison Stewart]

It's okay. Just to get people up to speed because it was. It was big Broadway news. You wrote the profile that has been making the rounds on Broadway in the section of this episode. Secondly, interview with Patti LuPone. She refers to Hell's Kitchen, Keisha Lewis with the B word and questions or not whether she's qualified to be on Broadway, to be a Broadway veteran. I should say she's had some choice words for Audra McDonald. She said it was too loud. Hell's Kitchen. She issued an apology. What has surprised you about the fallout from this piece?

[Michael Shulman]

Oh, my gosh. Well, so I spent a lot of time with Patti working on this profile. And there was one point where we talked about this controversy she'd had last fall when she was starring in the Roommate with Mia Farrow. And they shared a wall, the backstage wall with Hell's Kitchen, which is the Alicia Keys musical. Apparently the sound was bleeding in to Patti's theater. She asked her stage management what to do. They suggest she called the owner of the theater next door from the Shubert organization. They did something to fix it. She sent thank you flowers to the crew at Hell's Kitchen. And then Keisha Lewis, who's in that musical, made a video on Instagram accusing Patti of being racially microaggressive by labeling this black show as loud. So Patti didn't respond at the time, but I did ask her, you know, what was that all about? And she kind of went on this rant about it. The reason that the word veteran came up is that Keisha Lewis was speaking as one Broadway veteran to another, and Patti was basically saying, well, a real Broadway veteran would know that this happens all the time when shows share a wall. But it just. It came out in this very blunt, Patti LuPone esque way. And then she threw in a little jab at Audra, who had given the video an emoji in response. And then the fur was flying. I mean, I kind of thought it would be, you know, a sort of juicy, like, diva smackdown kind of thing. I did not expect it to become a cause, but people felt very passionately about it. They felt passionately about the idea that she was diminishing the work of these two black women. I should say she used the B word about Glenn Close during the interview. She's salty. She's salty. She doesn't hold back. So I was. For me, the piece came out, and it was like a roller coaster.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's move on to the Tony Awards.

[Michael Shulman]

Sure.

[Alison Stewart]

Cynthia Riva hosted the ceremony. It began with her singing alone on stage before bringing out a big gospel choir, inviting members of the audience to sing. Let's hear a little bit of it.

[Cynthia Erivo]

And I found one thing is true. It's really very simple. It's the thing that makes you sing, that makes you strong. Sometimes all you need. Sometimes all you need is a sign.

[Alison Stewart]

What did you think of that opening number? It wasn't really like, there was no comedic. It was just a. Yeah.

[Michael Shulman]

I have to say, I was a little bit skeptical about Cynthia Eriva hosting the show. Obviously, she's a huge talent, but I never thought of her as funny. You know, like, for me, the sort of archetypal host of an award show is sort of like a comedian, a talk show host, someone who really has a sort of like a warmth and approachability about them. And Cynthia Eriva is so kind of like she has this sort of extraterrestrial quality. And she's like, she sometimes seems sort of severe and stern, but I thought she knocked it out of the park. I mean, she actually was funny a couple times. And that voice, there's no denying it. I mean, she brought down the house with that number right away. I just thought she did a great job.

[Alison Stewart]

The top prize of the night, best musical, went to maybe happy ending. It's a unique love story between two robots. Why do you think this has been resonating so well with Broadway audiences?

[Michael Shulman]

Yeah, it won six Tonys, including best musical and best lead actor in a musical for Darren Criss. You know, maybe at the ending. It's a very original, very unusual kind of musical. It's a totally original story about, you know, two robots on a quest. And it has this very particular design and won a bunch of design awards. It originated. It was first performed in Korea in Korean and then came here. That's another atypical thing about it. I think it's sort of a heartwarmer though. And, you know, it's really nice to see that in this season, which has been very busy and very star studded and has been, you know, Broadway has relied in the past couple decades on, you know, franchises, movie adaptations, stuff like Boop. The Musical. This just came in as, you know, this really fresh new story. It feels like a very forward looking win and I think people just fell hard for it.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, it had original ip, you know, it wasn't from a cartoon or anything else. It was original story, it was an.

[Michael Shulman]

Original cast and it's very well crafted. I'm glad that the director, Michael Arden won along with a bunch of the designers and the writers. Yeah, it was very lovingly made, I would say.

[Alison Stewart]

Darren Criss won for best actor and he gave a special shout out to Helen J. Shen, who was not nominated for best actress. Do you have any thoughts on why she didn't get a nomination?

[Michael Shulman]

Just because that category was so jam packed this year. I mean, that was really the event of the night. Best lead actress in the musical. You had these two heavyweights. Audra McDonald in Gypsy, Nicole Schizinger in Sunset Boulevard. Then you had Jasmine Amy Rogers, who plays the title role in Boop. You had both of the women from Death becomes her. I mean, it was just, it was bursting from the seams, that category. But, you know, Helen Shen's wonderful in it and she, you know, she. In a perfect world, she would have been nominated as well. She's great. I'm glad she Got to perform in the show.

[Alison Stewart]

Got some text here. Cynthia was such a great host. Her opening and closing numbers were fantastic. This says, please talk about what happened to John Proctor is the Villain. Finstrasa was amazing and I thought she deserved the Tony for feature actor. John Proctor is a villain. It was a big favorite going in.

[Michael Shulman]

Yeah, it's a really good play.

[Alison Stewart]

It is a good play.

[Michael Shulman]

So with the new plays, I think what happened is it sort of boiled down to oh Mary and Purpose, and they were in a lot of tight races. Purpose won best play, sort of inching out. Oh, Mary Cola Scola, the writer and star of O Mary, won best actor in a play. I mean, I loved Fiana Strassa in John Proctor's the Villain. Yeah, I just.

[Alison Stewart]

It's almost like it was almost too strong a category in a weird way.

[Michael Shulman]

Yeah. I mean, a lot of people were predicting that John Proctor would win. I mean, I guess this is validation for John Proctor.

[Alison Stewart]

Why do you think Purpose came out on top? Do you think the Pulitzer helped it along?

[Michael Shulman]

Oh, certainly. And you know, Brandon Jacobs Jenkins, the.

[Alison Stewart]

Playwright, he's so good. He's so good.

[Michael Shulman]

You know, this is so. He was actually the first black playwright to win that category in 38 years. The first is August Wilson for fences in the 80s. But he actually won last year for his play Appropriate, which was considered a revival. So it was in a different category. So he's just on a hot streak, you know, and that plays a little bit more of a sort of weighty family drama, I think, you know, oh, Mary, which I absolutely love. It's an all out comedy and I think that's a little bit harder to win a play to win a category like that. And people also had this other opportunity to vote for Cole for actor.

[Alison Stewart]

I think Kara Young won for Purpose. She's a firehouse. She is just. She won last year as well.

[Michael Shulman]

That's right. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

She's so great.

[Michael Shulman]

Tony staple, this says.

[Alison Stewart]

Can you talk about why the Tony broadcast always has such terrible sound quality? The vocals were not mixed loud enough. And it's a bummer watching from home, knowing the poor sound isn't doing justice to the performance.

[Michael Shulman]

Agreed.

[Alison Stewart]

You do explain more.

[Michael Shulman]

I don't know. There were just some moments when people were mic'd badly and, you know, it's an important thing to get right and it wasn't all right. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

This says, loved Brian Stokes Mitchell being the announcer last night.

[Michael Shulman]

Well, with a voice like that, honestly.

[Alison Stewart]

This says maybe happy ending deserved every award it won. I do feel sad some Other excellent shows didn't get to share in the spotlight. But I can't be upset that my favorite show of the season won so much. Were there other shows that you thought deserved the A little bit of love, a shout out?

[Michael Shulman]

Yeah, you know, I love Dead Outlaw, which was another very original, very weird, unusual new musical. It's about the true story of a corpse that was used in sideshows and amusement parks for like 60 years and then discovered at a theme park. It has this great rockabilly score. I mean, I thought the number that they performed at the Tonys was fantastic. It just kind of got lost in the shuffle again. I think the wave of enthusiasm for maybe happy ending. I mean, I thought that would have been a great contender for best score, but that also went to maybe happy ending.

[Alison Stewart]

We are recapping the 78th annual Tony Awards. My guest is Michael Shulman, staff writer at the New Yorker. We are taking your calls. What did you think of the show last night? Which Broadway productions were you excited to see win? Wished you wish, got shown More love. We are taking your calls at 212-433-921, 2433. WNYC. We'll be right back. You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest in studio is Michael Schulman. He is a staff writer at the New Yorker. We are recapping the 78th annual Tony Awards. Let's talk about Kola Scola. Happily, was so fun to watch him hike up his skirt, run towards the stage. That, to me was my favorite part of the show was his acceptance awards. His acceptance speech.

[Michael Shulman]

Incredible. Cole is actually they them they them. Cole is non binary and made history in that category. In fact, as a openly non binary performer, I've been watching Cole's career for many years as a kind of downtown queer alt comedy genius. And it's just been so exciting this past year to see Omari become this runaway hit. I felt like Cole was this year's hometown hero. And the fact that they were up against George Clooney and won and it made me so happy. I feel like, oh, Mary is. You know, I saw it on Christopher street and then when they said it was moving to Broadway, I thought, okay, I mean, this is a very gay show. It's a very silly show. It's divine. But like, is there gonna be an audience for it on Broadway? And it turns out it's everyone's favorite thing. And so to see Cole get up there and thank someone named Tebow from Grindr you know, what a moment.

[Alison Stewart]

As you said, Cole, he won best actor. He submitted. Although he's non binary, he had to go for best actor. Jack Malone, who took home the prize for best featured actor in a musical for Operation Mincemeat. He plays Hester secretary.

[Michael Shulman]

Oh, yeah. Both playing women.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. And he had a really terrific part of his acceptance speech that I want to play.

[Jack Malone]

The last thing I wanted to say is this. Eight times a week, I walk out on that stage and tell the audience that I'm a woman. I'm not one. And I only convey it through simple adjustments to posture, voice, and energy. But night after night, audiences believe in Hester. They believe, weep for her. They invest in her. They love her for her old romantic heart. And if you watched our show and found yourself believing in Hester, well, then I am so glad to tell you that intentionally or otherwise, you might have just bid farewell to cynicism, to outdated ideas, to that rotten old binary and opened yourself up to a world that is already out there in glorious Technicolor and isn't going away anytime soon.

[Alison Stewart]

That was a great speech.

[Ariana DeBose]

Thank you so much.

[Michael Shulman]

It was. I was happy. Jack Malone has the best song in Operation Minced Me by a Mile. You know, it's a very sort of silly, slapstick show. And then he has this long, very serious, very poignant song, this solo that just stops the show every night and, you know, perfect kind of performance to win a featured category. I think like the person who just comes and steals the show.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Melissa calling in from Brooklyn. Hey, Melissa, thanks for calling, all of it.

[Melissa]

Hi, thanks for having me. I just want to give a little shout out to a show that didn't get any real Tony love this year, and that's Real Women have Curves. I loved this musical, and I realize it has a bunch of newcomers to Broadway, but it was so good. I'm not Latina at all, but the stories, the messages about immigration, about young love, I just. It. It was such a. About. About the women's bodies. It just really showed. It was just such a warm musical. I want everyone to go see it. I'm wondering if it was possibly snubbed because it's just mostly women in that cast. I feel like a lot of all. Like, I'm thinking about Suff, which also kind of got bypassed a lot. I just wonder if that's possibly something.

[Alison Stewart]

Melissa, thanks for your call.

[Michael Shulman]

Yeah, I was glad that Real Women have Curves. Got to perform a song toward the end of the show. I'm kind of not sure why those decisions were made because it wasn't nominated for best Musical, but it got to do a number. But good for that show. I hope it does find an audience. I think. I'm not sure. I think the critical reception was a bit divided. It's a little bit. Some people found it a little bit cornball, but it is a heartwarmer. It is a predominantly female cast, a Latina cast.

[Alison Stewart]

Songs are bangers, though. The songs are so good at that.

[Michael Shulman]

I was surprised they didn't do the title song on the Tonys. Cause that just absolutely stopped the show when I saw it. I think part of the problem is that it opened very late in the season in that pileup in April where you just don't even know where to look. And the people who are Tony nominators are seeing a show a day, and it's exhausting. And by the time you're sort of crawling to the finish line, you have this one or two more things. So maybe that's part of it.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Rob, who's calling in from Woodside. Hi, Rob. Thanks for calling all of it.

[Rob]

Hi, how are you today?

[Alison Stewart]

Doing okay.

[Rob]

Good. My question is, I'm a scenic designer, and for the second year in a row, the entire scenic design, choreographic awards, special awards, and all have been ignored in the prime CBS broadcast. And I was. That's got me upset. And other friends of mine who are designers are just wondering why they've decided to snub that particular aspect of the theater.

[Michael Shulman]

Oh, I'm about to get on my own soapbox about that.

[Alison Stewart]

Go for it.

[Michael Shulman]

I mean, this is something that they've done for several years. They've done what they call Act One, where they put some of the writing categories like best book of a musical, best score. The design categories in a sort of pre show that happens this year was on Pluto tv. Yeah. I mean, I think the obvious answer is it doesn't involve famous people and there's less of an audience for design. What I find enraging about, I think every major award show does this now is they don't put the lifetime achievement award in the main broadcast. The lifetime achievement award. This year there was an incredible speech by Harvey Fierstein. And if you didn't get to see it because it was on Pluto tv, go find it. It was incredible. There was a wonderful introduction by Tony Kushner. But yeah, no, the Oscars, the Golden Globes. Everyone has sort of abandoned the lifetime achievement award as part of the main broadcast. But I Think as a longtime lover of award shows, those moments give these shows such gravitas. To have someone, you know, receive this sort of career summation and then really speak from the heart. I mean, I just remember, you know, at the Golden Globes when, like, Oprah would give a speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award. I can't believe that award shows are abandoning these.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Michael Shulman, staff writer for the New Yorker. We are talking about the 78th annual Tony Awards. Of course, the night had many musical performances. Let's listen to one of them. This is the cast of Buena Vista Social Club. We're dancing in here.

[Michael Shulman]

You cannot. How do you not dance to that?

[Alison Stewart]

Honestly, of all the musical performances on this show, which performance do you think enticed audiences to say, you know what, I'm gonna go see that show?

[Michael Shulman]

Ben away. It's a close Social Club. That's a good contender. I don't know. There were a lot of good ones. I thought, oh, Jonathan Groff as Bobby Darin in Just in Time. He was fantastic. And he was climbing all over Keanu Reeves. That was great. I mean, I also really loved that we got to see back to back Nicole Scherzinger and Audra McDonald doing their absolute showstoppers in the same category. I don't think Sunset Boulevard is staying open that much longer, but yeah, I thought that she absolutely knocked it out of the park.

[Alison Stewart]

Was there any performance you thought, huh, I wonder why they did that song.

[Michael Shulman]

You know, I have not seen Pirates, the Penzance musical. But as soon as that came on, I had to leave the room. It was just really not for me. I was really like, no, no, no. I'm sorry. David Hyde Pierce in a weird little clown nose situation. I just couldn't.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay, One big performance from the night, the 10th anniversary of Hamilton, which included the original company and a medley of all kinds songs. Let's hit it.

[Ariana DeBose]

After the war I went back to New York after the war I went back to New York I finished up my studies and I practiced law. I practiced law very work next door.

[Alison Stewart]

Even though we started at the very.

[Ariana DeBose]

Same time Alexander Hamilton began to climb how to account for his rise to the top man, the man is nonstop I'mma get a scholarship to King's College I probably shouldn't rag I'm amazing astart the problem is I got a lot of brains with no polish I gotta holler just to be heard with every word I drop knowledge, yeah A fast patiently waiting Passionately smashing every expectation every action denied the creation I'm laughing in the basic casualties of sorrow. For the first time I'm thinking past tomorrow and I am not throwing away my shot.

[Cynthia Erivo]

I am not throwing away my shot. Hey, yo. I'm just like my country. I'm young Scott being hungry and I'm not throwing away my. Not throwing away my shine. Look around, look around, look around, look around, look around. It's all lucky alive right now. History is happening in Manhattan. We just happen to be in the greatest city in the world. In the greatest city in the world. Angelica, Eliza and sister. We're looking for a.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay, I know all the words. After 10 years in brain surgery of Hamilton, it was unbelievable to watch that 10 years later and still be drawn in.

[Michael Shulman]

It was great. It was great. Even Ariana DeBose was there to play the bullet. The slow motion bullet.

[Alison Stewart]

The Oscar winner playing the slow motion bullet.

[Michael Shulman]

I know because she was in the ensemble. I mean, it was also incredible just to watch all those people and think about the past 10 years of their lives. That show made stars. I also feel like maybe it's time for the backlash. The backlash to Hamilton, because I feel like it's been a long road with Hamilton. It premiered during the Obama second term. It felt like this beacon of hope about America. And then, of course, a lot of other things happen in this country and a certain cynicism set in about Hamilton. But that performance last night was just a great reminder that, yes, we were right. This was good.

[Alison Stewart]

This was good. This text says the cast of Hamilton was fire last night. That's how you do a medley in our last moments. Anything you wanted to point out from the Tony Awards, from the season, from the show?

[Michael Shulman]

Well, you know, there were a lot of Hollywood megastars who sort of dropped in this season. Some of them didn't even get nominated. Like the Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. Kieran Culkin went from winning an Oscar to not getting nominated for Glen Grey, Glen Ross. And they've charged quite a lot for tickets. We kept hearing that this was. I think Cynthia Rivas said at the beginning this was Broadway's most lucrative season financially. Well, I mean, take that with a grain of salt. Some of these shows were charging $900 for them, premium seats. But I thought last night was a great mix of kind of homegrown hits and homegrown stars like Cola Scola in Omari and maybe happy ending mixed with, you know, real bona fide star power.

[Alison Stewart]

Michael Shulman is a staff writer at New Yorker. We finished talking about the 78th annual Tony Awards. Here's to the new season and also a special surprise announcement that we have regarding one of last night's winners. You'll have to stick around for that. Thank you for being with us, Michael.

[Michael Shulman]

Oh, how enticing.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you for having me. There's more. All of it on the way, including that big announcement. Stay with us.

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