Recapping the 2025 Tony Awards - All Of It with Alison Stewart

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

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.

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.

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]).

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.

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.

Audience Reactions and Call-Ins

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

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.
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..."

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.

"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."

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.

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..."

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 (0:28)

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 (1:45)

Hi. Thanks for having me.

Alison Stewart (1:46)

I gotta talk about Patti LuPone, first of all.

Michael Shulman (1:49)

Oh, boy.

Alison Stewart (1:50)

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 (2:24)

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.