NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A musical spoof of the megahit movie 鈥淭itanic.鈥� Another spoof, this time of golden-age Broadway musicals. And a new 鈥淒eath of Salesman,鈥� one of America’s most decorated and mournful plays.
will hope to nab at least one win Sunday across the 26 Tony categories, which can mean the difference between keeping the doors open and pulling down the curtain.
is the host of the show, which will be broadcast live on CBS and streaming for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S. to both coasts on Sunday from 8-11 p.m. Eastern/5-8 p.m. Pacific.
Three generations of Pink’s family
Pink promises a big, honking opening number 鈥� written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick that ends with some 170 people on stage 鈥� with lots of costume changes and some wire work, which she is familiar with from her acrobatic concerts. She has tapped Amber Ruffin, a writer and performer for 鈥淟ate Night with Seth Meyers鈥� for help with jokes.
In the audience will be Pink’s mother 鈥� who took her to shows growing up in Philadelphia, instilling a love of musicals 鈥� and Pink’s two children, a passing of the musical theater baton. Pink’s 15-year-old daughter, Willow, is an aspiring theater actor and urged her to host the Tonys.
鈥淭he biggest reason she wanted me to say 鈥榶es鈥� was so that she could have a seat at the show because she loves the show so much,鈥� says Pink. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 can probably get you a seat anyway.鈥欌��
Plenty of performances
There will be performances from the seven best new musical and best musical revival nominees: 鈥淭he Lost Boys,鈥� 鈥淪chmigadoon!,鈥� 鈥淭itanique,鈥� 鈥淭wo Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),鈥� 鈥淐ats: The Jellicle Ball,鈥� 鈥淩agtime鈥� and 鈥淭he Rocky Horror Show.鈥�
Other performances include the original lead cast members of 鈥淭he Book of Mormon鈥� 鈥� Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O鈥橫alley and Nikki M. James 鈥� this year Leslie Odom, Jr. will sing 鈥淲ithout You鈥� from 鈥淩ent鈥� during the In Memoriam section, in honor of that show鈥檚 30th anniversary.
Another show celebrating a milestone, 鈥淐hicago鈥� now at 30, will have a performance slot featuring Pink, as well as Queen Latifah, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Alex Newell, Adrienne Warren, Julianne Hough, Whitney Leavitt and Dylan Mulvaney. Plus, 鈥淎 Chorus Line,鈥� which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, will get a special tribute by Rachel Zegler.
The musical and play races
The competition for best new musical is between four very different shows: 鈥淭wo Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),鈥� an opposites-attract rom-com; 鈥淭he Lost Boys,鈥� a stage adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller; 鈥淪chmigadoon!,鈥� which gently mocks golden-age Broadway shows; and 鈥淭itanique,鈥� a camp musical comedy that reimagines the 1997 movie 鈥淭itanic.鈥�
The two top best play nominees are 鈥淕iant,鈥� exploring accusations of antisemitism against children’s author Roald Dahl, and 鈥淟iberation,鈥� about a consciousness-raising women鈥檚 group in the 1970s that explores inequality, gender roles and racism.
There are intriguing races in both the revival categories: A 鈥淒eath of a Salesman鈥� led by Nathan Lane is competing for best play revival with a modern-set 鈥淥edipus鈥� led by Marc Strong and a sweet 鈥淓very Brilliant Thing鈥� starring Daniel Radcliffe.
The best musical revival pits a new 鈥淐ats鈥� reimagined as a 鈥淧ose鈥�-like competition show, the sweeping and a rollicking, frisky 鈥淭he Rocky Horror Show.鈥�
Bill Rauch, who secured his first Tony nomination for co-directing the reimagined 鈥淐ats: The Jellicle Ball,鈥� was a nominator for three seasons until this one and is impressed by the range now on Broadway.
鈥淚 look at everything as an artist within the season, but also as somebody who has seen the wealth of work on Broadway for three years running,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 just think there鈥檚 so much variety on Broadway and so many artistic risks that people take. I left my three years as a nominator really impressed by the landscape, I have to say. And I feel that this year as well.鈥�
became the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history at 96 and could become the oldest Tony winner if she hears her name called, surpassing Lois Smith who was 90 when she won in 2021. And Lane is hoping for his fourth Tony for 鈥淒eath of a Salesman,鈥� which would make him tied as the most-awarded male performer in Tony history, alongside Boyd Gaines and Frank Langella.
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