Last Sunday was the 73rd Annual Tony Awards which honored the best and brightest of the Broadway community! If you missed the awards ceremony, here’s a recap of the winners!

Best Musical: Hadestown

Best Play: The Ferryman

Best Revival of a Musical: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Best Revival of a Play: The Boys in the Band

Best Book of a Musical: Tootsie, Robert Horn

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre: Hadestown, Music & Lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: Bryan Cranston, Network

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play: Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Santino Fontana, Tootsie

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Bertie Carvel, Ink

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: André De Shields, Hadestown

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Best Scenic Design of a Play: Rob Howell, The Ferryman

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Rachel Hauck, Hadestown

Best Costume Design of a Play: Rob Howell, The Ferryman

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Bob Mackie, The Cher Show

Best Lighting Design of a Play: Neil Austin, Ink

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Bradley King, Hadestown

Best Sound Design of a Play: Fitz Patton, Choir Boy

Best Sound Design of a Musical: Nevin Steinberg & Jessica Paz, Hadestown

Best Direction of a Play: Sam Mendes, The Ferryman

Best Direction of a Musical: Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown

Best Choreography: Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Orchestrations: Michael Chorney & Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown

Congrats to all the nominees and winners!

Sending light and love,

JuJu

Last night, June 2nd, 2019, was the 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards held at The Town Hall to honor the 2018-2019 theatre season! Listed below are the winners for the 2019 Drama Desk Awards, in case you missed the show!

Outstanding Musical: The Prom

Outstanding Play: The Ferryman

Outstanding Revival of a Play: The Waverly Gallery

Outstanding Actress in a Play: Elaine May in The Waverly Gallery

Outstanding Actor in a Play: Jay O. Sanders in Uncle Vanya

Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Stephanie J. Block in The Cher Show

Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Santino Fontana in Tootsie

Outstanding Book of a Musical presented by Music Theatre International: Robert Horn for Tootsie

Outstanding Lyrics presented by Music Theatre International: David Yazbek for Tootsie

Outstanding Music presented by Music Theatre International: David Yazbek for Tootsie

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Ali Stroker in Oklahoma!

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: André De Shield in, Hadestown

Outstanding Choreography presented by LaDuca Dance Shoes: Warren Carlyle for Kiss Me Kate

Outstanding Fight Choreography: Claire Warden for Slave Play

Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Off-Broadway

Outstanding Orchestrations: Daniel Kluger for Oklahoma!

Outstanding Music in a Play: Jason Michael Webb and Fitz Patton for Choir Boy

Outstanding Projection Design: Peter England for King Kong

Outstanding Set Design for a Musical presented by Hudson Scenic: David Korins for Beetlejuice

Outstanding Set Design of a Play: Matt Saunders for "Daddy"

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical, presented by Production Resource Group: Bradley King for Hadestown

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play: Amith Chandrashaker for Boesman and Lena

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz for Hadestown

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play: Nick Powell for The Ferryman

Outstanding Wig and Hair Design: Charles G. LaPointe for The Cher Show

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical: Bob Mackie for The Cher Show

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play: Toni-Leslie James for Bernhardt/Hamlet

Outstanding Solo Performance: Mike Birbiglia in The New One

Unique Theatrical Experience: All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Theater Latté Da/Laura Little Theatrical Productions/The Sheen Center

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Celia Keenan-Bolger in To Kill A Mockingbird

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Tom Glynn-Carney in The Ferryman

Outstanding Director of a Musical:
Rachel Chavkin for Hadestown

Outstanding Director of a Play
Sam Mendes For The Ferryman

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

Sending love and light,

JuJu

Happy Pride Month! Playbill commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (June 28th, 1969) with new Pridebill design! The Pride banner on the top of the Playbill cover this year displays a rainbow brick wall to celebrate the Stonewall Riot and those who threw the first bricks towards the fight for equality!

Sending light and love,

JuJu

Regina, Regina, Regina!

With word of Tony Nominee Taylor Louderman’s departure from Mean Girls on Broadway, fans have been wondering who will be the next actress to step into Regina George’s shoes (or, Louboutin heels). 2018 Jimmy Award winner Reneé Rapp will make her broadway debut as Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway. Rapp’s powerhouse vocals are sure to amaze audience members in the August Wilson as she takes on the role of Miss Regina George.

Rapp will join the company full time on September 10th but will join the show for a limited engagement this summer from June 7-26 before then. Make sure to catch Reneé Rapp as the Queen Bee Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway!

Stay up to date with Reneé by following her on social media!

Reneé’s Instagram: @reneemj

Reneé’s Twitter: @reneemjrapp

Sending light and love,

JuJu

“You always said that I’d come back to you again, ‘cause everybody needs a friend...it’s true”

These lyrics rang through Boston’s Wang Theatre as a single spotlight illuminated Ben Platt on the piano. This was the beginning of his concert on May 8th in Boston for his Sing To Me Instead tour, opening with his song “Bad Habit”. Star-studded performer Ben Platt spent the night casually chatting with the audience while singing songs from his debut album Sing To Me Instead.

Having been a fan of Platt’s since his onscreen performance in Pitch Perfect to his Tony-winning performance in Dear Evan Hansen, I was beyond excited to see him perform his original material live. His album Sing To Me Instead served as a guiding light to me during rough times this past year. Getting to hear these songs that mean so much to me live was surreal. Getting to see Platt living his dream was even better.

The energy in the room was ecstatic as Platt told childhood stories, funny personal factoids, and danced his heart out onstage. Platt is an example of what every performer should aspire to be. He is unapologetically himself and showed immense gratitude towards every audience member in the theatre. 

Make sure you listen to Ben Platt’s debut album Sing To Me Instead and stay up to date with Ben on social media!

Ben’s Instagram: @bensplatt

Ben’s Twitter: @bensplatt

Sending light and love,

JuJu