The 79th Tony Awards, the highest distinctions in American theater, rewarded committed works on Sunday in New York, inviting reflection on feminism, anti-Semitism, the history of the United States or celebrating LGBT+ culture.
The 79th Tony Awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall had political overtones in the United States of Donald Trump, with positions taken by its presenter, the singer Pink, in favor of trans people or freedom of expression.
Liberationwhich returns to the second feminist wave of the 1970s around sexuality and the place of women in society, was crowned best play, after being awarded a Pulitzer Prize at the beginning of May.
Its author, Bess Wohl, is only the fourth woman to receive this distinction at the Tony Awards.
The award for best musical went to Schmigadoon!a humorous tribute to the greatest hits of Broadway and adaptation of the series of the same name.
Best Actor for his role in Giantin which he plays Roald Dahl, John Lithgow hailed on stage a play that is “extraordinarily important at the moment”.
The work of the British Mark Rosenblatt returns to a particular episode in the author’s career, in 1983, when he published an essay accused of anti-Semitism on the recent siege of Beirut by the Israeli army.
“This is the gift we are giving to the public: inviting them to think about this very serious subject, anti-Semitism, cruelty in all its forms, hatred of others,” the actor explained at a press conference. “These are realities that we face today directly and personally, and I think that’s why ‘Giant’ is so important and has been so successful.”
This piece arrives in the wake of a broader debate around the work of Roald Dahl, retouched by his publisher in 2023 in order to remove terms deemed offensive on weight, gender, origin or mental health.
Réinterprétations
Ragtimewhich depicts racism and the social and economic upheaval of the early 20th century in the United States, received four awards, including best revival of a musical.
Cats: The Jellicle Balla reinterpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical comedy with a “ballroom” twist (an LGBT+ subculture, mainly Afro-American and Latino, born in New York), won three distinctions, notably for its costume designer Qween Jean, the first openly trans person to win a Tony Award.
“This award has truly incredible importance,” the latter stressed to journalists, before denouncing the “demonization” of transgender people and the restriction of their access to health care under the Trump administration.
It is another reinterpretation, that of Death of a traveling salesman by Arthur Miller, who won the most awards (6).
Among them, best revival of a play and best supporting actress for Laurie Metcalf, seen in the series “Roseanne”.
Theater remains popular with audiences in New York, with 14.6 million admissions during the 2025-2026 season (i.e. 90% of seats occupied) and $1.9 billion in gross revenue, according to the Broadway League, the sector’s main professional association.
