Tony Awards 2026 - The Winners (and My Thoughts)

It's been two weeks since the 79th Tony Awards! And so I thought I would share some of my thoughts as well as reveal how well I did in my predictions. 

I thought P!nk did a great job hosting the Tony Awards. The main requirement in my mind is love and respect for theater and she definitely had it in spades. She was also game for anything and willing to embrace the camp, another thing a good host (no matter the award show) needs to do. Bravo to her and while there were a few hiccups here or there, I think she'll only get better as a host. 

The performances were great, in my opinion. I enjoyed them all but the real standouts to me were Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, and The Lost Boys. I had expected Titanique to really blow the roof off Radio City but it seems like some technical difficulties prevented that. 

(The sound was weird throughout the show. For whatever reason, there was an echo whenever the presenters were talking into the microphones. It just wasn't as good as it was in the past and hopefully the producers will fix that for the future). 

Suffs the Musical: Finish the Fight

Suffs the Musical will be airing on PBS' Great Performances today, May 8th, at 9 PM EDT. Please check your local listings to confirm the time it airs in your part of the country. 

Suffs the Musical follows the fight to get the 19th Amendment ratified, paving the way for women to vote. However, it comes with many struggles - some external, some internal - and the Suffs have to find the strength to Keep Marching on. 

If you want to read my review of the musical, you can find it here. 

I hope you all tune in and enjoy this amazing musical! 

“& Juliet”: An Upbeat Retelling of a Tragedy

I got introduced to & Juliet back during the pandemic when Spotify placed some songs from the Original London recording on my Weekly Discover list. Intrigued by this jukebox musical, I looked into it and thought it was an interesting concept.

When the pandemic began to ease and theater returned, & Juliet stormed into North America, starting in Toronto. It then came to Broadway and still runs today.

Knowing how much I love Broadway, my aunt offered to get me tickets to a show for my birthday. Her only request was that it not be something sad. Since & Juliet was on my list of shows to see and I knew it wasn’t sad, I asked to see that one.

So we went to a matinee on the second Saturday of May and now I’m going to tell you what I thought!

I’ve the got the eye of the SPOILERS!

Suffs: Show Them Who You Are

 Good news! 

Suffs the Musical will be filmed for posterity! 

According to Playbill, Suffs was filmed right before Christmas for PBS' Great Performances series, capturing the original Broadway cast before the show closed on January 5th. 

There is no date for when the performance will air. 

I am so excited about this. I think more shows should be filmed for people to enjoy and I'm glad PBS is filming this one. I will look forward to watching it and hopefully being able to buy it so I can watch it whenever I want, especially as it's very unlikely I'll be able to see the show one last time before it closes. 

I had secretly hoped this would somehow get filmed. There were some powerful names behind the show and I thought maybe someone would have a connection to preserve this amazing show. Maybe it would then get some more love if more people could see it. 

Looks like at least one wish came true. 

Suffs the Musical: Keep Marching

This review likely would’ve taken a different tone prior to the election but my opinion hasn’t changed.

So let’s do this.

Back in April, my mom, aunt and I went to go see Six the Musical for my birthday. (I also highly recommend that show). While we were eating lunch, I saw two women walking through the restaurant and they had sashes reading “Votes for Women” on them. I made a comment that they must be seeing Suffs and my mom asked what it was about. I told her it was about the fight for women’s right to vote and we all agreed we wanted to see it.

Fast forward six months and we made it a reality. We trekked into the city yet again, enjoyed a nice lunch and caught a Saturday matinee of this Tony-winning musical.

Even though this deals with historical events, I’m still going to warn for SPOILERS anyway.

Smash: Will It Be Your (Broadway) Star?

Smash lives!

You might remember the short-lived NBC show from over a decade ago that was about the creation of a Broadway show. I recapped every episode on this blog, if you want to read them.

After it ended its run on TV, there was talk of turning the fictional Marilyn Monroe musical the characters worked on (Bombshell) into a real life musical. There even was a benefit concert version featuring many actors from the show, including Megan Hilty (Ivy) and Katharine McPhee (Karen).

Then the pandemic hit and a lot of projects had to wait.

Well, it seems that while they were waiting, it was decided that instead of mounting Bombshell, they would turn Smash itself into a musical and mount that instead.

Curtains Up, Light the Lights

Hadestown and Waitress the Musical have returned to the Great White Way tonight. 

Break a leg to the casts and welcome back to Broadway!

March Broadway Madness: The Final Matchup

We started with 36 musicals.

8 faced off in the wild rounds and 4 moved on to the main rounds.

32 musicals then faced off in 4 rounds of 8 matchups to determine the Sweet 16.

16 musicals then became the Elite Eight.

8 then became 4.

Now only 2 musicals remain from the original 36 and only 1 can be crowned the winner.

Will it be Wicked, the story of two very different who become friends but find themselves on opposite sides when one chooses to defy gravity and the other opts to follow the rules of a rather corrupt game?

Or will it be The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running show on Broadway that tells the story of a deformed genius who terrorizes the Paris Opera House and the young soprano caught between him and her childhood sweetheart?

Time to find out!

March Broadway Madness: Semifinals!

Here we are! Our Final Four – Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, The Pirate Queen and The Phantom of the Opera – will now battle it out to find out who will go head-to-head in the final round.

So without further ado, let the Semifinals begin!

Let’s start with the Nederlander Conference:

Wicked v. Beauty and the Beast

Two stories about outcasts who find friendship and love – what a pairing! Both are rich stories with beautiful music to supplement them. I love “I’m Not That Girl” as much as I love “If I Can’t Love Her.” While one does hold a very special place in my heart, the other is just stronger in how memorable it is and how much of a lasting impact it’s left one me.

And that one has one of my favorite love duets.

Winner: Wicked!

March Broadway Madness: Round 3 Shubert Conference

So Wicked and Beauty and the Beast will battle to see who will represent the Nederlander Conference in the finals. Let’s see who will fight to represent the Shubert Conference.

Here we go!

Spring Awakening v. The Pirate Queen

Oh, wow. This is an intriguing matchup. Both opened in the same season and I saw them within weeks of each other. I got to see one with my friend and that was a really special trip out while the other was with my mother, which was also a great experience. And both have different but impactful stories, so I guess this is also going to come down to my gut.

Winner: The Pirate Queen!

March Broadway Madness: Round 3 Nederlander Conference

Here we are at the Elite Eight! It’s amazing to me how I’ve narrowed down a field of 36 contenders and am now down to eight. I’m eager to see how these matches will play out. I thought I would rule one way when just eyeballing certain matches but then when I did deep dives, found myself changing my mind. I have a feeling it will happen a few more times before I crown a winner.

Like Round 2, this will focus more on comparing the two musicals rather than evaluating them individually.

Let’s get started!

Rent v. Wicked

Both of these musicals defined a generation, have songs that have lasted throughout the years, and made their marks on Broadway. And both count Idina Menzel in their original casts. But I feel one is more timeless in its appeal and story while the other is a nostalgic and maybe rose-colored look back at a slice of life during a certain time. It still has some timeless messages but I think it really appeals more to theater people than the other. And one has definitely stuck with me more than the other.

Winner: Wicked!

March Broadway Madness: Round 2 Shubert Conference

Half of my Elite Eight are now set! Time to determine which other 4 musicals will be joining the Elite Eight.

Let’s see how the eight musicals remaining in the Shubert Conference fare this time!

Spring Awakening v. Aladdin

This is an interesting match up. One is bright and extravagant, the other is dark and minimal. Each have their own messages, though one is more kid-friendly than the other. And both have some great songs, though I think one production and one album rises up a little bit higher than the other.

Winner: Spring Awakening!

March Broadway Madness: Round 2 Nederlander Conference

(I realized that I had forgotten to include two musicals I had seen and intended to include. I only realized it when I was wondering why I hadn’t seen Legally Blonde appear in the bracket yet. I went back to my list and realized that it and Lennon did not appear anywhere. Lennon probably wouldn’t have survived any bracket but Legally Blonde stood a good chance of progressing far and I’m sorry I forgot it).

So I’ve eliminated twelve musicals so far and I now face the Sweet 16! It’s time to whittle them down more until I have my Elite Eight. Who will survive Round 2?

I’ve already discussed each musical individually so going forward, my comments will focus more on the match up.

Let’s start with the Nederlander Conference!

Rent v. Jersey Boys

This is a bit more of an even matchup, both having made their own marks on Broadway and become something of legends. Each ran for a good amount of time and Jersey Boys still lives on off-Broadway (or did and will once theater came come back). There’s been talk of reviving Rent, though, so I’m sure that will be something to look forward to. But one production still stands out a bit more and has left such an impact on Broadway that one of its songs has become an anthem of sorts.

Winner: Rent!

March Broadway Madness: Round 1 Shubert Conference Group B

This is our last group of Round 1! Once I make these final four calls, our Sweet 16 will be set and I’m sure things are going to get tougher for me to decide.

But let’s get through Group B of the Shubert Conference and then I can worry about that!

Here we go!

Moving Out v. Spamalot

Moving Out: I saw this musical twice and I definitely needed to do so. It’s really a ballet set to the music of Billy Joel, telling the story of five friends as they graduate high school and go through the tumultuous 60s and 70s through his music and dance. It was very beautiful but during my first viewing I had to keep glancing at my Playbill to follow along with the story (they had the plot printed in the Playbill). So when I went back to see it, I was able to just sit back and enjoy everything else. So it loses points for being a bit hard to follow at first but it does have Billy Joel music. And Billy Joel’s music is awesome.

Spamalot: This seems to be almost the exact opposite of Moving Out. It’s more commercial than “artistic” (only in quotes because art is so subjective, who is to say Spamalot isn’t art?) and more silly than serious. But it’s definitely easier to understand, even if you aren’t a fan of Monty Python.

Winner: I went back and forth on this. As I’ve said earlier, the only criteria is really my own opinion so I’m going to go with my gut and give it to Moving Out.

March Broadway Madness: Round 1 Nederlander Conference Group B

So far it’s been a wild ride (at least for me). I can’t wait to see what results come from Group B of the Nederlander Conference. Let’s see what I think about seven of these musicals.

Here we go!

Anything Goes v. Hello, Dolly!

Anything Goes: I got to see this revival of the show with Sutton Foster and Colin Donnell, both of whom were amazing in the show, as well as THE Kelly Bishop. I unfortunately did not get a chance to see Joel Grey but I don’t think it hurt the show. And I was a bit disappointed that I went to see the show after Laura Osnes left but Erin Mackey shone in the role of Hope Harcourt. Everyone performed Cole Porter’s music well and the show was funny as well as engaging. However, I have forgotten I’ve seen this show and I almost forgot that Kelly Bishop was in it! Yes, I saw it almost a decade ago but that’s still a strike against the show.

Hello, Dolly!: I’ve already discussed Hello, Dolly! Right now, it does have an edge because I saw it more recently so it’s fresher in my mind. So this seems to come down to Kelly Bishop and Sutton Foster vs. Donna Murphy, which is a tough battle.

Winner: Though it’s tough with as many great leading ladies are in this round, I have to give it to Hello, Dolly!

March Broadway Madness: Round 1 Shubert Conference Group A

Well, Nederlander Group A gave me a lot to think about and consider. I can’t wait to see what Shubert Group A gives me.

So without further ado, let’s start evaluating the shows!

Spring Awakening v. The Wedding Singer

Spring Awakening: I saw the original Broadway cast – which means I did get to see Skylar Astin on Broadway too! It’s certainly one of the darker musicals I’ve seen, tackling such topics as incest and rape, abortion, suicide, etc. Like there are a lot of warnings that need to proceed recommending this musical. But it’s still very good and with some beautiful music. And it still manages to end with something of a hopeful note, so kudos to it.

The Wedding Singer: I pretty much covered this in the wild card round. But this is such a stark contrast to Spring Awakening, a lighter musical with a definite happy ending. Will that be enough to move on?

Winner: It seems that this time, edgy edges out the hopeful. I’m going to have to give it to Spring Awakening.

March Broadway Madness: Round 1 Nederlander Conference Group A

Now with our “Wild Cards” settled, it’s time for the main event! We’re starting with the Nederlander Conference Group A today!

For now, these entries will be long but should get shorter once I cycle through all the shows involved. I will evaluate each show and then declare who I feel is the winner based mostly on my opinion.

Let’s begin this round!

Memphis v. Rent

Memphis: This is more a good match to go up against Rent. It tells the story of a white man in the Jim Crow south who falls in love with a black woman with a voice just as beautiful as she is. He works to help build her career but has his own issues, including not being ready for all the hate the world throws at them. If you’re looking for a musical with a happy ending, this really isn’t it. If you want a musical that will make you think and feel something, this is it. It also has some great music – I especially recommend listening to “Say a Prayer.” But I’m not sure it had the same staying power as Rent.

Rent: I covered this in the Wild Card round. But as I noted above, I feel Rent has had more staying power than Memphis. While Memphis probably has timely message for our times, there is still something about the message of Rent that still attracts new fans every year.

Winner: This is a bit more difficult but I think I still have to give it to Rent, just for the fact that it’s stayed in collective memories as well as my own a lot longer.

March Broadway Madness: Wild Card Round

Let’s start with our “Wild Card” entries. I will evaluate the two musicals and choose one to advance to Round 1.

“Wild Card” Round – Nederlander Conference A

Mary Poppins v. Rent

Well, this is a weird match up – two musicals that probably couldn’t be more different! But I did see both twice, so they do have that in common!

Mary Poppins: It was a Disney production and Disney certainly knows how to pull out the stops. And it was based on one of their most beloved movies though also heavily inspired by the books. In addition to the memorable songs from the movie, new songs were added that rounded out the story and felt like they fit right in. The choreography was truly amazing and “Step in Time” was a true showstopper even before Bert went “over the rooftops.” And of course, it was well known that Mary Poppins took flight – though that was best experienced in the mezzanine rather than the orchestra. My only two quibbles was the elimination of “I Love to Laugh” from the movie and then in between my viewings of it, the song “Temper Temper” was eliminated. I enjoyed the song though I understood it was removed because it was frightening children (in the song, Michael and Jane are shrunk down to the size of their toys, which then put them on trial for being abusive to them due to their own tempers). Overall, it didn’t hurt the production and it was still a fun musical for all ages.

Rent: What a contrast to Mary Poppins – and not just because of the plot! Whereas Disney pulled out the stops with lavish sets and spectacles, Rent was more minimal. A steel structure served as many things and there were only a few other items, the second biggest part of the set a folding table. Someone didn’t fly overhead. Instead, the plot tugs on the heartstrings. It’s a story about found family and the struggles of trying to survive in a world that seems against you. It addressed AIDS though it was one of many projects humanizing the disease. Rent, however, became a cultural phenomenon and really caught the public’s attention. But there is still the lingering doubts about if Rent would’ve blown up so much if creator Jonathan Larson hadn’t tragically died before the first off-Broadway performance. Or would it have only gotten better because he could’ve continued to fine tune it? Because there are some problems with the story and the characters and there is the troubling undercurrent of “true artists suffer and starve for their art” in the plot in addition to “No day but today”. However, Rent continues to live on and continues to inspire new generations to this day with its story and characters.

Winner: It was a tough call but after writing everything down, I think I have to give the win to Rent.

March Broadway Madness

March Madness lives! I know all you sports and betting fanatics missed it terribly last year when COVID cancelled all games. So I’m sure you’re happy it’s back.

I’m not much of a basketball person. I follow my NY Mets during baseball and NY Giants during football but I just never got into basketball (except in college during our girls’ team’s Cinderella run – go Marist Lady Foxes) . Nor am I interested in really doing a proper March Madness bracket.

But you know what I am interested in? Broadway musicals.

You know what I miss? Broadway musicals.

So while everyone follows along on their brackets, I’m going to make one of my own featuring all the Broadway shows I remember seeing – I’m pretty sure I forgot a couple. (And I know it’s a privilege that I could have seen so many that not only did I forget some but I still had enough for a 34 team match up).

Here’s how it will work: I used a bracket generator to randomly assign shows against each other. I will write several posts (hopefully every day) where I go through the different rounds, picking from the brackets until I get to the best show that I’ve seen – in my opinion. I’ve decided that all the shows on the “left” side of the bracket I’ve created will be the “Nederlander Conference” and those on the “right” side of the bracket will be the “Shubert Conference.” The shows have not been divided up by whether they played in a Nederlander or Shubert theatre, it just seems easier to keep track.

Here’s the line up:

“Wild Card” Round – Nederlander Conference

Mary Poppins v. Rent

Hello, Dolly! v. Frozen

“Wild Card” Round – Shubert Conference

The Addams Family v. The Wedding Singer

Gigi v. Spamalot

Round 1 – Nederlander Conference Group A

Memphis v. (Winner of Mary Poppins v. Rent)

Jersey Boys v. White Christmas

Little Shop of Horrors v. Hairspray

Wicked v. Pippin

Round 1 – Nederlander Conference Group B

Anything Goes v. (Winner of Hello, Dolly! v. Frozen)

The Music Man v. The Sound of Music

Beauty and the Beast v. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Les Miserables v. On Your Feet!

Round 1 – Shubert Conference Group A

Spring Awakening v. (Winner of The Addams Family v. The Wedding Singer)

Aladdin v. Cinderella

The Pirate Queen v. Little Women

Newsies v. Avenue Q

Round 1 – Shubert Conference Group B

Moving Out v. (Winner of Gigi v. Spamalot)

The Phantom of the Opera v. Tarzan

Godspell v. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Anastasia v. Jesus Christ Superstar

Make your picks and find out which comes out on top in my opinion. Feel free to play along in the comments below!

Hello, Dolly!: I Wish I Could Find a Witty Subtitle for This

I know it’s just an algorithm but I feel bad for my “Recommended For You” list on Disney+. I am all over the board so it’s a strange mish-mosh of National Geographic specials, behind the scenes documentaries and musicals.

I love musicals.

Anyway, I was surprised when I was going through my “Recommended for You” list and Hello, Dolly! popped up. I didn’t realize it was on Disney+ and so I decided to give it a watch.

Now you get to enjoy my thoughts on it!

Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and SPOILERS!