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Backstage with the 2022 Tony Awards Winners!
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May 17, 2024
Another Tonys has come and gone! The American Theatre Wing's 75th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, aired live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night. We have interviews with the winners- including Matt Doyle, Marianne Elliott, Michael R. Jackson, Barbara Whitman, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Myles Frost, Phylicia Rashad, Joaquina Kalukango, and Deirdre O'Connell.
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I was like, did he just say my name
0:01
Like, it was a weird moment. That moment between them saying, and the Tony winner is
0:07
and your name is the scariest moment in the world. And when the muh sound started to come out of his mouth
0:13
I just dropped my head into my hands. I don't know, I kissed my partner and I ran
0:18
I remember being told that you have very little time, so I just ran for the stage
0:22
It was unbelievable. If I could bottle that feeling, I would sell it everywhere
0:28
I just sat there for a moment. I just sat there for a moment
0:35
And my friend, Paul Hokely Stovall, was looking at me like, are you going to get up
0:39
Are you coming? Come on, girl. Let's go. But I just kind of sat there for a moment
0:44
It's an interesting balance, because I know the amount of work that I put into this show
0:48
Like, I put blood, sweat, tears, and no sleep into this show. So to have that be recognized is such an amazing feeling
0:56
But then on the flip side, it's like, you got Billy Crystal. You got Hugh Jackman
1:00
You got equally as rivaling talent as Jaco's body. These people continue to push me to be here
1:10
to continue to be my best. I'm looking over at Jaco, I'm like, all right, I need to step it up. You know, I'm looking over at Hugh
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I'm like, I need to step it up. And that's what it's about. It's about feeling competition to make each other better
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and to celebrate moments like this. And I'm just so humbled and appreciative
1:24
I'm just so proud that I can be a part of this season that's bringing Broadway back
1:28
And also, you know, we are reflecting on how far, on what we have to change over those two years
1:35
I mean, we've had a lot of big things happen to us. And you know, people come to theater to heal
1:41
And you know, I love that we could be part of that healing thing. And our play deals with a lot of stuff with racism and bigotry
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And you know, I was like, oh gosh, are we going to be OK? We've had a really rough few years
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But I think it was cathartic to sort of watch that play and be in that space together
1:56
You know, art is so necessary in times of turbulence. So I'm glad we could be that thing for people
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It was a very strong category. And I truly kind of, I really didn't expect to win
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But I was so happy to be in that company. So I did feel a jolt of electricity
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really did go through my body when they said my name. And yeah, I mean, I am the face of a very large beast
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of geniuses that made that piece. And I'm literally just like the person that sat in the chair
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And then, but all of that work fed through me more literally than with any other kind of performing
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So I feel so proud for all of us. To have this be recognized with this honor, for me
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is very encouraging that, A, the time that I spent working on it
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was worth it, but also that it's telling me to continue going down the path
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and to try to continue to widen the lane for the work that I'm doing
2:57
It really feels like the entire theater industry said, yes, we can do this kind of musical
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and we should support this kind of musical. And that means everything. You know, my peers, the other artists
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everyone has been rooting for us, which just felt really, really special to me
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To feel, and even if we hadn't won, I felt there was a lot of love for our show. And we're not your typical show, you know
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So the fact that so many people have embraced it so warmly is wonderful
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Honestly, I think it, I just think about us coming back. We've been away for two years
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What we've all had to do, I think everybody deserves an award for literally dealing with new protocols
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dealing with COVID, trying to figure out understudies and standbys, coming in, saving shows
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just so much uncertainty that has never happened before in our industry
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And I feel like everybody should be a winner, quite honestly, just for making it through
3:55
It's been a tough year. Well, I hope it's the beginning of the beginning again
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You know, we need theater and we need to treat it seriously
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And we need to encourage people through the doors because you get transported in the theater
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in a way that you can't in your own life. And you're experiencing something in an event
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with so many other people. And we haven't had that for two years
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I'm grateful. I really am. And so I have to keep working. Yeah
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