The Best Moments from the 2022 Tony Awards

The 75th annual Tony awards resoundingly declared that Broadway is back. Hosted by Ariana DeBose, fresh off her Oscar win for West Side Story, the night was full of fantastic performances and exciting wins.

With many shout-outs to the understudies, swings, and stand-bys who have helped keep Broadway running—including at the ceremony itself, when Six's alternate Mallory Maedke stepped in to for a performance with just 12 hours of notice—the Tonys reflected the theater community's hopeful new normal.

Here are the eight best moments from the evening:

1. Joaquina Kalukango's performance

The standout performance from the evening was undoubtedly Joaquina Kalukango belting "Let It Burn" from Paradise Square. In the Civil War era musical, Kalukango plays Nelly O’Brien, a Black woman who owns a New York City bar. "Theater is like being in the playoffs every night. It’s always changing based on who comes into the space," Kalukango told T&C earlier this year. "You never know what’s going to happen." One thing that's guaranteed to happen when Kalukango takes the stage, however, is an awe-struck audience. As host Ariana DeBose said: "I’m still not over Joaquina Kalukango." Neither are we.

Later in the telecast, Kalukango took home the trophy for Best Lead Actress in a Musical.

2. A Strange Loop winning best musical and Michael R. Jackson winning best book of a musical

Two of the most exciting wins of the evening came from the "big, Black and queer-ass American Broadway show," A Strange Loop. First, Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson added another trophy to his collection, winning Best Book of a Musical. In his acceptance speech, Jackson said, "I wrote [A Strange Loop] at a time when I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. I didn’t know how I was going to move forward. I felt unseen. I felt unheard. I felt misunderstood, and I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft for myself as a Black gay man."

And at the very end of the show, A Strange Loop took home arguably the biggest award of the evening: Best New Musical. With the win, Jennifer Hudson, a co-producer of the show, became the newest member of the prestigious EGOT club—just the 17th EGOT winner in history.

3. Toby Marlow makes history

Toby Marlow, who wrote Six with Lucy Moss, became the first non-binary Tony winner when the two won Best Original Score for their pop musical about the wives of Henry VIII. “It feels really amazing to be a part of a season where there’s so much queerness on stage explicitly," Marlow said after their win. "Queerness in the people, in the actors, in the creators of the shows. It feels really wonderful, and I really hope that with more and more queer people storming Broadway, in lots of new and different ways, that that’ll be reflected more and more in the shows we’re watching, because representation is pretty fab. Love the queers. Happy Pride!"

4. Patti LuPone's acceptance speech

Company, the gender-bent Stephen Sondheim revival, took home the most Tony awards last night—including best featured actress for star Patti LuPone. In her acceptance speech, she paid tributes to her understudies, dressers, and COVID safety officers. She also made a joke about producer Chris Harper, a reference to a talkback the Company cast did last month.

LuPone told an audience member to mask up, saying, "Who do you think you are that you do not respect the people that are sitting around you? Just put your mask over your nose. We have worked really hard." In response, the theatergoer replied, "I pay your salary." LuPone's snarky response? "Bullshit. Chris Harper pays my salary." There were numerous references to the "Chris Harper pays my salary" line throughout the evening, a tribute to the power of Patti LuPone.

5. Billy Crystal's "Yiddish scat"

In Mr. Saturday Night, Billy Crystal plays comedian Buddy Young, Jr.—a role he originated in the 1992 film of the same name. At the Tonys, Crystal hammed it up as Buddy, leading the audience in a call-and-response "Yiddish scat."

He got Samuel L. Jackson and Lin-Manuel Miranda to participate, and the entire audience to shout out "oy vey." Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.

6. Ariana DeBose and Andrew Garfield's adorable moment

Ariana DeBose had many wonderful moments throughout the evening, gamely participating in all awards show hosting bits. The best, however, came when she sang a tribute to performers interacting in the audience, and went and sat on Andrew Garfield's lap. As she approached Garfield, she sang, I am close to you, oh so close to you / I am touching you, there's not a lot that you can do. Garfield smiled and blushed, and cemented his status as a Hollywood (and Broadway) heartthrob. Soon, DeBose sat in his lap, and Garfield gave her a big hug.

7. The Spring Awakening reunion

The original Broadway cast of Spring Awakening reunited late last year for a one night only benefit concert, a performance that was filmed for an HBO special titled Those You've Known. Perhaps understanding the emotional power of Spring Awakening, the Tonys wisely decided to reunite the cast, again, during the broadcast. Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher, Jr., Skylar Astin, and the rest of the original Broadway cast came together for a moving performance of "Touch Me."

"I don't think I've experienced since Spring Awakening the freedom and that bravery of what it meant every night to get on stage and literally have to let go of any ounce of your vulnerability," Michele told T&C earlier this year.

8. Bernadette Peters's Sondheim tribute

Last but certainly not least, Bernadette Peters's tribute to the late Stephen Sondheim was perfect. Sondheim passed away at the age of 91 in November, and there was no question that the Tony Awards would pay tribute to his legacy.

Who better to perform than Bernadette Peters, who originated roles in both Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods. "I feel so fortunate to get the chance to sing his music. So if I'm in something new, that's great. I don't care if it's new or not new. I just like to sing his music," she said in 2010. Peters sang "Children Will Listen," from Into the Woods—a song she first performed in the original production of the show in 1986.

Upon his passing, Peters wrote, "I am so so sad to lose my friend Steve Sondheim. He gave me so much to sing about I loved him dearly and will miss him so much. Thank you for all the gifts you gave the world Steve."

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