2022 Tony Awards: Jesse Tyler Ferguson wins the first award of the evening for

The 2022 Tony Awards kicked off on Sunday evening, with Jess Tyler Ferguson winning the first award of the night.

Ferguson beat out Alfie Allen, Hangmen, Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind, Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s, Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out and Jesse Williams, Take Me Out for the award to get the show under way, airing live on CBS from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with Ariana DeBose hosting. 

The 75th Annual Tony Awards is celebrating achievement in Broadway productions during the 2021–22 season. 

First winner: The 2022 Tony Awards kicked off on Sunday evening, with Jess Tyler Ferguson winning the first award of the night

Host: Ferguson beat out Alfie Allen, Hangmen, Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind, Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s, Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out and Jesse Williams, Take Me Out for the award to get the show under way, airing live on CBS from Radio City Music Hall in New York City , with Ariana DeBose hosting

Jessica Chastain and Colman Domingo presented the first award of the night for Best Featured Actor in a Play, which was won by Jesse Tyler Ferguson for Take Me Out.

He beat out Alfie Allen, Hangmen, Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind, Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s, Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out and Jesse Williams, Take Me Out.

‘Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. My heart is beating so fast. 25 years ago I worked at the theatre circle gift shop on 44th Street, which happens to be three doors down from the theatre where Take Me out is playing,’ Ferguson began.

Presenters: Jessica Chastain and Colman Domingo presented the first award of the night for Best Featured Actor in a Play, which was won by Jesse Tyler Ferguson for Take Me Out

‘I would sit in there and folding my Phantom of the Opera t-shirts and watching actors walk by the windows on the way to the their call and I thought I hope that is me some day,’ he added.

‘I am so glad I get to be to do this. Thank you for mom, dad, thank you for letting me STO move to New York, I told you it would be okay,’ he joked.

He also bragged about his husband Justin Mikita, who, ‘was part of the producing team that brought Is This A Room to Broadway this season.; 

Speech: ‘I would sit in there and folding my Phantom of the Opera t-shirts and watching actors walk by the windows on the way to the their call and I thought I hope that is me some day,’ he added

So glad: ‘I am so glad I get to be to do this. Thank you for mom, dad, thank you for letting me STO move to New York, I told you it would be okay,’ he joked

‘I’m so unrealistically proud of you and you have incredible taste, obviously and Richard Greenberg, your words are a gift to any actor who gets the pleasure to say them. I’m so honored. Thank you so much,’ he concluded.

Kelli O’Hara and Ruthie Ann Miles presented the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, which was won by Patti LuPone for Company.

She beat out Jeannette Bayardelle, Girl From The North Country, Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night, Jayne Houdyshell, The Music Man, L Morgan Lee, A Strange Loop and Jennifer Simard, Company.

Proud: ‘I’m so unrealistically proud of you and you have incredible taste, obviously and Richard Greenberg, your words are a gift to any actor who gets the pleasure to say them. I’m so honored. Thank you so much,’ he concluded

Presenters: Kelli O’Hara (left) and Ruthie Ann Miles (center) presented the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, which was won by Patti LuPone (right) for Company

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‘I started this journey with Marianne Elliott in 2018, four years, two countries, a seemingly endless and extremely vulnerable lockdown, three different viruses in three consecutive months and two sublime casts,’ she began. 

‘And so a loving shout out to my British casemates lead by Rosalie Craig who was the first actors to realize Maryanne’s gender bent vision,’ LuPone added. 

‘And equally loving shout out to my hometown casemates lead by Katrina Lenk. A finer group of actors and comedians I couldn’t imagine and who it is my honor to work with every night,’ she said, while also offering her, ‘huge gratitude’ to understudies and COVID compliance workers.

Patti wins: ‘I started this journey with Marianne Elliott in 2018, four years, two countries, a seemingly endless and extremely vulnerable lockdown, three different viruses in three consecutive months and two sublime casts,’ she began

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Cast: ‘And so a loving shout out to my British casemates lead by Rosalie Craig who was the first actors to realize Maryanne’s gender bent vision,’ LuPone added

‘Marianne, I will follow you for the rest of my life wherever you lead. Chris Harper who pays my salary. You are my one and last producer, except for David, Jeffrey and Andre Bishop,’ she concluded.

Josh Lucas and Sarah Paulson presented Best Direction of a Play, which was won by Sam Mendes for The Lehman Trilogy.

He beat out Lileana Blain-Cruz, The Skin of Our Teeth, Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Neil Pepe, American Buffalo and Les Waters, Dana H.

Presenters: Josh Lucas and Sarah Paulson presented Best Direction of a Play, which was won by Sam Mendes for The Lehman Trilogy

‘Thank you very, very much indeed. It is an honor to be part of the community, I’m proud especially this year to be part of the Broadway community in a season of such rampant creativity and diversity so thank you for remembering us,’ Mendes began. 

‘I have a lot of people to say thank you to for keeping this show alive, during some pretty dark days so thank you to sue and John and everyone at the national theatre,’ he added.

‘An incredible bunch of collaborators to Nick Powell and John Clark and the genius of Stefano Massini for his brilliants and bonkers play,’ he continued. 

Sam wins: ‘Thank you very, very much indeed. It is an honor to be part of the community, I’m proud especially this year to be part of the Broadway community in a season of such rampant creativity and diversity so thank you for remembering us,’ Mendes began

‘But especially I want to dedicate this to three extraordinary actors, they are all honored here today, so by definition they can’t all be up here but have I worked with all of them, Adrian, Adam and Simon for 25 years and it is my great, greats honor and delight that they just keep getting better and better. So all of these, the three of them, you share this with me, thank you very, very much,’ he said.

Lucas and Paulson also presented the award for Best Direction of a Musical, which was won by Marianne Elliot for Company.

She beat out Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop, Conor McPherson, Girl From The North Country, Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage, SIX: The Musical and Christopher Wheeldon, MJ.

Marianne wins: Lucas and Paulson also presented the award for Best Direction of a Musical, which was won by Marianne Elliot for Company

Nominees: She beat out Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop, Conor McPherson, Girl From The North Country, Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage, SIX: The Musical and Christopher Wheeldon, MJ

She first joked, ‘They just said I could swear as much as I like. Wow, thank you first and foremost to Stephen Sondheim for trusting me to tell his story in a different way and putting a woman front and center!’

‘He and I shared a belief that theater should be for the now, that should speak directly to today’s audience. But to have collaborated with him so closely, to have made a show about New York on Broadway with New York’s most important theater makers of my lifetime it is a privilege that I never would have imagined or even dared to imagine ever in my days,’ she added. 

‘Our industry has been through so much. It felt at times that live theater was endangered. I want therefore to dedicate this award to all of you out there who are fighting for the survival of this beautiful transportive and essential art form,’ she added. 

Jokes: She first joked, ‘They just said I could swear as much as I like. Wow, thank you first and foremost to Stephen Sondheim for trusting me to tell his story in a different way and putting a woman front and center!’

Belief: ‘He and I shared a belief that theater should be for the now, that should speak directly to today’s audience. But to have collaborated with him so closely, to have made a show about New York on Broadway with New York’s most important theater makers of my lifetime it is a privilege that I never would have imagined or even dared to imagine ever in my days,’ she added

Transportive: ‘Our industry has been through so much. It felt at times that live theater was endangered. I want therefore to dedicate this award to all of you out there who are fighting for the survival of this beautiful transportive and essential art form,’ she added

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Skylar Astin and Marcia Gay Harden presented Best Featured Actress in a Play, which was won by Phylicia Rashad for Skeleton Crew

She beat out Uzo Aduba, Clyde’s, Rachel Dratch, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, Kenita R. Miller, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Julie White, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive and Kara Young, Clyde’s.

‘Just when I thought I had done everything there was to do, along came Faye Davis in Skeleton Crew,’ she began.

Phylicia wins: Skylar Astin and Marcia Gay Harden presented Best Featured Actress in a Play, which was won by Phylicia Rashad for Skeleton Crew

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‘You heard others say it tonight, and it’s true. It’s the work of many people. Dominique, thank you very much for writing this play. That only you could have written,’ she added.

‘And Ruben, thank you for presenting me with a work that was challenging, demanding and most rewarding. Thank you for casting the play the way you did, giving me wonderful actors to work with, Lynne Meadows thank you very much, thank you Manhattan theatre club for supporting this play and seeing us through and thank you to the people who came to see it,’ she added.

Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson took to the stage to present the Best Revival of a Play award, won by Take Me Out.

Thanks: ‘You heard others say it tonight, and it’s true. It’s the work of many people. Dominique, thank you very much for writing this play. That only you could have written,’ she added

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Sam presents: Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson took to the stage to present the Best Revival of a Play award, won by Take Me Out

It beat out American Buffalo, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, How I Learned to Drive, by Paula Vogel and Trouble in Mind, with producer Carole Rothman accepting the award.

‘Thank you to the American Theatre Wing. Okay, okay, in has been a tough time for the theatre for our artists and for New York City and it’s taken great courage and commitment on the part of so many people to come back to the theatre which is a place of joy and hope,’ Rothman began.

‘Everyone at Second Stage is immensely proud of our production of Take Me Out and Clyde’s, thank you Richard Greenberg for your brilliant play, Scott Ellis for your inspired direction,’ she added.

Carole accepts: It beat out American Buffalo, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, How I Learned to Drive, by Paula Vogel and Trouble in Mind, with producer Carole Rothman (middle) accepting the award

She also gave a ‘shout-out’ to her children Molly and Charlie, who she said were her, ‘heroes.’

Utkarsh Ambudkar and Raul Esparza presented the award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, won by Matt Doyle from Company

He beat out Sidney DuPont, Paradise Square, Jared Grimes, Funny Girl, John-Andrew Morrison, A Strange Loop and A.J. Shively, Paradise Square.

Presenters: Utkarsh Ambudkar and Raul Esparza presented the award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, won by Matt Doyle from Company

Winner: He beat out Sidney DuPont, Paradise Square, Jared Grimes, Funny Girl, John-Andrew Morrison, A Strange Loop and A.J. Shively, Paradise Square

‘Oh my goodness, oh, thank you so much. Thank you to the American Theater Wing and the Broadway League and to all the beautiful men in my category, my god, you brilliant, brilliant men,’ he began.

‘Thank you so much to my team Eric and Tim and everyone at the Jacobs Theater, the the staff, the crew, the stage management, and my company, my beautiful family, we have been to hell and back with each other, I love you so much,’ he added.

He also thanked his co-star Etai Benson, who plays Paul, and his, ‘real life Paul,’ Max Clayton, who he said, ‘I don’t know what I would do without you. And you really do leave love notes all over the place and I cannot believe what you put up with.’

Love: ‘Thank you so much to my team Eric and Tim and everyone at the Jacobs Theater, the the staff, the crew, the stage management, and my company, my beautiful family, we have been to hell and back with each other, I love you so much,’ he added

He also thanked Marianne Elliott and Chris Harper, ‘for your friendship and guidance and support over the years and changing my life.’

‘To my earliest teachers Marilyn, Judy, Brit, Richard, Beth, thank you to my family, my sisters Leah and Colleen and my parents who believed in my pursuing my passion and believed in the arts and believed that the only way I would be happy is to live my life authentically, thank you so much to George and Stephen Sondheim, Stephen, thank you for allowing your work to evolve and allowing more people to be seen in your genius, thank you so much,’ he concluded.

Darren Criss and Julianne Hough presented the next award for Best Book of a Musical, which was won by Michael R. Jackson for A Strange Loop.

Guidance: He also thanked Marianne Elliott and Chris Harper, ‘for your friendship and guidance and support over the years and changing my life.

Presenter: Darren Criss and Julianne Hough presented the next award for Best Book of a Musical, which was won by Michael R. Jackson for A Strange Loop

He beat out Girl From The North Country’s Conor McPherson, MJ’s Lynn Nottage, Mr. Saturday Night’s Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel and Paradise Square’s Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan.

‘I started writing this musical when I was 23, I’m 41 now, I’m old as hell, I wrote it from an old lady’s house in the middle of Jamaica Queens when I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life,’ he began.

‘I didn’t know how I would move forward, I felt unseen, unheard, misunderstood and I wanted to create a life raft for myself as a black gay man to try to get through the day,’ he said.

Winner: ‘I started writing this musical when I was 23, I’m 41 now, I’m old as hell, I wrote it from an old lady’s house in the middle of Jamaica Queens when I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life,’ he began

Life: ‘I didn’t know how I would move forward, I felt unseen, unheard, misunderstood and I wanted to create a life raft for myself as a black gay man to try to get through the day,’ he said

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‘I give a special shout out to my incredible choreographer who could not be here, he needs everything, he has been here for me, so much I want to say, I’m like really speechless,’ he said.

‘Y’all know I’m all about quality in high art. We talk about representation, I’m all about representation but let’s make sure we are staying on our grinds and art, that we are doing the best work we can do, Jayne once sense there is nothing that can replace quality, never settle for anything less than the best you can do, do your best, that is my message to everybody, every artist, thank you again, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,’ he concluded.

Company won Best Revival of a Musical, beating out Caroline, or Change and The Music Man, which was accepted by producer Chris Harper.

Shout out: ‘I give a special shout out to my incredible choreographer who could not be here, he needs everything, he has been here for me, so much I want to say, I’m like really speechless,’ he said

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‘Wow, wow, this is just an incredible honor. Thank you so much firstly to my friends and business partner Marianne Elliott for being such a visionary artist to my producing party for always being by my side to Katrina and Patti, our incredible cast,’ he began.   

‘To our orchestra, our stage crew, our swings, everybody at the theatre, our stage crew, everyone at productions and he could producer and Stephen Sondheim for letting us reimagine his classic musical,’ he added. 

‘It means the world to me and to be supported by so many people as part of the Broadway community is equally special. But company is a show about the people who give life meaning. So I would like to dedicate this award to my children, Martha and Barnaby because they are my reason for being alive, thank you so much,’ he concluded.

A number of awards were handed out before the telecast as well, which were announced through the Tony Awards Twitter.

Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow won Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) for SIX: The Musical, beating out Flying Over Sunset; Music by Tom Kitt, Lyrics by Michael Korie, Mr. Saturday Night; Music by Jason Robert Brown, Lyrics by Amanda Green, Paradise Square; Music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare and A Strange Loop, Music and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson.

Montana Levi Blanco won Best Costume Design of a Play for The Skin of Our Teeth, beating out Sarafina Bush, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind, Jane Greenwood, Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite and Jennifer Moeller, Clyde’s.

Lucy and Toby win: Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow won Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) for SIX: The Musical, beating out Flying Over Sunset; Music by Tom Kitt, Lyrics by Michael Korie, Mr. Saturday Night; Music by Jason Robert Brown, Lyrics by Amanda Green, Paradise Square; Music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare and A Strange Loop, Music and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson

Montana wins: Montana Levi Blanco won Best Costume Design of a Play for The Skin of Our Teeth, beating out Sarafina Bush, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind, Jane Greenwood, Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite and Jennifer Moeller, Clyde’s

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Gabriella Slade won Best Costume Design of a Musical for Six: The Musical, beating out Fly Davis, Caroline, or Change, Toni-Leslie James, Paradise Square, William Ivey Long, Diana, The Musical, Santo Loquasto, The Music Man and Paul Tazewell, MJ.

Es Devlin won Best Scenic Design of a Play for The Lehman Trilogy, beating out Beowulf Boritt, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, Skeleton Crew, Anna Fleischle, Hangmen, Scott Pask, American Buffalo and Adam Rigg, The Skin of Our Teeth.

Bunny Christie won Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Company, beating out Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, Flying Over Sunset, Arnulfo Maldonado, A Strange Loop, Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, MJ and Allen Moyer, Paradise Square.

Gabriella wins: Gabriella Slade won Best Costume Design of a Musical for Six: The Musical, beating out Fly Davis, Caroline, or Change, Toni-Leslie James, Paradise Square, William Ivey Long, Diana, The Musical, Santo Loquasto, The Music Man and Paul Tazewell, MJ

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Bunny wins: Bunny Christie won Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Company, beating out Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, Flying Over Sunset, Arnulfo Maldonado, A Strange Loop, Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, MJ and Allen Moyer, Paradise Square

Jon Clark won Best Lighting Design of a Play for The Lehman Trilogy, beating out Joshua Carr, Hangmen, Jiyoun Chang, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Jane Cox, Macbeth and Yi Zhao, The Skin of Our Teeth.

Natasha Katz won Best Lighting Design of a Musical for MJ, beating out Neil Austin, Company, Tim Deiling, SIX: The Musical, Donald Holder, Paradise Square, Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset and Jen Schriever, A Strange Loop

Mikhail Fiskel won Best Sound Design of a Play for Dana H., beating out Justin Ellington, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Palmer Hefferan, The Skin of Our Teeth, Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy and Mikaal Sulaiman, Macbeth.

Jon wins: Jon Clark won Best Lighting Design of a Play for The Lehman Trilogy, beating out Joshua Carr, Hangmen, Jiyoun Chang, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Jane Cox, Macbeth and Yi Zhao, The Skin of Our Teeth

Natasha wins: Natasha Katz won Best Lighting Design of a Musical for MJ, beating out Neil Austin, Company, Tim Deiling, SIX: The Musical, Donald Holder, Paradise Square, Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset and Jen Schriever, A Strange Loop

Gareth Owen won Best Sound Design of a Musical for MJ, beating out Simon Baker, Girl From The North Country, Paul Gatehouse, SIX: The Musical, Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Company and Drew Levy, A Strange Loop.

Simon Hale won Best Orchestrations for Girl From the North Country, beating out David Cullen, Company, Tom Curran, SIX: The Musical, Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, MJ and Charlie Rosen, A Strange Loop.

Christopher Wheeldon won Best Chroreography for his work in MJ, beating out Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Warren Carlyle, The Music Man, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, SIX: The Musical and Bill T. Jones, Paradise Square.

Gareth wins: Gareth Owen won Best Sound Design of a Musical for MJ, beating out Simon Baker, Girl From The North Country, Paul Gatehouse, SIX: The Musical, Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Company and Drew Levy, A Strange Loop

Simon wins: Simon Hale won Best Orchestrations for Girl From the North Country, beating out David Cullen, Company, Tom Curran, SIX: The Musical, Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, MJ and Charlie Rosen, A Strange Loop

Christopher wins: Christopher Wheeldon won Best Chroreography for his work in MJ, beating out Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Warren Carlyle, The Music Man, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, SIX: The Musical and Bill T. Jones, Paradise Square

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