The highs, lows and whoas of the 2024 Tony Awards

Maybe the hive mind prediction engine is getting a little Also GOOD? The 2024 Tony Awards only held a few whoas this year. Vulture’s pre-show guesses weren’t 100% correct, but we were close. The surprises, on the other hand, were mainly related to the production of the show itself: Jay-Z performed a pre-recorded duet with Alicia Keys for Hell’s KitchenHillary Clinton appeared in a caftan, Eddie Redmayne gave children nightmares and The foreigners made it rain inside. Now… open the curtains! Below, the highs, lows and whoas of the 2024 Tonys.

LOW — Where is Billy Porter’s phone? After winning an award for his activism, Porter took the stage without his speech in hand and then had to wait for someone to retrieve his phone from somewhere offstage. A little chaos and confusion is fun, but also, memorize your speeches, everyone! —Jackson McHenry

HIGH – Truly enthusiastic and excited speeches from the design winners. The streaming portion of the event puts the craft awards aside, but at least it also gives winners some breathing room to express themselves. We have The foreigners” Video creator Hana S. Kim said she was just hoping to dress up and didn’t realize she would be showing so much skin on TV, and The foreignersSound designer Cody Spencer said he couldn’t believe he was crying in front of so many “damn” people he knew, then realizing he was probably going to be muted on the stream. —J.M.

HIGH – This awkward and well-advised bathroom break. The PlutoTV pre-show ended, like last year’s streaming Act 1, about ten minutes before the CBS broadcast began. Awkward pause in the room? Probably, and it may cause a drop in energy for the first bit of the main show. But there are a lot of people over 50 in this room, so some structured bathroom time is probably a good idea. —Christophe Bonanos

HIGH — Bailiffs get their due! Jeremy Strong thanks the bailiffs! He’s a serious, serious guy. They should have let him ramble for another 20 seconds before turning up the music. —CB

WEAK – Jay-Z is celebrating. When Alicia Keys said she ‘had to do something crazy’ mid-performance Hell’s KitchenIn ‘s performance, we didn’t think it would be Jay-Z appearing somewhere on a random staircase at Lincoln Center in what may or may not be a pre-recorded video. It’s not the Grammys. Instead, give the actors their due. —Devon Ivie

HIGH — A moment for dads. Pete Townshend joins the Tommy casting to play the opening riff of “Pinball Wizard” and… Nobody’s Crazy! Especially not DADDS EVERYWHERE. Happy Father’s Day! —Sarah Holdren

HIGH – Kara Young. Kara Young’s dress. Kara Young’s hair. Victory for Kara Young. Kara Young. —SH

WHOA – Yes, Danya Tamor took off her shoes. If I won a Tony, I would also go shoeless to accept the brass. —DI

WHO – … And Brooke Shields put on her Crocs. I support all Hallmark Channel alumnae, and Shields’ cloud of yellow shoes makes it easier. —DI

HIGH – Women! Danya Taymor pays tribute to record number of women nominated for director roles. Get it. —SH

WEAK – Forgotten elephant. First, the Tonys snub him Some water for the elephants puppet for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, and then we don’t see Rosie at all during the performance? Rude. —DI

WEAK – Note cards out, Notes app in. Apparently it’s now de rigeur to use your phone for your thank you notes. I’m not in it. —SH

HIGH – The tribute to Chita Rivera. It was a bit of a strange concept – “let’s celebrate this outstanding dancer by having a group of people dance a bit like her” – but far be it from us to discuss her greatness or merit. She also got the last place of honor in the In Memoriam segment. —CB

WEAK – Radio editing for Stereophonic. After being initially (and mysteriously) excluded from the lineup, the Stereophonic the actors were added to the poster…and then had about 30 seconds to perform? Which give? We’re all here for “Masquerade” (and “Drive”!). Give the people what they want! —SH

WHO – Cabaret at the Kit Kat ClubThe animatronic movements of. Watching Eddie Redmayne do his jerky dance, reaching for the camera like a 3D William Castle movie. It’s a choice! And when the rest of the dancers supported this choice, I was charmed. It’s quite different from the Fosse-esque fluidity, this choice to dance like Charles Entertainment Cheese and his robot friends. When people say Cabaret is political, they probably don’t mean that the show is commenting on the removal of Munch’s Make Believe Band from our country’s pizzerias. They probably mean encroaching on fascism and all that. —Bethy Squires

HIGH – “CANDIDATE” Trucker hats. Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells’ very funny passage on the unexpected (and frankly strange) classification of Gutenberg: the musical as a revival, even though it has never been presented on Broadway before. “It’s just an honor to be eligible.” —CB

WHO – The best publicity for a show goes to… The only musical I haven’t seen yet is The foreigners, and it kept moving down my totem pole of summer priorities. Bad wigs aside, did you watch that fight scene in the rain with all the blood? What about pretty boys hitting other pretty boys? I don’t know how they pulled off this careful staging, and now I can’t wait to go see it for myself. By far the most convincing performance of the evening. —DI

WEAK – Stereophonic’s score is snubbed. It would have been cool if the piece, which features some of the best fake 1970s rock songs to ever grace our eardrums, was recognized for being a formidable tinderbox of sound. (Oh, sorry, would you like to try deconstructing another one Rumors for musicians and sound engineers StereophonicThe studio ? I didn’t think so.) It’s a colossal feat, and going against the status quo by awarding a piece for best score would have been a welcome and deserved change. —DI

WEAK – No Tony for Mary? It is perhaps thematically appropriate that Lindsay Mendez, who played the infamous third game of Happy, we move forwardof the trio, was the only one of them not to leave with a trophy. This is also an oversight. Mendez’s sincere yet hilarious and subtle sadness holds the show together. At least she already has one for Carousel, but give him another! —J.M.

HIGH – The Weeper Jonathan Groff. We have nothing negative to say about him. —CB

HIGH – The foreigners, Best musical on TV? In addition to winning the big prize this year, it also arguably stood out as the best of all the show’s musical segments: dramatic lighting and swooping close-ups during “Tulsa ’67” and “Grease Got a Hold.” . They even carried all the rain gear to the Koch Theater, and stagehands rushed to clean up during the commercial break that followed. —CB