All the artists who received the Tony Awards last night had one thing in common: they were all first-time winners. After accepting their prizes, the winners walked across the Lincoln Center plaza to a press room where they answered questions from the New York Times and reporters from other media outlets. Here’s a sample of what they said.
Daniel Radcliffe, “We Ride Merry”
Radcliffe won best actor in a musical for his portrayal of lyricist Charley Kringas in a revival of Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.” This is Radcliffe’s fifth Broadway show, but the first for which he was nominated for a Tony.
How was the “Merrily” journey for you?
It was a dream, especially with this ending. My voice teacher, who I mentioned, one of the first things he made me sing was “Good Thing Going” whenever I worked with him for “Equus.” To go from singing it for the first time in your office in London to singing it on stage and now this is crazy.
How does it feel to find new success after spending much of your childhood career on “Harry Potter”?
When I finished “Potter,” I had no idea what my career would be. I had already started doing stage stuff, but I didn’t know what the future had in store for me. Having spent the last year playing Weird Al (in the 2022 film “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”) and also doing “Merrily We Roll Along,” is awesome. And I think playing a character for a long time creates in you a desire to do as many things as possible. I’m doing this right now.
Let’s talk a little about the learning process “Franklin Shepard, Inc.?” It’s a huge moment in the show and a huge song.
Just listen to it, listen to it, listen to it, learn it. The moment you learn the journey of thoughts that travel through it, that’s when it starts to become less intimidating. You start to stop seeing it as an unteachable mass and it starts with, “Okay, this is what’s happening over there. »
Jonathan Groff, “We Ride Merry”
Groff won best leading actor in a musical for his role as Franklin Shepard, a musical composer who jeopardizes his closest relationships for commercial success, in “Merrily We Roll Along.”
If you could speak directly to your younger self, what would you say?
Pure joy, inspiration, excitement, passion for the arts is a super power. If you can believe it, follow it, harness it and trust it, it can change your life. But I wouldn’t need to tell him that, because I guess he did. If I had to give him advice, I would tell him to start meditating.
How does it feel to win your first Tony for a series in which you formed such deep bonds with your co-stars?
We were all at the theater today. Dan (Radcliffe) said to me, “Aren’t you stressed?” And I was like, “I’m more ecstatic than stressed.” » He said to me, “I’m going to buy a shirt that says: I’m stressed and you’re happy.” »
The fact that this show, this masterpiece by Stephen Sondheim, has a new life 40 years later? It’s unheard of, and it’s unheard of in a show like this. I felt like this morning we had already won, whatever the rewards.
Being on stage at the Tonys with our entire cast, and then singing “Old Friends” and feeling like we were in a living room with each other and not at the Tony Awards, was the most incredible feeling in, in an instant . it’s so big, you can feel this level of intimacy.
Maleah Joi Moon, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Moon, making her Broadway debut, won best lead actress in a musical for playing Ali in “Hell’s Kitchen,” a fictionalized version of Alicia Keys’ childhood.
What does it mean to you to be part of a show that brings diverse representation into the Broadway canon?
None of this matters if we don’t do our part as theater lovers, as a theater community, to encourage young people to pursue their dreams. There is no future for theater, musical comedy, plays, opera or any other creative activity without children. Without the teachers, providers, and the village that raised me not only as a child but also as a storyteller, I would not be anywhere near this point in my life.
When it comes to community diversity, it’s very important that people who look like me come to the theater and see themselves reflected in a work of art, because everyone deserves to have good theater experiences that relate to them.
Kara Young, “Victorious Purlie”
Young won best featured actress in a play for her portrayal of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins in the revival of the Ossie Davis satire “Purlie Victorious.” The role was originated by Ruby Dee.
Why is it important to you to win your Tony for “Purlie Victorious”?
Every little moment to honor black bodies, honor the black voice, and to do it in two hours, to me, is honoring black people and, on top of that, continuing the legacy of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, and their commitment to change the situation. American tapestry.
It feels historic because we honor them. They were not honored for their work 60 years ago. It’s recognizing more than just me, it’s recognizing all the people who came before me and who were never recognized for their work.
How does it feel to receive your first Tony Award? (Young was also nominated for awards in 2022 and 2023.)
It feels bigger than me, because of the stories I’ve had the opportunity to tell. It is not me. It’s the makeup of many, many, many, many, many people, especially the sacrifices of Mom and Dad. I’m keeping him, but he’ll probably go to my parents.
Jeremy Strong, “an enemy of the people”
Strong won best lead actor in a play for his portrayal of Dr. Thomas Stockmann, who warns his community about a dangerously polluted spa, in a revival of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People.”
What was going through your mind when you won?
I felt overwhelmed. It’s a very different thing to disappear into a play than to present yourself in front of your community. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude.
How important was it to bring the show to Broadway at this time?
At its most fundamental level, water is an allegory. It’s a play about someone trying to tell the truth, which is under attack in many ways in our country and in our world.
But it’s also a play about denial. What people will do to avoid an uncomfortable or inconvenient truth in order to protect their personal interests, and what happens when the source is poisoned, and in our case in this country, what happens when that who was poisoned is also prosperous, and what will people do about it. Protect them.
How has your understanding of Dr. Thomas Stockmann evolved over time to where you are today?
I find acting to be a very non-intellectual discipline. I’m a pretty cerebral person and a lot of the work you have to do is stripping away reason, instinct, prudence and figuring it out with what Ezra Pound called your “mind-gut.” .
Sarah Paulson, “Appropriate”
Paulson won her turn as the monstrous Antoinette Lafayette in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ steamy family drama, “Appropriate.”
How does it feel to win the Tony?
I don’t feel like I’m in my body right now. I can not believe it. I can not believe it. It’s a childhood dream for me, without a doubt. It is therefore very difficult to experience this moment in front of a lot of people without feeling like I am exposing my insides to you.
What’s it like to continue playing a role for so long, to be there every day and to get more grades?
I’m constantly trying to calibrate things, based on what’s happening on stage with the other actors, what’s happening in my day. One of the best things about being in a play is that you have time and you tell a story from the beginning to the end of the night. You follow a complete trajectory, the same as your character’s, and in a few months you are much better prepared to do it than you were a few months ago.
Will Brill, “Stereophonic”
Brill won best featured actor in a play for David Adjmi’s “Stereophonic.” As the fictional band’s bassist, Brill had to learn how to play the instrument while acting very, very drunk.
What does it mean to you to get the role of Reg?
One of the really crazy things about Reg is, in some ways, he came out of it fully formed. I think sometimes truly exceptional writing does that for an actor. It’s like you’re invented by the playwright, and it’s like you’re sort of created yourself because you’re completely exploiting this thing.
This series kind of taught me how to erase the boundaries between myself and a character in a really fun and very trippy way.
Kecia Lewis, “Hell’s Kitchen”
It was a close race for featured actress in a musical, but Lewis won for her portrayal of a piano teacher who becomes a mentor to the young protagonist of “Hell’s Kitchen.”
What does this moment mean to you?
This is extremely significant, mainly because it’s literally been 40 years. I got into the Imperial Theater doing ‘Dreamgirls’ when I was 18, and I’ll be 59 in two weeks. But it takes a lot of work, a lot of tears, a lot of wanting to give up.
How has your faith been important in your career?
Faith was everything. I didn’t have it when I started. When I started at 18, it was about, “I’m going to be a star and everyone is going to know my name.” And I’m going to be fierce and I’m going to look cute and I’m going to win prizes. That’s what it was.
And as the years go by, when life happens, you discover that faith is literally all you have. Either you believe or you don’t. And there were times when I didn’t. There have been people in my life who talked me out of it. One of the people I spoke to said to me: what are you going to do, drive a bus? You don’t know how to do anything else.
Faith for me has become everything over the years. It became a quiet certainty in my mind, that this is the right thing, this is the right time, walk through that door.