Arts & Entertainment
Tony Awards 2019: ‘Boys in the Band,’ ‘The Cher Show’ pick up wins
‘Hadestown’ leads with triumphs for eight categories
“The Boys in the Band” received the award for Best Revival of a Play at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday making 83-year-old playwright Mart Crowley the oldest playwright to win the award.
The play tells the story of a group of gay friends who gather together to celebrate a friend’s birthday in pre-Stonewall New York City. It opened off-Broadway in 1968. For the play’s 50th anniversary, the production was revived in 2018 with co-producer Ryan Murphy and director Joe Mantello.
The openly gay revival cast included Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesús, Brian Hutchison, Tuc Watkins and Michael Benjamin Washington.
Murphy is also planning a film adaptation for Netflix featuring the Broadway cast.
Crowley dedicated the award to the original cast in his acceptance speech.
“I’d like to dedicate the award to the original cast of nine brave men, who did not listen to their agents when they were told that their careers would be finished if they did this play,” Crowley said. “They did it, and here I am.”
“Hadestown” was the big winner of the evening, which was hosted by James Corden, coming in with eight wins.
Bisexual actress Ali Stoker, also known for her work on “The Glee Project,” won Best Featured Actress in a Musical for portraying Ado Annie in the “Oklahoma!” revival.
Stephanie J. Block won Best Actress in a Musical for playing Cher in “The Cher Show.” Legendary costume designer Bob Mackie and longtime Cher collaborator also won Best Costume Design in a Musical for “The Cher Show.” Cher celebrated the multiple wins with an emotional tweet.
I CANNOT STOP JUMPING, CRYING,LAUGHING,….I FEEL LIKE I WON AN AWARD‼️
— Cher (@cher) June 10, 2019
NOT EVEN SURE IF I CAN USE EMOJIS.
STEPHANIE,BESIDES ME…YOU
ARE THE“ BEST ME”?
BOB I LOVED YOU THE MOMENT I SAW YOU❤️
BEST ACTRESS IN MUSICAL =
STEPHANIE J BLOCK
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BOB MACKIE pic.twitter.com/Lsha8FhKQX
Gay winners continued to dominate the night with Robert Horn winning Best Book of a Musical for “Tootsie,” Sergio Trujillo winning Best Choreography for The Temptations musical “Ain’t Too Proud” and André DeShields winning Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Broadway hit “Hadestown.”
The Tonys included some starring looks including Billy Porter who rocked the rainbow-backdropped red carpet, which honored World Pride, with a Celestino Couture created from the velvet curtains of “Kinky Boots.” Porter won a Tony Award for starring in the musical in 2013. The outfit is reportedly meant to resemble women’s reproductive organs in a stand for abortion rights.
“The Prom” cast also performed and included the kiss that made history at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for being the first same-sex kiss to air on the televised parade.
Check out the list of winners below.
Best Play
“Choir Boy”
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
“Ink”
“The Ferryman”
“What the Constitution Means to Me”
Best Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud”
“Beetlejuice”
“Hadestown”
“The Prom”
“Tootsie”
Best Revival of a Play
“All My Sons”
“Burn This”
“The Boys in the Band”
“The Waverly Gallery”
“Torch Song”
Best Revival of a Musical
Kiss Me, Kate
“Oklahoma!”
Best Book of a Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud” by Dominique Morisseau
“Beetlejuice” by Scott Brown and Anthony King
“Hadestown” by Anaïs Mitchell
“The Prom” by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
“Tootsie” by Robert Horn
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
“Be More Chill” by Joe Iconis
“Beetlejuice” by Eddie Perfect
“Hadestown” by Anaïs Mitchell
“The Prom” by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Adam Guettel
“Tootsie” by David Yazbek
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Paddy Considine, “The Ferryman”
Bryan Cranston, “Network”
Jeff Daniels, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Adam Driver, “Burn This”
Jeremy Pope, “Choir Boy”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Annette Bening, “All My Sons”
Laura Donnelly, “The Ferryman”
Elaine May, “The Waverly Gallery”
Laurie Metcalf, “Hillary and Clinton”
Janet McTeer, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
Heidi Schreck, “What the Constitution Means to Me”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, “The Prom”
Derrick Baskin, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Alex Brightman, “Beetlejuice”
Damon Daunno, “Oklahoma!”
Santino Fontana, “Tootsie”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, “The Cher Show”
Caitlin Kinnunen, “The Prom”
Beth Leavel, “The Prom”
Eva Noblezada, “Hadestown”
Kelli O’Hara, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Bertie Carvel, “Ink”
Robin De Jesús, “The Boys in the Band”
Gideon Glick, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Burn This”
Benjamin Walker, “All My Sons”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Fionnula Flanagan, “The Ferryman”
Celia Keenan-Bolger, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Kristine Nielsen, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Julie White, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Ruth Wilson, “King Lear”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
André De Shields, “Hadestown”
Andy Grotelueschen, “Tootsie”
Patrick Page, “Hadestown”
Jeremy Pope, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Ephraim Sykes, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Lilli Cooper, “Tootsie”
Amber Gray, “Hadestown”
Sarah Stiles, “Tootsie”
Ali Stroker, “Oklahoma!”
Mary Testa, “Oklahoma!”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Bunny Christie, “Ink”
Rob Howell, “The Ferryman”
Santo Loquasto, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Jan Versweyveld, “Network”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Peter England, “King Kong”
Rachel Hauck, “Hadestown”
Laura Jellinek, “Oklahoma!”
David Korins, “Beetlejuice”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell, “The Ferryman”
Toni-Leslie James, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
Clint Ramos, “Torch Song”
Ann Roth, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Ann Roth, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass, “Hadestown”
William Ivey Long, “Beetlejuice”
William Ivey Long, “Tootsie”
Bob Mackie, “The Cher Show”
Paul Tazewell, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, “Ink”
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Peter Mumford, “The Ferryman”
Jennifer Tipton, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, “Network”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, “The Cher Show”
Howell Binkley, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Bradley King, “Hadestown”
Peter Mumford, “King Kong”
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, “Beetlejuice”
Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, “Ink”
Scott Lehrer, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Fitz Patton, “Choir Boy”
Nick Powell, “The Ferryman”
Eric Sleichim, “Network”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, “Beetlejuice”
Peter Hylenski, “King Kong”
Steve Canyon Kennedy, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Drew Levy, “Oklahoma!”
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, “Hadestown”
Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, “Ink”
Sam Mendes, “The Ferryman”
Bartlett Sher, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Ivo van Hove, “Network”
George C. Wolfe, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Best Direction of a Musical
Rachel Chavkin, “Hadestown”
Scott Ellis, “Tootsie”
Daniel Fish, “Oklahoma!”
Des McAnuff, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Casey Nicholaw, “The Prom”
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, “Choir Boy”
Warren Carlyle, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Denis Jones, “Tootsie”
David Neumann, “Hadestown”
Sergio Trujillo, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, “Hadestown”
Simon Hale, “Tootsie”
Larry Hochman, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Daniel Kluger, “Oklahoma!”
Harold Wheeler, “Ain’t Too Proud”
History
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Tuesday marked 60 years since four gay activists held protest
While Stonewall is widely considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in the U.S., a lesser-known protest inside a Greenwich Village bar three years earlier helped lay critical groundwork for what would follow.
Tuesday marked 60 years since the Julius’ Bar “sip in.”
On April 21, 1966, four gay rights activists — Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, John Timmons, and later Randy Wicker — walked into Julius’ Bar and staged what would become known as a “sip-in” to challenge state liquor regulations on serving alcoholic beverages to gay men — with a drink.
Modeled after the sit-ins that challenged racial segregation across the American South, the protest was designed to confront discriminatory practices targeting LGBTQ patrons in public spaces.
At the time, the Mattachine Society — one of the country’s earliest gay rights groups — was actively pushing back against policies enforced by the New York State Liquor Authority. One of those policies could have resulted in the loss of liquor licenses for serving known or suspected gay men and lesbians. The participants had visited multiple establishments, openly identified themselves as homosexual, and requested a drink — with the anticipation of being denied.
Their final stop was Julius’, where reporters and a photographer had gathered to document the moment. When Leitsch declared their identity, the bartender covered their glasses and refused service, reportedly saying, “I think it’s against the law.” The next day, the New York Times ran a story with the headline, “3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars,” cementing the moment in the public record.
Though initially framed with disrespect — the term “sip-in” itself was coined as a play on civil rights protests — the action marked a turning point. It brought national attention to the systemic discrimination LGBTQ people faced and helped catalyze changes in how liquor laws were enforced. In the years that followed, the protest contributed to the emergence of licensed, more openly gay-friendly bars, which became central social and organizing spaces for LGBTQ communities.
The Washington Blade originally covered when the bar was officially added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Today, historians and advocates increasingly recognize the “sip-in” as a key pre-Stonewall milestone. According to the New York City LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, the protest not only increased visibility of the early LGBTQ rights movement but also exposed widespread surveillance and entrapment tactics used against the community.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the event, commemorations have taken place in New York and across the country. Reflecting on its enduring legacy, Amanda Davis, executive director of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, spoke about the event.
“Julius’ Bar is a place you can visit and viscerally connect with history,” said Davis. “We’re thrilled to have solidarity locations across the country join us in commemorating the ‘sip-in’’s 60th anniversary and the queer community’s First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.”
For current stewards of the historic bar, the responsibility of preserving that legacy remains front of mind.
“It’s a privilege and a responsibility to be the steward of a place so important to American and LGBTQ history,” said current owner of Julius’ Bar, Helen Buford. “The events of the 1966 Sip-In here at Julius’ resonated across the country and inspired countless others to stand proud for their rights.”
The timing couldn’t have come at a more important moment, Kymn Goldstein, executive director of the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, explained.
“At a time when our community faces renewed challenges, coming together in resilience and solidarity reminds us of the power in our collective resistance,” Goldstein said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization dedicated to defending rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, is currently tracking 519 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. The majority are targeted at restricting transgender rights — particularly related to gender-affirming care, sports participation, and the use of public bathrooms.
Some additional groups and bars that held their own “sip-in” as solidarity events to uplift this historic milestone are from across the country include:
Alice Austen House at Steiny’s Pub, Staten Island, N.Y.
Bellows Falls Pride Committee at PK’s Irish Pub, Bellows Falls, Vt.
Brick Road Coffee, Mesa, Ariz.
Brick Road Coffee, Tempe, Ariz.
Dick Leitsch’s Family at Old Louisville Brewery, Louisville, Ky.
The Faerie Playhouse & LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana at Le Cabaret, New Orleans
Harlem Pride & John Reddick at L’Artista Italian Kitchen & Bar, New York
JOYR!DE KiKi at Loafers Cocktail Bar, New York
Matthew Lawrence & Jason Tranchida / Headmaster at Deadbeats Bar, Providence, R.I.
Mazer Lesbian Archives at Alana’s Coffee, Los Angeles
New Hope Celebrates at The Club Room, New Hope, Pa.
Queer Memory Project at the University of Evansville Multicultural Student Commons / Ridgway University Center, Evansville, Ind.
Sandy Jack’s Bar, Brooklyn, N.Y.
St. Louis LGBT History Project at Just John Club, St. Louis
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch was held at Salamander Washington DC on Sunday, April 19. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) was presented with the Allyship Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The umbrella LGBTQ sports organization Team D.C. held its annual Night of Champions Gala at the Georgetown Marriott on Saturday, April 18. Team D.C. presented scholarships to local student athletes and presented awards to Adam Peck, Manuel Montelongo (a.k.a. Mari Con Carne), Dr. Sara Varghai, Dan Martin and the Centaur Motorcycle Club. Sean Bartel was posthumously honored with the Most Valuable Person Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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