The critically lauded Stereophonic—about a ’70s rock band in mesmerizing turmoil as they make an album—scooped the most Tony Awards Sunday night, winning five, including Best Play and Best Direction of a Play.
The 77th presentation of the awards, celebrating the best of Broadway and hosted by Ariana DeBose, came with some well-chewed nails. The Best Musical award, the last of the night, went to The Outsiders, the musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel, in a category that was a battle and mystery—with Suffs and Hell’s Kitchen also in contention—up until the winning envelope was opened.
The Outsiders ultimately won four Tonys. Some notion of how that last cliffhanger would resolve came with one of the shocks earlier in the evening when Danya Taymor won for direction of a musical, rather than Maria Friedman for Merrily We Roll Along—a much-loved Sondheim revival which ultimately won four Tonys.
