‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Wins Big, Bette Midler Rules at the 2017 Tony Awards

Broadway took over the small screen Sunday for the highly-anticipated 71st Annual Tony Awards. Kevin Spacey served as host for the evening as the award show aired live from Radio City Music Hall. From the red carpet to the unforgettable performances and of the course the awards, the show delivered as it honored and recognized the best Broadway plays of the year.

James Earl Jones was the man of the hour as he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Spacey’s best moments of the night were when he appeared in several performances from “Dear Even Haven” to “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.” Other celebrities like Stephen Colbert, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg made cameos as they attempted to give Spacey, who admitted he was nervous, a little advice. 

“Dear Evan Hansen” was the ringleader of winners for the evening including one of the most coveted awards, Best Musical. The cast also took home the award for Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Ben Platt), Best Performance by Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Rachel Bay Jones) and Best Orchestrations.

“Hello Dolly” wasn’t too far behind as it took home a total of four wins:  Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Bette Midler), Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Gavin Creel) and Best Costume Design of a Musical. Midler made it clear she wouldn’t finish her acceptance speech until she was ready.

“Indecent” won two awards including Best Direction of a Play. Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes” also took home two including Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Cynthia Nixon).

“The Play That Goes Wrong,” “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” “Bandstand,” “August Wilson’s Jitney,” “Present Laughter,” and “Come From Away” didn’t leave the show empty-handed as each of those musicals won an award each including Best Scenic Design of a Play for “The Play That Goes Wrong,” and the coveted Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Kevin Kline).

Jitney also won for Best Revival of a Play while “Come From Away” won for Best Direction of a Musical (Christopher Ashley).

The performances were also the talk of the evening as some of the biggest winners took the stage.

The cast of “Come From Away” did a unique rendition of the song “Welcome To The Rock” while the cast of Miss Saigon delivered a notable performance as well. Other great performances include “A Day in Falsettoland” from the cast of “Falsettos” and stars of “Dear Evan Hansen’s” “Waving through a Window” number.

It was a night full of popular Broadway tunes as the cast of “Groundhog” performed “Seeing You” and David Hyde Pierce’s performance was one of the biggest hits of the evening. Leslie Odom Jr. and Cynthia Erivo also delivered an unforgettable tribute to “New York, New York.”

Other performers included the cast of “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” the stars from “War Paint,” and the cast of “Bandstand.”

The 2017 Tony Awards aired Sunday June 11 on CBS.