Tribute to Chita Rivera during Tony Awards – Metro Puerto Rico

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Outsiders,” based on the classic young-adult novel, opened on Broadway on Sunday and won the Tony Award for best new musical on a night of progress for women.

The win means Angelina Jolie, one of the producers of the musical based on the beloved book by author SE Hinton about rival gangs between the rich and the poor in 1960s Oklahoma, also won her first Tony.

“Susie, I’m here to tell you that your story and its timeless message of love, family and staying faithful has forever changed all of our lives,” producer Matthew Rego said in a speech thanking Hinton, who was in the audience at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center.

“Stereo,” a play about a Fleetwood Mac-like band recording an album during a turbulent, life-changing year, won best new play and took home the most awards of the night with five. The song was written by David Adjmi and performed by former Arcade Fire member Will Butler.

“Oh no! My agent gave me a beta blocker (a drug to lower blood pressure), but it didn’t work,” Ajmi said, adding that the work took 11 years to complete.

“It’s been a very difficult journey to get here,” he said. “We need to fund the arts in America.”

Two special guests thrilled the crowd: Jay-Z and Hillary Rodham Clinton, producer of a musical about the suffragists that performed “Suffs.”

“I’ve been on a lot of stages, but this is very special,” Clinton said. “I know how hard it is to make change.”

Tribute to Chita Rivera

Three-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera received a special tribute from Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bebe Novos. As dancers performed her hits, images of her work in Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman and West Side Story were projected. Presenter Ariana DeBose, who won an Oscar for her role as Anita in Rivera’s West Side Story, joined in the fun.

DeBose, a three-time host, also co-wrote the original opening song, “This Party’s for You,” which encourages those who sacrifice for the arts: “You’ll know that movies and TV can make you rich and famous. But theater makes you better.”

In the first musical performance, Alicia Keys appeared at the piano as the cast of her semi-autobiographical musical “Hell’s Kitchen” performed a selection of songs. She joined the rapper to sing her and Jay-Z’s 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind” to enthusiastic applause.

Later, newcomer Malah Joi Moon won the Best Actress award for “Hell’s Kitchen,” beating off a challenge from veteran Kelli O’Hara. The 21-year-old actress, who plays a character based on Keys’ life, dedicated her award to her parents.

Danya Taymor’s aunt, Julie Taymor, was the first woman to win a Tony Award for directing a musical, and she became the sixth woman to win a Tony Award for “The Outsiders.”

Then, Shaina Taub, only the second woman in Broadway history to write, compose and star in a Broadway musical, won Best Score, the ninth woman to do so. That night, the creators of Suffs had already won Best Play.

“If you’re inspired by the ‘Suffs’ story, make sure you and everyone you know are registered to vote, vote, vote, vote,” he said. Victory, Taub said, belongs to all the rowdy girls: “Keep going.”

Jeremy Strong won the first big prize of the night. The “Succession” star won his first Tony Award for his remake of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 political drama “An Enemy of the People.” The Best Actor in a Play award was won alongside his Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe wins.

Kara Young, the first black actor to be nominated for a Tony Award three years in a row, won best supporting actress for her role in the play “Purlie Victorious,” which tells the story of a black preacher who plans to seize the estate and restore the church of the plantation owner.

“Thanks to my ancestors,” he said, including the playwright Ossie Davis and his partner Ruby Dee, who originated the character.

“Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe cemented his turn in theater by winning best actor in a musical, his first trophy in five Broadway shows. He won for his revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Field’s musical “Happy Go Round,” which dates back to the old days.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Radcliffe said. “I don’t think I’ll ever have a better day than this again.” He also thanked his parents for putting Sondheim in the car when he was a child.

“Happy” was also named Best Revival of a Musical and won Jonathan Groff his first Tony Award for Leading Actor in a Musical. Groff, who was previously nominated for “Spring Awakening” and “Hamilton,” thanked his costars Lindsay Mendes and Radcliffe, both of whom were in the audience, electrifying the cast.

Grove said he often saw the Tonys as a child in Pennsylvania, and he thanked his parents and brother for letting him act out scenes from “I Love Lucy” as a child.

“Thank you for always letting my flag fly and not making me feel weird,” he said.

Keshia Lewis, who plays a formidable piano teacher in “Hell’s Kitchen,” also won her first Tony. The 40-year-old made her Broadway debut at age 18 in the original company of “Dreamgirls.”

“This moment is what I’ve been dreaming about for 40 years,” he said. “Don’t give up!”.

Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins’ show, “Appropriate,” centered on a family reunion in Arkansas, was named best dramatic revival. Jacobs-Jenkins also thanked Davis, saying there would be no “Appropriate” without “Pulley Victory.”

“Appropriate” star Sarah Paulson added a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play to her trophy cabinet. Paulson said she was excited to delve into the human condition: “It’s the heart and soul of what we do, and I’m honored to be here with you.”

The show also included an intense and eerie “Willkommen” from a revival of “Cabaret,” directed by Eddie Redmayne, with Pete Townshend on guitar for “The Who’s Tommy,” and a rambling, growling “The Outsiders,” which included falling water, buckets of water, dirt, several rugs and a truck on stage.

The ceremony also previewed the upcoming show and featured Nicole Scherzinger, who will star in the revival of Sunset Boulevard, singing the “In Memoriam” segment. Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren, who were announced today as the stars of 2025’s “The Last Five Years,” will serve as hosts.

Scherzinger sang “What I Did for Love” as the names came up, including playwright Christopher Durang and actors Alan Arkin, Glenda Jackson, Louis Gossett Jr. and Treat Williams.