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Tony Awards 2021: Moulin Rouge! The Musical triumphs, best in Broadway celebrated
Broadway theatres night of nights has wrapped up for another year, recognising the best in live Broadway theatre from the 2019-20 season.
Despite a season that was interrupted by Broadway’s COVID shutdown, this season’s nominations were pulled from 18 brilliant plays and musicals – a very welcome and needed celebration of art and the talented, passionate people that help bring it to life.
The adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 Oscar-winning musical Moulin Rouge! The Musical, produced by Global Creatures – which is currently preparing to open to Australian audiences at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in November 2021 – earned a whopping 10 trophies, including one of the night’s biggest – best musical.
Aaron Tveit, who plays Christian, also won the award for best leading actor in a musical, while Moulin Rouge! also won for scenic design, choreography, costume, direction, lighting, sound design, orchestrations, and a featured acting Tony for Broadway favourite Danny Burstein, who plays nightclub owner Harold Zidler.
“We are so privileged to get to do this, because what we do changes peoples’ lives,” Tveit said during his acceptance speech.
“You were there for us, whether you just sent a note or sent your love, sent your prayers, sent bagels — it meant the world to us and it’s something I’ll never forget,” Burnstein said.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical‘s 10 wins came from a huge 14 nominations, the most an Australian production company has received in the history of the prestigious theatrical awards.
The shows that opened, the shows that closed, not to return, the shows that nearly opened and of course the shows that paused and are fortunate enough to be reborn. Best musical is all those shows. Best is what we’ve had to find in ourselves as we’ve walked this unimaginable journey and carried our shows across the desert. ‘Best’ is what we know we need to become as we reimagine the Broadway of the future.
Carmen Pavlovic, Moulin Rouge! The Musical Australian producer, Global Creatures
Jagged Little Pill, which features songs from Alanis Morissette’s 1995 breakthrough album, earned itself two Tony Awards – for Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Other winners on the night include Matthew Lopez’s two-part play Inheritance, scoring four wins from 11 nominations – including Best Play, A Christmas Carol with five wins including Best Original Score, Charles Fuller’s masterpiece A Soldier’s Play with two wins, and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical star Adrienne Warren named best leading actress in a musical.
The Tony Awards come amid the official reopening of Broadway, with shows including Hamilton, Wicked, The Lion King, Come From Away and Moulin Rouge! all returning to New York stages.
