'Kimberly Akimbo,' Tom Stoppard’s 'Leopoldstadt' among winners on
writerless Tony night
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[June 12, 2023]
By Kathryn Lurie
“Kimberly Akimbo,” about a teenager who ages in reverse, and Tom
Stoppard’s autobiographical “Leopoldstadt” were among the winners Sunday
as the Tony Awards went on despite the Writers Guild of America strike.
The three-hour telecast on CBS was hosted by Tony- and Academy
Award-winner Ariana DeBose. Held for the first time at the United Palace
in Washington Heights in northern Manhattan, it leaned heavily on
musical performances from the nominated shows, and other numbers
including a dance performance in tribute to the recipients of the 2023
lifetime achievement awards, Joel Grey and John Kander.
Patrick Marber, who won best director of a play for “Leopoldstadt,” was
among several winners who used their acceptance speeches to express
support for the strike.
Marber added the evening was going well without writers because “actors
are great improvisers and yeah, it’s fun. I wouldn’t like it to become a
trend, but I’m not surprised.”
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/12/images/ads/current/castlemanor_sda_FINANCIAL_2017.png)
“Kimberly Akimbo” won best musical, beating out splashier, higher-budget
productions such as “New York, New York” and “Some Like It Hot.”
Victoria Clark picked up her second Tony Award for her role as the title
character in “Kimberly Akimbo.” Clark won a Tony in 2005 for “The Light
in the Piazza.”
Best play “Leopoldstadt,” which also won the 2020 Olivier Award in
London for best new play, follows the experiences of a Jewish Viennese
family over 50 years.
Sean Hayes won best lead actor in a play for his role as Oscar Levant in
“Goodnight, Oscar.”
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![](../images/061223PIX/ent_a.19.jpg)
Tom Stoppard accepts the award for Best
New Play for "Leopoldstadt" at the 76th Annual Tony Awards in New
York City, U.S., June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/12/images/ads/current/graue_lda_preowned_060223.jpg) J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell
made Tony Awards history as the first two openly nonbinary actors to
win. Ghee won best actor in a leading role in a musical for “Some
Like It Hot,” and Newell won for best actor in a featured role in a
musical for the portrayal of brassy Lulu in “Shucked.”
“When I saw the script,” Ghee said, “I saw an opportunity to be an
inspiration, to be that representation, to be someone who could be a
part of people’s lives where they could see themselves and grow and
learn and live and expand, and it’s not something I take lightly.
It’s something that I cherish and it’s a dream come true, truly.”
Jodie Comer won best actress in a play for her role as brilliant
barrister Tessa in the one-woman tour-de-force “Prima Facie.”
Michael Arden won for best direction of a musical for the revival of
“Parade.”
“Topdog/Underdog” won the Tony for best revival of a play.
During a pre-show hosted by actors Julianne Hough and Skyler Astin
and streamed on the free platform Pluto TV, Tonys were awarded
mostly in technical categories. The pre-show included the award for
best regional theater, which went to the Pasadena Playhouse, and the
Isabelle Stevenson Award, which went to director and choreographer
Jerry Mitchell. (This story has been refiled to fix an apostrophe
typo in "Stoppard's" and remove a duplicate paragraph)
(Reporting by Kathryn Lurie; Editing by Donna Bryson and Gerry
Doyle)
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