Written By | Agencies
Pink — the rock star, the acrobat, the pop phenomenon — turned out to be exactly the host the 79th Annual Tony Awards needed
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NEW YORK
She arrived dressed as Peter Pan, flew in from the ceiling of Radio City Music Hall, and proceeded to host the most purely entertaining Tony Awards broadcast in recent memory. Pink — the rock star, the acrobat, the pop phenomenon — turned out to be exactly the host the 79th Annual Tony Awards needed.
The evening's big winner was Schmigadoon! , the whimsical musical about hikers who stumble into a golden-age Broadway world. Creator Cinco Paul's love letter to American musical theater claimed four Tonys , including the evening's most prestigious prize: Best Musical.
Pink Makes Her Mark
Her opening number — a raucous rendition of "Lady Marmalade" featuring Megan Thee Stallion, approximately 170 Broadway performers, and the full expanse of Radio City's stage — was the kind of opening salvo that makes producers exhale with relief.
Dressed first in Peter Pan green as she swung over the audience, then switching to a pink bustier, Pink navigated the evening with genuine theatrical knowledge and unpretentious rock-star energy.
"She was the host we didn't know we needed," one critic noted. "She made non-theater people want to be theater people."
The Record Breaker: John Lithgow's Extraordinary Night
If Pink was the evening's spirit, John Lithgow was its soul.
The 80-year-old actor won Best Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant — and etched his name into the record books twice in one night.
Record: Detail
Longest gap between competitive Tony wins: 53 years (first win: The Changing Room, 1973)
Oldest man to win a competitive acting Tony: Age 80
His acceptance speech was warm, articulate, and humble. He thanked his wife and noted, with a laugh that hushed the room, that he wasn't sure 53 years ago that there would be another one.
The standing ovation lasted long enough to make several people cry.
Death Of A Salesman Dominates The Drama Categories
While Schmigadoon! claimed Best Musical, the production that accumulated the most hardware was Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman — taking home six Tonys , the most of any production this season.
Award Winner
Best Revival of a Play: Death of a Salesman
Best Direction of a Play: Joe Mantello
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Laurie Metcalf
The Full Winners' Picture
Category Winner
Best Musical: Schmigadoon!
Best Play: Liberation
Best Musical Revival: Ragtime
Best Actor in a Musical: Joshua Henry (Ragtime)
Best Actress in a Musical: Caissie Levy (Ragtime)
Best Actress in a Play: Lesley Manville (Oedipus)
The Lost Boys (four awards) and Cats: The Jellicle Ball (three awards) also performed strongly.
Red Carpet Moments And Off-Stage Drama
The red carpet generated its own headlines. Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott — expecting a baby together — made their official red carpet debut as a pair. The fashion, described by The Washington Post as more dramatic than the awards show itself, featured grand theatrical gestures, sleek minimalism, and at least a few outfits that will be discussed for years.
What This Season Means For Broadway
The 2025-2026 Broadway season has been, by nearly every measure, exceptional. Box office receipts approached record levels. Critics noted an unusual depth of quality across categories.
For audiences — whether in New York or watching from living rooms — the 2026 Tonys served as a reminder of why live theater cannot be replaced, streamed away, or algorithmically suggested into obsolescence.
When Schmigadoon! 's cast sang for the first time on national television, when John Lithgow's voice cracked mid-speech, when Pink pulled the entire machinery of Radio City into her orbit — something happened that a screen can't replicate. You had to be there. Or you had to be watching very, very closely.
