Tony Awards 2025: ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Named Best Musical, ‘Purpose’ Wins Best Play
By Wafric - Entertainment
Wafricnews - June 9, 2025
New York - The 2025 Tony Awards proved to be a night of breakthrough performances, cultural milestones, and genre-bending storytelling — with two productions stealing the spotlight: Maybe Happy Ending, a tender sci-fi romance between androids, and Purpose, a searing drama that interrogates race, legacy, and morality within a Black family.
Both shows triumphed at Broadway’s biggest night, each marking historic firsts.
‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Dominates with Heart and Hardware
Darren Criss Wins First Tony Award for ‘Maybe Happy Ending
The musical Maybe Happy Ending, a futuristic love story between two discarded androids, won Best New Musical and five additional Tonys, including Best Book, Best Score, and Best Scenic Design. Starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, the production offered an unexpectedly human lens on technology, loneliness, and connection.
Criss, known globally for his work on Glee and American Crime Story, not only led the cast but also co-produced. He took home his first Tony, sharing the win with co-star Shen, whom he praised onstage despite her not being nominated.
“This is a story about what makes us human,” Criss said. “And maybe it’s our flaws, our limits—and our capacity for love.”
'Purpose' Makes Black History and Earns Prestigious Honors
Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins continued his meteoric rise with Purpose, which won Best New Play, earning him back-to-back Tony Awards following his 2024 win for Appropriate. He is the first Black playwright to win Best Play since August Wilson in 1987.
Staged as a tense family drama set during a snowstorm, Purpose has been praised for its sharp critique of respectability politics and generational trauma. It was developed through Chicago’s regional theatre scene, a fact Jacobs-Jenkins highlighted in his speech.
“Theatre is sacred,” he said. “And it starts in community spaces. Support them.”
Kara Young made history of her own, becoming the first Black actor to win Tonys in two consecutive years, adding Best Featured Actress to her growing list of accolades. “Theatre unites us,” she said, “and we must protect it.”
Other Big Winners and Surprises
Nicole Scherzinger, once the voice of the Pussycat Dolls, stunned Broadway with her powerful performance in Sunset Blvd., earning Best Lead Actress in a Musical. The Andrew Lloyd Webber revival also took Best Musical Revival.
Sarah Snook (Succession) won Best Actress in a Play for portraying all 26 characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a feat of stamina and versatility. The production also won for Best Costume Design in a Play.
Cole Escola, a downtown cabaret sensation, took home Best Actor in a Play for the chaotic, comedic role of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh Mary!. The show’s director, Sam Pinkleton, won Best Direction of a Play, calling Escola “a fearless artist who taught me to chase love over fear.”
Francis Jue, recognized for Yellow Face, accepted Best Featured Actor in a Play wearing a tuxedo borrowed from another Asian actor. “I’m here because of the artists who cleared the path for me,” he said.
Operation Mincemeat, a British import, earned Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Jak Malone, who used his speech to advocate for trans rights.
Eureka Day, a sharp satire on liberal hypocrisy, won Best Revival of a Play, further proving Broadway’s appetite for biting social commentary.
In a symbolic reunion, the original cast of Hamilton, led by Lin-Manuel Miranda, returned in all black to mark the show’s 10-year anniversary, performing a medley that brought the crowd to its feet.
Cynthia Erivo Hosts with Heart, Humor, and Power
Hosting the Tonys for the first time, Cynthia Erivo delivered a mix of glamour and grounded wisdom. Dressed in a dazzling red gown, she opened with a soul-stirring original number, “Sometimes All You Need Is a Song,” backed by the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir.
Quipping about George Clooney as an “up-and-comer” and cracking a balcony joke about Abraham Lincoln, Erivo’s presence struck the perfect balance between reverence and levity. Her duet with Sara Bareilles during the In Memoriam—honoring theatre icons like James Earl Jones, Linda Lavin, and Charles Strouse—left few dry eyes in the house.
Behind the Curtain: More Winners and Firsts
Maybe Happy Ending also took Best Director (Michael Arden) and Best Original Score, with composer Will Aronson and lyricist Hue Park making history as one of Broadway’s most celebrated Korean-American creative duos.
Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado won Best Choreography for Buena Vista Social Club, inspired by the iconic Cuban album and film. Peck noted the soundtrack played at his wedding.
Paul Tazewell, fresh off an Oscar win, earned Best Costume Design in a Musical for Death Becomes Her.
Legendary playwright and LGBTQ+ icon Harvey Fierstein was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, which he tearfully dedicated to theatre lovers everywhere: “Without the audience, I’d just be lip-syncing show tunes in front of my bedroom mirror,” he said. “I dedicate this to the people in the dark.”
Broadway’s Billion-Dollar Comeback
With box office revenue for the 2024–2025 season hitting $1.9 billion, Broadway is officially back. As Erivo declared from the stage:
“If you’re wondering if Broadway has returned — yes, and it’s more vital, more diverse, and more electric than ever.”
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