Tag: Hamilton

2025 Tony Awards: ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ is the top winner

June 8, 2025

by Carla Hay

Team members from “Maybe Happy Ending” at the 78th annual Tony Awards at Radio Cty Musical Hall in New York City on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS )

With six prizes, including Best Musical, Maybe Happy Ending” was the top winner at the 78th annual Tony Awards, which were presented on June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Cynthia Erivo hosted the show, which was televised in the U.S. on CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+ With Showtime.

“Maybe Happy Ending,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Buena Vista Social Club” each had the most nominations (10 nods) going into the ceremony. The other Tony Awards won by “Maybe Happy Ending” were Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (for Daren Criss); Best Direction of a Musical; Best Book of a Musical; Best Scenic Design of a Musical; and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre. “Purpose” won the Tony Award for Best Play and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (for Kara Young).

“Buena Vista Social Club” won four Tonys: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (for Natalie Venetia Belcon); Best Sound Design of a Musical; Best Choreography; and Best Orchestrations. “Sunset Boulevard” received three Tonys: Best Revival of a Musical; Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (for Nicole Scherzinger); and Best Lighting Design of a Musical. “Death Becomes Her” won Best Costume Design of a Musical.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” received two Tony Awards: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play (for Sarah Snook) and Best Costume Design of a Play. “Oh, Mary!” also won two Tony Awards: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (for Cole Escola, who is non-binary) and Best Direction of a Play. The 2024-2025 Broadway revival of “Gypsy” was nominated for five Tonys but ultimately did not win any.

One of the show’s highlights was a reunion of the original principal cast members of the Tony-winning smash musical “Hamilton,” who performed a medley of “Hamilton” songs. Participants in the reunion were Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Anthony Ramos, Jonathan Groff and Ariana DeBose.

Other performers at the show included Megan Hilty from “Death Becomes Her”; Jonathan Groff from “Just in Time”; Scherzinger from “Sunset Boulevard”; Criss and Helen J. Shen from “Maybe Happy Ending”; Audra McDonald from “Gypsy”; and the ensembles of “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Pirates! The Penzance Musical,” “Floyd Collins,” “Dead Outlaw,” “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical” and “Born to Lead.” Erivo sang three times during the show: the opening number “Sometimes All You Need Is a Song”; a duet of “Tomorrow” with Sara Bareilles for the In Memoriam segment; and the closing number “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.”

Presenters at the show were Erivo, DeBose, Aaron Tveit, Adam Lambert, Alex Winter, Allison Janney, Auliʻi Cravalho, Ben Stiller, Bryan Cranston, Carrie Preston, Cecily Strong, Charli D’Amelio, Danielle Brooks, Jean Smart, Jesse Eisenberg, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Kelli O’Hara, Kristin Chenoweth, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Lea Michele, Lea Salonga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michelle Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Bay Jones, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Samuel L. Jackson, Sara Bareilles and Sarah Paulson. Brian Stokes Mitchell was the show announcer.

The Tony Awards eligibility dates for the 2024–2025 Broadway season were April 29, 2024 to April 27, 2025. According to a Tony Awards press release: “The nominees were selected by an independent committee of 54 theatre professionals appointed by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The 2025 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.”

The Tony Awards telecast is produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers and showrunners for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will served as director of the ceremony’s telecast

Special Tony Awards (non-competitive prizes) were presented to:

  • The musicians who make up the band of “Buena Vista Social Club” – Marco Paguia (Music Director, Conductor/Piano); David Oquendo (Associate Music Director, Guitar); Renesito Avich (Tres); Gustavo Schartz (Bass); Javier Días, Román Diaz, Mauricio Herrera (Percussion); Jesus Ricardo (Trumpet); Eddie Venegas (Trombone); Hery Paz (Woodwinds); Leonardo Reyna (Piano);
  • The Illusions & Technical Effects of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” (Jamie Harrison, Chris Fisher, Gary Beestone & Edward Pierce). 

The 2025 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre went to Great Performances, Michael Price, New 42, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award was given to Celia Keenan-Bolger. The Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre went to Harvey Fierstein.

The following is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 2025 Tony Awards:

*=winner

Best Book of a Musical

  • Buena Vista Social Club, Marco Ramirez
  • Dead Outlaw, Itamar Moses
  • Death Becomes Her, Marco Pennette
  • Maybe Happy Ending, Will Aronson and Hue Park*
  • Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

  • Dead Outlaw, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna
  • Death Becomes Her, Music & Lyrics: Julia Mattison and Noel Carey*
  • Maybe Happy Ending, Music: Will Aronson; Lyrics:  Will Aronson and Hue Park
  • Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Music & Lyrics: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
  • Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

  • George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
  • Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!*
  • Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
  • Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face
  • Harry Lennix, Purpose
  • Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

  • Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
  • Mia Farrow, The Roommate
  • LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
  • Sadie Sink, John Proctor is the Villain
  • Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray*

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

  • Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending*
  • Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
  • Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd.
  • Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
  • James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
  • Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

  • Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her
  • Audra McDonald, Gypsy
  • Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical
  • Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.*
  • Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

  • Glenn Davis, Purpose
  • Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain
  • Francis Jue, Yellow Face*
  • Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross
  • Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

  • Tala Ashe, English
  • Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
  • Marjan Neshat, English
  • Fina Strazza, John Proctor is the Villain
  • Kara Young, Purpose*

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

  • Brooks Ashmanskas, SMASH
  • Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
  • Danny Burstein, Gypsy
  • Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical*
  • Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

  • Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club*
  • Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw
  • Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
  • Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
  • Joy Woods, Gypsy

Best Scenic Design of a Play

  • Marsha Ginsberg, English
  • Rob Howell, The Hills of California
  • Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
  • Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow*
  • Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

  • Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
  • Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending*
  • Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
  • Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her
  • Derek McLane, Just in Time

Best Costume Design of a Play

  • Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck
  • Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray*
  • Rob Howell, The Hills of California
  • Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary!
  • Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Best Costume Design of a Musical

  • Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
  • Gregg Barnes, BOOP! The Musical
  • Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending
  • Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her*
  • Catherine Zuber, Just in Time

Best Lighting Design of a Play

  • Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
  • Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow*
  • Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck
  • Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor is the Villain
  • Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

  • Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd.*
  • Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club
  • Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins
  • Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
  • Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her

Best Sound Design of a Play

  • Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow*
  • Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor is the Villain
  • Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck
  • Nick Powell, The Hills of California
  • Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Best Sound Design of a Musical

  • Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club*
  • Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd.
  • Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
  • Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
  • Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins

Best Direction of a Play

  • Knud Adams, English
  • Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
  • Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!*
  • Danya Taymor, John Proctor is the Villain
  • Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Best Direction of a Musical

  • Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
  • Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending*
  • David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
  • Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
  • Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.

Best Choreography

  • Joshua Bergasse, SMASH
  • Camille A. Brown, Gypsy
  • Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
  • Jerry Mitchell, BOOP! The Musical
  • Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club*

Best Orchestrations

  • Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
  • Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
  • Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins
  • Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club*
  • David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Blvd.

Best Play

English
Author: Sanaz Toossi
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, Christopher Nave, Steven Showalter, Atlantic Theater Company

The Hills of California
Author: Jez Butterworth
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, No Guarantees Productions, Neal Street Productions, Brian Spector, Sand & Snow Entertainment, Stephanie P. McClelland, Barry Diller, Reade St. Productions, Van Dean, Andrew Paradis/We R Broadway Artists Alliance, Patty Baker, Wendy Bingham Cox, Bob Boyett, Butcher Brothers, Caitlin Clements, Kallish Weinstein Creative, Michael Scott, Steven Toll & Randy Jones Toll, City Cowboy Productions/Jamie deRoy, JKVL Productions/Padgett Ross Productions, Koenigsberg Riley/Tulchin Bartner Productions, Todd B. Rubin/Carlos Medina, Silly Bears Productions/Omara Productions, Michael Wolk/Cali e Amici, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings

John Proctor is the Villain

Author: Kimberly Belflower

Producers: Sue Wagner, John  Johnson, John Mara, Jr., Runyonland, Eric  Falkenstein, Jillian  Robbins, Jen  Hoguet, Rialto Productions, Corets Gough Kench Cohen, The Shubert Organization, James L. Nederlander, John Gore Organization, Patty  Baker, Cue to Cue Productions, Echo Lake Entertainment, Harris Rubin Productions, Klausner & Zell, Jennifer  Kroman, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, Mahnster Productions, Nathan Winoto, The Cohn Sisters & Stifelman-Burkhardt, Astro Lab Productions, Creative Partners Productions, Sarah Daniels & Christopher Barrett, Frimmer & Benmosche, Joan Rechnitz, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, McCaffrey & Demar, Alan & Peggy Mendelson, Newport & Smerigan, Jamie  deRoy, Jaime Gleicher, Wes  Grantom, Meena Harris & Jessica Foung, Los Angeles Media Fund, Corey Steinfast, SunnySpot & Valentine, Turchin Clements, Jane Bergère & Douglas Denoff, Amy Wen & Meister Leonard, 7th Inning Stretch & Stella La Rue, Indie Slingshot, Annaleise  Loxton

Oh, Mary!
Author: Cole Escola
Producers: Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon, Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia, Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares & Rosenberg, ShowTown Productions

Purpose*

Author: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins*

Producers: David Stone, Debra Martin Chase, Marc Platt, LaChanze, Rashad V. Chambers, Aaron Glick, Universal Theatrical Group, Eastern Standard Time, Trate Productions, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, James L. Nederlander, John Gore, ATG Entertainment, The Shubert Organization, Steppenwolf Theatre Company*

Best Musical

Buena Vista Social Club
Producers: Orin Wolf, John Styles, Jr., Barbara Broccoli, Atlantic Theater Company, Viajes Miranda, LaChanze, David Yazbek, John Leguizamo, David F. Schwartz, Zak Kilberg, J. Todd Harris, Cabo Productions, Roy Furman, Hannah Rosenthal, Jamie deRoy/Marvin Rosen, Grove  • REG & Frank Marshall, F.K.R.J. Productions, Patrick Milling-Smith/Brian Carmody, DJ Stage Productions, Palitz Wiesenfeld Productions, Richard & Roberta Shaker, Front Row Productions, Cathy Dantchik, Brooke & Brian Devine, Gilad Rogowsky, MacPac Entertainment, No Guarantees Productions, Rhythm & Rain Productions, Hadley Schnuck, James Francis Trezza, Yonge Street Theatricals, Patrick Daly, Olympus Theatricals/Firemused Productions, Ioana Alfonso/Eric Stine, William Berlind/W.M. Klausner, Creative Endeavor Office/Untitled Theatricals, Ruth Hendel/The Kaplans, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra/Philip Van Dijk, Debbie Ohanian/Stone Arch Theatricals, Composite Capital Partners, Larry Levien, Matt Murphy, Marc Platt, Sandy Robertson, Iris Smith, Thomas Steven Perakos/Douglas A. Fellman, Brad Blume/The Klaes’, Ankit Agrawal/Constance Cincotta, Independent Presenters Network, Nick & Nicky Gold, HoriPro Inc., Playful Productions UK, The Shubert Organization, Frederick Zollo, John Gore Organization, Nederlander Presentations Inc., Marco Ramirez, Allan Williams

Dead Outlaw
Producers: Lia Vollack Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Roy Furman, Ken & Janet Schur, Cue to Cue Productions, James Bolosh/Hillary Wyatt, Carl Moellenberg/Ricardo Hornos, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg/H2H Concord Theatricals, Masquerade Partners, Douglas Denoff, John Gore Organization, GFour Productions, Brian Hedden, KFRJ Productions, Lang Entertainment Group, James L. Nederlander, Marvin  Rosen, Stanely S. Shuman, James L. Walker, Jr., Winkler & Smalberg, 42nd.club/Aligned Theatricals, Craig Balsam/Richard Batchelder, Jane Bergère/Willette and Manny Klausner, The Broadway Investor’s Club/Eastern Standard Time, Barbara Chiodo/Adam Cohen, Merrie L. Davis/Tony Spinosa, Noah Eisenberg/Sue Drew, Robin Gorman Newman/Laurence Padgett Productions, LLPR Productions/Patinogal, Mary Maggio/Janet Rosen, Thomas Swayne, Lawryn LaCroix, Audible

Death Becomes Her
Producers: Universal Theatrical Group, James L. Nederlander, Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw, Jason Blum & James Wan, Debra Martin Chase, John Gore Organization, Marc Platt, Lowe Cunningham, Marcia Goldberg

Maybe Happy Ending*
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Hunter Arnold, Darren Criss, Dr. Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, NHN Link Corporation, Greg & Lisa Love, Kayla Greenspan, Jayne Baron Sherman, Louise Gund, Spencer Ross, Yonge Street Theatricals, Ruth Hendel, Kaplan-Gopal-MMC, Adam Zotovich, At Rise Creative, Broadway Strategic Return Fund, Curt Cronin, Fahs Productions, Greg Field, Paul Gavriani/Michael Patrick, Rebecca Gold, Grace Street Creative Group, John Gore Organization, Willette & Manny Klausner, Kent Knudsen, James L. Nederlander, Salmira Productions, The Shubert Organization, Jacob Stuckelman & John Albert Harris, Wooran Foundation, You Should Smile More Productions, Mark and David Golub Productions, Diego Kolankowsky, Takonkiet Viravan, Brad Blume, Will Aronson & Hue Park, Hugo Six, Clarissa Cueva, Ali Daylami, Maia Kayla Glasman, Patrick W. Jones, Brandon J. Schwartz, Allan Williams

Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical

Producers: Avalon, SpitLip, Jon Thoday, Richard Allen-Turner, Bryan McCaffrey, Walport Productions, LeftNoRing Productions, Barbara Chiodo, Feuille Dooley North Productions, The Shubert Organization, Ken Davenport, Steve & Paula Reynolds, Concord Theatricals, Byron Grote & Susan Miller, John Gore Organization, M. Kilburg Reedy, Sony Music Entertainment, You Should Smile More Productions, Tom Smedes & Peter Stern, Judith Ann Abrams Productions/The Broadway Investor’s Club, Lang Entertainment Group, Alli Folk/Evelyn Hoffman & Gregory Stern, Nick Flatto/Evan & Claudia Caplan Reynolds, Larry Hirschhorn & Ricardo Hornos/Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Independent Presenters Network/Lloyd Tichio Productions, Kendall Kellaway III/Megan Minutillo, Blume Johnson Rubin & Silver, Russell Citron, The Council, Jamie deRoy & Brian Rooney/Corey Brunish & Matthew P. Hui, Dodge Hall Productions, 42nd.club, IJB Productions, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Simon, Mark Weinstein, Adam Cohen/Nick Padgett, Vibecke Dahle Dellapolla/Lynnette Barkley, Willette & Manny Klausner/Elizabeth Faulkner Salem, Michael Page/Burnt Umber Productions, Wallace-Phoebe/Laurie Oki & Alexander Oki, Margot Astrachan/TT Partners, Andrew Fell

Best Revival of a Play

Eureka Day*

Author: Jonathan Spector*

Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Chris Jennings*

Romeo + Juliet

Producers: Seaview, Harbor Entertainment, Kevin Ryan, Eric & Marsi Gardiner, Roth-Manella Productions, Kate Cannova, J + J Productions, Julie Boardman, Alexander-Taylor Deignan, Atekwana Hutton, Bensmihen Mann Productions, Patrick Catullo, Chutzpah Productions, Corets Gough Willman Productions, Dave Johnson Productions, DJD Productions, Hornos Moellenberg, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Mark Gordon Pictures, Oren Michels, No Guarantees Productions, Nothing Ventured Productions, Strus Lynch, Sunset Cruz Productions, Dennis Trunfio, Stephen C. Byrd, Fourth Wall Theatricals, Level Forward, Soto Productions, WMKlausner

Thornton Wilder’s Our Town
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Samsational Entertainment, Louise Gund, Eric Falkenstein, Suzanne Grant, Patty Baker, Daryl Roth/Tom Tuft, Ronald Frankel, Rebecca Gold, Gabrielle Palitz, Brunish-Rooney-Hui/Laura Little, Thom and Karen Lauzon, Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Score 3 Partners, Secret Hideout, David S. Stone, Craig Balsam, John Gore Organization, Caiola Productions, Concord Theatricals, Melissa & Bradford Coolidge, Irene Gandy, Kenny Leon, Willette & Manny Klausner, Andrew Marderian-Davis, Ellen Susman, Leslie Rainbolt, Randy Jones Toll & Steven Toll, James S. Levine, Hank & Kara Steinberg, Alexander “Sandy” Marshall, Ken & Rande Greiner/David Schwartz & Trudy Zohn, Patrick W. Jones, Maia Kayla Glasman, Brandon J. Schwartz, The Shubert Organization

Yellow Face
Author: David Henry Hwang
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Scott Ellis, Sydney Beers, Christopher Nave, Steven Showalter

Best Revival of a Musical

Floyd Collins
Book/Additional Lyrics: Tina Landau    
Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André  Bishop, Adam  Siegel, Naomi  Grabel, Ira Weitzman, Creative Partners Productions, Mark Cortale & Charles D. Urstadt

Gypsy
Producers: Tom Kirdahy, Mara Isaacs, Kevin Ryan, Diane Scott Carter, Wendy Federman & Heni Koenigsberg, Roy Furman, Viajes Miranda, Kerry Washington, Peter May, Thomas M. Neff, Cynthia J. Tong, Adam Hyndman, A Perfect Team Productions, Cue to Cue Productions, Da Silva Stone, DMQR Productions, Grant Spark Productions, Marguerite Steed Hoffman, KarmaHendelMcCabe, James L. Nederlander, Janet and Marvin Rosen, Archer Entertainment, Dale Franzen, 42nd.club, Rob Acton, All That JJAS, Mike Audet, Patty Baker, Cohen Soto, Concord Theatricals, Creative Partners Productions, Crumhale Taylor Productions, Ken Davenport, DJD Productions, Flipswitch Entertainment, Frankly Spoken Productions, Roy Gabay, Happy Recap Productions, Sandra and Howard Hoffen, John Gore Organization, Johnson Maggio Productions, Willette and Manny Klausner, Kors Le Pere Theatricals, LaCroix Eisenberg, David Lai, Little Lamb Productions, Bill and Sally Martin, Mohari Media, No Guarantees Productions, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra and Stephen Della Pietra, Regian Davison, Lamar Richardson, Patti and Michael Roberts, RTK Rose, Score 3 Partners, Silva Theatrical Group, Some People, Stone Arch Theatricals, Storyboard Entertainment LE, Mary and Jay Sullivan, The Adams Hendel Group, The Array VI, The Broadway Investor’s Club, Theatre Producers of Color, Tom Tuft, TreAmici Gooding, Waiting in the Wings Productions, Whitney Williams, Sara Beth Zivitz, Jamila Ponton Bragg, The Industry Standard Group

Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd  Haimes, Scott  Ellis, Sydney  Beers, Christopher  Nave, Steven  Showalter, James L. Nederlander, Fran and Paul Turner, ATG Productions/Gavin Kalin Productions

Sunset Blvd.*
Producers: The Jamie Lloyd Company, ATG Productions, Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, Gavin Kalin Productions, Wessex Grove, Christopher Ketner, Aleri Entertainment, Sonia Friedman, Roth-Manella Productions, Winkler Smalberg, Caitlin Clements, 42nd.club, Abrams Johnson, Aron on Broadway, The Array V, At Rise Creative, Bad Robot Live, Craig Balsam, Greg Berlanti, Boardman Cannova Productions, Bob Boyett, Burnt Umber Productions, Patrick Catullo, Crane McGill Trunfio, Core Four Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, The Factor Gavin Partnership, Federman Jenen Koenigsberg, Forshaw Turchin, John Gore, Jake Hine, LAMF Secret Hideout, Jack Lane, Lang Entertainment Group, Lelli Armstrong, Alex Levy, Luftig Reade St. Kawana, Mary Maggio, Jay Marcus, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, No Guarantees Productions, P3 Productions, Thomas Steven Perakos, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra, Shari Redstone, Regian Davison Buckman, Sand & Snow Entertainment, SBK Productions, The Shubert Organization, Smedes Stern

Review: ‘Satisfied’ (2024), starring Renée Elise Goldsberry

June 16, 2024

by Carla Hay

Renée Elise Goldsberry in “Satisfied” (Photo courtesy of Amblin Documentaries and Stick Figures Productions)

“Satisfied”

Directed by Chris Bolan and Melissa Haizlip

Culture Representation: The documentary film “Satisfied” features a racially diverse group of people (African American, Latin, white) who are connected in some way to Tony Award-winning actress/singer Renée Elise Goldsberry and who discuss her personal life and her career.

Culture Clash: Goldsberry, one of the stars of the original “Hamilton” Broadway cast, get candid about the conflicts and heartaches she’s experienced (including several pregnancy miscarriages) in trying to juggle her two biggest life dreams: being a mother and having a successful career as an entertainer.

Culture Audience: “Satisfied” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of Goldsberry, the musical “Hamilton” and documentaries about mothers striving for a healthy work/life balance.

A mid-2010s photo of Brielle Johnson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Alexis Johnson and Benjamin Johnson in “Satisfied” (Photo courtesy of Amblin Documentaries and Stick Figures Productions)

“Satisfied” is a beautiful and inspirational documentary about how family love can be found in many places with various people. Renée Elise Goldsberry generously opens up about how her pregnancy issues affected her life. Most of the documentary consists of personal videos that actress/singer Goldsberry filmed herself from 2005 to 2023. There are also exclusive interviews in the documentary with some of her family members and colleagues. “Satisfied” had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.

Directed by Chris Bolan and Melissa Haizlip, “Satisfied” offers an intimate look at what it’s been like for Goldsberry to handle a high-profile and busy career in entertainment while privately going through heart-wrenching personal struggles. She says in a voiceover near the beginning of the movie: “I had two dreams when I was little: to be a mother and to have a career as a singer and actress.” In some circumstances, she felt she had to choose between one of these two dreams or “lose everything.” She adds, “Here are some of my battles, lost and won.”

Goldsberry was born on January 2, 1971, in San Jose, California, and was raised in Houston and Detroit. Her father Ronald Goldsberry (a former automotive executive) and her mother Betty Sanders (who was an industrial psychologist) are seen in various parts of the documentary, but they don’t give formal sit-down interviews for the movie. The documentary has a cinéma vérité approach, rather than a traditional biography format. Although there’s a brief scene of a family reunion in Houston, Renée’s three brothers are not shown speaking in the documentary.

“Satisfied” jumps around a bit in the timeline, but what emerges is a portrait of Renée as a very driven and talented performer who has always strived to achieve a healthy balance between her work life and her personal life. She found success as a fairly well-known supporting actress on television (with roles in “Ally McBeal,” “One Life to Live” and “The Good Wife”) and on Broadway (including “Rent” and “The Color Purple”), but her biggest breakthrough came as an original cast member of the Broadway smash musical “Hamilton.”

In “Hamilton” (which is based on the life of historical figure Alexander Hamilton and Ron Chernow’s 2004 non-fiction book “Hamilton”), Renée had the role of Angelica Schuyler, the eldest of three wealthy socialite sisters. Angelica’s sister Eliza (played by Phillipa Soo) was married to ambitious politician Alexander Hamilton (played by “Hamilton” musical creator Lin-Manuel Miranda), but Angelica was in love with him too. Youngest sister Peggy Schuyler (played by Jasmine Cephas Jones) is also affected by this love triangle. For her role in “Hamilton,” Renée won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, as well as many other prizes, including a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

A great deal of “Satisfied” (which is named after Angelica Schuyler’s signature song in “Hamilton”) shows Renée’s “Hamilton” journey. Her post-“Hamilton” career is barely mentioned at the end of the documentary. “Satisfied” is the first feature-length documentary to have this treasure trove of behind-the-scenes “Hamilton” footage from a member of the show’s original cast.

As many “Hamilton” fans already know, Renée originally turned down many invitations to be part of the “Hamilton” workshop in 2014, but she was convinced to do the workshop after hearing “Satisfied,” which was her audition song for the show. The documentary includes videojournal footage and other behind-the-scenes footage of her entire “Hamilton” journey, including how she only had about two hours to learn the lyrics to “Satisfied” before her audition. There was no guarantee that doing the workshop would get her the role of Angelica Schuyler, but she did get the role, and the rest is history.

“Hamilton’s” off-Broadway stint was from January to May 2015. “Hamilton” then had an award-winning Broadway run that broke box-office records with the original Broadway cast, beginning when the musical opened on Broadway August 2015. Several of “Hamilton’s” original Broadway cast members voluntarily left the show in July 2016, to work on other projects. Renée’s voluntary exit from “Hamilton” was in September 2016.

Renée takes viewers though all the nerve-wracking stress and the emotion-swelling triumphs of “Hamilton,” from her perspective of being a part of this groundbreaking musical. The camaraderie in “Hamilton’s” original Broadway cast was real, and they all became like other family members to her, she says. “Hamilton” musical creator Miranda and “Hamilton” co-star Ariana DeBose are interviewed for the documentary and say the expected complimentary things too.

What many people might not know is that in the years that Renée’s career was on the rise, she had several pregnancy miscarriages. By the time Goldsberry was cast in “Hamilton,” she had six miscarriages. When she was in rehearsals for the Broadway opening of “Hamilton,” she had become pregnant again but also lost that pregnancy.

Through it all, her loving and supportive husband Alexis Johnson (an attorney) was by her side. In the documentary, Renée says of their courtship that she met him in church (he didn’t know she was an entertainer at the time) “and within a week, I wanted to elope.” She explains it’s not easy to find an understanding spouse who’s willing to not only be married to someone with a lot of job insecurity but also be willing to be in the background while a famous partner is in the spotlight.

The couple, who got married in 2002, were fortunately able to fulfill their dream of being parents. Their biological son Benjamin Johnson was born in 2009. In 2014, the couple adopted their daughter Brielle Johnson from Ethiopia, when she was a 1-year-old. Benjamin and Brielle are in the documentary’s home video footage and are absolutely adorable—not in a contrived way, where you can tell adults are coaching them on how to be “cute.” The charm of this documentary is that everything looks natural and unrehearsed. This family has genuine love for each other—and it shows in this personal footage.

Renée gives a lot of credit to Alexis for being able to take care of their children during the times that she has to work. There are several scenes in the documentary (especially in the footage during her “Hamilton” responsibilities) where Renée expresses guilt for not being there for her children when she wanted to be, such as in the evenings before the children went to sleep for the night. But at the same time, Renée says she doesn’t regret being in “Hamilton” because of the many ways it benefited her and her family.

Alexis comes across as the ideal husband, but they do not pretend to have a perfect marriage. He briefly admits that the couple has arguments, but he doesn’t go into details in the documentary. Alexis comments on what it’s like for him to be being a famous entertainer’s spouse who often has the responsibility of being the primary child caregiver: “There’s no resentment. We’re trying to have a household where everyone thrives.” Renée acknlowledges that she is privileged to have the support of a loving family.

One of the documentary’s more poignant sections is when Renée goes to Houston while she’s on vacation. In addition to being part a family reunion, Renée takes time to visit her drama teacher from high school: Dr. Charles Geroux, who is shown in his home with wife Brigid Geroux. Long before “Hamilton” broke racial barriers in casting, Charles Geroux cast Renée as in the lead role of Nellie Forbush in their school’s production of “South Pacific.”

There’s a brief archival clip of Renée performing in this production, and she appears to be the only person of color on the stage. Charles Geroux says wasn’t thinking of color when he cast Renée in the role. He says cast her because she had “everything” and was the best person for the role. Everyone in the room gets teary-eyed when he tells Renée: “Keep going. And I love you.” (Charles Geroux passed away in 2023. The documentary’s end credits include a tribute to him.)

Many people only see the glitz and glamour of celebrity lives. “Satisfied” is undoubtedly carefully curated, but it’s also a poignant document of the personal challenges that celebrities can go through behind the scenes. People who are looking for scandals and misdeeds won’t find that type of tabloid fodder in this documentary. “Satisfied” is simply one person’s story that affirms a basic truth that positive family love is much more important than being rich and famous.

Review: ‘We Are Freestyle Love Supreme,’ starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anthony Veneziale, Christopher Jackson, Thomas Kail, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Bill Sherman and Chris Sullivan

July 17, 2020

by Carla Hay

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chris Sullivan, Anthony Veneziale, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Andrew Bancroft, Bill Sherman, Christopher Jackson and Arthur Lewis in “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” (Photo courtesy of Hulu)

“We Are Freestyle Love Supreme”

Directed by Andrew Fried

Culture Representation: Taking place primarily in New York City and partially in the United Kingdom, the documentary “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” tells the story of the multiracial musical improvisational group Freestyle Love Supreme, whose most famous member is Tony-winning star Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Culture Clash: The members of Freestyle Love Supreme struggled for years to make a living from their craft, and then the group’s loyalty and work schedules were tested after Miranda and musical director Thomas Kail went on to mega-success with the Tony-winning musicals “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.”

Culture Audience: “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda and musical theater that includes hip-hop.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Christopher Jackson and Anthony Veneziale in the mid-2000s in “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” (Photo courtesy of Hulu)

The feel-good documentary “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” shows what can happen when several tight-knit friends in a musical improvisational group manage to keep the group going for several years, despite the members’ individual careers and personal lives going on divergent paths. Directed by Andrew Fried, who began filming footage for the documentary in 2005, “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” is a breezy ride through the group’s story, even if it it feels like a lot of inevitable behind-the-scenes turmoil was deliberately left out of the film. The documentary includes exclusive interviews (everyone in the group is interviewed separately), as well as archival on-stage and off-stage footage, spanning from the mid-2000s to the group’s stint on Broadway in 2019.

Freestyle Love Supreme’s most famous member is Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony-winning star/creator of the stage musicals “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.” Miranda (whose nickname in the group is Lin-Man) is an original member of Freestyle Love Supreme, which was formed in New York City in 2004. But the documentary shows that the origins of Freestyle Love Supreme really began in 1999, during a road trip taken by group co-founder Anthony Veneziale (also known as Two-Touch) and Thomas “Tommy” Kail, the group’s musical director who went on to direct the original Broadway productions of “In the Heights” and “Hamilton,” as well as most of Freestyle Love Supreme’s stage shows.

According to what Kail says in the documentary, he and Veneziale (who met when they were students at Wesleyan University) went on a road trip from New York City to Iowa, to help a friend make an independent film. During the trip, the only way they could stay awake was by listening to the B-side of the Daft Punk song “Around the World.”

“Anthony freestyled for four straight hours,” says Kail of that road trip. “That, in some way, was the seed for Freestyle Love Supreme.” Freestyle Love Supreme then became a collective of friends who would get together at the Drama Book Shop, which was their creative “lab,” according to Kail. Although Kail isn’t an on-stage performer for Freestyle Love Supreme, he is credited with being the behind-the-scenes architect of the group’s career.

Freestyle Love Supreme then honed their improvisational skills so that their on-stage act became randomly choosing words volunteered by the show’s audience, and then making up hip-hop-infused, often-comedic stories about those words right there on the spot. Veneziale (who also co-founded the improv FLS Academy) is the group’s emcee, who interviews audience members during the show and brings some audience members on stage. This highly interactive format makes every Freestyle Love Supreme show truly unique, which is in contrast to the traditional theater format of doing the same show for every performance.

The other original members of Freestyle Love Supreme are Christopher Jackson (also known as C-Jack); Bill Sherman (also known as King Sherman); Chris Sullivan (also known as Shockwave); and Arthur Lewis (also known as Arthur the Geniuses). Miranda and Kail went on to collaborate on “In the Heights” (which went to Broadway in 2008) and “Hamilton” (which made its Broadway debut in 2015), with both musicals including Jackson (who is Miranda’s best friend) as a co-star.

After the success of “In the Heights” and “Hamilton” made Miranda, Jackson and Kail too busy for Freestyle Love Supreme on a regular basis, Freestyle Love Supreme added new members to the group. The documentary does a very good job of putting a spotlight on each member, so that people can know what their unique contributions are to Freestyle Love Supreme. (Freestyle Love Supreme has also had numerous guest performers, including Daveed Diggs and Wayne Brady.)

Miranda, who is a self-described “theater geek,” is shown to be an energetic optimist but also a perfectionist who can be very hard on himself. Jackson, who is more laid-back than Miranda, is described as the “dad” of the group, since he’s the oldest member and the first member of Freestyle Love Supreme to get married and have children.

Sherman, who plays keyboards and has a goofy sense of humor, used to be Kail’s roommate and remains very close to Kail. Sullivan, who does most of Freestyle Love Supreme’s beatboxing, is the “actual musical heartbeat of the group,” says Kail. Lewis, who plays keyboards, is described as the group’s most intellectually gifted member and “the ethereal one” of Freestyle Love Supreme, according to Kail.

Freestyle Love Supreme’s newer members are also given a spotlight: Utkarsh Ambudkar (also known as UTK The INC) is described by Miranda as “the best nuts-to-bolts rapper in the group.” James Monroe Iglehart (also known as J-Soul) is praised by multiple people as being the best singer in the group. Andrew Bancroft (also known as Jelly Donut) seems to be in awe of his group mates and says he still can’t believe that he’s in Freestyle Love Supreme.

And by the time that Freestyle Love Supreme began headlining on Broadway, the group had added its first permanent female member: Aneesa Folds (also known as Young Nees), who expresses how star-struck and honored she is to be in Freestyle Love Supreme. Why did it take so long to add a woman to the group? Probably because after the #MeToo movement happened, Freestyle Love Supreme wanted deflect any criticism that this group deliberately excludes people who aren’t of the male gender.

It probably never crossed their minds to invite women into their group before, because it’s clear from the archival footage that Freestyle Love Supreme operated very much like a fraternity, but not in a mean-spirited way. However, because of heightened awareness of how gender discrimination against people who aren’t cisgender males has been an ongoing problem in the entertainment industry (and society in general), it no doubt prompted Freestyle Love Supreme to take a hard look at their own decision making in whom they were inviting to be a part of their exclusive club.

The documentary doesn’t call attention to why Freestyle Love Supreme was a male-only group for about 15 years, probably because the male members of the group don’t want to address this issue on camera. Instead, the movie puts an emphasis on all the camaraderie they have—perhaps a little too much emphasis, to the point where it looks sugarcoated. There’s a lot of screen time devoted to soundbites where the members of Freestyle Love Supreme praise themselves and each other.

Jackson comments on how Freestyle Love Supreme is a privilege of being able to work with his closest friends: “If more people had this experience, truly, the world would be a better place.” Ambudkar says that he felt an instant connection to the members of Freestyle Love Supreme: “Whatever Freestyle was doing, it fit me like a well-worn hoodie.”

Miranda says that in the group’s early days, there was a real struggle to build a fan base, but the audience grew when the show improved and because Freestyle Love Supreme didn’t give up: “We had to work hard [for an audience]. The show worked.”

Some of the documentary’s best archival footage is of a pivotal point in the early career of Freestyle Love Supreme, when the group was invited to perform at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. No one knew at the time that Miranda was three years away from finding Broadway fame and acclaim with “In the Heights.” But during this trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the members of Freestyle Love Supreme considered it to be the highlight of their careers so far.

There’s a real infectious joy in this footage that shows their youthful optimism, as they roam the streets of Edinburgh and soak up Scottish culture. The documentary also includes footage of the group reading their first negative review together. And even that moment of the group getting some scathing criticism has a lot of humor and shows how closely bonded the group members are.

A present-day Miranda looks back on that time with a lot of fondness in the documentary. He says that even though all of the members of Freestyle Love Supreme were financially broke at the time, and their futures were uncertain, it was one of the happiest times of his life. “Everything was happening, but nothing was happening,” Miranda quips.

Some other great archival footage is of Miranda and Kail walking through New York City’s Times Square, not long before “In the Heights” was scheduled to begin previews on Broadway. Kail and Miranda look up in awe and excitement at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, which had the “In the Heights” billboard and marquee already prepared.

In this archival footage, Kail and Miranda joke about how people in Times Square might or might not recognize them. Kail, who resembles former “American Idol” finalist Justin Guarini, says that people probably think he’s “that guy from ‘American Idol.'” Kail also jokes that people will probably think that Miranda looks like a “Mexican Bud Bundy,” referring to Miranda’s slight resemblance to actor David Faustino, who had the role of bratty son Bud Bundy in the sitcom “Married With Children.” (Miranda’s heritage is actually Puerto Rican, not Mexican.)

All joking aside, a group of people working together this long can’t be immune to jealousies, rivalries and conflicts. Although the documentary acknowledges that Miranda is the most famous member of Freestyle Love Supreme (after his Broadway success, he became a star and a producer in movies and television), the other group members who talk about it for the documentary only express happiness for Miranda. If they have any envy that Miranda’s career has skyrocketed, compared to the careers of other group members, it’s not shown in this movie.

However, there is some acknowledgement that Freestyle Love Supreme did go through a less-than-smooth adjustment period when it became obvious that in order for the group to keep going, certain group members (namely Miranda, Jackson and Kail) would not be as available as they once were, due to their busy Broadway careers. Another big shift in the group’s dynamics occurred when Veneziale moved to San Francisco (because of his wife’s graduate studies) and started a family there.

As a result of that relocation to the other side of the United States, Veneziale and Kail, who used to be best friends, say they became estranged from each other, and their relationship hasn’t really been the same since. Veneziale describes Kail in the early days of Freestyle Love Supreme: “He was my co-conspirator in making things.” Kail says that Veneziale is the “guts and blood” and the “engine” of Freestyle Love Supreme. However, it’s obvious that there’s still tension between Kail and Veneziale, because they choose their words very carefully when talking about each other, while expressing regret that they aren’t close friends anymore.

The documentary doesn’t bring up personal problems in Freestyle Love Supreme until the last third of the movie. Ambudkar opens up about his alcoholism and how it affected him and his role in the group. Ambudkar says that the success of “Hamilton,” which made Miranda even less available to Freestyle Love Supreme than ever before, forced Ambudkar to take a hard look at where his life was headed, and it motivated Ambudkar to get clean and sober.

The clips of Freestyle Love Supreme performing on stage, especially on Broadway, are absolutely electric and elevate this documentary, which plays it very safe overall. “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” gives the impression that it doesn’t want to divulge a lot of the realistic behind-the-scenes ego clashes in the group, for fear that it would mess up the “lovefest” vibe that the documentary is trying to convey. It’s why viewers of this movie get a lot of effusively upbeat soundbites that are a lot like this one from Ambudkar when he describes Freestyle Love Supreme: “It’s truly about embracing and celebrating the human experience.”

Hulu premiered “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme” on July 17, 2020.

2018 Kennedy Center Honors: Cher, Reba McEntire, Philip Glass, Wayne Shorter, ‘Hamilton’ creators are the honorees

July 25, 2018

The following is a press release from the Kennedy Center:

The Kennedy Center Honors announced today that its honorees for 2018 will be actress Cher, composer and pianist Philip Glass, country music entertainer Reba McEntire and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. Additionally, the co-creators of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Hamilton” – writer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and music director Alex Lacamoire – will receive a unique Kennedy Center Honors as trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category. These artists will receive tributes during THE 41st ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, to be broadcast Wednesday, Dec. 26 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. CBS has broadcast the special each year since its debut 41 years ago.

“The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes exceptional artists who have made enduring and indelible marks on our culture,” stated Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. “Cher is the consummate star, wowing generations of fans with her distinctive voice, blockbuster albums and glittering on-screen presence; Philip Glass is a modern-day Mozart whose works across opera, symphony, chamber music and film define contemporary music and simply transfix us; country songstress Reba McEntire has inspired us over five decades with her powerhouse voice and music that conveys heartfelt, heartwarming honesty; Wayne Shorter is a seminal artist, defying categorization while carrying forward the mantle of jazz; and the creators of ‘Hamilton’ have literally and figuratively changed the face of American culture with daringly original, breathtakingly relevant work.”

“The world looks to America for its creative instincts and artistic courage. This year’s slate of Honorees represents the pinnacle of our nation’s originality and the rich mosaic of diverse perspectives and art forms that have come to define who we are as a people,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter.

“As the national cultural center, the Kennedy Center is guided by its artistic mission to pay tribute to the past, to offer a platform for artists making transformative impact in the present, and to shepherd creative innovators as we look toward the future,” Ms. Rutter continued. “Historically, the Kennedy Center Honors have celebrated lifetime achievement. In recognizing ‘Hamilton’ and its co-creators, the Kennedy Center is making an unprecedented statement about an unprecedented work – a work that transcends cultural boundaries and tells America’s story in a powerful and contemporary way.”

In a star-studded celebration on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage on Dec. 2, the 2018 Honorees will be saluted by today’s leading performers from New York, Hollywood and the arts capitals of the world, accepting the recognition and gratitude of their peers through performances and tributes.

The Honors recipients are recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts – whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television – and are confirmed by the executive committee of the Center’s board of trustees. The primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; over the years, the selection process has produced a balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines.

Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment will executive produce the special for the fourth consecutive year. Also, Weiss returns as director. The Kennedy Center Honors founding producer is George Stevens, Jr.

ABOUT THE HONOREES

Cher (Singer, Actress)

A worldwide superstar and household name for more than 50 years, Cher has conquered more challenges than a handful of other talents put together – recording, concerts, film and Broadway acting, television and directing. Along the way, she has been richly rewarded with an Academy Award®, a GRAMMY®, an Emmy®, three Golden Globes, a Cannes Film Festival Award and a People’s Choice Award.

Beginning as a studio backing singer in the 1960s, Cher met fledgling producer Sonny Bono, and they quickly became pop sensations with the worldwide smash “I Got You Babe.” Their attention-grabbing hair and clothes were an early hint of Cher’s subsequent profound influence on the world of fashion. The couple’s popularity peaked with “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” television series until they split up in the mid-1970s. In 1982, Cher took a huge gamble to appear on Broadway in “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” It worked, however, and prompted a hugely successful acting career, which included “Mask,” “Silkwood” and “Mermaids” and culminated in an Academy Award® for Best Actress in “Moonstruck.”

Cher stunned the music world with a complete musical reinvention in the mid-1980s, highlighted by her controversial hit video for “If I Could Turn Back Time.” But it would be her venture into the world of dance music with the GRAMMY® Award-winning “Believe” in 1998 that eclipsed it all. “Believe” made Cher the oldest woman (at 52) to have a #1 hit in the Hot 100 rock era. It made her the only female artist to have top 10 hits in every decade from the 1960s to 2000s. The subsequent three-year “Farewell Tour” played to more than three million fans, was captured in an Emmy®Award-winning TV special and is one of the most successful tours in history.

Cher remains very active as a stage performer, actress and recording artist with a starring role in the current movie “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” a new album scheduled for September release, and a stage musical about her life debuting on Broadway in December.

Philip Glass (Composer, Pianist)

Born in Baltimore, Md., Philip Glass is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, Glass spent two years of intensive study in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and, while there, earned money by transcribing Ravi Shankar’s Indian music into Western notation. By 1974, Glass had a number of innovative projects creating a large collection of new music for the Philip Glass Ensemble and for the Mabou Mines Theater Company. This period culminated in Music in Twelve Parts and the landmark opera “Einstein on the Beach,” for which he collaborated with Robert Wilson. Since then, Glass has expanded his repertoire to include music for opera, dance, theater, chamber ensemble, orchestra and film. His scores have received Academy Award nominations (“Kundun,” “The Hours,” “Notes on a Scandal”) and a Golden Globe (“The Truman Show”). In the past few years, several new works were unveiled, including an opera on the death of Walt Disney, “The Perfect American” (co-commissioned by Teatro Real, Madrid and the English National Opera); a new touring production of “Einstein”; the publication of Glass’ memoir, Words Without Music, by Liveright Books; and the premiere of the revised version of Glass’ opera “Appomattox,” in collaboration with librettist Christopher Hampton, at the Washington National Opera in November 2015.

Glass celebrated his 80th birthday on Jan. 31, 2017 with the world premiere of “Symphony No. 11” at Carnegie Hall. His 80th birthday season featured curated programming around the globe, including the U.S. premieres of operas “The Trial” and “The Perfect American,” and world premieres of several new works, including “Piano Concerto No. 3,” “String Quartet No. 8” and his first “Piano Quintet.”

Other recent accolades include the U.S. National Medal of the Arts, presented to Glass by President Barack Obama in 2015. In 2016, Glass was named the 11th recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize, a lifetime achievement award given to prominent musicians. Also, he was honored to hold Carnegie Hall’s Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair throughout the 2017-2018 season.

On Jan. 10, 2019, the Los Angeles Philharmonic will present the world premiere of Glass’ “Symphony No. 12,” based on David Bowie’s album Lodger, and a completion of three symphonies based on Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. Glass continues to perform solo piano evenings, chamber music evenings with world renowned musicians and regularly appears with the Philip Glass Ensemble.

Reba McEntire (Country Music Entertainer)

Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a flourishing career that spans music, television, film, theater and retail. Her album Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope topped both the Billboard Country and Christian/Gospel charts, bolstering McEntire’s successful record of 35 #1 singles and over 56 million albums sold worldwide across four decades. The double-disc collection earned McEntire her third GRAMMY®Award and first GMA Dove Award. The Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry and Hollywood Bowl member has also won 16 ACM Awards, 15 American Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards and six CMA Awards. Her leadership and philanthropic endeavors have been recognized with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation Humanitarian Award, Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award, the Music Biz Chairman’s Award, the National Artistic Achievement Award from the U.S. Congress, and joining the Horatio Alger Association.

McEntire returned for the 15th time to host the ACM Awards in April 2018 and led the 2017 ratings-high CMA Country Christmas television special. In 2005 she partnered with Dillard’s to launch her own lifestyle brand, and launched the REBA by Justin™ collection at select retailers nationwide for holiday 2017. The Oklahoma native is an acclaimed actress with 11 movie credits to her name, a lead on Broadway in “Annie Get Your Gun,” and starred in the six-season television sitcom “Reba.” As part of the longest-running country act in the Colosseum’s history, she will join with superstar pals for another round of “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas at Caesars.”

Wayne Shorter (Jazz Saxophonist, Composer)

Wayne Shorter has been called a genius, a trailblazer, a visionary and one of the world’s greatest composers. Born in Newark, N.J. in 1933, he grew up poring through comic books and imagining adventures in undiscovered universes. He studied music at New York University, and upon graduating, he was drafted into the U.S. Army.

In 1959 Shorter joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers as a saxophonist, eventually composing for the group and becoming its music director. After four years, Miles Davis invited him to join his second historical quintet, with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and Ron Carter. This marked the beginning of Shorter’s exploration of uncharted territories that led him to form, with pianist Joe Zawinul, the world’s first fusion band, Weather Report.

Over the next decade, Short produced a succession of jazz albums for the Columbia label. During this period, he became known for collaborations with greats across genres, including Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Carlos Santana and Don Henley. In 1996 he released High Life, which received the GRAMMY® for best contemporary jazz album. Two years later, he reunited with longtime friend Herbie Hancock for an intimate duet recording entitled “1+1,” winning another GRAMMYfor their collaboration. In 2000 he formed his first acoustic group under his name, the Wayne Shorter Quartet, featuring Danilo Shorter, John Patitucci and Brian Blade, which still performs today. At the same time, Shorter began exploring the world of classical music. He paired with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw, and the BBC Chamber Orchestra, unveiling his new symphonic repertoire.

Shorter is the recipient of the NEA Jazz Masters Award (1998), the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award (2015) and, most recently, the prestigious Polar Music Prize (2017). With a total of 11 GRAMMY Awards under his belt, Shorter refuses to slow down. Currently, in collaboration with Esperanza Spalding, he is composing his first opera, “Iphigenia,” his ultimate expression honoring the nobility of humanity – to awaken one’s inherent power. Wayne Shorter believes that there are no limits: “To me, jazz means: I dare you.”

The Co-Creators of “Hamilton”

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Writer and Actor)

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a Pulitzer Prize, GRAMMY®, Emmy® and Tony® Award-winning composer, lyricist and actor. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony Award-winning shows “Hamilton” and “In the Heights.” Additionally, his Broadway credits include “Bring It On: The Musical” (co-composer/co-lyricist, Tony nomination for Best Musical) and “West Side Story” (2009, Spanish translations). A 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award recipient, Miranda composed songs for Disney’s “Moana” (2017 Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song). He has actively supported the relief efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in September 2017, creating the benefit single “Almost Like Praying.” TV/film credits include “Saturday Night Live” (2017 Emmy nomination, Guest Actor), “Sesame Street,” “The Electric Company,” “House,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “DuckTales,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “200 Cartas,” “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” and the upcoming 2018 holiday movie “Mary Poppins Returns.” In addition to his work as an artist, Miranda has worked with the Hispanic Federation since Hurricane Maria to support the rebuilding of Puerto Rico, and most recently he announced the launch of the Flamboyan Arts Fund to provide grants for artists, cultural institutions and programs on the island. Miranda received his B.A. from Wesleyan University in 2002. He lives with his family in New York City.

Thomas Kail (Director)

Thomas Kail received the 2016 Tony Award® for his direction of the Broadway production of “Hamilton.” He received a Tony nomination for his direction of “In the Heights.” Additional Broadway credits include the new plays “Lombardi” and “Magic/Bird.” Other credits include the world premiere of “Hamilton,” “Kings,” “Tiny Beautiful Things” and “Dry Powder” at the Public Theater; the world premiere of “In the Heights,” “Broke-ology” and the world premiere of “When I Come to Die” at Lincoln Center Theater; the world premiere of “Daphne’s Dive” at the Signature Theatre; Randy Newman’s “Faust,” as well as “The Wiz” at New York City Center; the world premiere of “The Tutors” at Second Stage Uptown; the world premiere of “Broke-ology” at Williamstown Theater Festival; the world premiere of A.R. Gurney’s “Family Furniture” at The Flea; and the national tour of “In the Heights.” Kail is the co-creator and director of the Hip Hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. He won the 2016 Emmy® for his direction of “Grease Live.” Also, Kail is the recipient of a Drama Desk Award, an Obie, a Callaway Award, the Lucille Lortel Award and the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University.

Andy Blankenbuehler (Choreographer)

Andy Blankenbuehler is a proud three-time Tony Award® winner for his choreography in the Broadway productions of “Hamilton,” “Bandstand” and “In The Heights.” The recent production of “Bandstand” (director/choreographer) also received the Drama Desk and Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography. Additional Broadway credits include “Bring It On” (Tony nomination), “9 to 5” (Tony nomination), “The People in the Picture,” “The Apple Tree,” “Annie,” and the recent revival of “CATS.” Other theatrical work includes “Desperately Seeking Susan” (West End), the world premiere of the new musical “FLY” (Dallas Theatre Center), “The Wiz” (City Center Encores), “A Little Princess” (Andrew Lippa), and the recent international tour of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Upcoming projects include the new musical “Only Gold” with British singer/songwriter Kate Nash.

On television, Mr. Blankenbuehler’s work has appeared on “Dirty Dancing,” “America’s Got Talent,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “The Sopranos,” MTV, “Sesame Street” featuring Janelle Monae, and many commercials. He has staged concert work for both Elton John and Bette Midler, and he conceived, directed and choreographed the hit Caesars Palace production “Nights on Broadway.” His work will be seen on the big screen next year in a yet-to-be-titled film with writer/director Adam McKay, starring Christian Bale and Steve Carell.

As a performer, Mr. Blankenbuehler danced on Broadway in “Fosse,” “Contact,” “Man of La Mancha,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Steel Pier,” “Big” and “Guys and Dolls.” Originally from Cincinnati, Mr. Blankenbuehler resides in New York City with his wife, Elly, and two children, Luca and Sofia. He is a recipient of a special 2015 Drama Desk Award for his achievement in the theater.

Alex Lacamoire (Music Supervisor/Orchestrator/Co-Arranger)

Alex Lacamoire is a three-time Tony Award® and three-time GRAMMY® winner for his work on the Broadway musicals “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “In The Heights.” His film credits include “The Greatest Showman” (executive music producer) and “Incredibles 2” (arranger/orchestrator). As music director, arranger and/or orchestrator on Broadway, he has worked on “Annie” (2011 Broadway revival), “Bring It On,” “The People In The Picture,” “9 to 5” (Drama Desk and Grammy nominations), “Legally Blonde,” “High Fidelity” and “Wicked.” Other theatrical credits include “Bat Boy: The Musical,” “Godspell” (2001 National Tour), orchestrations for the Rockettes and the Academy Awards. He is an Emmy-nominated composer for “Sesame Street.”

Copyright 2017-2025 Culture Mix
CULTURE MIX