On Monday June 6th, the Broadway community gathered together to kick-off Tony Week with the official Tony Honors Cocktail Party at the Paramount Hotel’s Diamond Horseshoe. The formal event is an opportunity for nominees and other invited guests to celebrate the work of the 2016 Tony Honors recipients. The three individuals honored included Seth Gelblum, a Partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP and chair of their theater department, Joan Lader, a highly regarded Broadway vocal coach who’s worked with a score of award winning performers, and Sally Ann Parsons, a costumer designer behind shows including The Phantom of The Opera, Cats, The Lion King, and most recently Hamilton.
Speaking of Hamilton, the presence of the phenomenon was undeniable throughout the event (coincidentally held across the street from Hamilton’s home at the Richard Rodgers theater). Many of that show’s record breaking 16 nominees were in attendance including creator-star Lin-Manuel Miranda, his fellow lead actor nominee Leslie Odom Jr., and director Tommy Kail. Additionally the star-studded event, which was presented by FIJI Water, welcomed fellow nominated performers Lupita Nyong’o from Eclipsed, Sophie Okonedo from The Crucible, Jeff Daniels from Blackbird, She Loves Me stars Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski and Zachary Levi, as well as Jessica Lange from Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
While these honorary awards have already been handed out, the competitive awards will be given this Sunday at The Beacon Theater in a ceremony hosted by The Late Late Show’s James Corden.
On June 7, 2016 Tony Award Nominees Pascale Armand, Alex Brightman, Danielle Brooks, Cynthia Erivo, Christopher Fitzgerald, David Furr, Christopher Jackson, Andrea Martin, Saycon Sengbloh, Phillipa Soo, Jennifer Simard, Brandon Victor Dixon, Adrienne Warren, Zachary Levi with Charlotte St. Martin (President of The Broadway League) and Heather Hitchens (President of the American Theatre Wing) participated in the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building in red and silver in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Tony Awards.
The ceremony will be broadcast by CBS at 8pm on the 12th.
-Nathan Braun
