‘Hamilton’ falls just short of history with 11 Tonys

Hamilton secured 11 prizes including best musical, best actor, best direction as well as best score and book for Miranda.

Victor for Best Original Score for Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, addressed the killings in his acceptance speech, noting that “senseless acts of tragedy remind us that nothing here is promised, not one day”.

The awards show, held hours after a gunman killed dozens of people at an Orlando nightclub, featured a Broadway tribute to the victims and a several references to tolerance.

The event’s host, late night TV personality James Corden, opened the awards with a solemn speech to the viewers at home on behalf of the theater community. We have to make sure of that. CBS chief executive Les Moonves said, “It’s important that the show go on”. This was one away from the record for most wins in one ceremony, which was set by “The Producers” in 2001.

But, as one astute Twitter user said Sunday night: “FORGET YOUR #OSCARSSOWHITE, WE HAVE #TONYSSOINCLUSIVE”.

That sonnet, which Miranda dedicated to both his wife and the victims in Orlando, turned out to be a highlight of the evening, garnering standalone coverage from the New York Times for its inclusive message as much as the fact that Miranda’s “Hamilton” dominated the awards. Seasoned performer Jessica Lange beat off competition from Lupita Nyong’o in Eclipsed, Michelle Williams in Blackbird, and Sophie Okonedo in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to win Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her role in Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda (music, lyrics and book), Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton. It won the 2016 Tony Award for best new musical. On a night when diversity was celebrated – all of the acting awards in the musical categories went to African-Americans for the first time – Broadway paused to remember those who died in Orlando. “I wrote you a sonnet instead”. British actress Cynthia Erivo won best actress for her Broadway debut in The Color Purple, which also won the best musical revival award.

We chase the melodies that seem to find us until they’re finished songs and start to play.