The 74th Tony Awards are officially over. The event was a night of powerful speeches, standing ovation-inducing wins and thrilling reunion performances at the Winter Garden Theatre. Here are five illustrations of the most memorable moments from Broadway's biggest night that will help make the magic last a little longer.
LESLIE ODOM JR.'S OPENING NUMBER
Viewers were graced with an unforgettable opening number from Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. when the second portion of Broadway's biggest night kicked off. The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back! began with a bang when Odom Jr. brought the cameras outside the Winter Garden Theatre and welcomed audiences back to Broadway. With hilarious lines and extraordinary dancers (hey, Angie Schworer!), this number will go down in Tony history.
KENNY LEON'S A SOLDIER'S PLAY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
When Charles Fuller's A Soldier Play was named the season's Best Revival of a Play, director Kenny Leon was met with a resounding standing ovation as he took the mic. Leon's impassioned speech called out the industry's need to continue to "do better" as he said "No diss to Shakespeare, no diss to Ibsen, to Chekhov, to Shaw. They're all at the table. But the table's got to be bigger."
DANIEL J. WATTS, JARED GRIMES AND THE BROADWAY INSPIRATIONAL VOICES PERFORMANCE
Tina Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts took the stage to perform a powerful spoken word tribute to the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which was honored with a Special Tony Award. Watts, along with tap-dancing great Jared Grimes and members of Broadway Inspirational Voices, asked viewers to question what their silence looks like and reflected on 18 months without Broadway.
MATTHEW LÓPEZ'S THE INHERITANCE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Playwright Matthew López made history when The Inheritance took home Best Play, and his acceptance speech reiterated the importance of inclusionary storytelling—he mentioned that Latinés constitute 19% of the United States population but are represented by about 2% of Broadway playwrights in the last decade. "This must change. We are a vibrant community, reflecting a vast array of cultures, experiences, and, yes, skin tones. We have so many stories to tell. They are inside of us aching to come out. Let us tell you our stories."
KRISTIN CHENOWETH AND IDINA MENZEL'S "FOR GOOD" REUNION
This reunion was almost too good to be true. Wicked's original stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel took to the Winter Garden Theatre stage to perform the musical's emotional duet. Seeing the two Tony winners together again definitively confirming that pink always goes good with green.