Last night, Broadway served a full-course meal of drama, glitz, and raw emotion at the 78th Annual Tony Awards—and trust us, we’re still recovering. From robot love stories to Nicole Scherzinger’s powerhouse comeback, this year’s show was nothing short of iconic.
Let’s break down the biggest wins, the wildest moments, and why 2025 just changed the Broadway game forever.
The Big Winner: Maybe Happy Ending (Yes, That’s a Robot Romance)
Imagine Wall-E meets La La Land—and give it six Tony wins. That’s Maybe Happy Ending, the Korean musical that just stole Broadway’s heart and every major award,
including:
– Best Musical
– Best Direction (Michael Arden)
– Best Actor (the always-dreamy Darren Criss)
It’s bold. It’s weird. It’s everything we didn’t know we needed.
Nicole Scherzinger’s Redemption Arc in Sunset Blvd. = Absolute Queen Energy
Nicole Scherzinger ate and left no crumbs. Her portrayal of Norma Desmond in Sunset
Blvd. was so hauntingly good, she walked away with Best Actress in a Musical AND helped the show snag Best Revival.
Her rendition of “As If We Never Said Goodbye” had the audience in tears. TL;DR: Nicole is Broadway now. Period.
Breakthrough Moment: Cole Escola Makes Tony History
Comedian and actor Cole Escola won Best Actor in a Play for Oh, Mary!—a hilarious
fever dream where Mary Todd Lincoln throws a meltdown—and made history as the
first openly non-binary winner in the category.
It was camp. It was chaos. It was so necessary.
Best Play Went to Purpose – And Rightfully So
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose was political, powerful, and exactly what we expect
from a Best Play winner. The play dissected race and leadership with sharp wit, and earned Kara Young her second Tony in a row.
Solo Slay: Sarah Snook = One Woman, ALL the Roles
You know her from Succession, but Sarah Snook’s turn in The Picture of Dorian Gray
was next-level. She played EVERY character—yes, really—and won Best Actress in a
Play because how could she not?
This wasn’t just a performance. It was an acting flex.
Standout Performances That Lived Rent-Free in Our Heads
– Nicole Scherzinger giving full diva in “As If We Never Said Goodbye”
– Cynthia Erivo opening the show like the goddess she is
– A surprise reunion from the Hamilton cast that made us feel so old but so blessed
Also shoutout to Stranger Things: The First Shadow winning a Special Tony for best
on-stage magic.
Broadway Got Smart, Weird, and Wonderfully Inclusive
This year wasn’t just glitzy—it was groundbreaking. We saw:
– Asian-led musicals (Maybe Happy Ending)
– Queer and non-binary voices celebrated (hi Cole)
– Big names proving they can do theatre and dominate (Nicole, Snook, Criss)
– A diverse mix of new and revived works that spoke to now
In short: Broadway isn’t just back—it’s bold AF.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Tony Awards gave us a night of brilliance, big risks, and major wins. Whether
you’re a theatre geek, casual fan, or just here for the memes, one thing’s clear:
Broadway is evolving, and this year’s Tonys proved it’s doing it with purpose (pun
intended).
Catch you at curtain call.
Want more backstage tea and Broadway gossip?
Follow us on @DistractTV | @stephenstallone for red carpet clips, interviews, and Nicole’s full tear-jerking speech.
#TonyAwards #Broadway2025 #NicoleScherzinger #MaybeHappyEnding
#TonyWinners #ColeEscola #SarahSnook #MusicalTheatreMagic
