Tony Awards draw best audience in 6 years for CBS
CBS said Monday the telecast — hosted by 'Wicked' star Cynthia Erivo — scored a 38% increase over last year's 3.53 million viewers.
That's the largest audience for the Tonys since 2019, when the telecast that year nabbed 5.4 million viewers and ' Hadestown ' was crowned best new musical. The latest version also had to compete with the second game of the NBA Finals, between the Thunder and Pacers,
CBS also said the awards show drew its largest ever streaming audience on Paramount+ but did not disclose streaming viewership numbers, only saying it was up 208% from last year.
'Maybe Happy Ending,' a rom-com about androids that crackles with humanity won best new musical on a night when Kara Young made history as the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively for 'Purpose,' which also won best new play.
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Interest in the Tonys may also have been fueled by the competition in the best lead actress in a musical category, with Audra McDonald gunning for her record-setting seventh Tony and Nicole Scherzinger of 'Sunset Blvd.' hoping to be crowned a legitimate Broadway diva after a career in the pop group Pussycat Dolls and as a TV talent show judge.
Other Hollywood names included in the telecast included George Clooney making his Broadway debut and 'Succession' star Sarah Snook being named best leading actress in a play for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' a one-woman show.
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Toronto Sun
9 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Taylor Swift's new album has everyone seeing orange: An exploration of the colour
Published Aug 14, 2025 • 6 minute read Taylor Swift performs at the Paris Le Defense Arena as a part of her Eras Tour concert in Paris, May 9, 2024. Photo by Lewis Joly / AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account NEW YORK (AP) — Orange you ready for it? Taylor Swift swathed her bombshell album announcement in a shade she's calling Portofino Orange Glitter after donning the color onstage during the latter part of her latest tour. So now, will 'The Life of a Showgirl' usher in the pop star's Orange Era? On the 'New Heights' podcast Wednesday night, Swift leaned toward a yes. 'I've just always liked it, Jason,' she said, addressing interlocutor Jason Kelce, while sitting next to boyfriend Travis Kelce. 'It feels like kind of energetically how my life has felt. And this album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour.' In all its glory, the colour can evoke creativity, enthusiasm, energy, optimism and more. While some see a downside in the brighter hues, perceiving them as clownish or silly, orange is more often exuberant or inviting, colour experts said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The positive sentiments are precisely how Swift described the mood she wanted to capture on the album: 'so exuberant and electric and vibrant.' Here's an exploration of the colour orange, from pale peach to deep terra cotta. Orange brings all the feels Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone Colour Institute, said Swift's shifting of her colour story to a bright orange feels like a 'new personality coming out.' 'And she looks so happy,' Pressman said. 'She's glowing and she's basking.' The orange hue Swift is going with is the perfect expression of positive vibes, Pressman said. The closest shade in Pantone's vast library of colour is called 'Exuberance.' 'Even when you go down to the peaches, which are very pale,' she said, referencing the spectrum of orange, 'there's a deliciousness, there's a warmth that comes with that. There's just a softness, a tactility. There's a sweetness to it.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In its deeper tones, orange is also all goodness, Pressman said. 'Going all the way over to the darker terra cottas, there's an earthiness and authenticity, but also warmth. Whereas red is about being bold and dramatic, orange is more friendliness, more approachable,' she said, noting a previous era of Swift's. As saffron, it can have religious connotations The saffron shade is a different story in a contemporary context in India, said Dheepa Sundaram, who researches Hindu nationalist politics as an assistant professor of religion at the University of Denver. In ancient Hinduism and Buddhism, she said, monks and other spiritual figures who renounce worldly life clothe themselves in saffron garb as a way to express their piety. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Some people have speculated that it's because saffron (the spice) was really cheap as a dye and sort of fit with the poverty roles of monks and aesthetes. Kings and royalty preferred more expensive colours like the colours of rubies and emeralds,' Sundaram said. (Nowadays, though, saffron is among the world's most expensive spices.) Fast forward a couple of thousand years, give or take, to a right-wing policy strategy wielded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's powerful Bharatiya Janata Party that aims to implement Hindu nationalist views and embraces the saffron colour as a symbol. Incendiary, anti-Muslim songs have been dubbed 'saffron pop.' 'The colour saffron has become their colour. They have sort of positioned themselves as true Hindus, and this has become part of that schtick,' Sundaram said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Swift and Kelce frolicked last year in Lake Como, but did they also hit up Portofino and soak up some orange-hued charm in the coastal village known for its colourful buildings? That's unclear, which didn't stop the mayor of Portofino and the Portofino Yacht Marina from jointly hopping on the orange Tay train for the album announcement. On Tuesday, the Italian Riviera playground for the rich and famous, via Instagram, issued the 'it' couple an open invitation to visit. 'We are ready to welcome you, and we are already preparing an official Portofino Yacht Marina T-shirt for you… with a logo in perfect orange!,' read the Italian-language post. 'Between sunsets on the sea, music and the magic of the main square, Portofino awaits you. And it already shines in your colour.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The luxe destination features ocher- and terra cotta-colored buildings along the port that reflect on the water, particularly during sunsets. The gingers are ready for it! We went directly to the source, redheads, to suss out the orange appeal. Sara Schafer, a 40-year-old lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is the ginger-haired mother of two ginger-haired daughters. All three are dedicated Swifties. Schafer also proudly owns a bright orange car. 'We're all really excited. It's a great day when we have Swiftie news,' she said. 'I love everything orange. It's like happy sunshine.' Scott Walls, a hospital operations manager in Norwalk, Connecticut, is also a ginger, but he doesn't count himself among the Swifties. He's a huge New York Knicks fan, though. And what are the Knicks' team colours? Bright orange and blue, often proudly worn by mega-fans like Spike Lee. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I've got a ton of Knicks stuff,' said Walls, 32. 'And it's funny that growing up in Westchester (New York), I played on a basketball team that had orange and blue as the colours.' He encountered some light teasing as an orange-haired kid growing up in small-town Pelham. 'Sometimes people would make comments. I didn't like it so I'd fight back. My brother is also a redhead and he would celebrate it more,' Walls said. Schafer added: 'You know what they say, redheads are the feistiest. We feel everything more deeply.' Orange has a young appeal in home decor Amy Wax, a colour expert focusing on residential and commercial design, called orange a universally feel-good hue that evokes youthfulness in interior spaces. 'I've done dining rooms in a really, really rich rusty orange. It kind of takes the traditional red dining room and updates it. It feels more contemporary,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Swift's stage design featured orange touches, including a projection of a mysterious orange door, confirmed by Swift on the podcast as a clue she was heading into a new era. Orange also works for transitional spaces like hallways. 'A light orange in a hallway can feel very pleasing and energetic,' Wax said. Orange blends beautifully with browns, cream colours and other neutrals, she said. Who can pull off wearing orange? Natalie Tincher, founder of the BU Style consulting company and personal wardrobe stylist, said people shouldn't fear wearing the colour. There's likely a shade out there for everyone. Swift's own tour included lots of orange stage costumes, including the work of the late Italian designer Roberto Cavalli. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vibrant orange will pop and softer oranges can lend harmony with softer skin tones, Tincher said: 'Incorporate it into a scarf, a handbag or a trouser if you don't want it reflecting your face.' And what company is known for its orange luxury goods? That's right, Hermes. The 'Hermes Orange' and 'Hermes Amber' are signatures of the French fashion house known for its silk scarves and pricey handbags. On a more egalitarian level, and despite the seasonal nature of — dare we utter the words — pumpkin spice, Tincher sees orange in some shade or another as perfectly acceptable year-round. For the bright, bold shades, consider pairing a loud orange with a lighter tone, Tincher said. Or go all in with a bright monochromatic orange look. 'And browns are very big right now as a neutral so you could do a rich brown with a bright orange,' she said. 'Mom's rules aren't the case anymore.' Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls World Columnists Toronto & GTA
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘It's legendary' – AP All-America honor resonates for some of college football's all-time greats
Desmond Howard walked up a ramp in Schembechler Hall, looking at black-and-white pictures hanging on a white wall where Michigan honors its All-America football players. The 1991 Heisman Trophy winner stopped to point out the image of two-time AP All-America receiver Anthony Carter, who starred for the program several seasons before Howard crossed the Ohio border to become a Wolverine. Howard grinned after taking a few more steps and seeing his high-top fade hairstyle captured in a photo that cemented his legacy for the college football program with the most wins. 'You're remembered as one of the greats, that's for sure,' Howard told the AP. 'You put on the V-neck sweater with the maize block 'M,' and you take your picture and you know that you're in a special group.' With the 2025 season here, the AP named an all-time All-America team to mark the 100th anniversary of the first team from the early days of the sport. Many outlets have named All-America teams over the decades, but only a few such as AP have stuck around. A number of player sspoke with AP about what the honor meant: Hugh Green, Pittsburgh When the three-time All-America defensive end is asked who was the most influential people in his life, he says Bob Hope. Hope's annual Christmas specials featured AP All-Americanss from 1971 to 1994 and Green recalled the late comedian pulling him aside during commercial breaks to rave about his play in games that were not on TV. 'Kids today might take it a bit different, but we should always have a person that has his credentials do the AP All-American show every year,' Green said. 'That was something very special and unique.' Herschel Walker, Georgia Walker won a national championship as a freshman with the Bulldogs and said he got too much credit over teammates like the offensive linemen who paved the way for his success. The three-time All-America running back is proud, though, to have shown that someone from Wrightsville, Georiga, with a population of about 3,000 people, could make it big. 'I wanted to inspire people from my little hometown — or kids from small towns around this country — to let them know you can do it too,' he said. Anthony Carter, Michigan The late Bo Schembechler was known for a run-heavy offense at Michigan, but that didn't stop a 155-pound freshman from becoming a big-play threat right away and eventually a two-time AP All-America. 'No one thought I would last in the Big Ten,' Carter said. 'To be an All-American means a lot, coming out of Michigan because we didn't throw the ball a lot. I wouldn't have achieved what I did without a lot of great teammates.' Orlando Pace, Ohio State Buckeye Grove is a small patch of land with a sea of trees a few steps south of Ohio Stadium, a place where Ohio State honors its All-America football players with a buckeye tree and a plaque. 'When you get older, you kind of appreciate those things,' said Pace, a two-time All-America offensive tackle. 'I have kids that go to Ohio State, and I always tell them to go by and check out my tree.' Greg Jones, Michigan State He played in 20 games, including the playoffs, as a rookie linebacker for the New York Giants when they won the Super Bowl in 2012. His NFL career ended after a six-game stint the next season in Jacksonville. His back-to-back All-America honors, however, still shine as accomplishments. 'It's etched in history,' Jones said, holding one of the plaques with his All-America certificate. 'Obviously, you can get cut from an NFL team, you can lose your job, but that can stay forever.' Braylon Edwards, Michigan The Wolverines' all-time leader in receptions, yards receiving and touchdown catches was aware two decades ago that there were a lot of college football All-America teams, but recalled one being the most coveted. 'The AP was the one I that cared about,' Edwards said. 'The writers telling me that I was the player that deserved to be All-American, that was the one that I was waiting for.' James Laurinaitis, Ohio State When the three-time All-America linebacker takes recruits on tours as an assistant coach, Buckeye Grove is always a stop on the visit. 'It's pretty cool to kind of honor that tradition,' he said. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska He is the only Associated Press College Football Player of the Year to exclusively play defense, but still laments that he finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. He was an AP All-America in 2009. 'The Associated Press saw something special in me that the Heisman didn't,' Suh said. 'I am all 10 toes down with The Associated Press.' Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan As the son of second-team AP All-America defensive tackle Chris Hutchinson, earning a spot on the All-America wall alongside his father was a goal for Aidan Hutchinson during his senior year four years ago. 'There's a lot of All-American teams, but AP is different,' he said. 'It's legendary.' Terrion Arnold, Alabama The Crimson Tide recognizes its All-America players on a wall in their training facility, intentionally putting the displays in a room recruits visit on campus, and at various locations at Bryant-Denny Stadium. 'Just walking in there and being a little kid and just thinking, one day that would be me, and then just going out there and fulfilling that dream,' Arnold said. 'It's also one of those things when I take my future family to Alabama, and look at it, `Son, this is what your dad was like.'' ___ Follow Larry Lage on X. ___ AP college football: and
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Taylor Swift's new album has everyone seeing orange: An exploration of the color
NEW YORK (AP) — Orange you ready for it? Taylor Swift swathed her bombshell album announcement in a shade she's calling Portofino Orange Glitter after donning the color onstage during the latter part of her latest tour. So now, will 'The Life of a Showgirl' usher in the pop star's Orange Era? On the 'New Heights' podcast Wednesday night, Swift leaned toward a yes. 'I've just always liked it, Jason,' she said, addressing interlocutor Jason Kelce, while sitting next to boyfriend Travis Kelce. 'It feels like kind of energetically how my life has felt. And this album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour.' In all its glory, the color can evoke creativity, enthusiasm, energy, optimism and more. While some see a downside in the brighter hues, perceiving them as clownish or silly, orange is more often exuberant or inviting, color experts said. The positive sentiments are precisely how Swift described the mood she wanted to capture on the album: 'so exuberant and electric and vibrant.' Here's an exploration of the color orange, from pale peach to deep terra cotta. Orange brings all the feels Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone Color Institute, said Swift's shifting of her color story to a bright orange feels like a 'new personality coming out.' 'And she looks so happy,' Pressman said. 'She's glowing and she's basking.' The orange hue Swift is going with is the perfect expression of positive vibes, Pressman said. The closest shade in Pantone's vast library of color is called 'Exuberance.' 'Even when you go down to the peaches, which are very pale,' she said, referencing the spectrum of orange, 'there's a deliciousness, there's a warmth that comes with that. There's just a softness, a tactility. There's a sweetness to it.' In its deeper tones, orange is also all goodness, Pressman said. 'Going all the way over to the darker terra cottas, there's an earthiness and authenticity, but also warmth. Whereas red is about being bold and dramatic, orange is more friendliness, more approachable,' she said, noting a previous era of Swift's. As saffron, it can have religious connotations The saffron shade is a different story in a contemporary context in India, said Dheepa Sundaram, who researches Hindu nationalist politics as an assistant professor of religion at the University of Denver. In ancient Hinduism and Buddhism, she said, monks and other spiritual figures who renounce worldly life clothe themselves in saffron garb as a way to express their piety. 'Some people have speculated that it's because saffron (the spice) was really cheap as a dye and sort of fit with the poverty roles of monks and aesthetes. Kings and royalty preferred more expensive colors like the colors of rubies and emeralds,' Sundaram said. (Nowadays, though, saffron is among the world's most expensive spices.) Fast forward a couple thousand years, give or take, to a right-wing policy strategy wielded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's powerful Bharatiya Janata Party that aims to implement Hindu nationalist views and embraces the saffron color as a symbol. Incendiary, anti-Muslim songs have been dubbed 'saffron pop.' 'The color saffron has become their color. They have sort of positioned themselves as true Hindus, and this has become part of that schtick,' Sundaram said. So what about that glittery Portofino orange? Swift and Kelce frolicked last year in Lake Como, but did they also hit up Portofino and soak up some orange-hued charm in the coastal village known for its colorful buildings? That's unclear, which didn't stop the mayor of Portofino and the Portofino Yacht Marina from jointly hopping on the orange Tay train for the album announcement. On Tuesday, the Italian Riviera playground for the rich and famous, via Instagram, issued the 'it' couple an open invitation to visit. 'We are ready to welcome you, and we are already preparing an official Portofino Yacht Marina T-shirt for you… with a logo in perfect orange!,' read the Italian-language post. 'Between sunsets on the sea, music and the magic of the main square, Portofino awaits you. And it already shines in your color.' The luxe destination features ocher- and terra cotta-colored buildings along the port that reflect on the water, particularly during sunsets. The gingers are ready for it! We went directly to the source, redheads, to suss out the orange appeal. Sara Schafer, a 40-year-old lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is the ginger-haired mother of two ginger-haired daughters. All three are dedicated Swifties. Schafer also proudly owns a bright orange car. 'We're all really excited. It's a great day when we have Swiftie news,' she said. 'I love everything orange. It's like happy sunshine.' Scott Walls, a hospital operations manager in Norwalk, Connecticut, is also a ginger, but he doesn't count himself among the Swifties. He's a huge New York Knicks fan, though. And what are the Knicks' team colors? Bright orange and blue, often proudly worn by mega-fans like Spike Lee. 'I've got a ton of Knicks stuff,' said Walls, 32. 'And it's funny that growing up in Westchester (New York), I played on a basketball team that had orange and blue as the colors.' He encountered some light teasing as an orange-haired kid growing up in small-town Pelham. 'Sometimes people would make comments. I didn't like it so I'd fight back. My brother is also a redhead and he would celebrate it more,' Walls said. Schafer added: 'You know what they say, redheads are the feistiest. We feel everything more deeply.' Orange has a young appeal in home decor Amy Wax, a color expert focusing on residential and commercial design, called orange a universally feel-good hue that evokes youthfulness in interior spaces. 'I've done dining rooms in a really, really rich rusty orange. It kind of takes the traditional red dining room and updates it. It feels more contemporary,' she said. Swift's stage design featured orange touches, including a projection of a mysterious orange door, confirmed by Swift on the podcast as a clue she was heading into a new era. Orange also works for transitional spaces like hallways. 'A light orange in a hallway can feel very pleasing and energetic,' Wax said. Orange blends beautifully with browns, cream colors and other neutrals, she said. Who can pull off wearing orange? Natalie Tincher, founder of the BU Style consulting company and personal wardrobe stylist, said people shouldn't fear wearing the color. There's likely a shade out there for everyone. Swift's own tour included lots of orange stage costumes, including the work of the late Italian designer Roberto Cavalli. Vibrant orange will pop and softer oranges can lend harmony with softer skin tones, Tincher said: 'Incorporate it into a scarf, a handbag or a trouser if you don't want it reflecting your face.' And what company is known for its orange luxury goods? That's right, Hermès. The 'Hermès Orange' and 'Hermès Amber' are signatures of the French fashion house known for its silk scarves and pricey handbags. On a more egalitarian level, and despite the seasonal nature of — dare we utter the words — pumpkin spice, Tincher sees orange in some shade or another as perfectly acceptable year-round. For the bright, bold shades, consider pairing a loud orange with a lighter tone, Tincher said. Or go all in with a bright monochromatic orange look. 'And browns are very big right now as a neutral so you could do a rich brown with a bright orange,' she said. 'Mom's rules aren't the case anymore.' ___ Associated Press journalist Colleen Barry contributed to this story from Milan.
