Tony Awards biggest moments: Cynthia Erivo holds space, Nicole Scherzinger wins big

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Tony Awards biggest moments: Cynthia Erivo holds space, Nicole Scherzinger wins big
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Cynthia Erivo arrives at Tony Awards red carpet in an intricate gown
Cynthia Erivo and Cole Escola pose for cameras wearing an intricate gown at the Tony Awards red carpet.
NEW YORK – Broadway has fallen head over heels with a pair of helper robots.
"Maybe Happy Ending," a heart-tugging romantic dramedy about androids in near-future South Korea, was the big winner at the Tony Awards June 8, taking home six prizes, including best musical, best director (Michael Arden), and best actor (Darren Criss). The fiercely original show opened to glowing reviews and meager box office last fall, but has gradually become one of the hottest tickets in New York – a rare word-of-mouth success story in the ultra-competitive Broadway landscape.
This year's ceremony saw the joyous Afro-Cuban musical "Buena Vista Social Club" and Netflix prequel play "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" scoop up multiple prizes apiece. Kara Young ("Purpose"), Francis Jue ("Yellow Face") and lifetime achievement award winner Harvey Fierstein delivered some of the most stirring speeches of the night, while the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Purpose" conquered the unlikely hit "Oh, Mary!" for best play.
Here are more of the biggest moments from this year's star-studded event:
Tony Awards 2025 winners list: 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Eureka Day,' more win honors
Tonys host Cynthia Erivo 'holds space' with Oprah Winfrey in opening number
At the top of the telecast, Cynthia Erivo playfully shot down a bevy of suggestions about how to add pizzazz to her opening number. (Blast George Clooney out of a human cannon? Hard pass.)
The "Color Purple" powerhouse then ran into Winfrey in the wings, asking her, "What do you do when everyone is telling you what you need to do?" Winfrey dispensed her wisdom, saying, "Forget about them, babe. The only thing you need to do is be yourself." Grinning, Erivo proceeded to grab Winfrey's finger – recreating her viral "holding space" meme with "Wicked" co-star Ariana Grande from last fall.
Watch: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo sing 'For Good' in first 'Wicked: For Good' trailer
"There's no place like home," Erivo said onstage, in one of her many nods to "Wicked" and "The Wizard of Oz" throughout the night. "And Broadway has always been mine."
Sarah Snook says 'Succession' group chat has been going wild since her Tony win
Sarah Snook, who's best known to HBO fans as Shiv Roy on "Succession," earned her first Tony Award for best leading actress in a play for "The Picture of Dorian Gray," giving a marathon performance as 26 different characters in the one-person show.
Several "Succession" alums have graced Broadway this past year, including Jeremy Strong ("The Enemy of the People"), Kieran Culkin ("Glengarry Glen Ross"), Juliana Canfield ("Stereophonic"), and Molly Griggs ("John Proctor is the Villain").
"We haven't done much flaunting of awards in photos, but it's such a special group chat," Snook told reporters backstage. "It's a really special group of people and we're all theater nerds deep down."
Last spring, Cate Blanchett's production company Dirty Films acquired movie rights to bring "Dorian Gray" to the screen. Snook said that she hasn't yet heard anything about the potential adaptation, although she would be open to reprising her roles.
"I don't know how this gets turned into a film," Snook admitted. "It's a particularly complex piece to do as a theater show. Dramaturgically, it holds up, and I think Kip would be an incredible director for that project. And if I got to be a part of that, that would be a dream come true."
Nicole Scherzinger, Audra McDonald, 'Hamilton' reunion hit Tony performance highs
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of "Hamilton," Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. and the original Broadway cast took the stage for an electrifying medley of the most beloved songs from the groundbreaking hip-hop musical, including "My Shot," "The Schuyler Sisters," "You'll Be Back" and "The Room Where It Happens." Audra McDonald also brought the audience to its feet with her ferociously emotional rendition of "Rose's Turn" from "Gypsy."
'Hamilton' reunion! Watch original stars perform 'Satisfied' at film screening
Earlier in the night, "Sunset Boulevard" leading lady Nicole Scherzinger took our breath away with a stunning rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye," introduced by the show's original Broadway star, Glenn Close.
'Sunset Boulevard' review: Nicole Scherzinger is transcendent in bold new revival
Scherzinger went on to win the Tony for best leading actress in a musical, in what was considered a neck-in-neck race with McDonald.
'Maybe Happy Ending' star Darren Criss dedicates Tony Award to his wife and kids
In one of the closest races of the night, Criss took home best leading actor in a musical for "Maybe Happy Ending," trouncing formidable contenders Jonathan Groff ("Just in Time") and Tom Francis ("Sunset Boulevard"). The former "Glee" star got choked up as he thanked his wife, Mia, for helping raise their two young children amid his demanding Broadway schedule.
"The real hero about this, for this remarkable journey, is my wife, Mia, who took a massive swing on allowing me to do this and to allow this crazy upheaval in our life to make this logistically possible," Criss said.
More: Darren Criss on why playing a robot in 'Maybe Happy Ending' makes him want to cry
"And for bearing the brunt of raising two tiny friends under 3 so that I could raise a singing robot at the Belasco Theatre eight times a week. Mia, you're the very pedestal that upholds the shiny, spinny bit in our lives, and your love and your support for me and our beautiful children, combined with the miracle of working on something as magical as 'Maybe Happy Ending' has been and will always be, award enough."
Cole Escola sprints onstage, thanks Grindr hookup in Tony speech
Escola, the deranged genius behind "Oh, Mary!", won best leading actor in a play for their inspired turn as first lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Channeling Bernadette Peters in an off-the-shoulder Wiederhoeft gown, Escola feverishly sprinted to the stage, where they thanked fellow best actor nominees, including George Clooney and Daniel Dae Kim.
"It's an honor to be in your company," Escola said. "It's been a sincere pleasure spending time with you over warm salads at all these (Tony) luncheons." They continued to thank their mom and their "whole gang" of friends. "Oh, and Tebow from Grindr and Amy Sedaris, who always reminds me how important she is to me. And she is."
Written by Escola, "Oh, Mary!" imagines Lincoln as an alcoholic wannabe cabaret star. Asked by reporters whether they would consider an Eleanor Roosevelt comedy next, Escola joked that she is "played out. It would have to be something original, not another historical figure."