Cynthia Erivo hosting and passing out snacks at Tony Awards brought a lively spirit and personal touch to the 78th Annual ceremony, held June 8 at Radio City Music Hall. As the event unfolded, Erivo went beyond her role as host, personally handing out treats to attendees during commercial breaks, adding an unexpected delight to Broadway’s most important night.
Cynthia Erivo Adds Warmth and Energy to the Tony Awards
The 78th Annual Tony Awards saw Cynthia Erivo, already celebrated as a Tony winner herself, take on hosting duties with her trademark charm and renowned vocals, ensuring the event was both engaging and memorable for everyone present under the lights of Radio City Music Hall. When the cameras were off, Erivo surprised the audience by distributing snacks, a gesture witnessed and shared by an attendee whose identity hints at none other than Tony-winning producer Oprah Winfrey.
This thoughtful extension of hospitality by Erivo sparked curiosity: would the Broadway community indulge in these snacks, or would they keep them as keepsakes from a milestone evening? Her personable approach resonated not only with the stars but also with the wider audience, adding a note of warmth to the night’s proceedings.
A Night of Big Wins and Broadway Milestones
As festivities continued, Maybe Happy Ending emerged as the standout musical of the season, seizing Best Musical alongside five additional trophies – the highest count for any show this year. The musical’s triumphs also saw Darren Criss, both a star and co-producer, and writers Hue Park and Will Aronson each become two-time Tony winners, highlighting a defining chapter in Broadway’s current season.
In the realm of plays, honors were more widely shared. The technical brilliance of Stranger Things: The First Shadow garnered the most play-based awards with victories primarily in design, while Branden Jacobs-Jenkins made Broadway history with Purpose, going home with Best Play and becoming the first Black playwright to secure consecutive Tony wins. Jacobs-Jenkins had previously received recognition for Appropriate in the Revival of a Play category in 2024.
Memorable Victories in Revivals and Competitive Categories
The revival categories brought their own drama. Jamie Lloyd’s invigorated take on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Blvd. impressed the Tony voters, with Scherzinger claiming the award in a remarkably crowded Leading Actress in a Musical field. Her win meant surpassing seasoned talents, including six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, and debut sensation Jasmine Amy Rogers from BOOP! The Musical.
Best Revival of a Play was awarded to Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day – a particularly poignant win after its Kennedy Center run in Washington, D.C. had been abruptly canceled for political reasons just weeks earlier. With its satirical tweak at anti-vaxxer culture, Eureka Day struck a chord with Tony voters, perhaps more decisively than with the political landscape that had cut its previous run short.
Why the 2025 Tony Awards Mattered for Broadway
This year’s Tony Awards marked a blend of emotional milestones and underlying tension, with Cynthia Erivo’s gestures setting a generous tone while the award outcomes celebrated achievement and progression across Broadway’s vibrant landscape. Notably, artists like Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Scherzinger brought historic victories, while productions such as Maybe Happy Ending and Eureka Day offered new benchmarks in a season defined by both risk-taking and recognition.
For Broadway’s community of creators, audiences, and icons – from Oprah Winfrey in attendance to trailblazers like Darren Criss, Will Aronson, and Jonathan Spector – the night stood as evidence of both enduring tradition and a willingness to embrace novelty and inclusivity. The legacy of Cynthia Erivo hosting and passing out snacks at Tony Awards will linger, symbolizing a night when the spirit of theater reached well beyond the stage.
