Stereophonic received the Tony for greatest play Sunday, one of many 5 Tony Awards probably the most nominated play in Tonys historical past earned through the 2024 version of the Broadway ceremony.
The play, written by David Adjmi, follows a band attempting to report successful album within the Nineteen Seventies and contains a rock rating written by Arcade Hearth’s Will Butler. Whereas nearly all of the manufacturing options spoken dialogue, thus classifying the present as a play, quite than a musical, the Stereophonic actors additionally carry out songs on stage as a part of the present.
Adjmi accepted the award for greatest play, noting the robust journey to get the play, which spans greater than three hours and features a recording sales space on stage, produced. He had beforehand spoken with The Hollywood Reporter about how the play illustrates his personal battle not to surrender on himself as an playwright.
“It’s actually exhausting to make a profession within the arts. We have to fund the humanities in America. It’s the hallmark of a civilized society,” Adjmi stated on stage.
Adjmi landed on the thought for the play in 2013 whereas listening to Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Depart You” on a flight. After years of improvement, the play made its world premiere at Playwrights Horizons within the fall, earlier than opening at Broadway’s Golden Theatre in April.
“After we stated we had been going to switch this to Broadway, I stated, ‘I don’t wish to have stars on this play.’ And [producer Sue Wagner] stated, ‘However David they’re stars.’ And she or he’s proper,” Adjmi stated onstage.
The manufacturing was the most-nominated play going into the evening, with 13 nods, together with some classes wherein the costars had been competing in opposition to one another. Ultimately, Will Brill received a Tony Award for greatest efficiency by an actor in a featured function in a play and the manufacturing additionally took dwelling awards for sound design, scenic design and greatest director of a play, for Daniel Aukin.
The forged, which additionally contains Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Chris Stack and Andrew R. Butler carried out the music “Masquerade” throughout the principle telecast Sunday night, after initially not being included within the efficiency lineup, which led to pushback from followers.
If the manufacturing had taken dwelling seven Tony Awards, it might have tied with The Coast of Utopia as probably the most successful play in Tony Awards historical past.