Author: Miranda Siwak

Nicole Scherzinger won her first Tony Award for her show-stopping performance as Norma Desmond in the acclaimed revival of Sunset Blvd.“First of all, I just have to thank God for carrying me every step of the way. I give you all the glory,” Scherzinger, 46, said in her acceptance speech on Sunday, June 8. “Y’all know this Broadway schedule is hardcore. I got to keep it real. … I’m so honored to be recognized alongside these exceptional warrior women in this category. I want to thank all of you.”
Scherzinger was nominated against Megan Hilty, Audra McDonald, Jasmine Amy Rogers and Jennifer Simard for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical trophy.
“[I’m] so proud to represent,” Scherzinger gushed. “I want to thank my mom, who had me at 18 and gave everything up for me. My dad [and] my sister … who instilled in me an unshakable faith. My ohana, my family, all 5,000 of you. You know that I love you.”

Scherzinger further thanked her fiancé, Thom Evans, “who believes in me when I forget to believe in myself.”
As the former Pussycat Dolls singer broke down in tears, she also acknowledged her Sunset Blvd. team. (The show also won Best Revival of a Musical on Sunday.)
“Andrew Lloyd Webber, it’s happened. It’s been such an honor to create with you,” she added, before mentioning her onstage leading man. “Tom Francis, thank you for letting me sever your head every single night — and every performance. To our extraordinary cast, crew, producers, creatives, I’m forever grateful to you. We killed that matinee today, OK, literally. It’s no joke, this schedule!”

Scherzinger also profusely thanked the show’s director, Jamie Lloyd.
“You saw me when no one else did,” she said. “You’ve given us all new ways to dream, and you’ve changed my life forever. Growing up, I always felt like I didn’t belong, but you all have made me feel like I belong and I have come home at last!”

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The audience at Radio City Music Hall in New York City subsequently burst into raucous applause.
“So, if anyone out there who feels like they don’t belong, well, you’re time hasn’t come,” she tearfully added. “Don’t give up. Just keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and your light more than ever. This is a testament that love always win. Thank you so much.”
Scherzinger previously won the Olivier Award for her Sunset performance when the production played across the pond in London in 2024.

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It’s hard to believe that Hamilton: An American Musical is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary — and original star Jasmine Cephas Jones can still remember all the highlights.Ahead of the cast’s onstage reunion at the 2025 Tony Awards, Cephas Jones, 35, exclusively spoke to Us Weekly about the team’s star-studded opening night back in 2015.
“When we opened, it was like a rock show,” the actress told Us at New York City’s Rockefeller Center on Sunday, June 8. “I remember Lin [Manuel-Miranda, the writer and star] came out and it reminded me of, like, when Michael Jackson performed at the Super Bowl.”
She continued, “He just stood there and he took his glasses off and people were just screaming. Like, that’s how it was when Lin first came out [to take his bow]. I remember feeling like this crazy adrenaline rush, and it was so strong that I almost, like, blacked out.”

Jasmine, the daughter of late actor Ron Cephas Jones, played Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds in both the off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Hamilton, based on the life of historical figure Alexander Hamilton. She originally left the production in December 2016 and is a part of a special “mixtape” performance at Sunday’s Tony Awards.

The original cast of ‘Hamilton’ reunites at the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8. Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
Nearly the entire OG cast of Hamilton will perform on the Radio City Music Hall stage, including Miranda, 45, and Jasmine, as well as Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Ariana DeBose, Anthony Ramos and more original company members.
While speaking with Us, Jasmine further looked back on what life has been like since leaving the theatrical phenomenon.

“[I would tell my younger self to] keep staying present,” Jasmine said. “Keep being in the moment because even though it was two years, it’s gonna go by so fast.”
Jasmine has previously been candid about what it was like to play dual roles in the same production.

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Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
“Both of them are, you know, very different. For Peggy, my goal was to show the love between all of the sisters,” Jasmine told Geeks of Color in 2020. “That wasn’t really that hard for me because I shared a dressing room with Philippa and Renée for six months off-Broadway. We got super, super, super, super close! Those girls really have become my sisters. And, you know, I think my goal in the first act was to really show love and support and how important it is for women to have that support system from other women.”
She added at the time, “With Maria Reynolds, you know, I loved it because I really got to sing an awesome song and belt! I really got to sing a dope R&B song almost every night, eight times a week. And for her, my goal, when I was playing her, my thought was survival mode, you know?”
Jasmine is now gearing up to join HBO’s Lanterns, teasing to Us that her character, Young Bernadette, is a “strong, tough mom.”

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George Clooney might be a Hollywood heavyweight, but he’s still a newcomer to Broadway — and 2025 Tony Award host Cynthia Erivo won’t let him forget it.“What a season, what a lineup of shows being honored tonight: dramas, comedies, stunning musicals, originals and reimaginations of the highest order,” Erivo, 38, said in her opening monologue on Sunday, June 8. “Featuring first-time nominees like Cole Escola, Sadie Sink, Louis McCartney — and an up-and-comer that I think you’re going to be hearing a lot about: George Clooney.”
She added, “Good for you, George. Things are going your way, I like it a lot for you.”
The camera then cut to George, 64, and his wife, Amal Clooney. While the 47-year-old lawyer politely laughed and clapped at Erivo’s joke, George pretended to shrug his shoulders before playing along. He appeared to mouth, “It’s alright.”

George made his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck earlier this theatrical season, and he was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play at Sunday’s ceremony. Other hopefuls in the category include Cole Escola, Jon Michael Hill, Daniel Dae Kim, Harry Lennix and McCartney.
“[Our] last show is Sunday. We do a matinee, and then by the time we go to the Tonys that night, it’ll be gone,” George said of his role on Late Night With Seth Meyers earlier this week, specifically mentioning what it was like dying his hair darker. “It really looks bad. It looks like [I’m] going through some horrible midlife crisis. I’m 64 — midlife is a little stretch.”

Cynthia Erivo performs during the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
Fresh off his Sunday matinee, George traded his Good Night, and Good Luck costume for a classic black tux for the red carpet. Amal, for her part, looked radiant in a pearl-adorned Tamara Ralph column gown and matching Roger Vivier pumps.

Amal and the couple’s 7-year-old children, twins Alexander and Ella, joined him in New York City for the duration of his Broadway run.

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“How do you not like the city? They love being here [and] we’re having a really fun time,” George said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in February. “Actually, a play is kind of a good schedule because you’re working at night and you get to see the kids during the day, so it’s OK.”
A source exclusively told Us Weekly the next month that the Clooneys were equally excited about living in New York.
“George and Amal have been loving being in NYC,” the insider told Us in March. “They usually don’t spend that much time in the city so they have a lot of people they have been seeing. They both go to work during the day, and the twins are here with them too.”

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The lights are bright on Broadway with the 2025 Tony Awards underway, handing out trophies to stage standouts.The 78th annual ceremony was held at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 8, and emceed by Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, who previously won a Tony Award in 2016 for her leading role in the acclaimed The Color Purple revival.
“I’ll bring something different,” Erivo, 38, teased to Broadway.com earlier this month. “Just me being sort of very English and a little bit punk — from my tattoos and my bald head — is going to be something added extra. I promise it’ll be fun. I’m giving you a full meal.”
Nominations for Sunday’s ceremony were announced in May, with Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her and Maybe Happy Ending leading the pack with 10 nominations each. Dead Outlaw, Sunset Blvd., John Proctor Is the Villain and The Hills of California, meanwhile, tied with seven Tony nods apiece.

First-time acting nominees also included household names Nicole Scherzinger, Sadie Sink, George Clooney, Sarah Snook, Darren Criss and Justina Machado.
Keep scrolling to see the complete list of this year’s Tony nominees — and look for the bold names to see who won:
Best Musical
Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Death Becomes Her
MAYBE: Maybe Happy Ending
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Best Play
English
The Hills of California
John Proctor Is the Villain
Oh, Mary!
WINNER: Purpose
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California
Mia Farrow, The Roommate
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose
Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain
WINNER: Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
WINNER: Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
Jon Michael Hill, Purpose
Daniel Dae Kim, Yellowface
Harry Lennix, Purpose
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her
Audra McDonald, Gypsy
Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical
WINNER: Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.
Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
WINNER: Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending
Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd
Jonathan Groff, Just in Time
James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical
Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins
Best Revival of a Play
WINNER: Eureka Day
Romeo + Juliet
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town
Yellowface
Best Revival of a Musical
Floyd Collins
Gypsy
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
WINNER: Sunset Blvd.
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash
Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
Danny Burstein, Gypsy
WINNER: Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
WINNER: Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club
Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw
Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time
Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves
Joy Woods, Gypsy
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Glenn Davis, Purpose
Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor Is the Villain
WINNER: Francis Jue, Yellowface
Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross
Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Tala Ashe, English
Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
Marjan Neshat, English
Fina Strazza, John Proctor Is the Villain
WINNER: Kara Young, Purpose
Best Scenic Design in a Musical
Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
WINNER: Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending
Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club
Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her
Derek McLane, Just in Time
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Gregg Barnes, Boop! The Musical
Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending
WINNER: Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her
Catherine Zuber, Just in Time
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
WINNER: Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd
Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club
Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins
Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending
Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her
Best Sound Design of a Musical
WINNER: Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club
Adam Fisher, Sunset Blvd
Peter Hylenski, Just in Time
Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending
Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Marsha Ginsberg, English
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray
WINNER: Miriam Buether and 59 Studio, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck
Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck
WINNER: Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Rob Howell, The Hills of California
Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary!
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California
WINNER: Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck
Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor Is the Villain
Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Sound Design of a Play
WINNER: Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor Is the Villain
Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck
Nick Powell, The Hills of California
Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Direction of a Musical
Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
WINNER: Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd
Best Direction of a Play
Knud Adams, English
Sam Mendes, The Hills of California
WINNER: Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!
Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain
Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Book of a Musical
Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Death Becomes Her
WINNER: Maybe Happy Ending
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Best Original Score
Dead Outlaw
Death Becomes Her
WINNER: Maybe Happy Ending
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical
Best Orchestrations
Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time
Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending
Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins
WINNER: Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club
David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Blvd
Best Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, Smash
Camille A. Brown, Gypsy

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Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her
Jerry Mitchell, Boop! The Musical
WINNER: Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club

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