The 79th annual Tony Awards returned to Radio City Music Hall on Sunday for the 22nd time in the ceremony’s history. While the heat was causing stars to break a sweat outside on the blue carpet, inside, they found a reprieve in Baccarat x Dewar’s Scotch Whisky Speakeasy experience. Tucked away in a secluded space on the first mezzanine of Radio City’s lobby, the Speakeasy welcomed nominees, presenters, and VIP attendees a place to greet friends and colleagues alike and try to ease pre-show nerves with one of Dewar’s crafted cocktails.
Usher, one of the first guests to stop by the lounge, was dressed in a complete Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford look. He told Vogue that even though he is in the middle of prepping for a tour—one he was eager to get back and work on—it was important for him to show up to celebrate the theatre community. “It’s always good to come and show that there’s camaraderie and respect from both sides,” Usher said. “This is part of the reason that when I was younger, I decided to allow Ben Vereen to coach me and help me understand the other aspects of my creative expression. I’ve known him since I was 15 years old, and having the opportunity to watch him, and be inspired by him, gave me a growing respect for theatre until I eventually went to Broadway to try and emulate what I saw him do.”
The performer even hinted that he may have some theatre projects lined up for the future.“Whether producing or acting for the stage, finding a connection between my world of entertainment and the world of Off-Broadway and Broadway has been an inspiration for a lot of what I do. I am looking forward to those opportunities,” he said.
As showtime grew near, arrivals picked up and the Speakeasy grew crowded with familiar faces. Georgina Chapman and Adrien Brody popped in for a quick picture, Queen Latifah made a round to say hello to guests, and Neil Patrick Harris shouted out to remind everyone to “mind the trains” of gowns that were trailing on the floor.
Shortly before her win for best featured actress in a musical, Shoshana Bean told Vogue that while she had originated a role on Broadway several times before, her experience playing Lucy Emerson in The Lost Boys was different. “It’s always exhausting,” Bean confessed. “This one especially, really, because we didn’t do an ‘out of town’ run. The days were long and there were lots of changes made to the production. But that makes where we ended up—the reactions we get from audiences and the way we are moving people—all the more worth it. I’m so deeply in love with this show and this character. It’s the greatest gift.”
Producer Matt Rogers was there too, clad in a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier jacket with a two piece brooch–a gold ship attached to a heart of the ocean-style blue heart jewel in an homage to Titanique. Rogers’ date for the evening was his stylist, Melissa Lehman, who revealed she had sourced the poignant pin from Alaska.
Sarah Paulson and Ella Beatty could be seen whispering to one another and laughing in a corner by the bar, as guests stopped to fawn over Paulson’s Erdem gown. The acclaimed actress is no stranger to award shows. “I was here earlier for rehearsal. A lot of the time, presenters at award shows don’t always show up for rehearsals—but the Tonys includes mostly all theatre actors, so everyone was here for rehearsal,” Paulson said. “It’s really fun. It feels like a coming home week and also theatre camp. It’s like seeing every theatre nerd, and I mean that with the highest regard. I’m a big geek about this night, and always have been.”
