Audra McDonald, a six-time Tony winner, walked into the cocktail reception in an elegant white floral eyelet dress. As she made the rounds, she met up with LaTanya Richardson Jackson, nominated for Purpose, and Jak Malone, nominated for the musical Operation Mincemeat, before making a beeline for Jonathan Groff. This year’s Tony Awards mark a milestone for McDonald, who earned her 11th acting nomination for her lead performance in the latest revival of Gypsy—becoming the most Tony-nominated performer in Broadway history. The secret to her astonishing success? “You can’t do anything to make it happen,” McDonald said. “All you can do is do your work—and that’s what I love more than anything.”
As a veteran now vying for her seventh trophy, McDonald had some tips for the first-time nominees this season: “Remember, it’s just a night. Stay present and, no matter what happens, you are enough. Because once that day is over, you still have to go back to being you. So make sure that you’re settled and happy with who you are. And bring a fan—it gets hot—and some snacks. Some people bring flasks… but you didn’t hear that from me!”
Socializing together near the bar were Andrew Durand, nominated for Dead Outlaw, and Cole Escola, a double nominee for best play and leading actor for Oh, Mary!. Numerous nominees approached Escola to congratulate them for their ridiculous reimagining of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, who, in Escola’s madcap show, is desperately yearning to become a cabaret star. For the writer-performer, however, Oh, Mary! is deeply personal. “The play is about having a dream that no one else around you understands, or wanting things you’re not supposed to want. This is something that I have felt in my life and I still feel,” they said, wearing a vintage thrifted suit (with two Tony nominee buttons on their lapel). “There is heart in the play for people that want to see it—and if they aren’t in the mood for that, I hope they can laugh.”
A veteran of New York’s alt-comedy scene, Escola is still processing being a Tony nominee. “I can’t believe that my big break came from doing this,” they said. “We were a little afraid the show would fail, but we only wanted to run it for eight weeks off-Broadway. If we were aiming for Broadway, we would have been a lot more afraid—but because the bar felt a little lower for us, we were less scared. We just wanted to make a great play.”