2017 Tony Awards: Bette Midler And 'Evan Hansen' Triumph

June 12, 2017, 12:45 p.m.

Host Kevin Spacey, on the other hand, was the biggest loser.

The 71st Annual Tony Awards celebrated a musical about a shy high school student dealing with tragedy and a play about what led to the 1993 Oslo Peace Accord between Israel and Palestine, as social media sensation Dear Evan Hansen and Lincoln Center's Oslo won Best Musical and Best Play respectively on Sunday night.

To no one's surprise, Hello Dolly!, the revival of the beloved Jerry Herman musical starring Bette Midler, won Best Revival of a Musical, plus Best Actress in a Musical for Midler, while the last of August Wilson's plays to finally premiere on Broadway, Jitney, was named Best Revival of a Play.

The ceremony lacked a 'Hamilton'-esque blockbuster this year to bring excitement to the show, and was without a host until pretty recently. Kevin Spacey, who is performing as Clarence Darrow at Arthur Ashe Stadium later this week, gamely stepped up, but relied perhaps a bit too much of impressions (Johnny Carson! Bill Clinton!) and bits:

It was the appearance of John Mulaney and Nick Kroll that made one wonder what could have been if George and Gil hosted the show instead:


Also: The Rockettes appeared TWICE in the TV broadcast, probably because the show was being held at Radio City Music Hall, but it's sad that James Earl Jones' Lifetime Achievement Award wasn't important enough to be televised:


The most energetic performance of the night—the Tonys are a vehicle for shows to get a little free marketing—was from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, the musical based on War & Peace that started off-Broadway.


The show, which had 12 nominations, won two technical awards. The big winner of the night was Evan Hansen, the ethically slippery hit, which also won Best Actor, Best Featured Actress, Best Book, Best Score and Best Orchestration.


The one moment everyone was waiting for was Midler's win, and she delivered the kind of acceptance speech you'd expect from her:


Fun Fact: John Legend was a producer of Jitney, which his wife, the social media wizard Chrissy Teigen, noted:


Here's a full list of Tony Award winners. And this morning, a different theater production is trending, prompting some thoughts about last night's works: