An open diary from this Toni’s first time at the Tony Awards.
As of the time I’m writing this, it’s been just over 24 hours since I left Radio City Music Hall, and it still feels completely unreal to say that I had the distinct honor of being invited to the dress rehearsal for the 79th Annual Tony Awards.
I’ve always been very fortunate not to feel too distant from Broadway’s biggest night. Having grown up in the New York City suburbs and spent most of my childhood training to be a dancer, the biggest shows and stars always felt just an arm’s length away. My parents took me to my first Broadway musical, Beauty and the Beast, on my fourth birthday, and continued to take me to dozens of plays, musicals, and ballets right up until my training dominated my schedule. I remember impatiently waiting in the TKTS line, eager to see what tickets we’d end up with. I recall seeing marquees highlighting Tony Award wins and nominations before I really knew what that meant. Broadway shows were regular field trips at school, too; my junior-year history class was even selected to participate in EduHam.
I’ve always loved theatre, but my passion found a new level following the pandemic reopening. I received a promotional ticket offer to see Aladdin and The Lion King upon reopening, and selected my date around the time I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree. I booked discounted tickets to Moulin Rouge about a week later, and it was in the Al Hirschfeld Theatre that I felt my love of Broadway reignite. Plays and musicals became integral to my very being; at one point, I was seeing at least one show a week thanks to discount tickets, rush and cancellation lines, digital lotteries, and my TDF membership.
My love of theatre was not solely recreational, though. I worked as a production photographer in college, managed the social media presence for my ballet school, and, of course, wrote about theatre right here on my blog. And somehow, right around the holidays last year, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a project with the American Theatre Wing, which, in addition to boosting my professional confidence, bumped my name to the dress rehearsal invitation list.
The energy buzzing throughout the historic lobby is unparalleled. While I can’t share specific details, it was equally remarkable to watch the show and to observe the tech stations finalizing all the small details ahead of the broadcast. Despite having seen most of the productions this season and having watched nearly all of the promotional televised performances, there were still plenty of surprises. And while the actual winners were not presented, it was unexpectedly delightful to watch the recipient stand-ins take their place on center stage.
Particularly when I’m seeing a repeat show or at a longer applause break, I often find myself thinking about how lucky I am to live in a place where I can experience such high-quality art so frequently and so accessibly. I felt this sentiment creep in during every commercial break transition, soaking in the sheer scale of witnessing a major production in Radio City’s legendary space, and the thrill of a never-before-seen moment every time the stage lights grew brighter. From the very second I entered the Radio City lobby to my final steps leaving the blue carpet, it still hasn’t fully settled in.
Attending the Tonys in any capacity is a dream for any theatre lover, but I naturally felt an extra-strong calling that one day what my friends have branded as “Toninception” (Toni at the Tonys…) would happen. Just one year ago, I was sitting on my living room couch, watching the broadcast as I wrote a grad school assignment about Broadway marketing. I never could have imagined this reality would be so soon, and that it would be the result of my work in such a unique capacity.
I’d like to imagine that I’d have the opportunity to return one day, and seeing how remarkably my manifestation paid off in such a short time, perhaps it will be more than my wishful thinking. Regardless of what my future holds, these are memories I will cherish forever (and yes, I’ll be wearing my new Tonys sweatshirt as obnoxiously as possible).
