When effervescent actress Ali Stroker came onstage to accept her historic trophy as the first actor in a wheelchair to win a Tony, it wasnB次元官网网址檛 just the feel-good moment of the night. It may have been one of the most joyous Tony moments in years.

The crowd jumped to its feet in unison as Stroker, who won best featured actress in a musical for a sexy, saucy performance as Ado Annie in B次元官网网址淥klahoma!B次元官网网址� arrived onstage.

B次元官网网址淭his award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation or a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淵ou are.B次元官网网址�

The buoyant moment was emblematic of a feel-good evening at the Tonys that featured crowd-pleasing performances, a Broadway-loving host in the form of James Corden and a theme of inclusivity. The big winner: B次元官网网址淗adestown,B次元官网网址� the soulful musical by Anais Mitchell based on an ancient Greek myth, which triumphed over much more traditionally commercial fare.

! has won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Musical.

B次元官网网址� Hadestown (@hadestown)

The victory of B次元官网网址淗adestownB次元官网网址� was also notable for the number of women it brought to the podium; it was not only written by a woman but also directed by one, and producer Mara Isaacs accepted the award. Director Rachel Chavkin won her own Tony, as did Mitchell for best score. In all, B次元官网网址淗adestownB次元官网网址� won eight Tonys.

But despite a great night for a show that began its long, improbable journey to Broadway as a community theatre project in rural Vermont, Chavkin echoed a note of frustration about the persistent lack of diversity on creative teams.

B次元官网网址淚 wish I wasnB次元官网网址檛 the only woman directing a musical on Broadway this season,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭here are so many women who are ready to go. There are so many artists of colour who are ready to go. B次元官网网址� This is not a pipeline issue. It is a failure of imagination by a field whose job is to imagine the way the world could be.B次元官网网址�

The acting awards brought a slew of satisfying victories for beloved veterans. Comic legend Elaine May, 87, won her first Tony for playing an AlzheimerB次元官网网址檚-afflicted grandmother in Kenneth LonerganB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Waverly Gallery,B次元官网网址� charming the crowd with a witty acceptance speech.

What a beautiful tribute to those we've lost this past year. True Broadway legends who will not be forgotten.

B次元官网网址� Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity)

And Broadway favourites Santino Fontana and Stephanie J. Block took the top musical acting prizes. Fontana won his first Tony as the cross-dressing lead in B次元官网网址淭ootsie,B次元官网网址� an adaptation of the 1982 Dustin Hoffman comedy about a struggling actor who impersonates a woman to get cast in a show.

The actor paid tribute to his late grandmother, a B次元官网网址渇iery, red-headed womanB次元官网网址� who, he revealed, was an inspiration for his performance: B次元官网网址淓very day I get to bring her into the room, and it has been the best experience of my life.B次元官网网址�

Block earned her own first Tony for playing a real-life legend B次元官网网址� Cher. In an ebullient speech, she told her young daughter: B次元官网网址淢ommy won a trophy but like I always tell you, itB次元官网网址檚 not about winning; itB次元官网网址檚 about showing up, doing your best, loving all people and finding joy along the way.B次元官网网址�

Yet another veteran winning his first Tony B次元官网网址� at 73 B次元官网网址� was Andr茅 De Shields, best featured actor in a musical for his silky smooth narrator in B次元官网网址淗adestown.B次元官网网址� He thanked his hometown of Baltimore and offered B次元官网网址渢hree cardinal rules of my sustainability and longevity.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淥ne, surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭wo, slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be. And three, the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing.B次元官网网址�

Jez ButterworthB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Ferryman,B次元官网网址� a sweeping Irish family drama, was crowned best play. Butterworth asked the crowd to give his partner, actress Laura Donnelly, a round of applause for giving birth to their two children while appearing in the drama. Her own family tragedy inspired him to write the play.

And in one of the most poignant moments of the night, Sergio Trujillo won the choreography prize for B次元官网网址淎inB次元官网网址檛 Too Proud B次元官网网址� The Life and Times of the Temptations,B次元官网网址� thanking his Colombian family.

He said in his speech that he arrived in New York over three decades ago without legal permission.

B次元官网网址淚 stand here as proof that the American dream is alive,B次元官网网址� he said.

Speaking later at the Plaza Hotel after-party, Trujillo was so moved that he was reduced to tears.

B次元官网网址淚 have to be able to use my success as a way to inspire and effect change,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his is what happens,B次元官网网址� he said, pointing to the Tony in his hands, B次元官网网址渨hen we get the love and support that we so richly deserve.B次元官网网址�

Bryan Cranston won his second Tony for best actor in a play as newscaster Howard Beale in the inventive stage adaptation of the 1976 film B次元官网网址淣etwork.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淔inally, a straight old white man gets a break!B次元官网网址� he joked, riffing on the eveningB次元官网网址檚 theme of inclusivity. He dedicated his award to real-life journalists: B次元官网网址淭he media is not the enemy of the people,B次元官网网址� he said, in what amounted to the eveningB次元官网网址檚 most obvious jab at the Trump administration.

Corden, in his second stint as host, scored audience points with his obvious affection for Broadway. Among his amusing bits was a tongue-in-cheek attempt to raise ratings by trying to provoke a Nicki Minaj-Cardi B-style beef between Broadway figures.

But his most successful bit may have been one the television audience never saw. During commercial breaks, Corden implored celebrities to sing karaoke.

The huge hit was Billy Porter. After first protesting that he B次元官网网址渨asnB次元官网网址檛 here to work tonight,B次元官网网址� Porter, a former Tony winner for B次元官网网址淜inky Boots,B次元官网网址� belted his way through B次元官网网址淓verythingB次元官网网址檚 Coming Up RosesB次元官网网址� from B次元官网网址淕ypsy,B次元官网网址� earning the crowdB次元官网网址檚 adoration.

Best featured actress in a play went to Celia Keenan-Bolger for her role as Scout in B次元官网网址淭o Kill a Mockingbird,B次元官网网址� and Bertie Carvel won best featured actor in a play for B次元官网网址淚nk,B次元官网网址� about Rupert Murdoch.

Legendary designer Bob Mackie won best costume design for a musical for B次元官网网址淭he Cher Show,B次元官网网址� getting laughs for saying B次元官网网址淭his is very encouraging for an 80-year-old.B次元官网网址�

The dark retelling of B次元官网网址淥klahoma!B次元官网网址� beat the crowd-pleasing, dance-heavy revival of B次元官网网址淜iss Me, KateB次元官网网址� for best musical revival. B次元官网网址淭he Boys in the BandB次元官网网址� won best play revival.

The awards cap a strong season for Broadway, with a reported record $1.8 billion in sales, up 7.8% from last season. Attendance was 14.8 million B次元官网网址� up 7.1% B次元官网网址� and has risen steadily for decades.

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Associated Press writer Mark Kennedy contributed to this report.

Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press

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