Tony Awards 2024 highlights: 'The Outsiders' wins best musical, 'Stereophonic' takes home 5 awards

At the end of the night, it was "Stereophonic" that came out on top, winning five of the 13 awards it was nominated for, including best play.

Musicals "Merrily We Roll Along" and "The Outsiders" each picked up four awards.

The play "Appropriate" won three Tonys.

Musicals "Suffs" and "Hell’s Kitchen," which was also nominated for 13 awards, each won two awards.

This year's Tonys were less improv, more polish and Hollywood glamour. Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Jay-Z and other A-listers made appearances at Broadway's biggest night.

Best musical went to “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel and the 1983 Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name. Jolie, a lead producer on the show, won her first Tony with that win.

The Tony for best play went to "Stereophonic." Written by David Adjmi, it follows a fictional 1970s rock band and features songs by the former Arcade Fire member Will Butler. It won five Tonys, making it the most awarded show of the night.

Daniel Radcliffe won his first Tony for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical, for his performance in the acclaimed revival of “Merrily We Roll Along.” The third time was the charm for his co-star Jonathan Groff, who won the Tony for best performance by a leading actor in a musical after two previous Tony nominations for his performances in “Hamilton” and “Spring Awakening.”

Sarah Paulson ("Appropriate") and Jeremy Strong ("An Enemy of the People") also earned their first Tony awards.

“The Outsiders” wins the best musical Tony.

Third time is the charm for Jonathan Groff.

"I used to record the Tony Awards on a VHS tape and watch it over and over again to actually be able to be part of it," Groff said in an emotional acceptance speech. "To watch the work of this incredible community has been the greatest gift and pleasure of my life."

Groff made his Broadway debut at just 21 in "Spring Awakening," for which he received his first Tony nomination. After 20 years and countless iconic performances later, he's finally a Tony winner. He's now also halfway to an EGOT.

Jonathan Groff wins the best lead actor in a musical Tony for “Merrily We Roll Along.”

Maleah Joi Moon wins the best lead actress in a musical Tony for “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Scherzinger sang a moving rendition of "What I Did For Love" from "A Chorus Line" for the in memoriam part of the Tonys.

Scherzinger is set to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard" this year after helming a revival of the production on the West End. She won an Olivier Award for that performance.

Actor Sarah Paulson can add a Tony to her growing number of accolades.

The Emmy winner is now halfway to EGOT status thanks to her leading role in "Appropriate." Earlier tonight, the show won best revival of a play.

In her acceptance speech Paulson said she was grateful to play a character who "makes no apology, who isn't begging to be liked or approved of."

The director of best musical revival winner "Merrily We Roll Along," Maria Friedman, remembered the show's late composer, Stephen Sondheim, and book writer, George Furth, in her speech.

"Merrily We Roll Along" was never commercially successful in Sondheim's lifetime, but the 2024 Broadway revival has become a smash hit nearly four decades later, and now it has beat "Cabaret," a canonical show revived every decade like clockwork, for the best musical revival Tony.

"Steve and George, 'Merrily' is popular," Friedman said, marveling at the show's journey since its 1981 debut.

Sarah Paulson wins the best lead actress in a play Tony for “Appropriate.”

“Merrily We Roll Along” wins the best revival of a musical Tony.

Jolie, who is among the "The Outsiders" producers, took the stage to introduce a performance by the cast.

Her presence onstage was the latest reminder that tonight's show has leaned hard into the Hollywood overlap. Of course, those who grace the stage often cross over to the screen and vice versa.

But this year featured an especially lengthy list of screen actors who were nominated this year for their Broadway roles. The show has also featured some star-studded performances and presenters.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is a producer on best musical nominee "Suffs," a show about women's suffrage, made a surprise appearance at the Tonys.

"I have stood on a lot of stages, but this is very special," Clinton said before she introduced a performance by the "Suffs" cast. "I know a little bit about how hard it is to make change. So I’m extremely proud of this original American musical ... and of course, it’s about some American originals: the suffragists, who fought so valiantly for so long to give women in our country the right to vote."

The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee reminded the Tonys audience that 2024 is an election year and urged viewers to vote.

"Stereophonic" playwright David Adjmi implored viewers to support the arts.

“We need to fund the arts in America — it is the hallmark of a civilized society,” he said while accepting the coveted award for best play.

Solomon Thomas presenting was not on our Tony Awards bingo card. But alas, the NFL star introduced Jeffrey Wright, who then announced the best play winner.

“Stereophonic” wins the best play Tony.

Ariana DeBose aptly honored the late Broadway icon Chita Rivera by briefly dancing to the tune of "America" from "West Side Story," the role that helped turn both actors into superstars.

"I literally would not be here" without her, said DeBose, who won an Academy Award for her role as Anita in the 2021 Steven Spielberg movie revival. Rivera originated the role on Broadway.

Rivera, considered one of the most significant Latino performers of the 20th century, died in January. She was 91.

“Appropriate” wins the best revival of a play Tony.

Accepting the award for best original score for "Suffs," Taub encouraged theater kids, especially "the loud little girls," to "go for it."

"You can do it," she said. "You are powerful, you are valuable. ... If you doubt yourself, it’s OK, I doubt myself all the time. ... You can do it."

So far, several winners have alluded to a "difficult" year politically and socially but have stopped short of getting into specifics.

During his acceptance speech for his honorary Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, Billy Porter quoted the late Rep. John Lewis, a giant of the civil rights movement.

"And as we find ourselves at yet another crossroads in America, a moment that will decide whether democracy lives or dies, I need to remind you all of what the late John Lewis told me: Never give up hope," Porter said.

Meanwhile, "Suffs” creator Shaina Taub encouraged people to vote when she accepted the award for best book of a musical. She called it a "hard year in our country" in accepting her second award of the night.

Eddie Redmayne and the cast of "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club" graced the Tonys stage with one of Broadway's most iconic opening numbers, "Willkommen."

We may be nearly two hours into the broadcast, but it's never too late for this Kander and Ebb number.

Shaina Taub wins the best original score Tony for “Suffs.”

Veteran Broadway actor Kecia Lewis delivered a powerful speech while accepting her first Tony for "Hell's Kitchen."

"Forty years ago yesterday, I walked into the Imperial Theatre to begin my Broadway career at 18 years old," Lewis said. “This moment is the one I dreamed of for most of those 40 years."

"I say to everyone who can hear my voice: Don’t give up,” she said.

Between Kecia Lewis swatting away text messages to get to her speech and Billy Porter calling for someone to bring him his phone so he could read his acceptance speech, tonight may have presented the argument for going analog and not having a speech on your phone.

"The Boy Who Lived" is now the boy with a Tony.

“I’m going to talk fast and try not to cry," the actor said while accepting his award for best featured actor in a musical.

Radcliffe, who rose to fame as the lead in the "Harry Potter" movie franchise, called his experience on "Merrily We Roll Along" one of the best experiences of his life.

"I don't even have to act in this show," Radcliffe said, referring to his close friendship with his co-stars. "I will never have it this good again."

Kecia Lewis wins the best featured actress in a musical Tony for “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Daniel Radcliffe wins the best featured actor in a musical Tony for “Merrily We Roll Along.”

Upon taking the stage, Taymor removed her high heels. "I can't walk in heels, so there's that," she said in her speech.

She also shouted out the other women directors nominated in the category, a record-breaking number.

Danya Taymor wins the best direction of a musical Tony for “The Outsiders.”

Daniel Aukin wins the best direction of a play Tony for “Stereophonic.”

Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe performed "Old Friends" from “Merrily We Roll Along." The revival has become a critical and commercial success over four decades after the original 1981 Broadway production became a famous flop.

All three actors are nominated in their respective categories.

Kara Young wins the best featured actress in a play Tony for “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch.”

Pete Townshend of The Who joined "The Who's Tommy" cast for a performance of "Pinball Wizard."

Brill, who won the Tony for best featured actor in a play for "Stereophonic," went beyond the usual "Mom" and "God" thank yous in his acceptance speech.

"I wouldn't be here without my therapist," he said in his speech. "And my bass teacher."

Will Brill wins the best featured actor in a play Tony for “Stereophonic.”

Three women who have portrayed Elphaba in the Broadway production of "Wicked" are up for Tonys this year: Shoshana Bean ("Hell’s Kitchen"), Eden Espinosa (“Lempicka”) and Lindsay Mendez ("Merrily We Roll Along").

Idina Menzel, who originated the role and won a Tony for her performance, is in attendance, as well.

In a New York-centric performance, Alicia Keys appeared at the piano during the "Hell's Kitchen" medley with Jay-Z joining in for "Empire State of Mind."

Strong rose to fame for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Kendall Roy in "Succession."

With this Tony win, he is halfway to an EGOT. Strong played Dr. Thomas Stockmann in Amy Herzog’s adaptation of “Enemy of the People.”

"This play is a cry of the heart," Strong said of the play. "It’s been a privilege to give its warning and hope to audiences.”

The Oscar-winning actor is among many film and TV stars at the Tonys tonight. Jolie is a producer for "The Outsiders."

Jeremy Strong wins the Tony for best lead actor in a play for “An Enemy of the People.”

After kicking off the show with her musical talents, DeBose delivered an opening monologue about the importance of performance art during trying times.

"Headlines are frankly terrifying most of the time. But the theater is a safe place for us all," DeBose said in her monologue. "In the most trying of times, art is imperative. Because art reflects society and provides context for the very real situations we find ourselves in today."

DeBose also revealed she choreographed the opening night number.

DeBose, hosting for a third time, kicked off the prime-time telecast of the 77th Tony Awards with a sleek and sultry opening number.

"She's back," said the front page of a prop newspaper, Broadway Times.

Actor Sarah Paulson could soon add a Tony Award to her growing collection of accolades, which already includes a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Paulson is one of this year’s 70 first-time nominees.

“Pinch me is what I feel,” Paulson, who is nominated for her role in “Appropriate,” told CBS News after she received her nomination. “Pinch me. And if this is a dream, I don’t wanna wake up. We all have dreams as children, right? And some of us get to experience them. And I feel like I’m getting to experience it, and it’s really special.”

NBC News’ Joe Fryer sat down with Kecia Lewis after she earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in the Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Lewis also shared what it was like collaborating with Alicia Keys, who wrote the play’s music and lyrics, on a song about police brutality.

The Tonys have a significant impact on the financial success of Broadway shows. Winning the biggest awards of the night has the power to extend the lives of struggling shows or turn already strong sellers into box office juggernauts. Missing out can lead to closing notices for some.

The week after “Leopoldstadt” won the 2023 Tony Award for best new play, its grosses rose 42% from the previous week. “Kimberly Akimbo,” which won the Tony for best new musical, got a 32% box office boost after having had weaker sales in the lead-up to the broadcast.

For those who leave empty-handed, the opportunity to perform on the broadcast can be a vital marketing opportunity. However, without a boost from the Tonys spotlight, some shows tend to shutter in the weeks after the ceremony.

Leslie Odom Jr., nominated for best leading actor in the buzzy revival of “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch,” hopes audiences can find meanings in this stage production that they might not find on the page.

The play, set in the Jim Crow era, follows Purlie Victorious Judson, a preacher, as he returns to the Georgia plantation where he grew up. There, he hopes to recoup the money his family is owed from the land’s current owner, Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee. At the heart of Ossie Davis’ play, Odom said, is a very American story about liberation, not only the liberation of a people, but also the self-liberation that must come first.

“Truth doesn’t go out of style,” he said.

Read the full story here.

Just over 5 minutes to go until the Tony Awards begin.

Actor Billy Porter is taking home an honorary Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for his contributions to the LGBTQ community. He won his first Tony in 2013 for his leading role in "Kinky Boots" and was the first gay Black man to win the Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for his role in "Pose."

Porter delivered a multi-pronged acceptance speech that included a standing ovation, a declarative opening song and a request for his phone (“OK here it goes, my Tony speech,” he eventually said, once it was delivered to him.)

"The fact that I'm standing before you is a miracle," Porter said, becoming emotional as he named the moments that shaped his life and career, including coming out as gay in 1985.

For us viewers at home, it appears we missed the bulk of his speech after winner Cody Spencer dropped an F-bomb.

Cody Spencer wins the Tony for best sound design of a musical for “The Outsiders”

Ryan Rumery wins the Tony for best sound design of a play for “Stereophonic”

Hana S. Kim was clearly surprised by her Tony win. The best lighting design winner joked that, when she was picking her outfit, she "didn’t expect to have this much flesh out in the world."

Kim said the "generosity and patience that this community had for me" propelled her to her Tony-winning work on "The Outsiders." She ended with a bewildered, "Like, thank you."

Jane Cox wins the Tony for best lighting design of a play for “Appropriate.”

Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim win the Tony for best lighting design of a musical for “The Outsiders.”

Broadway royalty Idina Menzel is back at the Tonys days after she announced her return to Broadway. The "Rent" and "Wicked" star will star in a new musical, "Redwood," in 2025. Speaking to Playbill on the blue carpet, Menzel said her new show is "like nothing anybody's ever seen before."

“It’s the place I feel most at home; it’s the place I feel most like myself,” Menzel said of her return to the Broadway stage.

Jonathan Groff has solidified himself as one of Broadway’s pre-eminent stars. But the actor is still chasing a Tony win after nearly two decades in the industry.

The third time could be a charm for Groff, 39, who is nominated for best leading actor in a musical tonight for the acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.”

Groff made his Broadway debut in 2006 as Melchior Gabor in the original production of “Spring Awakening” alongside Lea Michele, earning his first Tony nomination. He later voiced the role of Olaf in Disney’s “Frozen” and earned a second Tony nomination for originating the role of King George III in “Hamilton.”

Ten-time Tony nominee David Zinn wins the Tony for his work on "Stereophonic."

Justin Peck won the award for best choregraophy for “Illinoise."

The Wilma Theater was honored with the Tonys' regional theatre award. The Philadelphia stage is being recognized for its contributions to the local and national theater scenes.

The title is accompanied by a $25,000 grant.

Director Jack O’Brien and writer-director-producer George C. Wolfe will be honored tonight with the special Tony award for lifetime achievement.

O’Brien has won three Tony Awards, for his work directing “Hairspray,” “Henry IV” and “The Coast of Utopia.” He was nominated last year for his direction of “Shucked.” Wolfe has been nominated for 23 Tonys and won three.

Alex Edelman, Abe Jacob and Nikiya Mathias will receive the Special Tony Award tonight, an award given to productions and artists whose work does not fit into any other category.

Tom Scutt won the Tony for his work on "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club."

Although “Stereophonic” revolves around music, it is distinctly a play — not a musical. The show follows a band in the 1970s through the process of recording an album, a journey that is littered with rock 'n' roll tension and breakups akin to the story of Fleetwood Mac.

The play’s score, written by Will Butler, formerly of the band Arcade Fire, was nominated for best score, an accomplishment The Hollywood Reporter called “a rarity in a category typically populated by musicals.”

But the music in the play itself does not drive the plot; instead, it acts as the product of the band’s turmoil. Only two of the band’s songs are played in full to keep the audience's attention on the details of the recording studio.

Jonathan Tunick took home the Tony for his work on the acclaimed Stephen Sondheim revival "Merrily We Roll Along."

Linda Cho won her second Tony for her work on "The Great Gatsby," the musical adaption of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel.

Dede Ayite won the Tony for best costume design of a play for her work on “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” Ayite was also nominated for her work in "Appropriate."

Shaina Taub, the actor and composer behind the hit musical "Suffs," won the first Tony of the night for best book of a musical.

“I grew up in Vermont watching the Tonys every year on TV,” she said, thanking her mom, her husband and the creative team behind the show.

She ended her speech by encouraging attendees to vote. “If you are inspired by the story of the 'Suffs,' please make sure everyone and everyone you know is registered to vote," she said.

Jeremy Strong is known for his intense dedication to his acting craft, and Broadway audiences who managed to get a ticket to the Circle in the Square Theatre revival of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” have seen that commitment firsthand. Strong portrays Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a medical expert whose urgent warnings about potentially lethal water contamination at a local health spa are ignored or suppressed by the business leaders in his community — including his brother, the town’s mayor, played by Michael Imperioli.

Strong’s performance is laser-focused, adding gravity to a revival that some critics have interpreted as an allegory about Covid skepticism and climate change denialism. (“Strong must have modeled his spectacularly accurate yet non-showy performance on Dr. Anthony Fauci, the embattled former infectious disease expert,” a theater critic for The New York Times wrote in a review.) In his Broadway debut, the “Succession” star looks like a lock for a Tony.

"The Tony Awards: Act One," a 90-minute pre-show of the live show, has officially begun.

Co-hosts Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar took the stage to announce some early winners.

The pre-show is being streamed on Pluto TV’s ET channel.

"Merrily We Roll Along" star Daniel Radcliffe has made his Tonys debut in a lilac suit. The actor is up for the Tony for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical.

“We’re three weeks away from the end of our run, we’re really close to the end, so this is just such an amazing way to cap it all off,” Radcliffe told Playbill ahead of the show.  

He added that being nominated alongside fellow actors Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez was a "dream."

The perfect accessory for a shimmering yellow gown? Matching yellow Crocs, at least according to Brooke Shields.

The actor was recently elected president of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union that represents over 50,000 theater professionals. 

For the first time, four female directors were nominated for best direction of a musical: Maria Friedman for “Merrily We Roll Along,” Leigh Silverman for “Suffs,” Danya Taymor for “The Outsiders” and Jessica Stone for “Water for Elephants.”

A record was also broken in the best direction of a play category, in which three female directors were nominated: Anne Kauffman for “Mary Jane,” Lila Neugebauer for “Appropriate” and Whitney White for “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”

Last year’s Tonys telecast nearly didn’t happen. The ceremony was held during the Writers Guild strike and proceeded only after the union said it would not picket the broadcast.

“We don’t have a script, you guys. ... To anyone who may have thought that last year was a bit unhinged, to them I say, ‘Darlings, buckle up,’” DeBose said during the ceremony.

Despite the improvisation required, the 2023 ceremony was praised for diverging from the typical award show formula, with the Los Angeles Times calling it “one of the most soulful Tony Awards in history.” 

Now that the strike has ended, this year’s ceremony will return to its usual scripted format. It will be interesting to see whether DeBose and company can re-create last year’s success with a more structured approach.

“Suffs” is a women’s production through and through, from the all-female cast to powerful figures behind the scenes.

The musical, set in the years leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, is largely the brainchild of Shaina Taub. The show’s book, music and lyrics were all written by Taub, who also stars as suffragette Alice Paul.

The production received six Tony nominations, including for best musical. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai are among the producers.

Of the 28 nominated shows, 10 have closed before the ceremony: “Days of Wine and Roses,” “Here Lies Love,” “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch,” “Doubt: A Parable,” “Prayer for the French Republic,” “Lempicka,” “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” “Gutenberg! The Musical!” and “Grey House.”

“Uncle Vanya,” which has one nomination, closes today, and “An Enemy of the People,” which is nominated for five Tonys, is closing June 23.

Tony Award nominees, presenters and producers have already started walking the red carpet, which is actually blue this year.

When this year’s slate of nominees was announced, Broadway observers were surprised to see Steve Carell left off the list. Carell, who made his Broadway debut in a Lincoln Center revival of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” failed to pick up a nod for best actor in a play. However, Tonys voters recognized one of Carell’s co-stars, William Jackson Harper, in that category, giving “Vanya” its sole nomination this year.

Meanwhile, a revival of “The Wiz” — a retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” anchored by a Black cast and Black musical styles — got shut out of the running altogether. The new version of “The Wiz” has been a hit with audiences, but critics have been lukewarm. The original incarnation of the show won a commanding seven Tonys when it debuted in 1975, including best musical, best original score, best choreography and best costume design.

DeBose posted a selfie to her Instagram on Friday from Lincoln Center, where the awards are taking place.

In the caption, she gave a shoutout to “every single department working” the Tonys this year, which includes “800 staff and crew + 440 additional people associated with performances.”

“Serving as a producer this year has given me an even deeper look into the process of making LIVE TV!” she wrote.

Producing duo Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, who have produced and directed the Tony Awards telecast since 2003, gave Variety a preview of what to expect at this year’s show.

“I think it’s going to be, from the very start, a really ‘wow’ kind of show,” Weiss said.

The audience can also expect great performances from nominated casts and speeches from winners.

“Because Broadway has such a sense of community, I think some of the best acceptance speeches I’ve ever heard in my life have come on this show,” Weiss said.

Playwright Amy Herzog is a double nominee, with her play “Mary Jane” nominated for best play and her adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” nominated for best revival of a play. It’s the first time a playwright has been nominated in both categories in the same year.

“I’m thrilled to be nominated for two plays I care so deeply about — ‘An Enemy of the People’ and ‘Mary Jane.’ I salute my extraordinary leading actors, Tony nominees Jeremy Strong and Rachel McAdams, for carrying the hell out of these plays eight times a week,” Herzog said in a statement.

Herzog was nominated for best revival of a play last year for her adaptation of another Ibsen play, “A Doll’s House,” which starred Jessica Chastain.

One of the main characters in the renowned musical “Cabaret,” bisexual American writer Clifford Bradshaw, is a cipher for author Christopher Isherwood, whose book “The Berlin Stories” serves as the musical’s inspiration.

Ato Blankson-Wood, the first Black actor to play Clifford on Broadway looked beyond Isherwood for inspiration.

“It was really important to me that I wasn’t a Black body playing Christopher Isherwood,” Blankson-Wood told NBC News. “I looked at a lot of his biography, but he is so deeply embedded in the role, I didn’t feel like there was a lot of him I wanted to highlight.”

Read the full story here.

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” nominated for five Tony Awards, replicates the dynamic hustle found in a typical salon’s day. Customers trickle in and out of the chairs, relaying distinct visions for their hair. Braiders gossip — in jest and in envy — as they labor over their clients. Afrobeats fill the rare silences.

To playwright Jocelyn Bioh, the African hair braiders of Harlem are icons.

“They’re a large part of the economy of Harlem,” Bioh said of the Manhattan neighborhood. “Those are women-owned businesses and for the most part -led.”

Read the full story here.

It is customary for the nominated shows to perform musical numbers during the broadcast. This year will feature performances from the casts of “Stereophonic,” “Cabaret,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Illinoise,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Suffs,” “The Outsiders,” “The Who’s Tommy” and “Water for Elephants.”

In the face of Broadway’s ongoing post-pandemic challenges, the awards show itself appears to have experienced a ratings upswing. This spring, Broadway welcomed 18 new productions, including 15 musicals, setting the stage for the 77th annual Tony Awards.

Watch NBC News’ Frank DiLella share more ahead of the awards show.

This Broadway season saw a slew of original musicals opening within a few weeks of one another, but no clear front-runner for best musical has emerged. “Hell’s Kitchen,” a semiautobiographical Alicia Keys jukebox musical, and “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel and the 1983 Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name, have slight edges on the other nominees.

In the musical revival category, “Merrily We Roll Along” is favored to win over the Eddie Redmayne-led revival of “Cabaret,” which was lauded by U.K. critics upon its West End debut but has received comparatively tepid reviews on this side of the Atlantic. The all-star trio leading “Merrily,” Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe, are front-runners in their respective categories. Groff, who was previously nominated for roles he originated in “Hamilton” and “Spring Awakening,” is likely to come out on top in the race for best leading actor in a musical, and Mendez and Radcliffe face good odds in the supporting actress and actor categories, respectively.

“Succession” star Jeremy Strong could be the “No. 1 boy” in the category for best leading actor in a play but faces competition from Leslie Odom Jr., who won his first Tony in 2016 for “Hamilton.” Sarah Paulson (“Appropriate”) and Jessica Lange (“Mother Play”) will face off for best leading actress in a play, one of the closest races of the night.

Some technical awards will be presented during the pre-show ceremony, “The Tony Awards: Act One.”

The event will be hosted by Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar and will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ET on Pluto TV.

It’s not unusual for actors to jump back and forth between filmed entertainment and live theater, but this year’s roster of nominated performers is especially stacked with folks who are arguably better known for their movie and television roles.

Jeremy Strong, the Emmy-winning star of HBO’s “Succession,” earned a nomination for best actor in a play for his role in a revival of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People.” Daniel Radcliffe, the internationally famous face of the “Harry Potter” film franchise, nabbed a nomination for best featured actor in a musical for his part in a revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Merrily We Roll Along.” Strong and Radcliffe are both first-time Tony nominees.

The list of Hollywood notables up for awards tonight also features Rachel McAdams (“Mary Jane,” her Broadway debut), Jim Parsons (“Mother Play”), Eddie Redmayne (“Cabaret”) and Liev Schreiber (“Doubt”). McAdams and Parsons are first-time Tony contenders. Redmayne won the award for best featured actor in a play in 2010 for “Red,” and Schreiber won the same trophy in 2005 for his work in a revival of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

Here’s a full list of who is nominated tonight.

Best Play

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”

“Mary Jane”

“Mother Play”

“Prayer for the French Republic”

“Stereophonic”

Best Musical

“Hell’s Kitchen”

“Illinoise”

“The Outsiders”

“Suffs”

“Water for Elephants”

Best Revival of a Play

“Appropriate”

“An Enemy of the People”

“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”

Best Revival of a Musical

“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”

“Gutenberg! The Musical!”

“Merrily We Roll Along”

“The Who’s Tommy”

For the first time, the Tony Awards will be held at Lincoln Center in New York City. The telecast will take place in the David H. Koch Theater, which is home to the New York City Ballet. For many years, the Tonys were held at Radio City Music Hall. Last year, they moved uptown to the United Palace in Washington Heights.

Lincoln Center is also home to the Metropolitan Opera House and the Vivian Beaumont Theater, where the Broadway revival of “Uncle Vanya” starring Steve Carell is playing. The other shows nominated this year are playing in various Broadway theaters about 15 blocks downtown.

The Broadway play “Stereophonic” received 13 Tony Award nominations, making it the most nominated play in Tonys history.

NBC News’ Joe Fryer spoke with composer Will Butler and actors Juliana Canfield and Eli Gelb about the show’s success.

Presenters include Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sean Hayes, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel, Ben Platt, Pete Townshend, Tamara Tunie, Adrienne Warren and Jeffrey Wright.

Angelina Jolie, Nick Jonas and Anthony Ramos are also scheduled to present.

For the third year in a row, Ariana DeBose will host the prime-time ceremony. The Academy Award winner and Broadway veteran put her live performance chops to the tests during last year’s unscripted ceremony, which was held during the WGA strike.

This year’s ceremony will return to its usual scripted format, but DeBose has been known to “do the thing” or two on an award show stage, so the night could be full of surprises nonetheless. DeBose is also producing this year and co-choreographed the opening number.

The 77th annual Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

The show will also be streamed live on Paramount+ and CBS.com.