The 2025 Tony Awards may have delivered on spectacle and star power, but it was the unpredictable twists and snubs that truly defined the evening. What many anticipated as a coronation for Audra McDonald turned into a stunning shutout, with her commanding performance as Mama Rose in Gypsy going unrewarded. Despite critical acclaim and its status as a marquee revival, Gypsy failed to win a single award, a development that left both audiences and industry insiders reeling. The sweep by Sunset Boulevard in major categories only sharpened the sting for McDonald and her supporters, especially as the spotlight shifted to Nicole Scherzinger, whose own journey to the Best Actress win had been clouded by offstage controversy.
Equally jarring was the underperformance of Death Becomes Her. Heading into the ceremony with ten nominations and a dedicated fan following, the musical’s imaginative production design and high camp had positioned it as a serious contender. But aside from a solitary win for costume design, the show was completely sidelined, losing ground to newer titles like Maybe Happy Ending and Buena Vista Social Club, which found broader support among voters and took home multiple honors.
Perhaps the biggest jolt of the night came from the acting categories. Darren Criss’s victory for Best Actor in a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending upended expectations, especially as Jonathan Groff had long been seen as the frontrunner. Criss’s emotional acceptance speech and surprise win added to the night’s air of unpredictability, capping off a performance season that quietly built momentum. The mood shifted again with the announcement of Purpose as Best Play, a win delivered in the high-energy first hour of the show, setting an unconventional tone that carried throughout the broadcast.
Critical darlings weren’t safe either. Despite praise and buzz, Dead Outlaw walked away empty-handed, a fate that underscored the ceremony’s divergence from earlier predictions. In another unexpected twist, Eureka Day triumphed in the Best Revival of a Play category, beating Yellow Face and sparking lively conversation about the evolving definition of relevance and resonance in contemporary theater.
The night even managed to innovate between the awards, with a cheeky backstage ad featuring Darren Criss airing live during a commercial break. It served as a winking nod to the event’s theatrical nature and gave the show an improvisational flair that mirrored the many surprises on stage. If anything, the 2025 Tonys proved that even in a world built on scripts, live theater — and its celebration — remains thrillingly unscripted.
