In brief
The 2026 Tony Awards will showcase an eclectic slate of nominees, from the quirky musical \"Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)\" to the campy \"Titanique\". Pink, on her first hosting gig, pitches a massive opening with 170 performers and a multi‑costume set, while the event features star‑studded performances from \"The Book of Mormon\" and \"Chicago\"’s 30‑year celebration. Meanwhile, July celebrates record‑setting nominations for June Squibb and Nathan Lane’s \"Death of a Salesman,\" all culminating in a broadcast on CBS and Paramount +.
New York — Pink has officially taken the wheel for the 2026 Tony Awards, a role she will execute with the same high energy that fans have seen throughout her career. In the opening number, composed by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick, the singer will be joined by a prodigious cast of 170 performers and a plethora of costume changes and wire stunts that showcase the skills she honed during her acrobatic tours.
Pink will be surrounded by her family onstage: her mother, who planted her love of musical theatre in Philadelphia, and her daughter Willow, who is already thundering into the theater world. “The biggest reason she wanted me to say ‘yes’ was so that she could have a seat at the show because she loves the show so much,” Pink explained.
The nominees span a wide spectrum. The Best New Musical race includes the rom‑com Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), the vampiric horror adaptation The Lost Boys, a nostalgic satire Schmigadoon! and a Titanic pastiche Titanique. The Best Play contention pits Giant, addressing anti‑Semitic allegations surrounding Roald Dahl, against Liberty, a 1970s women’s collective anti‑racism tale.
Revival spots feature fresh takeovers: a modern–set «Oedipus» anchored by Marc Strong, a Trudeauian “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” reimagined as a game show, a gripping musical‑history tour with Ragtime and a raucous “Rocky Horror Show.” The Best Musical Revival nominees also include a stripped‑back fireworks version of Ragtime and a time‑winding “Rocky Horror Show.”
Beyond the nominees, the ceremony will showcase a performance lineup from the seven Best New Musical and Best Musical Revival finalists — The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titanique, Two Strangers, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Ragtime and The Rocky Horror Show — as well as special moments from the original actors of The Book of Mormon’s 15th‑anniversary, with Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O’Malley and Nikki M. James lending “New York” backstage vibes. The “In Memoriam” segment will honor the legendary “Rent” with a rendition by Leslie Odom, Jr. The thirty‑year celebration of “Chicago” will feature Pink’s own set with Queen Latifah, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and others, while a tribute to the 50‑year anniversary of “A Chorus Line” will be performed by Rachel Zegler.
Seasoned Tony veteran June Squibb takes the age record as the oldest nominated actor at 96, while Nathan Lane hopes for his fourth win for “Death of a Salesman,” which would tie him with Boyd Gaines and Frank Langella as the top male performer. Stephen Rupert, who served three consecutive seasons as a nominator before his first nomination this year, lauded the breadth of the 2026 lineup: “I just think there’s so much variety on Broadway and so many artistic risks that people take.
Stay tuned for a live broadcast across CBS and a streamed run on Paramount + in the U.S. from 8‑11 p.m. Eastern/5‑8 p.m. Pacific. For a more in‑depth look, visit the official Tony Awards hub at https://apnews.com/hub/tony-awards.
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