Feature image of Cole Escola with their Tony by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
There’s no such thing as a straight Tony Awards. But as a celebration of mainstream theatre and, ya know, an award show, the Tonys aren’t always as queer as they should be. But the 2025 Tony Awards succeeded at celebrating several queer people who really deserved it — even though they didn’t televise Harvey Fierstein getting his lifetime achievement award.
First of all, what a joy to see Jinkx Monsoon perform with the cast of Pirates! The Penzance Musical — even if the audience cheered so loud they nearly drowned out her solo — and Helen J. Shen with Best Musical winner Maybe Happy Ending, whose interview with Autostraddle you should definitely read. I also really enjoyed the gay enthusiasm from both director winners, Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!) and Michael Arden (Maybe Happy Ending). And then, of course, there was Elphaba and two truly deserving winners.
Cynthia Erivo
Photo by Michele CroweCBS via Getty Images
Hosting award shows is really hard! Especially if you’re not just a straight white late night host doing the basic bit-monologue-bit-bit approach. But Cynthia Erivo’s opening number said all she needed was a song and with her voice she was right. I thought she did such a great job keeping the focus on celebrating theatre. There were some jokes and a bit or two, but it mostly just felt like someone who loves the theatre — and is in between promoting the two Wicked movies — getting on stage to share that love. A truly solid first hosting performance.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Photo by Arturo Holmes/WireImage
I went to college in New York from 2012-2016 so Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is kind of the playwright icon of my student rush years. (Or, at least, tied with Annie Baker.) He’s been writing some of the most complicated, challenging, and funny theatre of the past two decades, and while he’s received plenty of accolades — including the MacArthur Genius Grant and two previous Pulitzer finalists — this Tony win still feels so deserved. I was going to non-student rush Purpose this week before I got sick, but even if this win makes it harder to get a ticket, I’m still so thrilled Jacobs-Jenkins won!
Cole Escola
Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
Trans people don’t have an advantage in women’s sports but I do believe they have an advantage in men’s acting categories. It’s hard to imagine someone of any gender being more deserving of recognition this year than Cole Escola, but a cis man?? Better luck next time, Clooney.
Escola’s work in Oh, Mary! is truly special. It’s a brilliant trick to do the mainstream en vogue thing — a new take on well-known history! — and then make every other choice as weird and gay as possible. Whether making online videos or appearing as the best guest star on a TV show or being on literal Broadway, Escola is always so funny and so themself. I love that when they got on stage to accept the award the first thing they wanted to share was that Julie Harris also won a Tony for playing Mary Todd Lincoln. That love of the art form and need to share it and riff on it is so true to their artistry and so true to this performance. What a joy to see an artist be loyal to their voice and with that find such success.
And those were the Tonys! Audra should’ve won.
i really wanted oh, mary to win best play! but was so happy they won what they won. cole is so funny, he’s my favorite.