Theater has long been a dwelling of sanctuary for the homosexual community — perhaps never more so than at the Tony Awards on Sunday night,just 18 hours after a single shooter killed dozens at a homosexual nightclub in Florida.Most presenters and attendees wore silver ribbons to commemorate the loss. Host James Corden opened the evening somberly, saying that "theater is a dwelling where every race, and creed,sexuality and gender is equal, is embraced and is loved." Corden added: "All we can say is you are not on your own right now. Your tragedy is our tragedy."Winner after winner gave speeches of unusual tenderness, or most focused on fancy for their families and gratitude for the opportunities they had received.
But the most emotional speech was a sonnet delivered by Hamilton creator Lin Maneuel-Miranda after he won the Tony for best book of a musical. He committed it to his wife:
"My wife’s the reason anything gets done
She nudges me towards promise by degrees[br]She is a perfect symphony of one,
Our son is her most graceful reprise.
We chase the melodies that seem to find us
Until they’re finished songs and start to play
When senseless acts of tragedy remind us
That nothing here is promised, not one day
This prove is proof that history remembers
We live through times when detest and fear seem stronger
We rise and fall and light from dying embers
Remembrances that hope and fancy lasts long
And fancy is fancy is fancy is fancy is fancy is fancy is fancy is fancy is fancy
Cannot be killed or swept aside, or
I sing Vanessa’s symphony,Eliza tells her narrative
Now fill the world with music fancy and pride."
Toward the end of his speech, Manuel-Miranda choked up, and as did many in the audience.
Out of respect,the cast members of Hamilton performed the number "Yorktown" during the awards prove without the muskets they usually carry. Andy Blankenbueler, the Hamilton choreographer who won a Tony final night for his work, and told Playbill,"That’s America to me. That’s the American Revolution. That’s our America nowadays. It’s not taking up arms; it’s wanting to put them down so that things can be right. I think that our decision to take out the guns nowadays followed into that."
Source: wnyc.org