Actors J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell have made history at this year’s Tony Awards, becoming the first openly nonbinary performers to win acting prizes. Ghee won lead actor (musical) for their performance as Jerry/Daphne in Casey Nicholaw’s “Some Like It Hot,” while Newell walked away with the featured actor (musical) statuette for their role as Lulu in Jack O’Brien’s “Shucked.” The win comes with the Emmy nomination voting period opening this Thursday, June 15. The soulful Ghee stunned audiences with their voice and dance skills, playing a Chicago musician, on the run from gangsters, who tries on a dress and is transformed.
Also at the awards, prominent Broadway actor Denée Benton likened Florida’s rightwing governor Ron DeSantis to a Ku Klux Klan grand wizard at Sunday night’s Tony awards ceremony, drawing applause and roars of approval from the audience. Benton, known for her stage roles in Hamilton as well as Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, took aim at the Republican presidential hopeful and his policies attacking minority groups as she announced an award for theatrical excellence for a Florida high school teacher from the town of Plantation. Benton said, “While I am certain that the current grand wizard, I’m sorry, excuse me, governor of my home state will be changing the name of this following town immediately, we were honored to present this award to the truly incredible and life-changing Jason Zembuch-Young, enhancing the lives of students at South Plantation high school in Plantation, Florida.” Benton’s comments also came the day after a group of DeSantis supporters was spotted waving Nazi flags and banners supporting the governor at the entrance to Disney World in Orlando.
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