Last night, Broadway Black, in association with the Black Theatre Society, presented the inaugural Antonyo Awards to recognize the achievements of black theater artists both on Broadway and Off-Broadway in the 2019-20 New York theater season. The virtual ceremony, hosted by organization founder Drew Shade, also included a remote pre-show red carpet with Chadaé and an online after-party with Amber Iman and music by DJ Dorian. A galaxy of theater luminaries from Ben Vereen to Audra McDonald appeared and presented some two dozen awards during the Juneteenth celebration.
The winner for Best Musical was Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which also brought its star Adrienne Warren the award for Best Actor in a Musical on Broadway. Daniel J. Watts, who plays Ike Turner, won Best Quarantine Content for The Jam IG Live. The Best Revival award went to the Off-Broadway production of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, which also won honors for its choreography by Camille A. Brown, costume design by Toni Leslie James, and hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis.
Honors for Best Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway went to LaChanze for The Secret Life of Bees, which also won for its score by composer Duncan Sheik and lyricist Susan Birkenhead. Best Featured Actor in a Musical on Broadway went to LaChanze’s daughter Celia Rose Gooding for Jagged Little Pill, and Jasmine Cephas Jones was named Best Featured Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway for Cyrano.
Other musical winners include the Off-Broadway shows Skinfolk: An American Show for its orchestrations by Kasaun Henry and A Strange Loop for its book by Michael R. Jackson. The Kinfolk Welcome Award went to Dharon E. Jones for his Broadway debut in West Side Story, while actor Chuck Cooper received the Lifetime Achievement Award.