The 74th annual Tony Awards came back to life after two years at New York’s Winter Garden Theatre on Sept. 26. The spectacular two-hour long event celebrated the grand comeback of Broadway after enduring a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety comes first because of the pandemic. Actress and host Audra McDonald said that most people in the audience were vaccinated and wearing masks, according to ABC News.

The Broadway League issued a mandate that required the staff of all theaters in New York to only allow entry to people who have proof of vaccination, including those attending shows, performers and backstage employees. The League also set forth a requirement that everyone in the audience has to keep their mask on unless they’re eating or drinking in specific areas.

There were several major winners at the long-anticipated Tonys. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” which was inspired by the movie in 2001 starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, took home 10 awards including best lead actor and best musical. This was the first Tony Award nomination and win for the musical’s lead actor, Aaron Tveit, according to an article from The New York Times..  He was surprisingly the only candidate in the category.

Jack Thorne’s musical “A Christmas Carol,” converted from the masterpiece by Charles Dickens, won five awards in several technical fields including scenic design, costume design and original score, according to NYS Music, . This win wasn’t unexpected as in order to make the scenes as vivid as possible, it requires the efforts of talented teams working together to take the audience on an incredible journey.   “The Inheritance,” a play that tapped into the lives of the gay community in the modern era, won three Tonys including best play and best writer. Matthew Lopez received the best writer award for the play and  is the first Puerto Rican to win in the category.

This year’s awards were split into two separate parts. The first part of the show mostly consisted of announcing the winners for most categories except best play, best musical and best revival of a play.  The second part of the show consisted of  a concert called “The Tony Awards Present Broadway’s Back!” which was held to show appreciation for the return of theater after being shut down for over a year.

Dividing the ceremony into two broadcasts was a good idea, and it made the show more exciting.

The night  had many memorable moments like Jennifer Holliday’s magnificent performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the musical “Dreamgirls” and the energetic number from the cast of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”

 Sonya Tayeh’s speech after winning best choreography was also a highlight of the night.

“As a brown, queer, Arab American woman, I wasn’t always welcomed. It takes graceful hands to lead people like me to the door,” Tayeh said.

This year’s Tony awards generated a new excitement within theater with the revival of Broadway after a year long break. Despite strict COVID-19 regulations for employees and workers, Broadway will continue to be a staple within New York City and bring exciting stories to the stage.