Clooney’s Broadway Debut Ends Without a Tony, Despite Box Office Records
Star-Studded Night Sees Surprises and Snubs at the 2025 Tony Awards
Despite a record-breaking box office run and high expectations, George Clooney’s first foray onto the Broadway stage concluded Sunday without a Tony Award, as the ceremony delivered several unexpected results and left some favorites empty-handed.
A Night of Upsets and Recognition
Host Cynthia Erivo had earlier highlighted Clooney as an “up-and-comer” during the broadcast, but the actor-director ultimately lost the Best Actor in a Play award to Cole Escola of Oh, Mary!. Good Night, and Good Luck, Clooney’s play, had garnered five nominations but failed to secure a win in any category. The production concluded its run with a matinee performance before the awards show.
Clooney quickly reverted to his signature hair color after temporarily dyeing it brown for the role, and his performance was previously broadcast live on CNN as a special event. The play’s success at the box office was notable, generating multi-million-dollar weekly grosses, but couldn’t translate into Tony success.
McDonald Shut Out, Scherzinger Shines
The evening also saw a surprising shutout for the revival of Gypsy, despite Audra McDonald receiving her 11th Tony nomination – a historic achievement making her the most nominated performer in Tony history. McDonald lost the Best Actress in a Musical award to Nicole Scherzinger for her performance in Sunset Blvd. According to the Broadway League, total Broadway attendance for the 2023-2024 season reached 12.6 million, demonstrating the continued popularity of live theater despite economic challenges. Broadway League
Other Notable Snubs and a Pulitzer Prize Winner
Several other productions with multiple nominations, including Dead Outlaw, John Proctor Is the Villain, Floyd Collins, Just in Time, and Real Women Have Curves, also failed to win any awards. Maybe Happy Ending proved to be a consistent winner throughout the night, ultimately paving the way for Darren Criss to take home the Best Actor in a Musical award on his first nomination, beating out frontrunner Jonathan Groff.
Death Becomes Her secured only one award, for Best Costume Design, awarded to Oscar winner Paul Tazewell, despite being tied for the most nominations (10) alongside Maybe Happy Ending and Buena Vista Social Club.
Purpose Takes Top Honors
In a significant upset, Purpose was named Best Play, surpassing expectations and beating out both Oh, Mary! and John Proctor Is the Villain, which had garnered considerable attention. The play, which previously won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama earlier this year, also saw five cast members nominated for Tony Awards, including Kara Young, who secured her second consecutive Tony win.
Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who won Best Revival of a Play last year for Appropriate, further cemented his position as a leading voice in contemporary theater. The play category was particularly competitive this year, also including Sanaz Toossi’s English, the 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner.