Lindsay Mendez, Tony Shalhoub Win Big at Tony Awards

By Sameer Rao Jun 11, 2018

Few of the Broadway stars of color who earned Tony Awards nominations actually took home awards from last night’s (June 10) awards ceremony. Still, The Broadway League and American Theatre Wing honored several Black and Brown New York theater performers with Broadway’s biggest award.

Two of the main acting winners of color performed in the same Israel-set musical, "The Band’s Visit," which won the Best Musical award. Stars Tony Shalhoub and Ari’el Stachel, who both trace their ancestry to the Middle East, received the statues for Actor in a Leading and Featured Role in a Musical, respectively. Jamshied Sharifi, whose father hails from Iran, won Best Orchestrations for his work on the production.

Latinx actress Lindsay Mendez‘s performance in “Carousel” nabbed her the Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical award. In addition, Latinx Broadway veterans Chita Rivera and John Leguizamo each received Special Tony Awards for their work in the industry. Rivera’s award specifically recognized Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, with her Broadway performing career stretching back to a 1950 production of "Guys and Dolls."

Read the full list of winners at TonyAwards.com.