Published: 11:18 AM, 09 June 2026
‘Liberation,’‘Ragtime,’ Lithgow lead Tonys
“Liberation” won best play at Sunday’s 2026 Tony Awards, “Ragtime” took best musical revival and John Lithgow won best leading actor for “Giant,” highlighting Broadway works tackling themes of gender equality, race, class and antisemitism.
“Liberation,” a drama examining the legacy of the 1970s women’s liberation movement, added to its 2026 Pulitzer Prize for drama, as author Bess Wohl became the fourth woman to win the Tony Award for best play and the first since 2009, Reuters reports.
“Ragtime” prevailed over “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” reviving a sweeping story that intertwines Black, immigrant and upper-class white lives, exploring race, class and the promise of the American Dream at the dawn of the 20th century.
In “Giant,” the 80-year-old Lithgow portrayed author Roald Dahl in the 1980s as he faces fallout for remarks deemed antisemitic and weighs apologizing against risking his reputation. It was his third Tony, having won his first 53 years ago for his Broadway debut in “The Changing Room.”
“At every point we had to figure out, ‘Why is this man doing this?’” he told reporters later. “Antisemitism, cruelty of all kinds ... these are things that we're dealing with these days up front and personal ... that's what makes "Giant" so important and such a success.”
Lesley Manville won best lead actress in a play for her role as Jocasta in Robert Icke's reimagining of the Sophocles classic “Oedipus” as a political thriller.
