The Top GIFs and Clips From the 2023 Tony Awards
Coming to you live and unscripted, it’s the 2023 Tony Awards!
Theater’s biggest night made a return last Sunday with an off-the-cuff (read: script-less) ceremony hosted by returning emcee Ariana DeBose. From a wordless opening number to several spontaneous speeches, this year’s Tony Awards ceremony was a winning testament to the age-old theater adage “the show must go on.”
Want to know which moments shone through? Here’s a recap of the top GIFs and Clips from the 2023 Tony Awards — all of which can be found on the official Tony Awards GIPHY channel.
Most-Viewed GIFs: Nathan Lane, J. Harrison Ghee, Michael Arden
Several of Broadway’s best and brightest stars topped our list of the most-viewed GIFs from the 2023 Tony Awards.
For starters, Broadway veteran Michael Arden won Best Direction of a Musical for his revival of “Parade.” This GIF of an ecstatic Arden getting up to receive his award was the third most-viewed GIF of the night with 22.3 million views, as of Tuesday.
“Some Like It Hot” star J. Harrison Ghee won Best Actor in a Musical Sunday night, making history as the first nonbinary performer to win a Tony in the category. This GIF of Ghee accepting their award was the second most-viewed GIF of the night with 32.7 million views.
Former “The Producers” co-stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reunited Sunday to present the award for Best Actor in a Play. This GIF of a quip from Lane about the air conditioning at the United Palace was the most-viewed GIF of the night with 41 million views.
Honorable Mention: Alex Newell
Ghee wasn’t the only one to make Tony history Sunday night: “Shucked” star Alex Newell won Best Featured Actor in a Musical, becoming the first nonbinary performer to take home a Tony in the category.
Both Newell and Ghee are the first nonbinary performers ever to win acting Tonys. Newell told the crowd after their win Sunday night: “To anyone that thinks they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face and say that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Newell also gifted us with several reaction GIFs in the crowd. Here are some of our favorite:
Ariana DeBose Did the Thing!
With the WGA strike still in effect, host Ariana DeBose had a tall task as she emceed this year’s ceremony without a script. Needless to say, DeBose pulled it off as she led the Tony Awards from opening number to closing remarks.
Here are some of the best Clips from her tenure as this year’s host of the Tony Awards.
“Thank you!”
“I have things I need to tell you.”
“I got one.”
“Dry mouth.”
“Happy Puerto Rican Day!”
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