Stephen Daldry secured an award in the ‘Best Direction of a Play’ category on Sunday at the 74th Tony Awards, which are being hosted at Winter Garden Theatre in New York City. Daldry won for his contribution in the play ‘The Inheritance‘.

Other nominations in the same category were included David Cromer for ‘The Sound Inside’, Kenny Leon for ‘A Soldier’s Play’, Jamie Lloyd for ‘Betrayal’ and Robert O’Hara for ‘Slave Play’.

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Daldry had previously won for ‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’ and ‘An Inspector Calls.’ He also was a nominee in 2015 for ‘Skylight’ and directed Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Audience’.

Daldry directs and executive produces the Netflix series ‘The Crown’ and was creative executive producer of the opening and closing ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to reports from Associated Press.

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The award show will be followed by a two-hour concert on CBS which is essentially an advertisement for Broadway titled “Broadway’s Back”.

The concert will include performances from the three Best Musical contenders Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical as well as David Byrne, John Legend, and a reunion of the cast members of Hairspray.

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The pandemic-delayed Tony Awards kicked off Sunday with an energetic performance of ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’ from the original Broadway cast of ‘Hairspray!’

The optimistic number was performed for a masked and appreciative audience at a packed Winter Garden Theatre. Host Audra McDonald got a standing ovation. ‘You can’t stop the beat. The heart of New York City!’ she said.

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She called it less than a prom and more like a homecoming and that it was wonderful to see half everyone’s faces. She said Broadway had been knocked out by COVID-19 for 560 nights. She also hoped to see actions that could make it a more equitable place.