In tragic times, one of the strongest and most important feelings is that of togetherness. The Tony Awards has always been a way for people all over the country to know that they are not alone, which is needed now more than ever. On Sunday evening, the Broadway community is sending a strong message of support with silver ribbons for the Orlando victims at the Tony Awards. The directors, designers, performers, and theatre enthusiasts are paying tribute in an elegant and powerful way.
The attack, which occurred at the gay nightclub Pulse on Saturday night, is the worst mass shooting in American history. Gestures like these ribbons are an important, integral part of the grieving process. According to Variety's Cynthia Littleton, the ribbons were designed by legendary and Tony award winning costume designer William Ivey Long — who recently designed the costumes for Grease Live! This could not have been a more perfect collaboration.
An official press release from the Tony Awards stated that. "Our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy that happened last night in Orlando. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected. The Tony Awards dedicate tonight's ceremony to them." The Hamilton cast and crew has also opted to remove prop guns from their performance. Keep a lookout for these ribbons as the awards begin.
In theatre, it is traditional to say that "the show must go on," and it's days like this that the importance of that resonates.
