Pink hosts the Tony Awards live from New York on Sunday, with flying-vampire numbers, Titanic spoofs, and a special set of performances spanning 15th anniversaries, 30th-year tributes, and major new and revival races.
When the stage lights come up Sunday night. Broadway won’t just be celebrating theater—it’ll be trying to keep its latest bets alive long enough to matter. Twenty-four Broadway productions are set to chase at least one win across 26 Tony categories. a moment that can be the difference between sustaining momentum and pulling down the curtain.
Pink will host the show, which airs live on CBS and streams for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S. from 8–11 p.m. Eastern / 5–8 p.m. Pacific. Her opening number is billed as a big. honking production written by Benj Pasek. Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick. ending with some 170 people on stage. Pink also plans plenty of costume changes and wire work. something she says she’s comfortable with from her acrobatic concerts. To sharpen the comedy, she tapped Amber Ruffin, a writer and performer from “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”.
The evening carries extra personal meaning, too. Pink’s mother will be in the audience—someone who took her to shows growing up in Philadelphia and helped instill her love of musicals. Pink’s two children will also be there, passing the theater baton in real time. Pink’s 15-year-old daughter, Willow, is an aspiring theater actor and urged her to host the Tonys.
“The biggest reason she wanted me to say ‘yes’ was so that she could have a seat at the show because she loves the show so much,” Pink said. “I was like, ‘I can probably get you a seat anyway.’”
Sunday’s performances will reach across new hits, revivals, and milestones. Among the seven nominees for best new musical and best musical revival are “The Lost Boys. ” “Schmigadoon!. ” “Titanique. ” “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). ” “Cats: The Jellicle Ball. ” “Ragtime” and “The Rocky Horror Show.”.
Other spots include original lead cast members of “The Book of Mormon”—Josh Gad. Andrew Rannells. Rory O’Malley and Nikki M. James—marking its 15th anniversary. Leslie Odom, Jr. will sing “Without You” from “Rent” during the In Memoriam section, in honor of that show’s 30th anniversary. “Chicago. ” now at 30. will get a performance slot featuring Pink and Queen Latifah. with Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Alex Newell. Adrienne Warren. Julianne Hough. Whitney Leavitt and Dylan Mulvaney also appearing. “A Chorus Line,” which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, will receive a special tribute by Rachel Zegler.
The races themselves are a study in opposites—from parody to prestige. Best new musical competition pits “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). ” an opposites-attract rom-com. against “The Lost Boys. ” a stage adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller. “Schmigadoon!” gently mocks golden-age Broadway shows, while “Titanique” is a camp musical comedy that reimagines the 1997 movie “Titanic.”.
For best play, “Giant” will compete for top honors after exploring accusations of antisemitism against children’s author Roald Dahl. “Liberation” tackles a different kind of pressure, focusing on a consciousness-raising women’s group in the 1970s while exploring inequality, gender roles and racism.
Revival categories bring their own intrigue. A “Death of a Salesman” led by Nathan Lane competes for best play revival against a modern-set “Oedipus” led by Marc Strong. and “Every Brilliant Thing” starring Daniel Radcliffe. In best musical revival. a new “Cats” reimagined as a “Pose”-like competition show will face off with the sweeping American history of “Ragtime” and a rollicking. frisky “The Rocky Horror Show.”.
Backstage energy has been building for creators, too. Bill Rauch, who secured his first Tony nomination for co-directing the reimagined “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” was a nominator for three seasons until this one. He said he’s impressed by the range now on Broadway.
“I look at everything as an artist within the season. but also as somebody who has seen the wealth of work on Broadway for three years running. ” he said. “I just think there’s so much variety on Broadway and so many artistic risks that people take. I left my three years as a nominator really impressed by the landscape, I have to say. And I feel that this year as well.”.
There’s also a sense of history hanging in the air. June Squibb became the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history at 96. and she could become the oldest Tony winner if her name is called. surpassing Lois Smith. who was 90 when she won in 2021. And Lane is hoping for his fourth Tony for “Death of a Salesman. ” which would tie him as the most-awarded male performer in Tony history alongside Boyd Gaines and Frank Langella.
The Tonys will be as much about performance as they are about endurance—about what a season decides to back, and what survives the drop of the curtain. Sunday’s winners won’t just celebrate. They’ll find out whether the next chapter stays open.
2026 Tony Awards Pink Broadway CBS Paramount+ flying vampires Titanique Titanic spoof Death of a Salesman Oedipus Cats: The Jellicle Ball Ragtime Rocky Horror Show June Squibb