The 2023 Tony Awards present two titans of the theater with an honorary lifetime achievement award: original “Cabaret” collaborators Joel Grey, who played the emcee, and John Kander, who composed the musical’s score.
These Tony specials, which will be presented at the ceremony live in New York City on June 11, add to two already excellent careers that have won competitive Tony Awards, Oscars, Golden Globes and more on their shelves.
“We are immensely excited to honor two legends in their own right. John Kander has composed the soundtrack to all of our lives, finding us in every decade, creating unforgettable scores for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman and his current Broadway hit New York, New York,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President . of The Broadway League, she said in a statement.
Praising Grey, Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of American Theater Wing, added: “As a legendary actor and director, Joel Gray has made a timeless impact, from Cabaret to Goodtime Charley, The Normal Heart and his critically acclaimed Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof.”
“Mr. Gray and Mr. Kander are true giants of the theater,” Hitchens continued, “and we are honored to say that Wilkommen is the winner of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards.”
A veteran of film, television and the stage, Grey’s career spans more than 70 years. His best-known film role as the emcee in “Cabaret” garnered him Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, which in turn was preceded by his original role on Broadway, taking home the competitive Tony for Outstanding Actor in A musical.
In addition to his work on “Cabaret,” for which he won a Tony Award for score, Kander’s other Tony-winning work includes “Woman of the Year” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”
The two men are in good company heading into the 76th annual ceremony. Announced Tuesday, the top nominees (Best Play, Best Musical, Best Revival of a Play and Best Revival of a Musical) went to: “Ain’t No Mo’,” “Between Riverside and Crazy,” “Cost of Living ”, “Fat Ham” and “Leopoldstadt” for Best Play; “& Juliet”, “Kimberly Akimbo”, “New York, New York”, “Shucked” and “Some Like It Hot” for Best Musical; “The Piano Lesson by August Wilson”, “A Doll’s House”, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” and “Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog” for Best Revival of a Play; and “Into the Woods”, “Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot”, “Parade” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” for Best Revival of a Musical.
As previously announced, the 2023 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater will be awarded to Lisa Dawn Cave, Victoria Bailey and Robert Fried. The Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award will be presented to Jerry Mitchell.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards is scheduled for Sunday, June 11 and will air live on CBS from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm ET. Presented by the Broadway League and American Theater Wing and executive produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss/White Cherry Entertainment (the latter also directs), the ceremony will also stream live and on demand on Paramount+. “West Side Story” Oscar winner Ariana DeBose will return as host just one year after hosting the 75th annual awards show in 2022.