The critically-acclaimed musical, based on the Temptations, Ain’t Too Proud may have been snubbed at the Tony Awards on Sunday, but the show’s cast still brought down the house.
The production was nominated for 12 Tony Awards this year, including Best Musical and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for star Derrick Baskin, but only took home Best Choreography last night.
Despite being snubbed in multiple categories, the cast of Ain’t Too Proud put on a mesmerizing performance during the ceremony, performing a medley of Temptations hits. The nearly five-minute performance included songs such as “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” naturally, “Just My Imagination,” and “I Can’t Get Next to You.”
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Sunday night’s winners also included André De Shields for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his turn in Hadestown. It was his first win at age 73 throughout his career, which spans five decades. Also, Choir Boy, took home a trophy for Best Sound Design of a Play.
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The playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney spoke during the awards show, delivering a moving message during Pride Month, asking, “The bodies that uphold the great legacy of spirituals are often Black and queer. When will we love all of them for who they are, not just for what they can do?”
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Cynthia Erivo, looking stunning in white, also paid tribute to those we lost during the ceremony’s In Memoriam montage with a flawless rendition of Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”