“Outsiders” and “Stereophonic” triumph at the ceremony in New York

Broadway crowned the best stage performances at Lincoln Center in New York under the leadership, for the third consecutive year, of Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose.

Musical comedy The Outsiders and the room Stereophonic, which tells the story of a music group from the 1970s, were recognized on Sunday by the Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater.

The Outsiders, stage adaptation of SE Hinton’s novel about class conflict between two high school gangs in 1960s Oklahoma, won awards for best musical, best direction, best lighting and best design sound.

“Society is changing, but the experience of being a foreigner is universal,” said Angelina Jolie, one of the producers of the play which features an ultra-violent fight scene. “To any young person, to anyone who feels left out: you are not wrong to see what is unfair, you are not wrong to want to find your own way,” she said.

Stereophonic, written by David Adjmi, won the prize for best play. The work tells the story of the creation of an album by a fictional rock band, with original music by Will Butler, former member of Arcade Fire. She won five awards, including Best Actor and Best Director, after making history by securing 13 nominations, an all-time high.

The triumph of The Outsiders was slightly tempered by Hell’s Kitchen, a musical based on the life of pop singer Alicia Keys, which won awards for lead actress Maleah Joi Moon and supporting actress Kecia Lewis.

In the United States, the theater remains popular with New York audiences, with 12.3 million admissions and 90% of seats occupied during the 2023-2024 season, according to the Broadway League, the main professional association in the sector.