The 2022 Tony Awards Red Carpet: Dramatic Gowns and One of the Ugliest Suits on the Planet

Stars like Jennifer Hudson, Ariana DeBose, and Billy Porter brought their Broadway-worthy looks to American theater's big night.

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Image: Angela Weiss/Angela Weiss/Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

It’s been a tough few years for Broadway, as live theater weathered covid shutdowns and a stark drop in tourism. So when the stars came out for Sunday’s Tony Awards, they were celebrating not only the nominated plays and performers, but also the industry’s resilience. The night’s big winners were A Strange Loop, which won Best Musical, and The Lehman Trilogy, which took home best play.

Transcending the theater world, Jennifer Hudson finally won the “T” in her EGOT (Emmy Grammy Oscar Tony) crown as one of the producers of A Strange Loop. With her win, the Dreamgirls star became a member of one of entertainment’s most exclusive clubs—one that only has just 16 other members.

Luckily, way more than 17 people strutted their stuff on the red carpet last night. Here were some of the most memorable looks.

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson
Photo: Cindy Ord (Getty Images)

The brand-new EGOT-winner didn’t just take home a shiny bauble—she wore a dress bedazzled with them. Though the blinding beading looks lovely, it’s not quite enough to save this from landing this whole look in blah territory.

Ariana DeBose

Ariana DeBose
Image: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

The Oscar winner’s hosting duties saw her making a number of costume changes, including into this particularly cute purple jacket-dress, but her red carpet look was the definition of underwhelming. Why is it so flimsy looking? This would look great in the context of a Shein haul TikTok, but on Broadway’s biggest night, it’s a miss.

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield
Photo: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

Men on red carpets seem to think that they’ll beat the charge that they’re wearing a boring black suit if they make it textured. Wrong! You just look like a boring dude who also happened to skin an old loveseat.

Kara Young

Kara Young
Photo: Dimitrious Kambouris (Getty Images)

Finally, some color—and a gorgeous one at that! If you’re wearing a dress that can only be fully photographed from 10 feet away, I will probably be a fan.

Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Erivo
Image: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

Now, this is a Broadway-worthy look. It’s dramatic, it’s elegant, and with that hood and those nails, it is making a statement.

Utkarsh Ambudkar

Utkarsh Ambudkar
Image: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

Here we have a man truly liberated from the boring black suit. I absolutely love this look, he looks like a very cool gingerbread man.

Mare Winningham and Anthony Edwards

Mare Winningham and Anthony Edwards
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris (Getty Images)

Hollywood’s best power couple kept it simple and sweet.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain
Photo: Angela Weiss (Getty Images)

Whoever told us back in middle school that redheads shouldn’t wear pink was a filthy, filthy liar—Chastain looked like an actual doll.

Zach Braff

Zach Braff
Photo: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

I take back everything I’ve ever said about a black suit. You were right, Lin-Manuel Miranda. You were right, Justin Mikita. An oddly-textured black suit is better than this; anything is better than this. From the poor fit to the cheesy color to those awful shoes, everything about this screams “wedding emcee who refuses to relinquish the mic at the end of the night even though folks from the Knights of Columbus hall are already stacking up the chairs.” No.

Jacquel Spivey

Jacquel Spivey
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris (Getty Images)

As a palate cleanser, please have this fun ‘70s-inspired look from the star of A Strange Loop. Love the jewels, love that incredibly extra collar.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson
Photo: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

There it is—my favorite look of the night. It’s simple but deeply extra, elegant and whimsical. Could 99 percent of us poor humans pull it off? Not in a million years. Can Sarah Paulson? Absolutely.

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens
Illustration: Angela Weiss (Getty Images)

And we’re back to black and blah. It’s Schiaparelli, so of course it’s elegant as all hell, but there’s an oomph factor missing from this look. Maybe something a little more extravagant or adventurous with the hair could have helped? Love the earrings, but they’re not quite enough to make this interesting.

Billy Porter

Billy Porter
Image: Angela Weiss (Getty Images)

King of the red carpet Billy Porter brought this high-glam take on the Tin Man, and honestly, I kind of like it. Also, I very much appreciate the fact that Cynthia Erivo’s dress was so high drama that it couldn’t even let this man have his own photo.

 
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