The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that Joel Grey and John Kander will each receive the 2023 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
Two giants of the theatre, @joelgrey and John Kander, are set to receive the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at this year’s #TonyAwards.
Watch the 76th Annual Tony Awards Sunday, June 11th at 6:30PM ET on @plutotv & 8PM ET on @CBS & @paramountplus. pic.twitter.com/U8UZIAZiK8
— The Tony Awards (@TheTonyAwards) May 3, 2023
Joel Grey received the Tony Award for originating the role of the Emcee in Cabaret in 1967 and the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, and the BAFTA for recreating his performance in the 1972 film version of Cabaret directed by Bob Fosse. He is one of only nine actors to have won both the Tony and Academy Award for the same role. He also has appeared on Broadway over a dozen times, starring in shows like Anything Goes, Chicago, and Wicked.
Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner John Kander is best known for his scores composed opposite his late collaborator Fred Ebb, which included classics like Cabaret, Chicago, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. He is most recently represented on Broadway by the new Broadway musical, New York, New York, which received nine Tony Award nominations.
“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights. John Kander has composed the soundtrack to all of our lives – meeting 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.
“As a legendary actor and director, Joel Grey has made an everlasting impact, from Cabaret, to Goodtime Charley, The Normal Heart and his acclaimed Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof. Mr. Grey and Mr. Kander are true giants of the theatre, and we are honored to say Wilkommen as the recipients of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards,” said Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards, from the historic United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights, will take place on Sunday, June 11, airing live at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. The ceremony will be hosted by Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose.
Stay up to date on all of this year’s Tony Awards news here.
