As the 78th Annual Tony Awards approaches, fans are on the edge of their seats to see what Cynthia Erivo will do for the opening of this star-studded celebration of Broadway shows. Here is a look back at some legendary Tony opening performances from the past few decades to get you excited for the surprises the iconic Tony winner and triple Academy Award nominee will have in store!
The 75th Tony Awards “This Is Your Round of Applause” – Ariana DeBose, 2022
For the 75th Tony Awards, Academy Award winner and Hamilton alum Ariana Debose hosted the show. She opened with “This Is Your Round of Applause,” an epic dance-heavy performance that got the audience on their feet at the very start of the show.
The song was for all of the casts, creative teams, and crews on Broadway. The mashup portion of “This Is Your Round of Applause” referenced more than 50 themes and melodies from 35 Broadway shows, and there was a montage featuring incredible acceptance speeches from previous winners, which helped make it so memorable.
The 72nd Tony Awards: “This One’s for You.” Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban, 2018
For the 72nd Tony Awards in 2018, cohosts Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban sang the epic opening “This One’s for You,” an earworm dedicated to “the people who lose” at the Tony Awards.
With an iconic patter rhythm moment, they listed favorites that lost out in the Best Musical category. The message “If you make art at all, you’re a part of the cure” still resonates with us seven years later.
The 70th Tony Awards: “That Could Be Me/This Could Be You.” James Corden 2016
In 2016, James Corden hosted the 70th Tonys, opening the show with a song called “That Could Be Me/This Could Be You.” He played as many roles as he could in seven minutes!
Corden portrayed Simba from The Lion King, Jean Valjean from Les Misérables, and even Grizabella from CATS! By the end of the performance, he revealed the musical acting nominees while saying, “Don’t wonder if this could be you, it absolutely could be!” — inspiring audiences with the nominees from shows such as Hamilton, Waitress, and She Loves Me.
The 67th Tony Awards “Bigger!” – Neil Patrick Harris, 2013
Of course this would be included on this list! Four-time Tony Awards host Neil Patrick Harris delivered what many consider the opening performance of the century with the song “Bigger!” This performance featured a massive Tony award, Pippin-style musical magic, and a stage crowded with the casts of the fabulous 2013 Tony nominees.
The song even pulled at the heartstrings when Harris dedicated the performance to the theater kids watching the show, and the theater kids everyone in the audience was at heart, saying, “We were that kid!”
With music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Bigger!” also won the Primetime Emmy Award in 2013.
The 61st Tony Awards – The Cast of A Chorus Line, 2007
Although there was no host for the 61st Tony Awards, in 2007, the cast of A Chorus Line performed the iconic “I Hope I Get It” on the street outside of Radio City Music Hall.
Another legendary moment in this opening was all of the award presenters’ headshots being displayed Chorus Line–style, and stars such as Idina Menzel, Patti LuPone, Neil Patrick Harris, and Harvey Fierstein revealing their faces in a cameo. This opening performance is truly one to remember.
The 58th Tony Awards “One Night Only” – Hugh Jackman, 2004
In 2004, four-time Tony host Hugh Jackman opened the 58th Tony Awards with a song called “One Night Only.” He was joined by the Urchins from Little Shop of Horrors, the Dynamites from Hairspray, and the Radio from Caroline, or Change in a high-energy disco-style number.
Finishing off the performance with a kick line with the Rockettes, this definitely was a notable opening.
Tony Award winner and three-time Academy Award nominee (including for Wicked) Cynthia Erivo will host the 78th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall, airing live Sunday, June 8, at 8 p.m. ET. Broadcasts will be available on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+). We cannot wait to see how she will open this year’s Tonys!
Check out our What We Know About the 2025 Tony Awards article to learn more about the Tonys.