Vampires, literary monsters and a cake: The Tony Awards offer a number of intriguing, possible wins

Vampires, literary monsters and a cake: The Tony Awards offer a number of intriguing, possible wins 1 of 6 | P!NK is raising her glass to a new challenge. The Grammy-winning performer is stepping into the spotlight as host of the 79th Annual Tony Awards. She says her plan for Tonys host is simple: “Don’t screw up.” (June 3) 2 of 6 | Luke Evans, left, and Josh Rivera appear during a performance of “Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in New York on March 25, 2026. (Joan Marcus via AP) 3 of 6 | Ken Ard appears during a rehearsal for “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” in New York on March 17, 2026. (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman via AP) 4 of 6 | The Broadway cast of “The Lost Boys” appears during a performance in New York on March 25, 2026. (Matthew Murphy via AP) 5 of 6 | Christiani Pitts, left, and Sam Tutty appear during a performance of “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” in New York on Oct. 31, 2025. (Matthew Murphy via AP) 6 of 6 | Joshua Henry attends the 79th annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press event at the Sofitel New York on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) 1 of 6 P!NK is raising her glass to a new challenge. The Grammy-winning performer is stepping into the spotlight as host of the 79th Annual Tony Awards. She says her plan for Tonys host is simple: “Don’t screw up.” (June 3) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 6 | Luke Evans, left, and Josh Rivera appear during a performance of “Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in New York on March 25, 2026. (Joan Marcus via AP) 2 of 6 Luke Evans, left, and Josh Rivera appear during a performance of “Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in New York on March 25, 2026. (Joan Marcus via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 6 | Ken Ard appears during a rehearsal for “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” in New York on March 17, 2026. (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman via AP) 3 of 6 Ken Ard appears during a rehearsal for “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” in New York on March 17, 2026. (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 6 | The Broadway cast of “The Lost Boys” appears during a performance in New York on March 25, 2026. (Matthew Murphy via AP) 4 of 6 The Broadway cast of “The Lost Boys” appears during a performance in New York on March 25, 2026. (Matthew Murphy via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 6 | Christiani Pitts, left, and Sam Tutty appear during a performance of “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” in New York on Oct. 31, 2025. (Matthew Murphy via AP) 5 of 6 Christiani Pitts, left, and Sam Tutty appear during a performance of “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” in New York on Oct. 31, 2025. (Matthew Murphy via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 6 of 6 | Joshua Henry attends the 79th annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press event at the Sofitel New York on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) 6 of 6 Joshua Henry attends the 79th annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press event at the Sofitel New York on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] New York (AP) — Flying vampires. A musical spoof of the megahit movie “Titanic.” Another spoof, this time of golden-age Broadway musicals. And a new “Death of Salesman,” one of America’s most decorated and mournful plays. It’s Tony Awards time.Twenty-four Broadway shows will hope to nab at least one win Sunday across the 26 Tony categories, which can mean the difference between keeping the doors open and pulling down the curtain. Grammy Award-winner Pink is the host of the show, which will be broadcast live on CBS and streaming for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S. to both coasts on Sunday from 8-11 p.m. Eastern/5-8 p.m. Pacific. Three generations of Pink’s familyPink promises a big, honking opening number — written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Mark Sonnenblick that ends with some 170 people on stage — with lots of costume changes and some wire work, which she is familiar with from her acrobatic concerts. She has tapped Amber Ruffin, a writer and performer for “Late Night with Seth Meyers” for help with jokes.In the audience will be Pink’s mother — who took her to shows growing up in Philadelphia, instilling a love of musicals — and Pink’s two children, a passing of the musical theater baton. Pink’s 15-year-old daughter, Willow, is an aspiring theater actor and urged her to host the Tonys.“The biggest reason she wanted me to say ‘yes’ was so that she could have a seat at the show because she loves the show so much,” says Pink. “I was like, ‘I can probably get you a seat anyway.’” 5 MIN READ 4 MIN READ 3 MIN READ Plenty of performancesThere will be performances from the seven best new musical and best musical revival nominees: “The Lost Boys,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Titanique,” “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” “Ragtime” and “The Rocky Horror Show.”Other performances include the original lead cast members of “The Book of Mormon” — Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O’Malley and Nikki M. James — this year celebrating its 15th anniversary. Leslie Odom, Jr. will sing “Without You” from “Rent” during the In Memoriam section, in honor of that show’s 30th anniversary. Another show celebrating a milestone, “Chicago” now at 30, will have a performance slot featuring Pink, as well as Queen Latifah, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Alex Newell, Adrienne Warren, Julianne Hough, Whitney Leavitt and Dylan Mulvaney. Plus, “A Chorus Line,” which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, will get a special tribute by Rachel Zegler. The musical and play racesThe competition for best new musical is between four very different shows: “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” an opposites-attract rom-com; “The Lost Boys,” a stage adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller; “Schmigadoon!,” which gently mocks golden-age Broadway shows; and “Titanique,” a camp musical comedy that reimagines the 1997 movie “Titanic.”The two top best play nominees are “Giant,” exploring accusations of antisemitism against children’s author Roald Dahl, and “Liberation,” about a consciousness-raising women’s group in the 1970s that explores inequality, gender roles and racism.There are intriguing races in both the revival categories: A “Death of a Salesman” led by Nathan Lane is competing for best play revival with a modern-set “Oedipus” led by Marc Strong and a sweet “Every Brilliant Thing” starring Daniel Radcliffe. The best musical revival pits a new “Cats” reimagined as a “Pose”-like competition show, the sweeping American history show “Ragtime” and a rollicking, frisky “The Rocky Horror Show.” Bill Rauch, who secured his first Tony nomination for co-directing the reimagined “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” was a nominator for three seasons until this one and is impressed by the range now on Broadway.“I look at everything as an artist within the season, but also as somebody who has seen the wealth of work on Broadway for three years running,” he said. “I just think there’s so much variety on Broadway and so many artistic risks that people take. I left my three years as a nominator really impressed by the landscape, I have to say. And I feel that this year as well.” June Squibb became the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history at 96 and could become the oldest Tony winner if she hears her name called, surpassing Lois Smith who was 90 when she won in 2021. And Lane is hoping for his fourth Tony for “Death of a Salesman,” which would make him tied as the most-awarded male performer in Tony history, alongside Boyd Gaines and Frank Langella.___For more coverage of the 2026 Tony Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/tony-awards. Kennedy is a theater, TV, music, food and obit writer and editor for The Associated Press, as well as a critic for theater, movies and music. He is based in New York City.