Even though we won’t be strutting down the Tony Awards red carpet this Sunday, we still want to celebrate the biggest night on Broadway.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is sponsoring a viewing party at Feinstein’s/54 Below, featuring a themed menu honoring this year’s nominated productions.
Tony winner Cady Huffman (The Producers) and Tony nominee Brad Oscar (Something Rotten!) are hosting the benefit.
Can’t make it to the bash at Feinstein’s/54 Below? Make your own Tony party totally award-worthy.
Executive Chef Lynn Bound, Beverage Director Tim Seib, and Director of Private Events Alesia Lawson dish on how they prepare for the event and how you can drink and eat like a Broadway VIP at home.
For Chef Bound, preparation begins immediately after nominations are announced.
From a twist on apple pie to a gimlet inspired by Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, her menu very much reflects the cultural influences or backgrounds of the shows.
She and her team come up with fun riffs on the different names and things that the shows are about.
“For Harmonia Gardens (Hello, Dolly!) we’ll have a vegetarian dish and I want to use ingredients to almost emulate what I think the garden of Eden looks like.
And another dessert, which is a surprise for our guests and isn’t on the menu, we’ll be doing the little pink boxes that they do in War Paint. I’m going to do pink petit fours with a little bow,” said Bound.
Feinstein’s/54 Below is known for creating specialty cocktails for the Broadway community. The menu wouldn’t be fitting for the Tony Awards if it didn’t include festive drinks you can make at home.
“Always a fun thing to do if you’re going to do your own event is to come up with a couple of your own themed cocktails. It’s a fun, unique way to tie in what you’re serving to your guests with what they’re seeing on the television,” said Lawson.
Feinstein’s/54 Below’s most popular summer beverages include the Rhubarb/Basil Mojito, and the Spicy Grapefruit Margarita. Seib credits his directorial experience for his creation inspired by The Little Foxes starring Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon.
“I'd never seen the production before and I really enjoyed it. Can’t stop thinking about it! I saw the show the way it's nominated (Linney as the lead actress). One of my favorite moments is when Birdie (Nixon) gets drunk off cordial and has that big moment where she comes out with the truth, and it’s so heartbreaking and honest.
I thought of a specialty cocktail that was like a sour based cocktail like a whiskey sour that involved port wine as well. I spoke with one of the bartenders and asked if we could re-envision it. I want to do a visual of the cocktail with a golden color that has this seeping port wine that looks very dramatic and resembles the revelation she has at the end of that act,” said Seib.
Lawson also mentioned that the menu will feature a rum cocktail named “Rum From Away” in honor of Come From Away and a gin cocktail with lavender honey and lemon inspired by Holiday Inn.
All three agree that there’s no clear winner for Best Musical or Best Play this year. However, Come From Away and A Doll’s House, Part 2 are among their favorites to win on Sunday.
Now that we’ve pulled back the curtain and given you a preview of one of Broadway’s most popular Tony Awards viewing parties, there’s only one thing left to do: decide where you’ll watch the Tonys.
Tickets to the Tony Awards viewing party at Feinstein’s/54 Below are available here.
Watch the Tony Awards on CBS this Sunday, June 11, at 8:00 p.m., or stream red carpet coverage on their website.