Tastefully addressing a tragedy in its immediate aftermath is no mean feat. The Tony Awards, which aired Sunday night, had mere hours to come to terms with a horrible event that occurred less than 24 hours before: the deadliest mass shooting in American history, when a gunman who proclaimed allegiance to ISIS opened fire in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing at least 50 people and injuring many more.

The Tony Awards also admirably adhered to another principle: “The show must go on.”

The awards show, honoring standout work in theater, responded by dedicating the ceremony to the victims and their families. “Our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy that happened last night in Orlando,” the producers stated on the Tony Awards website. “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected.”

Previously, the focus of the show and the anticipation of watching it zeroed in on the spectacular phenomenon of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” nominated for a staggering 16 awards. The dedication to the victims of the terror rampage in Orlando provided the show with the opportunity to share the passion and concern of its performers.

“You are not on your own right now,” host James Corden said, addressing the victims of the massacre. “Your tragedy is our tragedy … Hate will never win. Together we have to make sure of that. Tonight’s show stands as a symbol and celebration of that principle.”

The Tony Awards also admirably adhered to another principle: “The show must go on.” Instead of mourning, the performances celebrated the inclusivity of theater, beginning with a parody of “Hamilton” centered on James Corden, who was revealed to be holding a Tony Award. He then proceeded to cycle through (and change clothes to blend into) a number of musicals, including “Les Miserables,” “The Lion King,” “Evita,” “The Music Man,” “A Chorus Line,” “Cats,” “Annie,” “West Side Story,” and (memorably featuring the host in a nun’s habit) “The Sound of Music.”

“I promise you tonight’s show will not all be about ‘Hamilton,'” Corden swore to the audience, noting, “There will also be some commercial breaks.”

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Transitions to those commercial breaks featured a variation on “Hamilton’s” infamous “Ham4Ham” performances, where casts of the nominated musicals performed songs on the street outside the theater. The first “Ham4Ham” (or perhaps “Tony4Tony”?) featured some of the musicals’ writers, including Edie Brickell on guitar, Sara Bareilles on keyboard, and Steve Martin on banjo.

Brickell and Martin later introduced the cast of their musical, “Bright Star.” Bareilles came on stage with a piano to perform “She Used to Be Mine” — a song from “Waitress,” for which she wrote music and lyrics — with the musical’s star, Jessie Mueller. The latter won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carole King in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”

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They were not the only well-known musical artists featured Sunday night. Gloria Estefan appeared alongside the cast of “On Your Feet!” to a medley of her hits, including “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Everlasting Love,” and “Turn the Beat Around.”

While many presenters were affiliated with music and the theater, several were household names for different reasons — including Oprah Winfrey. She introduced the performance of the cast of “The Color Purple,” whose 1985 film adaptation featured the television mogul in an Oscar-nominated supporting role. And President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama themselves introduced the performance of “Hamilton” — a performance which, in honor of the victims of the Orlando shooting, was missing its customary muskets during “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down).”

“Hamilton” star and MacArthur Fellow Lin-Manuel Miranda, who notably accepted his 2008 Tony Award for “In The Heights” with a freestyle rap, chose to write and recite a sonnet in accepting his award for “Best Score.” His eloquent words perfectly summed up the night’s awards, his hit show “Hamilton,” and the nature of theater in general:

“We chase the melodies that seem to find us
Until they’re finished songs and start to play
When senseless acts of tragedy remind us
That nothing here is promised, not one day
This show is proof that history remembers
We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger
We rise and fall, and light from dying embers
Remembrance is that hope and love last longer … “

“Hamilton” won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Score, Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Director, and Best Musical.

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