Alex Edelman to Receive Special Tony Award

Comedian Alex Edelman will be honored with a special Tony Award in June for his Broadway debut, Just for Us, which played the Hudson Theatre last summer following multiple runs off-Broadway.

“Alex Edelman had an exemplary debut in Just For Us, a show that was as moving as it was hilarious and spoke to the power of communication, identity and empathy at a time when it is needed more than ever,” said Interim Broadway League President Jason Laks in a press statement explaining the choice.

Edelman’s show is based around a visit that he, a Jewish man, made to a meeting of white supremacists in Queens, an improbable source of comedy gold. “And then there’s the one where he gets to witness his David-sized comedy show, against all odds, conquer the Goliath of Broadway,” wrote TheaterMania’s critic in her review.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has also announced special awards for the pioneering sound designer Abe Jacob, whose credits include Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, and The Who’s Tommy.

Wig and hair designer Nikiya Mathis will also be honored with a special award. Mathis was the hair designer behind Jocelyn Bioh’s much-nominated comedy Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, and her work has also been seen this season in The Heart of Rock and Roll, Uncle Vanya, and Once Upon a One More Time. 

The Tony Awards Administration Committee also revealed the winners of the 2024 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre, which will go to projection designer Wendall K. Harrington, arts administrator Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Playwrights Horizons board chair Judith O. Rubin, the Dramatists Guild Foundation, and the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. 

You can read more about the individual honorees here.