NEW YORK CITY – Shreveport native Zhailon Levingston won his first Tony Award Sunday night for his work on the Broadway stage.
Levingston, alongside co-director Bill Rauch, took home the award for Best Direction of a Musical at the 79th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The duo was honored for their work on Cats: The Jellicle Ball, an immersive, Ballroom-inspired reimagining of the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
The production trades the original show’s traditional ballet choreography for the language of ballroom culture, vogueing, and runway categories. The musical won three Tony Awards overall, including Best Choreography and Best Costume Design of a Musical.
Levingston grew up in Shreveport and returns annually to direct theater in his hometown. At 27 years old, he previously made history as the youngest Black director in Broadway history when he directed Chicken & Biscuits in 2021.
During his acceptance speech, Levingston celebrated the legacy of the underground subculture that inspired the show, honoring the Black and brown trans women and gay men who pioneered ballroom culture.
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