STAGES Episode 570: TONYS ’25 with SIMON PARRIS, IAN PHIPPS & PETER EYERS

·1 hr 2 min·5 clips

Host Peter Eyers and Broadway insiders Simon Parris and Ian Phipps predict the 2025 Tony Awards winners after seeing the nominated shows in New York.

Tony time arrives. Peter, Ian, and Simon settle into an easy theatre chat around the Tony Awards, with Australian connections, Broadway momentum, and Best Featured Actor in a Musical instincts all in the mix. It stays companionable. The featured actor category gets the liveliest stretch, because the panel's admiration, memory, and small disagreements make the predictions feel like a conversation, not ballot math. Names matter here. Danny Burstein comes through as a great legend, Jack Malone as mightily impressive after an Olivier-winning turn, and Brooks Ashmanskas as the kind of character actor who can brighten a room from the stage. There is gentle picking too. One voice loves Brooks but wonders whether his performances can feel similar across shows like The Prom and Smash, a small criticism offered with affection rather than dismissal. Craft gets its due. Jack Malone's multiple roles in Operation Mincemeat become proof of precision, since each character has to land clearly inside a show already built on agile doubling. Sentiment gets room as well. Burstein's ninth nomination and earlier win for Moulin Rouge sit beside the possible swell of appreciation for Gypsy, so the prediction feels partly about timing and partly about goodwill built up over time. The panel likes evidence. They compare nominations, past wins, Olivier recognition, and memories of seeing performers in New York, while still leaving space for an outside bet. Broadway sounds buoyant. By the end, the chat widens from individual trophies to a strong revival musical season, increased sales, and the pleasure of seeing people back in seats. The local angle stays in view. Peter notes that Australian viewers can watch the New York ceremony on Paramount Plus on Monday morning, making the King's Birthday holiday feel a little like a theatre fan's Tony holiday. It ends warmly, with thanks to Ian and Simon, happy Tony time for listeners, and the Stages mix of theatre affection, useful detail, and shared anticipation.

As heard by us

A Tony predictions episode that turns one featured-actor race into a grounded conversation about range, presence and Broadway loyalty.

STAGES uses its 2025 Tony Awards episode as a brisk, actor-focused look at how Broadway performances gather momentum. Peter Eyres, Ian Phipps and Simon weigh Danny Burstein, Jack Malone and Brooks Ashmanskas in the Best Featured Actor in a Musical race, with Malone's string of…

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Want Tony predictions with enough stage-minded detail to make Best Featured Actor feel like a craft debate?

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