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P!nk hosted the 79th Annual Tony Awards with a high-energy opening parody of "Lady Marmalade" and a show-stopping performance of "All That Jazz" from Chicago. The ceremony featured a star-studded Chicago medley including Queen Latifah and Newell, celebrating the long-running revival. P!nk reflected on her love for live theater and the connection between her concerts and Broadway.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 07: P!nk performed onstage during the opening of the 79th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 07, 2026, in New York City.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions) The show, celebrating the best of Broadway, featured a spectacular opening number that reimagined P!nk's 2001 hit "Lady Marmalade" into "Leading Lady Marmalade," a parody that set the tone for an evening full of star power and theatrical flair. The performance included appearances by Megan Thee Stallion, Lea Michele, Neil Patrick Harris, and the Tony-nominated women of 2026, along with a troupe of dancers, turning the iconic song into a celebration of theatrical achievement.
This lively introduction underscored the show's theme of honoring the resilience and creativity of the theater community. Following the opening, the ceremony featured a rousing medley from the legendary musical Chicago. Queen Latifah, who portrayed Matron "Mama" Morton in the 2002 film adaptation, kicked off the segment with a torch-passing moment, introducing Newell as "another mother hen.
" Newell then delivered a powerful rendition of "When You're Good to Mama," showcasing a boisterous voice that made the role feel freshly minted. The medley continued with the iconic "Cell Block Tango," performed by a round-robin of murderesses, including a brief but hilarious cameo by Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Each performer sold the number with gusto, capturing the dark humor and fierce energy of Kander and Ebb's classic.
The segment culminated with P!nk returning to sing the centerpiece "All That Jazz," bringing her signature rock-star charisma to the jazz standard. With jazz hands, vocal excellence, and a knowing, triumphant energy, she seemed to be living out a childhood fantasy of performing on a Broadway stage. In a backstage interview ahead of her hosting duties, P!nk reflected on the connection between her concert tours and live theater.
"I mean, for me, I'm a carney, right? So it's sort of like a circus, without the animals of course, other than the humans," she quipped, highlighting the performative and communal spirit shared by both worlds. Her hosting at the 2026 Tonys marked a significant crossover between pop music and Broadway, an intersection where spectacle meets storytelling.
Themed around legacy and live performance, the ceremony paid tribute to the enduring power of theater, especially as embodied by Chicago, the long-running revival that has been on the Great White Way since 1996, making it the longest-running current Broadway show and the longest-running musical revival ever. P!nk's dynamic presence, from her opening parody to her jazz-infused closing number, emphasized the Tony Awards' ability to blend tradition with contemporary pop culture, creating moments that resonate far beyond the theater community
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Tony Awards 2026 P!Nk Chicago Musical Broadway Queen Latifah All That Jazz Leading Lady Marmalade Theater Awards
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