Carnegie Mellon Alumna Earns Tony Award for Best Musical

Carnegie Mellon University alumni shone among Broadway’s brightest stars at the 79th Annual Tony Awards in New York City on Sunday, June 7. 

Hosted by music superstar and global icon P!NK, The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards broadcast LIVE to both coasts on the CBS Television Network, and streamed on Paramount+*. Prior to the broadcast, Tony® Award-winner and five-time Tony® Award nominee Laura Benanti and six-time Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, musician, and writer Tituss Burgess hosted THE TONY AWARDS: ACT ONE, a live pre-show with exclusive content that was available to viewers for free on Pluto TV — a global leader in free streaming television.

Throughout the evening, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama alumni were among the award show performers, including Josh Gad (2003) and Rory O’Malley (2003), who reunited with original castmates for a special moment to celebrate the 15th anniversary of “The Book of Mormon.” Gad and O’Malley were both nominated for Tonys in 2011 for their “The Book of Mormon” roles. Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (2003) honored those we’ve lost this year with a moving performance of “Without You” from “Rent”, in honor of the show’s 30th anniversary. Several other CMU alumni also were presenters, nominees, winners and advocates for theatre education. 

Carnegie Mellon continues its longstanding tradition of producing top talent onstage and behind the scenes. The CMU School of Drama(opens in new window) is the country's oldest degree-granting drama school and consistently ranks among the world's best.

2026 CMU Alumna Tony Award Winner

Producer Jamie deRoy (1967), School of Drama alumna, was nominated and won the Tony Award for her work in “Schmigadoon!” (Best Musical).

deRoy recieved an honorary doctorate  of Fine Arts during CMU’s May commencement ceremony.

“The Carnegie Mellon community is thrilled to see the extraordinary creativity and talents of our alumni recognized, once again, on Broadway’s biggest stage,” said CMU President Farnam Jahanian.(opens in new window) “From performers and producers to writers, designers and educators, our alumni continue to shape and elevate the future of theatre arts in remarkable ways. We congratulate and celebrate all of this year’s exceptional nominees and winners.”   

A Lifetime of Achievement

Lighting designer Jules Fisher (School of Drama 1960, and 2013 honorary doctorate) received the 2026 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Fisher is considered the “gold standard” of the art form, conceiving and designing concurrently for Broadway, film, the music industry, and digital animation. In a Broadway career spanning more than 60 years, he has designed more than 100 plays and musicals and has been honored with nine Tony Awards and 25 nominations. In addition to entertainment, Fisher is a founder of the architectural lighting design firm Fisher Marantz Stone and Fisher Dachs Associates, one of the world's foremost, forward-thinking, and experienced Theatre Planning and Design consulting firms. Together with fellow alum Peggy Eisenhauer (School of Drama 1983), Fisher has also operated Third Eye Ltd., a lighting design firm in New York City. They have been business partners for 41 years.

The Tony Awards and CMU Honor Arts Educator from Ellenwood, Georgia

Freddie Hendricks, a middle school theatre teacher at Utopian Academy for the Arts in Ellenwood, Georgia, was the 2026 winner of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award(opens in new window) (EITEA).

The award, which has been presented by the Tony Awards in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University since 2014, was presented by School of Drama alumna and acclaimed director, Leigh Silverman(opens in new window) (1996), and CMU President Jahanian.

Hendricks is the 10^th theatre arts teacher to receive the award. He has been an arts educator for more than 30 years and was an honorable mention for the EITEA in 2023 and 2024. 

The EITEA recognizes a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S. who has demonstrated exemplary impact on students’ lives and who embodies the highest standards of the profession. Hendricks will receive $10,000 for Utopian Academy, and his students will also receive a visiting master class taught by CMU drama professors later this year. 

At Utopian, Hendricks trains students in a “rigorous, ensemble-based program of acting, movement and storytelling.” Their outreach in the community includes partnerships with the NAACP and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center; Hendricks also teaches virtual classes to students based in London, England. He founded the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, a pioneering African American theatre company that helps to empower young artists through socially conscious storytelling. His goal for all students is to help them use theatre as a tool for artistic excellence, leadership and social impact.

During the telecast, Hendricks was recognized by Tony Award nominee Patrick Wilson (School of Drama 1995).

For more information about CMU and the Tony Awards, visit cmu.edu/tony-awards.