There may be a new Monster Cereals mascot coming to your grocery store aisles this year, but Tony the Tiger made his way to the Tony Awards this weekend, posing for photos on the red carpet in a truly odd and surreal bit of cross-promotion between the awards show and the Frosted Flakes brand that made the anthropomorphic tiger one of the most recognizable cartoon cats of all time.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, who was in attendance for the event, Tony was at the Tonys “to surprise nominees with golden bowls of cereal.” So maybe some folks still got to take home a tangible…umm…award?…even if they didn’t win the Tony.
You can see it below.
It has been a strange year for the awards. With writers on strike, the show had to go on largely unscripted, and there have been a few high profile moments that overshadowed most everything else. Winners at this year’s Tony Awards include Kimberly Akimbo, which won best musical. Leopoldstadt won best play, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog won best revival of a play, and Parade won best revival of a musical.
Here’s the story of the Tony Awards, via their official website:
The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards got their start in 1947 when the Wing established an awards program to celebrate excellence in the theatre.
Named for Antoinette Perry, an actress, director, producer, and the dynamic wartime leader of the American Theatre Wing who had recently passed away, the Tony Awards made their official debut at a dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria hotel on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947. Vera Allen, Perry’s successor as chairwoman of the Wing, presided over an evening that included dining, dancing, and a program of entertainment. The dress code was black tie optional, and the performers who took to the stage included Mickey Rooney, Herb Shriner, Ethel Waters, and David Wayne. Eleven Tonys were presented in seven categories, and there were eight special awards, including one for Vincent Sardi, proprietor of the eponymous eatery on West 44th Street. Big winners that night included José Ferrer, Arthur Miller, Helen Hayes, Ingrid Bergman, Patricia Neal, Elia Kazan and Agnes de Mille.
