Tony AwardsVictoria Clark Wins 2023 Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Clark accepted her second career Tony Award for her performance in Kimberly Akimbo.
By
Andrew Gans
June 11, 2023
Victoria Clark was named the winner of the 2023 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical June 11 at the 76th Annual Tony Awards at United Palace in Washington Heights.
Clark won the prize for her work in the title role in Kimberly Akimbo.
Others in the category included Annaleigh Ashford in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Sara Bareilles in Into the Woods; Lorna Courtney in & Juliet; and Micaela Diamond in Parade.
Clark previously won a Tony for her performance in The Light in the Piazza and was also Tony-nominated for her work in Gigi, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, and Sister Act. She has also been seen on Broadway in The Snow Geese, Urinetown, Cabaret, Titanic, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Grand Night for Singing, Guys and Dolls, and Sunday in the Park With George.
In her acceptance speech, Clark gave a shout-out to the Writers' Guild of America and their strike, saying, “We are nothing without our writers, support the WGA and their struggle for the contract they deserve." She also thanked the creators of Kimberly Akimbo, composer Jeanine Tesori, book writer/lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire, and director Jessica Stone: "I was so sure I knew who I was and who I wasn’t, and you proved me completely wrong." She then thanked her co-stars, many of whom are teenagers, remarking with her trademark humor, "I can't wait to see your gorgeous careers unfold; of course, by the time you’re my age, I’ll be dead."
She closed her speech thanking her late mother, Lorraine Clark, saying, "She didn’t believe in limits, and neither should we.”
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The Fred Ebb Award recognizes excellence in musical theatre songwriting, by a songwriter or songwriting team that has not yet achieved significant commercial success.