Celebrities at this year's Tony Awards couldn't help but take a few shots at President Donald Trump, using the evening's stage as others have previously to make a political statement at an awards show.
It began when actress Cynthia Nixon won her award for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play for her part as an emotionally-abused woman in Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes." Her acceptance speech at the Tony Awards on Sunday was brief, but included a veiled reference to Trump.
"It is a privilege to appear in Lillian Hellman's eerily prescient play at this specific moment in history. Eighty years ago she wrote, 'There are people who eat the Earth, and eat all the people on it, and other people who just stand around and watch them do it,'" Nixon said.
"My love, my gratitude and my undying respect go out to all the people in 2017 who are refusing to just stand and watch them do it," she added.
Host Kevin Spacey managed to get through the first hour and a half without making any political comments regarding the president, but referenced Trump's "fake news" claims when he spoke of the evening's tribute to actor James Earl Jones.
"In addition to all these wonderful awards tonight we also honored the great James Earl Jones earlier tonight. And, of course, in addition to his brilliant stage work, he's done some of the most famous voiceover work of all time," Spacey began.
"The voice of Darth Vader and CNN. Look, we all like to, you know, quote his famous lines like, 'I am your father.' And, 'This is CNN. The most trusted name in fake news,'" he added.
Spacey later took a jab at former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and her email server controversy. Dressed as former President Bill Clinton, Spacey said that he just wanted to do a joke no one thought he would do and stated, "That was fun."
Sally Field, a nominee for best leading actress in a play, took to the stage to explain the history of the American Theater Wing, which she said "upheld the country's highest ideal — sacrifice for a common cause." She continued in a voice that was punctuated by deliberateness and perhaps sarcasm as she began to apply that standard to modern times, never mentioning the president.
"Tonight as we celebrate the Tony awards, named for one of the founders, Antoinette Perry, the work goes on. Through grants, and programs and outreach, the wing continues to help artists find new ways to tell the American story — a story that reminds us of our strength in diversity, our common bonds, and our enduring national spirit that has always guided us through adversity.
"Born in perilous times, the wing in its next century will do what it's always done: Illuminate the darkness with the blazing truth of art," Field said.
Comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert joined in the fray, beginning simply enough as he began to present the Tony Award for best revival of a musical.
"And, it's been a great year for revivals in general, especially that one they revived down in Washington D.C., It started off-Broadway in the '80s, way off Broadway, over on 5th Avenue. Huge production values, but the main character is totally unbelievable — and the hair and makeup, yeesh.
"No, no. This D.C. production is supposed to have a four-year run, but the reviews have not been kind — they might be closing early," Colbert said.
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