The 2026 Tony Awards are fast approaching… and by all accounts, it promises to be a spectacular spectacle of a ceremony… packed with song, stars, and surprises aplenty!! As folks are finalizing their ballots and planning out their party menus – and P!NK readies herself to take flight – we turn once again to our signature set of quirky questions.

Yes, while we could give you a rundown with predicated possibilities of what performances will bring the house down, or optimistic outcomes regarding what winners will take home a trophy, you may know we like to do it a little differently around here.

Having previously polled the industry insiders with coincidentally rhyming names, we this year turn toward the alphabet, going (quite literally) from A to Z. That’s right – this year’s lucky participant is bubbly Broadway alum Anna Zavelson, currently captivated by the “Angel of Music” as Christine Daaé in the West End’s The Phantom of the Opera, who divulges history and hot takes in equal parts, while dishing and dissecting Tony seasons past and present.

This second part of our quirky questionnaire focuses more on the ceremony itself, as well as the season at large, asking questions that hit at the root of why we do what we do in this industry and, perhaps more importantly, on both a local and global scale, why it’s so imperative and why it means so much.

How did the Tonys affect little Anna – and how did that feeling transform her into who she is today? Read on to find out and continue your prep for Broadway’s biggest night!! As the lyric goes, there’s no business like show business, so let’s go on with the show!

Is there a person or production you’re particularly rooting for this year and why?

Ugh… rooting for literally everyone! I’m just so excited to see so many friends recognized for productions and performances that they put their hearts into!

Is there a show or performer you think deserved a little more Tony love than they got?

I mean, the Tonys — and any awards show, for that matter — are all hard because there’s always someone you feel got gypped or excluded. I wish there was a way to give every performer, especially all of the swings, ensemble members, and understudies/covers their due recognition. Of course, then the show would be eight hours long… but I’d sit through all of it! (Laughs).

In a general sense, what do the Tonys mean to you?

The Tonys are a way for the theater industry to be celebrated and celebrate one another. But [for] a younger Anna, the Tonys were one of the main ways that Broadway was visible to her – someone living across the country. It was always the one awards show that I would always tune into and hope to one day attend.

What do you hope or expect to gain as an audience member/viewer and what do you hope other viewers will gain from this year’s ceremony or telecast?

As was the case for my younger self, I hope this year’s viewers and attendees are inspired and excited to keep making theater, and I hope that many people will see the show and continue to make art, because it will always be so important to have live theater exist.

In that same vein, why should people come out and support theatre, perhaps especially now in this point in time?

Theater is more important now than ever. [We’re] in a time where we’re being told what to think and feel by everyone at every corner of the internet. AI is making it so much harder to tell what’s real from what’s computer-generated, and, in turn, it’s making it easier for us to just agree with whatever information we’re fed. When people take the time to be with each other physically in a theater and watch a musical or a play, they can have conversations about art that they just saw live… in the company of other people. That communal interaction is so, so important right now.

What does it mean to you to have been involved in the community this season specifically?

I got to be part of creating a type of theater that’s never been done before with Masquerade, and to see how that has been embraced by the theater community has been so special. I also got to do [Chinese Republicans], a play that spoke about being Asian American and really delved into the nuances of the AAPI experience. Both of those pieces were so different, but the fact that they both got to have a stage in the same season and share their message is so amazing and exciting.

If you could write a book about this Broadway season, or your experience in the industry this season, what would be its title?

“Who Could’ve Guessed?!”

Be honest: does pink go good with green? 

Pink absolutely goes good with green!! I also think pink and brown are very cute together.

Finally, if you could offer up a piece of advice to the nominees, what would it be?

Enjoy the celebration! You’re all already winners!

The 79th Annual Tony Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall (1260 Avenue of the Americas), concurrently airing on CBS & Paramount Plus, on June 7th, 2026. For more information, please visit www.tonyawards.com.