6 performances from the 2021 Tony Awards that stole the show

Broadway is back in person, and so are the Tony Awards.

Recognising the best of live theatre on Sunday night, Broadway's big names gathered at New York's Winter Garden Theatre for a two-hour ceremony called The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back! The event's theme was a fitting nod to the return of Broadway following closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Come what may, the stage production of Moulin Rouge took home 10 awards on the night including best musical (it only just reopened on Sept. 24), and Matthew Lopez became the first Latino writer to win best play with The Inheritance.

But awards aside, there were a bunch of powerful performances, and theatre kids had an absolute ball watching a string of Broadway legends performing live, like Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel reuniting for a Wicked duet, or Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Freestyle Love Supreme improvising an entire performance, as they do.

Here, in case you missed it, are six great performances from the Tonys — though for some reason, Dreamgirls legend Jennifer Holliday's incredible performance wasn't posted on Twitter by CBS.

1. Daniel J. Watts' powerful spoken word

The Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which has been campaigning against systemic racism and promoting activism through the arts since 2016, received a special Tony Award this year, and Tina star Daniel J. Watts performed with tap dancer Jared Grimes in tribute to the group. "What does your silence sound like?" asked Watts.

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2. Audra McDonald. That's the tweet.

Audra McDonald stole the show along with an equally excellent Brian Stokes Mitchell, reuniting to sing the ballad "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime. The pair played Sarah and Colehouse Walker, Jr. in the original 1998 production.

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3. A Wick-ed-ly talented duet

Wicked's original Glinda and Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, reunited for a performance of farewell duet "For Good."

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4. A beautiful duet that would get us through the woods

I could listen to Tituss Burgess and Andrew Rannells singing "It Takes Two" from Into the Woods forever. Next.

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5. Freestyle Love Supreme's four minutes of organised chaos

Before Hamilton and In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda co-founded Freestyle Love Supreme, a musical entirely made up of improvised rapping, singing, and beatboxing from audience suggestions. The show received a special Tony Award and the cast put together this four-minute Tonys-themed journey for the ceremony.

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6. A lovely love duet from lovers in love

Hamilton star and Tony Awards host Leslie Odom Jr. and Waitress star Nicolette Robinson, who are married, performed "You Matter to Me" from Waitress, and it's just a very sweet, romantic moment. "Remember what Lin said? Smile more," says Robinson at the top.

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If you're extremely keen for a musical now, here are 15 you can stream on Netflix.