Next month, singer and actor Jennifer Nettles will put on an apron to take over the role of Jenna in the Broadway hit Waitress, so the Tony Awards on Sunday were an opportunity for her to celebrate her love for the stage. “These Tony Awards are not only special, they are historic,” she told Vanity Fair. “Never before has Broadway closed. Not in any of the World Wars and only one night after 9/11. We have all so deeply missed live theatre and entertainment.”
Nettles hit the carpet in a silk black and white gown designed by Marchesa. “This dress embodies the classic romance and ceremony befitting of the Tonys,” she said. “It makes me feel like an absolute dame.”
During the show, she performed her rendition of the Dear Evan Hansen breakout song “You Will Be Found.” Beforehand, she reflected on what it was like to “Never before in my life have I gone so long without being on a stage,” she said. “Live performance is in my blood. I can’t wait to make my own offering tonight to celebrate.” She said she doesn’t have any red carpet rituals, but she did indulge just a bit. “A glass of champagne never hurts a gal though. Before a live performance, I always do my vocal warm up to get myself ready to sing.
She’s also looking forward to getting a chance to be an audience member. “Everyone seems very excited about Six, especially my 13-year-old niece so I want to check that out,” she said. “The album Jagged Little Pill never left my CD player in 1996, so I HAVE to go see that show!
Though Nettles first made a name for herself as a singer and one-half of the country duo Sugarland, her scene-stealing roles in The Righteous Gemstones and 2019’s Harriet have show off her acting chops. When she returns to Broadway, Nettles will step in for Sara Bareilles, who wrote the music and lyrics for Waitress and returned for the show’s reopening earlier this month. It marks her first return to the Great White Way since she joined the show Chicago for a limited engagement in 2015, playing the role of Roxie Hart.
“These awards are a real symbol of rebirth and hope that we are all going to be able to safely come together and celebrate the excellence of storytelling that only Broadway can offer,” she said. “Like so much of the world, the Broadway community has been growing and expanding and transforming throughout the past 18 months. And also like so many, we have all been experiencing a profound gratitude for finally being able to come back safely and do what we love most: touch the hearts of the audience.”
— Met Gala 2021: See the Best-Dressed Stars on the Red Carpet
— The Trials of Diet Prada
— Emmys 2021: See All of the Red-Carpet Looks
— Anthony Bourdain’s Longtime Director and Producer Releases Memoir
— The 2021 Met Gala’s American Theme Winners: Who Did It Best?
— Inside the Hermès Workshop That Makes Its Iconic Bags
— Love Is a Crime: Inside One of Hollywood’s Wildest Scandals
— The Best Beauty Moments From the 2021 Emmys
— Ted Lasso: How to Dress Like Keeley and Rebecca
— From the Archive: Influencers on the Coast of Utopia
— Sign up for “The Buyline” to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter.