Jodie Comer makes stunning entrance at Tony Awards in shimmery gown

Jodie Comer makes stunning entrance at Tony Awards in shimmery strapless gown… days after halting her Broadway play due to wildfire smoke

  • Broadway star Jodie Comer halted her matinee performance after she struggled to breathe because of the wildfire smoke
  • About three minutes into her performance she coughed and said, ‘I can’t breathe in this air’ and was escorted off stage 
  • New York City Mayor Eric Adams has urged the entire city to stay indoors until the bad air, caused by wildfire smoke from Canada, has cleared  

Jodie Comer was pictured Sunday at the 76th Annual Tony Awards at New York City’s United Palace Theater.

The appearance came days after she halted the matinee performance of her Broadway play Prima Facie early after she was unable to breathe due to wildfire air blowing into New York City.

The English actress, 30, was pictured in a strapless dark navy blue gown as she made her entrance at the luxe event.

The Liverpool-born performer’s garment had a sequined top area, as she donned her blonde locks parted to the side and accessorized with pearl earrings on the glam evening in the Big Apple.

The Emmy-winning star is among the nominees for Best Actress at the event, honoring her for her first performance on Broadway.

The latest: Jodie Comer, 30, was pictured Sunday at the 76th Annual Tony Awards at New York City’s United Palace Theater

In the one-woman play Prima Facie, she plays the role of an attorney who defends men accused of rape, and then she is sexually assaulted herself.

Comer is nominated against Audra McDonald (Ohio State Murders), Jessica Hecht (Summer, 1976) and Jessica Chastain (A Doll’s House).

In the aforementioned incident on Wednesday, the show began 10 minutes behind schedule. 

Once it started, Comer was about three minutes into her performance when she coughed and called out to the stage manager, ‘I can’t breathe in this air,’ according to Deadline. 

Comer was then assisted off the stage and the curtain lowered. An understudy, Dani Arlington, saw out the rest of the show in her place which prompted many in attendance to leave the show and attempt to get tickets for performances featuring Comer, the publication said. 

There have been no reports of other Broadway shows suffering problems due to the smoke. New York City Mayor Eric Adams had urged millions of residents to remain indoors as hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires has bellowed in from across the border.

Huge swaths of the nation from the Northeast to the Great Lakes were braced for several more days of smog, while Canadian officials continue to grapple with over 400 wildfires.

A thick, nicotine-yellow haze shrouded the famous Big Apple skyline Wednesday, while the city briefly became the most polluted in the world as its Air Quality Index score soared past 200, which is deemed ‘very unhealthy’.

Comeback: The appearance came days after she halted the matinee performance of her Broadway play Prima Facie early after she was unable to breathe due to wildfire air blowing into New York City

Stylish: The English actress was pictured in a shoulderless dark navy blue gown as she made her entrance at the luxe event

Glam: The Liverpool-born performer’s garment had a sequined top area, as she donned her blonde locks parted to the side and accessorized with pearl earrings on the glam evening in the Big Apple

Feted: The Emmy-winning star is among the nominees for Best Actress at the event, honoring her for her first performance on Broadway

Details: In the one-woman play Prima Facie, she plays the role of an attorney who defends men accused of rape, and then she is sexually assaulted herself

Competition: Comer is nominated against Audra McDonald (Ohio State Murders), Jessica Hecht (Summer, 1976) and Jessica Chastain (A Doll’s House)

Back on track: Comer appeared to be in good spirits days after she departed a performance amid hazardous air conditions in New York City 

More than a dozen US states and over 100 million people are under air quality alerts, as health experts warn breathing the fog can be as damaging as smoking six cigarettes. Nanoparticles from the smog are so small they can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream, with side effects including irritation to the eyes and throat alongside breathing problems.

The smoke issues have threatened a slew of Major League Baseball games scheduled for Wednesday night including the White Sox at the Yankees and the Tigers at the Phillies.

Around 4pm, Yankees officials announced that their game has been canceled and that the two teams will square off in a double header at 4pm and 7pm tomorrow.  

The Phillies game was also canceled. The Washington Nationals have said that their game with the Arizona Diamondbacks will go ahead at 7:05pm as planned. 

The Toronto Blue Jays will close the roof at the Rogers Center for their game tonight with the Houston Astros. Some Blue Jays fans were angry that the roof was open for Tuesday night’s game amid the air quality concerns. 

The WNBA game between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx was canceled amid reports that smoke had begun filtering into the Barclays Center.  

‘All New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible. Stay inside, close windows and doors, and use air purifiers if you have them,’ Mayor Eric Adams said at a Wednesday press conference. 

Adams had been due to attend an event honoring Oscar-winner Robert De Niro at the Tribeca Grill as part of the Tribeca Festival, that too may also be canceled. 

Public libraries in the Big Apple closed early at 3:30pm due to the weather. Outdoor activities for public schools were also shelved. A fireworks event in Coney Island was canceled as was the opening of the 45th annual Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series.  

A sheet of smoke from the wildfires first descended on New York on Tuesday before thickening throughout the afternoon, leaving those in Manhattan unable to see the New Jersey skyline across the Hudson River.

Praise: An understudy, Dani Arlington, saw out the rest of the show in her place which prompted many in attendance to leave the show while others shared their praise for the performance 

Leaving: Another Instagram post showed many audience members leaving the theatre after it was announced Jodie would not be continuing 

Understudy Dani Arlington, pictured alongside Cramer, third from the left, finished out Wednesday’s performance

Yankee Stadium pictured on Wednesday afternoon, at the time of writing a decision has yet to be made on the fate of tonight’s game

The smoky haze begins to descend on the Washington monument in the nation’s capital 

People walk in Times Square as Manhattan is shrouded in haze and smoke

A man attempting to take a photograph amid the haze

The Manhattan skyline shrouded in smoke on Wednesday afternoon 

At the time of writing, the smoke has not forced the cancelation of Governor’s Ball, the music festival scheduled to take place this weekend. 

‘We’re closely monitoring the air quality with weather experts and are in close contact with city officials.  As always, the health and safety of New Yorkers is our top priority. At this time, the festival is continuing as planned. We are hopeful that conditions will improve in the coming days and are looking forward to a great weekend!’ a festival representative told Pitchfork. 

The music festival, headlined by Kendrick Lamar, Lil Nas X and Lizzo, is scheduled to take place at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on June 9 – 11.  

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in remarks that she’s hopeful that the smoke will have cleared by the weekend.  

Software giant Google has told all employees on the East Coast to work from home. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy shut all state offices at 3:30pm. At least three school districts in the Garden State have canceled their activities. 

Baltimore-area schools have followed suit and canceled any outdoor activities scheduled for Wednesday.  

As well as sending New Yorkers inside, air quality alerts were also introduced in states including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Virginia and the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service.

Forced to end early: Comer, 30, said the air quality was preventing her from breathing before she was assisted off the stage by a stage manager around 10 minutes into Wednesday’s show

Jodie has been receiving massive praise for her one-woman show Prima Facie, a role she originated at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London before bringing it to Broadway.

On Tuesday night the role earned her yet another trophy for her work at the Drama Desk Awards.

The British actress, 30, won Outstanding Solo Performance for Prima Facie, in a role she originated at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London before bringing it to Broadway.

Unlike the Tony Awards, the Drama Desk Awards honor not just Broadway performances but also off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway.

This year, for the first time in its history, the Drama Desk Awards opted to make its acting categories gender neutral – or in its preferred parlance, ‘gender free.’

In her category, Jodie beat out David Greenspan for Four Saints in Three Acts Jessica Hendy for Walking With Bubbles Anthony Rapp for Without You and Tracy Thorne for Jack Was Kind. 

Jodie has been receiving massive praise for her one-woman show Prima Facie, a role she originated at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London before bringing it to Broadway

Prima Facie marks Jodie’s West End and Broadway debut. Speaking to CBS News this week, Jodie explained: ‘I’ve spoken very kind of publicly, honestly, about the fact that I auditioned a lot for theater and a lot of the feedback was, you know, the fact that I wasn’t classically trained, hadn’t been to drama school.’

‘That was a kind of hindrance. So, then I got sent this one-woman play written by Suzie Miller to be on the West End. I was just like, wow, it just seemed like such a gift.’

When asked if she expected the impact that the play, and her performance, would have, she replied, ‘No, no, I think we were all really taken aback by it, actually.’

‘But I remember when we did the first preview in London – and this was the first time performing in front of an audience – a lot of it was crying, like very audibly and very quite loud and unashamed, and very guttural.’

TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS 2023

Best Musical

& Juliet

Kimberly Akimbo

New York, New York

Shucked

Some Like It Hot

 

Some Like It Hot

Best Play

Ain’t No Mo’

Between Riverside and Crazy

Cost of Living

Fat Ham

Leopoldstadt

 

Best Musical Revival

Bob Fosse’s Dancin’

Camelot

Into The Woods

Parade

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

 

Best Play Revival

A Doll’s House

The Piano Lesson

The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window

Topdog/Underdog

 

Best Leading Actress of a Musical

Annaleigh Ashford — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Sara Bareilles — Into The Woods

Victoria Clark — Kimberly Akimbo

Lorna Courtney — & Juliet

Micaela Diamond — Parade

 

Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House

Best Leading Actress of a Play

Jessica Chastain — A Doll’s House

Jodie Comer — Prima Facie

Jessica Hecht — Summer, 1976

Audra McDonald — Ohio State Murders

 

Best Leading Actor of a Musical

Christian Borle — Some Like It Hot

J. Harrison Ghee — Some Like It Hot

Josh Groban — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Brian D’Arcy James — Into The Woods

Ben Platt at the Met Gala 2023

Ben Platt — Parade

Colton Ryan — New York, New York

 

Best Leading Actor of a Play

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II — Topdog/Underdog

Corey Hawkins — Topdog/Underdog

Sean Hayes — Good Night, Oscar

Stephen McKinley Henderson — Between Riverside and Crazy

Wendell Pierce — Death of a Salesman

 Best Book of a Musical

 & Juliet — David West Read

Kimberly Akimbo — David Lindsay-Abaire

New York, New York — David Thompson & Sharon Washington

Shucked — Robert Horn

Some Like It Hot — Matthew López & Amber Ruffin 

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Jordan E. Cooper — Ain’t No Mo’

Samuel L. Jackson — August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson

Arian Moayed — A Doll’s House

Brandon Uranowitz — Leopoldstadt — WINNER

David Zayas — Cost Of Living 

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical 

Kevin Del Aguila — Some Like It Hot

 Kevin Cahoon — Shucked

Justin Cooley — Kimberly Akimbo

Jordan Donica — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot

Alex Newell — Shucked 

 

Best Scenic Design of a Play 

Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding — Life Of Pi — WINNERS

Miriam Buether — Prima Facie

Rachel Hauck — Good Night, Oscar

Richard Hudson — Leopoldstadt

Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon — A Christmas Carol 

 

Best Costume Design of a Play

Brigitte Reiffenstuel — Leopoldstadt — WINNER

Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell — Life Of Pi

Dominique Fawn Hill — Fat Ham

Emilio Sosa — Ain’t No Mo’

Emilio Sosa — Good Night, Oscar

 

Best Lighting Design of a Play 

Neil Austin — Leopoldstadt

Natasha Chivers — Prima Facie

Jon Clark — Jon Clark

Bradley King — Fat Ham

Tim Lutkin — Life Of Pi — WINNER

Jen Schriever — Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman

Ben Stanton — A Christmas Carol 

Best Original Score (music and/or lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Kimberly Akimbo — David Lindsay-Abaire/Jeanine Tesori — WINNER

Almost Famous — Tom Kitt/Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt

KPOP — Helen Park & Max Vernon

Shucked — Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally

Some Like It Hot — Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play 

Nikki Crawford — Fat Ham

Crystal Lucas-Perry — Ain’t No Mo’

Miriam Silverman — The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window 

Katy Sullivan — Cost Of Living

Kara Young — Cost Of Living 

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical 

Julia Lester — Into The Woods

Ruthie Ann Miles — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Bonnie Milligan — Kimberly Akimbo — WINNER

NaTasha Yvette Williams — Some Like It Hot

Betsy Wolfe — & Juliet 

 

Best Scenic Design of a Musical 

Beowulf Boritt — New York, New York — WINNER

Mimi Lien — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Scott Pask — Shucked

Scott Pask — Some Like It Hot

Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot

 

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes — Some Like It Hot — WINNER

Clint Ramos & Sophia Choi — KPOP

Susan Hilferty — Parade

Jennifer Moeller — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot

Paloma Young — & Juliet 

 

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington — New York, New York

Lap Chi Chu — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot

Heather Gilbert — Parade

Howard Hudson — & Juliet

Natasha Katz — Some Like It Hot

Natasha Katz — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street — WINNER

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