Hamilton wins best musical at emotional and historic Tony Awards

The hip-hop musicalHamilton ruled Broadway's biggest night as the Tony Awards showed solidarity with victims of the mass shooting in Orlando that killed at least 50 and injured another 53.

• 'Love is love': Orlando shooting victims honoured with rainbow-themed tributes the world over

"Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this atrocity," Tony Awardshost JamesCordensaid in his opening message onstage."All we can say is you're not on your own right now. Yourtragedy is our tragedy."

Hamilton, a history lesson in contemporary verse about Alexander Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers, cleaned up with 11 wins, including best musical. Barbra Streisand, who hadn't presented since 1970, gave the companythe award.

Among its other wins, the acclaimed and hugely successful productiontook homewins for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical(Leslie Odom Jr.), best musical director (Thomas Kail), best featured actor in a musical (DaveedDiggs), best featured actress in a musical (ReneEliseGoldsberry) and best score (Lin-ManuelMiranda).

The musical, which had a record 16 nominations going in,was just shy of matching the 12-winrecord set by The Producers in 2001.

But another record was broken, touting Broadway as a new bastion of diversity. For the first time in Tony history, all four musical acting awards went to people of colour.

When Miranda, who created and stars in Hamilton, won for best score, he recited a sonnethewroteaddressingthe Florida rampage.

"When senseless acts of tragedy remind us that nothing here is promised,not one day," he said."This show is proof that history remembers. We live through time when hate and fear seem stronger."

He went on, visibly emotional.

"We rise and fall and light from dying embers. And love is love, is love, is love, is love, is love, is love cannot be killed or swept aside."

Hamilton's powerfulmedleyperformance did not include prop muskets as planned out of respect. The company instead mimed the actions.

Frank Langella, who took home his fourth Tony for his role in the play The Father, decided to forego thanking a list of namesto instead give "a dose of true reality."

"When something bad happens, we have three choices," he said on stage during his acceptance speech."Welet it define us, welet it destroy us or welet it strengthen us.Today in Orlando we had a hideous dose of reality andI urge you Orlando to be strong becauseI'm standing in a room full of the most generous human beings on earth and we will be with you every step of the way."

The Colour Purple, based on the novel by Alice Walker, took home major wins as well, including best musical revival andbest performanceby an actress in a leading role in a musical (Cynthia Erivo).

A complete listof winners can be found here.