Broadway, version 2.0

Much attention has been showered this year of the new voices on Broadway that have brought in before-unseen crowds -- African Americans, Latinos, people under 75! -- and breathed financial and creative life into the medium. Some 12 million tickets sold for about $1 billion in revenues. Definitely not chump change.

The Tonys rewarded those risk-takers generously last night, while still reserving the biggest pile of trophies for a revival of a much-lauded classic, "South Pacific" (seven awards).

Lin-Manuel Miranda, speaking after he won best score for contemporary Latin-flavored "In the Heights," showed the duality:

"I'd like to bring popular music and theater music back together. They used to be good friends a long time ago."

As did Stew, creator of "Passing Strange," which won him a best book Tony for its rock-driven score:

"It wasn't my intention to write something new. It was my intention to put music on the stage that people are actually listening to."

The TV coverage of the awards -- heavy on the song-and-dance because, hey, it's network on a Sunday night -- featured a flying Whoopi (pictured), showing that those guys over at the TV Land Awards aren't the only ones who can work without a net.

More winners here and more backstage chatter, fun facts and Great White Way historical perspective than you can shake a stick at from Tom O'Neil here.