'Hamilton' Dominates the Tony Awards with 11 Wins in Emotional Telecast Amid Orlando Tragedy

The Broadway smash Hamilton took home 11 awards on Sunday night

Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

[BRIGHTCOVE “21012403” “” “peoplenow” “auto” ]Even in the shadow of tragedy, it was a triumphant night for Hamilton at the Tony Awards Sunday.

The Broadway smash that celebrates the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton dominated the awards show, bringing home 11 trophies, including best musical.

The musical made history when it received a record 16 Tony nominations, but fell just short of the record for most wins. (That honor still belongs to The Producers, which took home 12 awards in 2001.)

“I stand on this stage tonight and in this theater surrounded by dreamers,” said producer Jeffrey Seller, who accepted the award surrounded by the cast.

Seller was quick to acknowledge Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda as a visionary “dreamer” who “had a big idea and worked tirelessly over six years to bring it to life.”

The night was predicted to be a victorious one for Miranda and his collaborators, although the mood was subdued in the aftermath of the Orlando massacre that left at least 50 dead at a gay nightclub.

“When senseless acts of tragedy remind us that nothing here is promised, not one day, the show is proof that history remembers we lived through times that hate and fear seem stronger,” Miranda said earlier in the evening while accepting the award for best score.

VIDEO: Hamilton Star Phillipa Soo on the Show’s Record-Breaking Tony Nominations

Hamilton

debuted on Broadway last August to rave reviews, and a ticket to the hip-hop musical instantly became the most coveted in town – if not the nation.

Miranda, 36, also drew praise for the diversity of his cast, and choosing to use non-white actors to portray historical figures including Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

“Our cast looks like America looks now, and that’s certainly intentional,” Miranda told The New York Times last year. “It’s a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door.”

Seller made note of that diversity during his speech.

“To the most supportive, appreciative and diverse audiences I’ve ever witnessed, Hamilton, an American musical, embodies the best values, the best impulses that make our nation a beacon to the world: inclusiveness, generosity, ingenuity, and the will to work hard to make out dreams comes true.

“Look around, look around. How lucky we are to be alive – right now,” he concluded.