Broadway Actor Calls DeSantis ‘Grand Wizard’ of Florida at Tony Awards
Denée Benton was onstage to salute a Florida high school teacher for excellence in theater education.
Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters
Actor Denée Benton took aim at Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) during Sunday’s Tony Awards ceremony, jokingly referring to him as a “grand wizard” in a speech onstage. Benton, known for her work in musicals like Hamilton, appeared on the telecast to hand out an an award for excellence in theater education to a Florida high school teacher. Quipping that DeSantis would be looking to change the name of the teacher’s town—Plantation, Florida—Benton referred to the would-be Republican presidential nominee as “the current grand wizard” before stopping to correct herself: “I’m sorry, excuse me, governor of my home state of Florida.” She paused, laughing, as the audience roared in response.
Denée Benton calls Governor Ron DeSantis the "current grand wizard" of Florida at the #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/O2iEfbOvQO
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023
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