Sara Bareilles in Tears During Tony Awards 2025 in Memoriam Segment [VIDEO]

The 78th annual Tony Awards did not disappoint. The ceremony was held at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 8, and honored Broadway’s brightest stars. It was a big night for Cynthia Erivo because the “Wicked” star served as host for the evening and was joined on stage by several other stars who presented or performed.

Now that the ceremony is over, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on some of the highlights of the evening, including the emotionally-charged In Memoriam 2025 segment.

Cynthia Erivo & Sara Bareilles Create an in Memoriam 2025 Segment

The segment celebrates those who have recently passed away and have made a significant impact on the entertainment industry. Cynthia Erivo and Sara Bareilles were responsible for the moment, and they created a segment that was emotional and respectful. “It’s been a remarkable year on Broadway, but it’s also been a devastating one,” Erivo stated.

Erivo and Bareilles then performed a rendition of “Tomorrow” from the musical “Annie,” which showed off their incredible skills. Among those honored were Quincy Jones, Linda Lavin, Charles Strouse, George Wendt, James Earl Jones, Dame Maggie Smith, Mitzi Gaynor, Donald Sutherland, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Donna Theodore, Richard Chamberlain, Tony Roberts, and Gavin Creel (the complete list of honorees is available on the official Tony Award website).

Bareilles was close friends with Creel, and she appeared visibly emotional after the tribute, which led to a touching moment shared between her and Erivo.

Fans React to the Touching Moment Shared Between Cynthia Erivo and Sara Bareilles

The emotional tribute was shared on the official Tony Award Instagram page. “Sara Bareilles and Cynthia Erivo deliver a moving performance for The Tony Awards‘ In Memoriam. #tonyawards #broadway,” the caption reads. The post gave fans the opportunity to react, and the comment section was flooded with an outpouring of love.

“When cynthia went to hug sara when she saw gavin’s pic i just about lost it. My heavens. so beautiful,” a fan wrote. “two of my absolute favourites — cynthia comforting sara when gavin’s portrait is on the screen makes me cry,” another shared.

Other reactions include, “absolutely stunning. neither one overpowered the other and their voices blend so insanely well. true legends in their own right!,” “As soon as Gavin appeared on screen I absolutely lost it at the same time Sara did,” and “Cynthia hugging Sara when Gavin’s picture came up was so touching.”