You guys, I got to work my dream gig. I was a PA on the Tony Awards this past weekend. Short of working on another live TV musical — like if they picked a Sondheim show starring all my Broadway favorites (please make that happen) — I don’t think there is a more perfect gig for me. The Tony Awards is la creme de la creme — I care about it more than any other TV event all year. By a long shot.

I’m going to sprinkle this Tony Awards recap with moments from travel, since this is a travel blog after all — this might get sentimental and I won’t fault you for scrolling past my ramblings.

Cut to 16 years ago: It’s the end of my freshman year of high school and I’ve been in a class called Theatre Arts learning all about plays, musicals, actors, directors, composers, and lyricists from shows on Broadway and beyond. I’ve fallen in love with Les Mis and Into the Woods. I know who Lerner & Lowe are. I even learned Fosse-style choreography during one of our bi-weekly theater showcases. And now it’s the first weekend in June and our whole class fills out ballots for the Tony Awards. Our teacher, Mr. Harris, asks for a volunteer to ‘correct’ the ballots during the broadcast and I raise my hand. So that year I watch the Tonys (all the way through for the first time) with an added purpose — to check off who guessed the most winners correctly from everyone’s ballots. Some of the technical categories are broadcast on PBS from 7-8p before the main show switches over to CBS from 8-11p. I watch an up-and-coming actress named Kristin Chenoweth win a Tony for You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Other big shows that year are Jason Robert Brown’s Parade and a revival of Annie Get Your Gun starring Bernadette Peters. Watching the awards and musical performances on a big stage cements what I already know from theater class: I love this world and these are my people. Special shout out to Mr. Harris, the teacher to whom I am most indebted because he gave me the best gift possible — a love of theater that has fed me artistically and emotionally for a decade and a half.

Cut to two years ago: I am at a hostel in Sydney. Remarkably, the Tony Awards air live here — which, given the time difference between Australia and New York City, means that it’s 10am Monday morning when I commandeer the couch in the common room and turn the dial to the Tony Awards. For the next three hours, other travelers come in and out of the room but I don’t budge. It’s Tony time and I ain’t changing the channel for nobody! (Oddly enough, due to the time of day it airs in Sydney, the Tonys are followed by an episode of Young & Restless. I’m tickled by this.)

Cut to one year ago: I’ve just arrived in Morocco two days earlier to kick off five months of travel in Africa. I’m bummed to leave the States so close to the Tonys, especially since I’ve seen nearly every nominated show this season due to spending a few months on the east coast. It’s 3am in Morocco when the Tonys are happening live in New York City… so I keep refreshing the list of winners on my iPhone, rooting for my favorites and lamenting the fact that I’m missing the best night of television. Two weeks later, I have a strong enough wifi signal to download the Tonys telecast from iTunes. I watch it from my room in an Ethiopian guest house, nervous that the volume is too high and I’m going to get reprimanded for listening to show tunes too loudly (#theaterdork). Even though it’s a few weeks post-broadcast, I feel just as ecstatic as if I were watching it live.

Cut to nine months ago: I’m in Namibia and the official date for the 69th Tony Awards has just been announced: June 7th. It’s the first event of 2015 added to my calendar, and I tweet accordingly. Still have no idea that in a few weeks I’ll book another gig of a lifetime working on Peter Pan Live, which will introduce me to New York TV production people who also work the Tonys.

Cut to six weeks ago: I’m at a bus stop in Los Angeles on my morning commute when I get an email from Steven, the Production Coordinator for this year’s Tony Awards. He’s got space on his production team for me. I do a little happy dance, thrilled at the prospect of working on a show I’ve loved as a viewer for so long.

Whew… how’s that for build-up?

In total, I spend 10 days at Radio City Music Hall — the coolest venue I’ve had the privilege of working.

Those are walkies above left — everyone is issued one, along with a handmic, earpiece, and list of channels for each department so we can reach anyone at any moment. Above left is a rack of Rockettes costumes, perhaps leftover from the recent New York Spring Spectacular?

I snap this photo below after the trademark Tonys frame is constructed on-stage — I’ve read that this design was implemented years ago because the proscenium at Radio City is so big (larger than any Broadway house) and it dwarfs the performers on-stage. The solution was to box out the stage so it feels smaller and more intimate. Can you see how the framework has that effect below? It cuts the width and height of the stage in half.

Beginning five days before the live show, each of the nominated musicals reports for duty in 2-hour blocks to rehearse their numbers on camera. Weeks earlier our director, Glenn Weiss, visited each show to record the chosen numbers from various angles so he could plan his camera blocking (these are called ‘scratches’). But now is the first time the casts of each musical take the stage at Radio City to rehearse.

I spot this photo on Facebook not long after The King and I rehearses their medley of songs:

Here is Josh Groban rehearsing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” for the In Memorium segment:

And below is the talented and delightful Sydney Lucas rehearsing “Ring of Keys” from Fun Home, the show that would go on to win Best Musical at the awards this past Sunday. You should definitely check out video of this performance if you haven’t already seen it — this song touched me from the moment I heard it during Fun Home’s off-Broadway run at The Public a year and a half ago. (Side note: the day I saw Fun Home in December 2013, I’d just flown back into the States after 9 months abroad. It was literally the first thing I did before going home to see my parents. This show is brilliant and important.)

But the New York Times photographer did a lot better than my iPhone shot, so here is a neater angle from the stage:

While I’m at it, here are the other three images shared by the New York Times in this article about how the Tony Awards is Broadway’s chance to woo America. All four photos were taken by Sara Krulwich.

As the caption reads for the above photo, the truck (with our control room inside) is parked outside Radio City on 51st Street. But I spend most of my time in the small lobby nearby working the credentials table with coordinator Alexis. She is pretty rad. We check everyone’s IDs to make sure they are cleared for a badge. A gentleman from Radio City security sits with us, double-checking that the names are on his list too. Every day that goes by gets busier and busier leading up to the show.

I enjoy scoping out places for lunch nearby. Here are my favorites…

1) Roast — Pick a cold bowl or hot bowl, four toppings, a sauce / dressing, and add meat for an extra charge. (~$12)

2) Blue Bottle Coffee — Tried this for the first time. Delicious but expensive! (~$6)

3) The Little Beet — Pick a protein (salmon or steak are my faves) and sides (lentils with avocado & oranges is outrageously good). (~$14)

4) Magnolia Bakery — This location is way too close to Radio City for my own good. Got their famous banana bread pudding. Twice. (~$6)

5) Harry’s Italian Kitchen — My favorite slice of pizza in the area. (~$4)

Two days before the show, one of our sponsors (Porsche) rolls a car into Radio City. What a sight:

I don’t spot ‘the board’ until load-out, but as I learned while working the Critics’ Choice Awards earlier this year, it’s a key visual for the producers as they shift around categories, presenters, and performances while locking down the exact order.

And that brings us to the night before the Tonys. We had Saturday off, but would be called in at the crack of dawn Sunday morning, so I go into the city the night before to see a Broadway show and then get some sleep. I catch Something Rotten!, a truly hysterical show about two brothers trying to write the first-ever musical in an attempt to top Shakespeare in 1595. Afterwards I grab a late dinner at City Kitchen across the street while watching a hundred fans gather around the stage door to wait for the cast. Then I walk two blocks to the Paramount Hotel to crash for the night.

When I walk through Times Square at 6:30am the next day, they are already setting up folding chairs for that evening’s viewing party.

Now it’s 7am… T minus 13 hours to showtime. All is quiet at Radio City.

Dress rehearsal begins at 9:30am. I’m mostly stationed at the credentials table (it’s SUPER busy all morning) but during moments of downtime I run inside to catch one of the musical performances or watch stand-ins accept awards.

Here is Team Credentials: me, Javon, and Alexis:

The red carpet takes shape outside as greenery is added to the silver TONY and CBS logos. Fun fact: Anna Wintour of Vogue designed the red carpet this year.

And here’s a look at the Green Room backstage — this was our crafty area for the first few days of production, but now it’s been upgraded to a Parisian Lounge for celebrity presenters and guests.

Here’s a glance at the make-up room backstage — a team is ready to go for touch-ups:

This backstage area has two quick-change booths for the hosts — both Alan Cummings and Kristin Chenoweth have large dressing rooms upstairs, but these are for fast changes. Note the King and I hoop dress that Alan wore in one of many wacky costume bits.

I snap this photo in the wings during a lull a few hours before the awards start:

Radio City is a giant maze but you won’t get lost with all the signage my co-worker Christie has hung so expertly:

A quick look at the feat of engineering that exists underneath the stage at Radio City — this is the mechanism that brings the stage up and down.

And a glimpse backstage at the train scenery for On the 20th Century’s performance.

A shot of the truck right outside Radio City — this is where the director and his team direct the show:

The bustle begins… we’re less than three hours to the live telecast.

Red Carpet time! I take a quick loop around the theater to check it out.

The corner of 6th Ave and 50th is way busier than when I arrived at 7am this morning.

A final look at the stage before doors open:

Walkie with fresh battery… check. Credentials… check. Let’s do this!

Around 7:15p just as the pre-telecast awards are starting, I find a nook backstage near the producer / script table. It ends up being an ideal position to watch from the wings so I stay there until 10:30p! I have my headset on the whole time listening to my supervisors and co-workers in case anyone needs a hand with something. But I luck out and get to see most of the Tonys from backstage. I have to pinch myself — after so many years of watching the show from my living room, this is the coolest place I can imagine being during the telecast. Presenters rehearse their lines on the teleprompter in front of me. Winners walk off-stage past me immediately following their acceptance speeches. The hosts dash by to make fast wardrobe changes. But given the hectic nature of any live show, it’s actually quite calm most of the time.

During the commercial break before the In Memorium segment, I walk back out to the house. I want to see the Josh Groban number from here. I lean against the far wall to watch Judith Light present the award for Leading Actor in a Play.

Alex Sharp (a recent Julliard grad!) wins for Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

Next, Josh Groban takes the stage as the theater community recognizes those we’ve lost this past year.

For the final verse, the stage behind Josh rises to reveal all of the cast members we’ve seen perform tonight.

Now we’re down to the final awards of the evening… I have my fingers crossed for Kelli O’Hara to win Lead Actress in a Musical, and SHE DOES!! It’s her 6th nomination and first win — it’s a long time coming, as she is one of the best actresses on stage in New York. The crowd gives a standing ovation when Neil Patrick Harris reads her name.

Just after Kelli’s win, I get a call on my headset to go backstage to assist another PA with something. Once I’m backstage they nix the call, but I get there just in time to see Kelli pose for photos with her King and I cast member Ruthie Ann Miles (another winner this evening) and the head of Lincoln Center, Andre Bishop.

Side note: a year ago I was refreshing my iPhone at 3am in Morocco to see if Kelli would win for Bridges of Madison County, and a year later not only has Kelli finally won, but I’m BACKSTAGE. It’s nuts that a chain of events transpired for that to happen.

Another side note: Congrats to all the Tony winners who also worked on Peter Pan Live! In addition to Kelli’s win, Christian Borle won Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Something Rotten!, and Catherine Zuber won for Costume Design of a Musical for King and I.

Shortly after this moment, I hear that Fun Home has won the coveted title of Best Musical. I am so moved. And I pat myself on the back for having the foresight to walk over to Circle in the Square Theatre on my lunch break a few hours ago to pick up a ticket to see this show again in a few weeks.

Special shout-out to my friend Victoria for snapping a photo of my name in the closing credits:

While we aren’t invited to the big gala at the Plaza, our production manager and coordinators throw a bash just for our team in one of the second floor dressing rooms. The food is delicious and it’s a nice way to cap off the night.

Following a few hours of sleep, I am back in the next morning at 7:30am. We pack up the production office and ship out lots of boxes. I snap this photo of the crew loading out the set:

Twelve hours later, the gig officially comes to an end.

On my way to Grand Central, I pass by a department store whose windows are dressed in a Broadway theme. I have to snap a few shots.

That wraps up my 2015 Tonys experience. Who knows where I will be next year (I certainly couldn’t have predicted I’d be here this year!), but I hope to continue my involvement in this broadcast. Regardless, this past Sunday will live as one of my favorite experiences ever.

I’ll leave you with a few links to check out… Fun Home’s win for Best Musical has opened it up to more markets beyond major cities, which is good news for theater fans around the country who will get to witness this important production on tour. And the Fun Home writing team of Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori both won well-deserved Tonys this past Sunday, but their awards were given out during commercial breaks. They are the first all-female writing team to win Best Score so it’s unfortunate that little girls watching from home didn’t get to witness this historic moment on TV. Check out their Best Score acceptance speech, and then see Lisa Kron accept her Tony for Best Book of a Musical. Both are highly worth watching. Also fun to watch: during The King and I performance, Kelli O’Hara had 45 seconds to change from an elaborate dress into a full ball gown. A camera backstage captured a team of four dressers facilitating the quick change — it’s really impressive.