This category, for the women, was a toughie. Carmen Cusack! Mare Winningham, for doing Bob Dylan songs! Sutton freaking Foster! And Sharon D. Clarke, leading the revival of Caroline, or Change! But when Joaquina Kalukango came out and sang her big number from Paradise Square… phew, it sure seemed like it should be hers, and indeed it was. The entire theatre erupted when she won, and so did her tear ducts. It was great. Soraya McDonald wrote (and during the show, retweeted) a beautiful, thoughtful analysis of Paradise Square and what might not work about it, but her praise for Joaquina was unambiguous. I agree that she had BETTER be fought for on Broadway after this.
