NEW YORK (AP) — At the Tony Awards, while “Once” was being crowned best musical, there was another sort of anointing going on — five first-time Tony winners, all under 40, were being hailed as Broadway’s next class.

Steve Kazee, Christian Borle, James Corden, Christopher Gattelli and Nina Arianda each walked away from the Beacon Theatre with a statuette Sunday and vindication for years of toil.