The nominees were announced by Funny Girl star Lea Michele and 2022 Tony Award-winner Myles Frost, and Broadway is gearing up for the winners to be announced this Sunday, June 11…..that’s right, it’s Tony Awards time! Ariana DeBose is returning to hosting duties live from the United Palace in Washington Heights, NYC from 8:00-11:00 PM, ET / 5:00-8:00 PM, PT on the CBS Television Network.
The 76th Tony Awards may be just around the corner, but which productions and which performers will take home the gold?! There’s no denying that Broadway was hit with a ton of star power this season (hello Jessica Chastain, Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Hayes, to name but a few) but, as we know, big names don’t always turn into winners. So let’s take a look!
Some Like It Hot leads the pack of musicals with 13 nominations, including nods to its leads, Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee, and director-choreographer, Casey Nicholaw, as well as a bunch of nominations in the technical categories. However, the show is not currently the favorite to take home Best Musical, which is leaning towards Kimberly Akimbo, a quirky, emotional, and hilarious story about a teenage girl from New Jersey who is aging much faster than the normal rate. Or what about the hit British import, & Juliet, which has scored 9 nominations? Based around the music of songwriter Max Martin, the new musical asks the question, what would happen if Juliet decided not to end it all over Romeo? And let’s not forget Shucked! Broadway’s surprise hit show is up for nine Tony Awards, including Best Featured Actor for Alex Newell, who is tipped to take the gold for their performance as the big-voiced whiskey entrepreneur, Lulu.
Both Newell and J. Harrison Ghee are the first openly non-binary performers to be nominated. Newell stated that he chose the Best Actor category as it felt the most gender-neutral, but & Juliet’s Justin David Sullivan (who plays May) decided to opt out of award consideration completely. Can we expect a non-gendered overhaul of the performance categories next year?
Over in the musical revivals, it’s the composer battle of Sondheim versus Brown as the current revival of Sweeney Todd is nominated, alongside Into the Woods and Parade. These shows also dominate the performance categories, with Broadway favorites such as Ben Platt, Brian D’Arcy James, Annaleigh Ashford, and Sara Bareilles leading the way. The revamped revival of Camelot has also received a nomination for Best Musical, despite lukewarm reviews from the critics.
Interestingly, its stars, Phillipa Soo and Andrew Burnap, missed out on a nomination this time, but Jordan Donica’s take on the proud Sir Lancelot has earned him a place at the table. Check out his powerful performance of “If Ever I Would Leave You”.
Meanwhile, Pulitzer Prize-winning plays dominate the Best Play category, with Cost of Living, Fat Ham, and Between Riverside and Crazy all nominated. They are pitted against Ain’t No Mo and Tom Stoppard’s new play, Leopoldstadt. The British import won the Olivier Award for Best Play, but can Leopoldstadt repeat its success across the pond?
In the performance categories, it’s a small but tight battle across the board. Jodie Comer (Prima Facie), Jessica Chastain (A Doll’s House), Audra McDonald (Ohio State Murders), and Jessica Hecht (Summer, 1976) all compete for Best Actress in a Play. If McDonald wins, it will take her to an unbelievable career high of seven Tony Awards! However, she faces stiff competition from Oscar-winner Chastain and Comer, who is hotly-tipped to repeat her Olivier Award success. Meanwhile, the Best Actor category is a really strong field in which four of the five nominees starred in shows that have already closed on Broadway. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Corey Hawkins (Topdog/Underdog), Wendell Pierce (Death of a Salesman), and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Between Riverside and Crazy) will battle it out against Sean Hayes (Good Night, Oscar), who is currently still treading the boards – and playing the piano – at the Belasco Theatre.
So, grab your snack and drink of choice, and prepare to settle down for an exciting evening this Sunday. Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below!
FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS
Best Book of a Musical
- David West Read, & Juliet
- David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo
- David Thompson & Sharon Washington, New York, New York
- Robert Horn, Shucked
- Matthew López & Amber Ruffin, Some Like It Hot
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
- Almost Famous (Music: Tom Kitt / Lyrics: Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt)
- Kimberly Akimbo (Music: Jeanine Tesori / Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire)
- KPOP (Music & Lyrics: Helen Park & Max Vernon)
- Shucked (Music and Lyrics: Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally)
- Some Like It Hot (Music: Marc Shaiman / Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
- Corey Hawkins, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
- Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
- Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
- Wendell Pierce, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
- Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House
- Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
- Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976
- Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot
- J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot
- Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Brian d’Arcy James, Into the Woods
- Ben Platt, Parade
- Colton Ryan, New York, New York
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
- Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
- Lorna Courtney, & Juliet
- Micaela Diamond, Parade
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
- Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’
- Samuel L. Jackson, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
- Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House
- Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt
- David Zayas, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
- Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham
- Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ain’t No Mo’
- Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
- Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
- Kara Young, Cost of Living
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
- Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
- Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like It Hot
- Jordan Donica, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
- Alex Newell, Shucked
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
- Julia Lester, Into the Woods
- Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
- NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot
- Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet
Best Scenic Design of a Play
- Miriam Buether, Prima Facie
- Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi
- Rachel Hauck, Good Night, Oscar
- Richard Hudson, Leopoldstadt
- Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, A Christmas Carol
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
- Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York
- Mimi Lien, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
- Scott Pask, Shucked
- Scott Pask, Some Like It Hot
Best Costume Design of a Play
- Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi
- Dominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham
- Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Leopoldstadt
- Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’
- Emilio Sosa, Good Night, Oscar
Best Costume Design of a Musical
- Gregg Barnes, Some Like It Hot
- Susan Hilferty, Parade
- Jennifer Moeller, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
- Clint Ramos & Sophia Choi, KPOP
- Paloma Young, & Juliet
- Donna Zakowska, New York, New York
Best Lighting Design of a Play
- Neil Austin, Leopoldstadt
- Natasha Chivers, Prima Facie
- Jon Clark, A Doll’s House
- Bradley King, Fat Ham
- Tim Lutkin, Life of Pi
- Jen Schriever, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
- Ben Stanton, A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
- Ken Billington, New York, New York
- Lap Chi Chu, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
- Heather Gilbert, Parade
- Howard Hudson, & Juliet
- Natasha Katz, Some Like It Hot
- Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Sound Design of a Play
- Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’
- Carolyn Downing, Life of Pi
- Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol
- Ben & Max Ringham, A Doll’s House
- Ben & Max Ringham, Prima Facie
Best Sound Design of a Musical
- Kai Harada, New York, New York
- John Shivers, Shucked
- Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
- Gareth Owen, & Juliet
- Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Direction of a Play
- Saheem Ali, Fat Ham
- Jo Bonney, Cost of Living
- Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House
- Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt
- Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’
- Max Webster, Life of Pi
Best Direction of a Musical
- Michael Arden, Parade
- Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods
- Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
- Jack O’Brien, Shucked
- Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo
Best Choreography
- Steven Hoggett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
- Susan Stroman, New York, New York
- Jennifer Weber, & Juliet
- Jennifer Weber, KPOP
Best Orchestrations
- Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & Juliet
- John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
- Jason Howland, Shucked
- Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter, Some Like It Hot
- Daryl Waters & Sam Davis, New York, New York
Best Play
- Ain’t No Mo’
- Between Riverside and Crazy
- Cost of Living
- Fat Ham
- Leopoldstadt
Best Musical
- & Juliet
- Kimberly Akimbo
- New York, New York
- Shucked
- Some Like It Hot
Best Revival of a Play
- August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
- A Doll’s House
- The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
- Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Best Revival of a Musical
- Into the Woods
- Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
- Parade
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
