The Tony nominations were announced today! Don’t you just love how the Broadway awards season sneaks up on you? One minute you’re reading about the new show opening and the next the Tony nominations have descended on you.
ANyways, here are the Tony nominations with a few thoughts on specific races.
Best Musical
“The Band’s Visit”
“Frozen”
“Mean Girls”
“SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical”
Thoughts: The musical offerings were unusually weak this year, when most years this is the most competitive race. The Band’s Visit has this in the big. (I don’t care how good people say SpongeBob is, they’re not awarding a SpongeBob musical with this Tony)
Best Play
“The Children”
“Farinelli and the King”
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
“Junk”
“Latin History for Morons”
Thoughts: Seeing Leguizamo’s show pop up here is really awesome given how averse the Tonys have gotten to special shows. But it’s #teamHarryPotter
Best Revival of a Musical
“Carousel”
“My Fair Lady”
“Once on This Island”
Best Revival of a Play
“Angels in America”
“Lobby Hero”
“Three Tall Women”
“The Iceman Cometh”
“Travesties”
Thoughts: Angels in America lands 11 nominations, most ever for a play which means it’s got a head of steam but Three Tall Women has rapturous reviews…
Best Book of a Musical
“The Band’s Visit,” Itamar Moses
“Frozen,” Jennifer Lee
“Mean Girls,” Tina Fey
“SpongeBob SquarePants,” Kyle Jarrow
Best Original Score
“Angels in America,” Adrian Sutton
“The Band’s Visit,” Music and Lyrics: David Yazbek
“Frozen,” Music and Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
“Mean Girls,” Music: Jeff Richmond; Lyrics: Nell Benjamin
“SpongeBob SquarePants,” Various contributors
Thoughts: The best thing about this category is just how many people are nominated via SpongeBob.
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Andrew Garfield, “Angels in America”
Tom Hollander, “Travesties”
Jamie Parker, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Mark Rylance, “Farinelli and the King”
Denzel Washington, “The Iceman Cometh”
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Glenda Jackson, “Three Tall Women”
Condola Rashad, “Saint Joan”
Lauren Ridloff, “Children of a Lesser God”
Amy Schumer, “Meteor Shower”
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Harry Hadden-Paton, “My Fair Lady”
Joshua Henry, “Carousel”
Ethan Slater, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Tony Shalhoub, “The Band’s Visit”
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Lauren Ambrose, “My Fair Lady”
Hailey Kilgore, “Once on This Island”
LaChanze, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Katrina Lenk, “The Band’s Visit”
Taylor Louderman, “Mean Girls”
Jessie Mueller, “Carousel”
Thoughts: This might be the toughest race given the number of nominees, which means lots of love and ties. Of these, only LaChanze seems out of the running for the win.
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Michael Cera, “Lobby Hero”
Brian Tyree Henry, “Lobby Hero”
Nathan Lane, “Angels in America”
David Morse, “The Iceman Cometh”
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Susan Brown, “Angels in America”
Noma Dumezweni, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Deborah Findlay, “The Children”
Denise Gough, “Angels in America”
Laurie Metcalf, “Three Tall Women”
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, “My Fair Lady”
Alexander Gemignani, “Carousel”
Grey Henson, “Mean Girls”
Gavin Lee, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Ari’el Stachel, “The Band’s Visit”
Thoughts: SO happy to see Ari’el Stachel here!
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Ariana DeBose, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Renée Fleming, “Carousel”
Lindsay Mendez, “Carousel”
Ashley Park, “Mean Girls”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, “Three Tall Women”
Jonathan Fensom, “Farinelli and the King”
Santo Loquasto, “The Iceman Cometh”
Christine Jones, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Ian MacNeil and Edward Pierce, “Angels in America”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Dane Laffrey, “Once on this Island”
Scott Pask, “The Band’s Visit”
Scott Pask, Finn Ross and Adam Young, “Mean Girls”
Michael Yeargan, “My Fair Lady”
David Zinn, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jonathan Fensom, “Farinelli and the King”
Nicky Gillibrand, “Angels in America”
Katrina Lindsay, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Ann Roth, “Three Tall Women”
Ann Roth, “The Iceman Cometh”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, “Mean Girls”
Clint Ramos, “Once on This Island”
Ann Roth, “Carousel”
David Zinn, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Catherine Zuber, “My Fair Lady”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Paule Constable, “Angels in America”
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “The Iceman Cometh”
Paul Russell, “Farinelli and the King”
Ben Stanton, “Junk”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “Once on This Island”
Donald Holder, “My Fair Lady”
Brian MacDevitt, “Carousel”
Tyler Micoleau, “The Band’s Visit”
Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott, “Angels in America”
Joe Mantello, “Three Tall Women”
Patrick Marber, “Travesties”
John Tiffany, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
George C. Wolfe, “The Iceman Cometh”
Thoughts: This category is STACKED.
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, “Once on This Island”
David Cromer, “The Band’s Visit”
Tina Landau, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Casey Nicholaw, “Mean Girls”
Bartlett Sher, “My Fair Lady”
Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli, “My Fair Lady”
Christopher Gattelli, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Steven Hoggett, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Casey Nicholaw, “Mean Girls”
Justin Peck, “Carousel”
Best Orchestrations
John Clancy, “Mean Girls”
Tom Kitt, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
AnnMarie Milazzo and Michael Starobin, “Once on This Island”
Jamshied Sharifi, “The Band’s Visit”
Jonathan Tunick, “Carousel”
Sound Design in a Play
Adam Cork, “Travesties”
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Angels in America”
Gareth Fry, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Tom Gibbons, “1984”
Dan Moses Schreier, “The Iceman Cometh”
Sound Design in a Musical
Kai Harada, “The Band’s Visit”
Peter Hylenski, “Once on This Island”
Scott Lehrer, “Carousel”
Brian Ronan, “Mean Girls”
Walter Trarbach and Mike Dobson, “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater
Chita Rivera
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Special Tony Award
John Leguizamo
Bruce Springsteen
Regional Theater Tony Award
La MaMa E.T.C.
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
Nick Scandalios
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater
Sara Krulwich
Bessie Nelson
Ernest Winzer Cleaners