By Jeanne Lieberman

 

In a year characterized by odd races, the Tonys also qualify – but not because of uncertainty.

 

Hamilton, the “presumptive” favorite when it opened way back in August, has made it through a busy season intact, with no less than 16 nominations in 16 different categories.

Our sympathies to the deserving but ultimately shortchanged other new musicals this season that survived cutthroat competition: film inspired American Psycho, School of Rock, Waitress, an all female production

 

This year brought new music onto the street, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s return to his early rock roots, Steve Martin/Edie Bricknell’s bluegrass tinged score, in addition to the much touted Hip Hop Hamilton.

 

The annual Outer Critics Circle Awards and Drama Desk Awards unencumbered by the Hamilton Juggernaut because it was considered for awards when it opened off Broadway and transferred in tact present a more accurate spectrum of our vibrant theater scene. Indeed in other new Broadway musicals Outer critics Circle bestowed that Best Mystical honor to Bright Star, the Drama Desk just gave it to Shuffle Along…

 

 

Both recipients of Drama Desk’s Best Actor and Best Actress awards, Jessica Lange and Frank Langella were inspired to make some remarks about being the oldest of the competitors; Frank adding something like “receiving this at my age is akin to having a spontaneous erection” (paraphrase here);  Ms. Lange was not quite so eloquent.

 

The hot race in musicals will be the revivals: The Color Purple, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, (Lyricist Sheldon Harnick competing with himself on these two – not bad for 92!) Spring Awakening, each of which deserves the prize.

 

 This past season, overshadowed by “the Hamilton phenomenon” was in fact liberally sprinkled with A List celebrities: do you remember them? ( Forest Whitaker, Al Pacino, Bruce Willis, Jessica Lange, Matthew Broderick, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, James Earl Jones, Clive Owen, Al Pacino, Jim Parsons, Keira Knightley, Linda Lavin, Cecily Tyson, Audra McDonald, Jennifer Hudson), powerhouse dance shows and a crop of new musicals. 

 

Before presenting the Tony’s Nominated List let us pay homage to those snubbed:

Best Play

An Act of God
China Doll
Misery
Our Mother's Brief Affair
Therese Raquin

Best Musical
Allegiance
Amazing Grace
American Psycho
Disaster!
On Your Feet!
Tuck Everlasting

Best Revival of a Play
Fully Committed
Fool for Love
The Gin Game
Hughie
Old Times
Sylvia

Best Revival of a Musical

Dames at Sea

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Matthew Broderick
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
James Earl Jones
Clive Owen
Al Pacino
Jim Parsons
Sam Rockwell
Matt Ryan
Ben Whishaw
Forest Whitaker
Bruce Willis

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Annaleigh Ashford
Nina Arianda
Eve Best
Keira Knightley
Linda Lavin
Kelly Reilly
Cecily Tyson
Nicola Walker

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Telly Leung
Austin P. Mackenzie
Josh Segarra
Cary Tedder
Benjamin Walker
Josh Young

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Sandra Mae Frank
Eloise Kropp
Sarah Charles Lewis
Erin Mackey
Audra McDonald
Lea Salonga
Ana Villafañe

(remember that each of these overlooked represents years of dreams and hopes and money, careers put on hold and loss of hundreds of jobs)

 

 

 

 Tony Nominations by Production

Hamilton - 16
Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - 10
She Loves Me - 8
Long Day's Journey Into Night - 7
Eclipsed - 6
The Humans - 6
Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge - 5
Bright Star - 5
King Charles III - 5
Noises Off - 5
Arthur Miller's The Crucible - 4
The Color Purple - 4
School of Rock-The Musical - 4
Waitress - 4
Blackbird - 3
Fiddler on the Roof - 3
Spring Awakening - 3
American Psycho - 2
The Father - 2
Dames at Sea - 1
Disaster! - 1
Hughie - 1
Misery - 1
On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan - 1
Thérèse Raquin - 1
Tuck Everlasting – 1

 This season featured 36 productions including 20 plays and 16 musicals.  Theater scene has taken the liberty of putting an asterisk next to their projected winner and a plus sign over their favorites

 

Best Play

Eclipsed Author: Danai Gurira
The Father Author: Florian Zeller +
The Humans Author: Stephen Karam *
King Charles III Author: Mike Bartlett

Best Musical

Bright Star +
Hamilton*
School of Rock-The Musical
Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed+ (tie)
Waitress

Best Revival of a Play

Arthur Miller's The Crucible+
Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge*
Blackbird
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Noises Off

Best Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me+
Spring Awakening*

 

Best Book of a Musical

Bright Star - Steve Martin
Hamilton - Lin-Manuel Miranda *+
School of Rock-The Musical - Julian Fellowes
Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - George C. Wolfe

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Bright Star - Music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Lyrics: Edie Brickell+++
Hamilton - Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda*
School of Rock-The Musical - Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Waitress - Music & Lyrics: Sara Bareilles
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father+
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
Mark Strong, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge*
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey Into Night*+
Laurie Metcalf, Misery
Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed
Sophie Okonedo, Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Michelle Williams, Blackbird

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Alex Brightman, School of Rock-The Musical
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof+
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton*
Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple*+
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Reed Birney, The Humans*
Bill Camp, Arthur Miller's The Crucible+
David Furr, Noises Off
Richard Goulding, King Charles III
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Journey Into Night

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off+
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans*
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Daveed Diggs, Hamilton*
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed+
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress+
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple+
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me*
Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed+
Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin
Christopher Oram, Hughie*+
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge
David Zinn, The Humans

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Es Devlin & Finn Ross, American Psycho*
David Korins, Hamilton
Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
David Rockwell, She Loves Me+
Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Michael Krass, Noises Off+
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
Tom Scutt, King Charles III*

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting*
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Ann Roth, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed+
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton
Best Lighting Design of a Play

Natasha Katz, Long Day's Journey Into Night*
Justin Townsend, The Humans
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller's The Crucible +
Jan Versweyveld, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge
Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Howell Binkley, Hamilton
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho*+

Best Direction of a Play

Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Day's Journey Into Night+
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo Van Hove, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge*

Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden, Spring Awakening*
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed+

 

Best Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
Savion Glover, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed+
Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan*
Best Orchestrations

August Eriksmoen, Bright Star+
Larry Hochman, She Loves Me*
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Sheldon Harnick
Marshall W. Mason

Special Tony Award

National Endowment for the Arts
Miles Wilkin

Regional Theatre Tony Award

Paper Mill Playhouse - Millburn, NJ

Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre

Seth Gelblum
Joan Lader
Sally Ann Parsons

 

Performances have been announced for this year's Tony Awards telecast, hosted by James Corden and broadcast live on CBS, beginning at 8pm on June 12.

The evening will feature performances by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the stars ofHamilton; Sara Bareilles, Jessie Mueller, Christopher Fitzgerald, and the company ofWaitress; Carmen Cusack and the cast of Bright Star; Alex Brightman and the company of School of Rock; and Brandon Victor Dixon, Adrienne Warren, and the cast of Shuffle Along.

Revival performances include Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi, Jane Krakowski, and the cast of She Loves Me; Cynthia Erivo and the company of The Color Purple; Danny Burstein and the stars of Fiddler on the Roof; and the company of Spring Awakening.

Additionally, Gloria Estefan will perform with the cast of her musical On Your Feet! 

Act of God

Sean Hayes and company looking into the 2016-17 upcoming season