Boy, does a morning change things. Yesterday, I declared Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 a dark horse for Best Musical, and while it only received one or two nominations more than I predicted, it has officially made itself a frontrunner by taking home a whopping 12 nominations.
Other than that, things played out rather predictably, and I managed to get 100% accuracy in six different categories. As expected, Natasha, Pierre, Groundhog Day, and Dear Evan Hansen are leading the way in nominations amongst the new musicals, alongside Hello, Dolly!’s whopping ten nominations. At this point, I think it is fair to consider Bette Midler the frontrunner for Best Actress, although I was proven wrong about the double nominations for War Paint, starring Broadway superstars Christine Ebersole and Patti LuPone. And it’s worth noting that, despite my skepticism, the Tony Awards really loved the 9/11 musical (which is a really bad description, and yet the only one that seems accurate) Come From Away, which received seven nominations and may be in serious consideration for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
As for the plays, things were also fairly predictable, with August Wilson’s Jitney leading the way in nominations, as well as some love for Present Laughter. The Pulitzer Prize-winner Sweat did not have as wonderful day as some were predicting in major categories such as direction, but it made up for it in the Featured Actress category with two nominations. Furthermore, the Tonys made it perfectly clear that they are growing tired of Tennessee Williams, as the most recent production of The Glass Menagerie only received one nomination, for star Sally Field. And perhaps most importantly of all, we may finally get to hear the phrase “Tony Award-winner Danny DeVito,” as the beloved character actor has broken away from a very talented pack to become the frontrunner for Best Featured Actor.
While there weren’t many shocks, there were a few jaw droppers. Despite being considered the frontrunner for Best Actress in a Play, Allison Janney failed to receive a nomination for the juggernaut A Doll’s House, Part 2. Anastasia failed to receive any major nominations, just securing two for Featured Actress Mary Beth Peil and Costume Design. That’s still a lot better than dark horses Amélie, A Bronx Tale, Cats, and In Transit, which all went home empty handed. And despite coming out several months ago, and most critics feeling it had lost all momentum (almost all except this prognosticator), Falsettos had a marvelous day, receiving five nominations, all for acting and Best Musical. Look for it to upset in many categories.
Unfortunately, while the nomination predictions were mostly chalk, that means the actual winners will be one of the toughest in years. I’m not sure there really is a frontrunner in any category. I have a hunch that Evan Hansen will pull off a Once, struggling overall but taking home the big prizes, and Hello, Dolly! should have some success, but other than that, who knows? I’ll have more predictions for you all in the month leading up to the Tonys on June 11th. The Tonys will premiere on CBS, and will be hosted by the ever-talented Kevin Spacey. You can see the full list of nominees below.
Best Play
- A Doll’s House, Part 2
- Indecent
- Oslo
- Sweat
Best Musical
- Come From Away
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Groundhog Day
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Best Revival of a Play
- August Wilson’s Jitney
- The Little Foxes
- Present Laughter
- Six Degrees of Separation
Best Revival of a Musical
- Falsettos
- Hello, Dolly!
- Miss Saigon
Best Actor in a Play
- Denis Arndt-Heisenberg
- Chris Cooper-A Doll’s House, Part 2
- Corey Hawkins-Six Degrees of Separation
- Kevin Kline-Present Laughter
- Jefferson Mays-Oslo
Best Actress in a Play
- Cate Blanchett-The Present
- Jennifer Ehle-Oslo
- Sally Field-The Glass Menagerie
- Laura Linney-The Little Foxes
- Laurie Metcalf-A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Actor in a Musical
- Christian Borle-Falsettos
- Josh Groban-Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- Andy Karl-Groundhog Day
- David Hyde Pierce-Hello, Dolly!
- Ben Platt-Dear Evan Hansen
Best Actress in a Musical
- Denée Benton- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- Christine Ebersole-War Paint
- Patti LuPone-War Paint
- Bette Midler-Hello, Dolly!
- Eva Noblezada-Miss Saigon
Best Featured Actor in a Play
- Michael Aronov-Oslo
- Danny DeVito-The Price
- Nathan Lane-The Front Page
- Richard Thomas-The Little Foxes
- John Douglas Thompson-August Wilson’s Jitney
Best Featured Actress in a Play
- Johanna Day-Sweat
- Jayne Houdyshell-A Doll’s House, Part 2
- Cynthia Nixon-The Little Foxes
- Condola Rashad-A Doll’s House, Part 2
- Michelle Wilson-Sweat
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
- Gavin Creel-Hello, Dolly!
- Mike Faist-Dear Evan Hansen
- Andrew Rannells-Falsettos
- Lucas Steele-Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- Brandon Uranowitz-Falsettos
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
- Kate Baldwin-Hello, Dolly!
- Stephanie J. Block-Falsettos
- Jenn Colella-Come From Away
- Rachel Bay Jones-Dear Evan Hansen
- Mary Beth Peil-Anastasia
Best Director of a Play
- Sam Gold-A Doll’s House, Part 2
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson-August Wilson’s Jitney
- Bartlett Sher-Oslo
- Daniel Sullivan-The Little Foxes
- Rebecca Taichman-Indecent
Best Director of a Musical
- Christopher Ashley-Come From Away
- Rachel Chavkin-Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- Michael Greif-Dear Evan Hansen
- Matthew Warchus-Groundhog Day
- Jerry Zaks-Hello, Dolly!
Best Book of a Musical
- Come From Away
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Groundhog Day
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Best Music and Lyrics
- Come From Away
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Groundhog Day
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Best Scenic Design of a Play
- August Wilson’s Jitney
- The Front Page
- Oslo
- The Play That Goes Wrong
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
- Groundhog Day
- Hello, Dolly!
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- War Paint
Best Lighting Design of a Play
- August Wilson’s Jitney
- A Doll’s House, Part 2
- Indecent
- Oslo
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
- Come From Away
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Hello, Dolly!
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Best Costume Design of a Play
- August Wilson’s Jitney
- A Doll’s House, Part 2
- The Little Foxes
- Present Laughter
Best Costume Design of a Musical
- Anastasia
- Hello, Dolly!
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- War Paint
Best Choreography
- Bandstand
- Come From Away
- Groundhog Day
- Holiday Inn
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Best Orchestrations
- Bandstand
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Hello, Dolly!
- Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
Add Comment