FEATURE: 2019 Tony Award Nominations
The 2019 Tony Award Nominations were announced this morning by Bebe Neuwirth (“Chicago”) and Brandon Victor Dixon (“Hamilton”). Critic’s pick “Hadestown” leads the pack with an impressive and entirely deserved 14 nominations (the record is 16, held by “Hamilton”).
Following just behind are critic’s pick “Ain’t Too Proud” with 12 nominations, and “Tootsie” with 11. Critic’s picks “The Ferryman” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are the top plays, tied with 9 nominations each. Below I offer my analysis of some surprises and snubs (hyperlinks go to my reviews). Stay tuned for my predictions later in May.
The 73rd Annual Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden, will be held on Sunday, June 9th at Radio City Musical Hall and telecast live on CBS starting at 8pm ET. Be sure to tune in!
Some surprises:
While other critics were cool to it, “Beetlejuice” received 8 well-deserved nominations!
Similarly, “Gary: A Sequel To Titus Andronicus” picked up 7 nominations, despite a mixed critical reception
“The Boys in the Band”, which opened in May 2018, was not forgotten, receiving two nominations
Bucking categorical norms, the play “Choir Boy” received a nomination for Camille A. Brown’s choreography and the play “To Kill a Mockingbird” received a nomination for Adam Guettel’s score
Some snubs:
The biggest snub of the season is Aaron Sorkin’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” not being nominated for best play; “Network” was snubbed from that same category, too; both are adaptations of well known works, whereas the nominees are all original works
Despite near-universal critical acclaim for her titanic performance, no nomination for Glenda Jackson in “King Lear”
Despite a killer performance and nominations from every other outfit, no nomination for Leslie Kritzer in “Beetlejuice”
Bonnie Milligan was flat out fantastic in her Broadway debut in “Head Over Heels”; no nomination this time, but she has a long career ahead of her
Only one nomination for “Be More Chill” for Joe Iconis’ score (the best part of the show)
Only two nominations for “Torch Song”, including snubs of Michael Urie and Mercedes Ruehl’s fantastic performances
No nominations at all for “American Son”, “Gettin’ the Band Back Together”, “Head Over Heels”, “The Lifespan of a Fact”, “The Nap”, “The New One”, “Pretty Woman”, “Straight White Men”, and “True West”
Here are the nominations:
Best Play
“Choir Boy”, by Tarell Alvin McCraney
“The Ferryman”, by Jez Butterworth
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”, by Taylor Mac
“Ink”, by James Graham
“What the Constitution Means to Me”, by Heidi Schreck
Best Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of The Temptations”
“Beetlejuice”
“Hadestown”
“The Prom”
“Tootsie”
Best Revival of a Play*
“All My Sons”
“The Boys in the Band”, by Mart Crowley
“Burn This”
“Torch Song”, by Harvey Fierstein
“The Waverly Gallery”, by Kenneth Lonergan
*starting this year, a playwright whose play is on Broadway for the first time in a revival will also receive the award, in addition to that production’s producers
Best Revival of a Musical
“Kiss Me, Kate”
“Oklahoma!”
Best Director of a Play
Rupert Goold, “Ink”
Sam Mendes, “The Ferryman”
Bartlett Sher, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Ivo van Hove, “Network”
George C. Wolfe, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Best Director of a Musical
Rachel Chavkin, “Hadestown”
Scott Ellis, “Tootsie”
Daniel Fish, “Oklahoma!”
Des McAnuff, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Casey Nicholaw, “The Prom”
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, “Choir Boy”
Warren Carlyle, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Denis Jones, “Tootsie”
David Neumann, “Hadestown”
Sergio Trujillo, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Paddy Considine, “The Ferryman”
Bryan Cranston, “Network”
Jeff Daniels, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Adam Driver, “Burn This”
Jeremy Pope, “Choir Boy”
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Annette Bening, “All My Sons”
Laura Donnelly, “The Ferryman”
Elaine May, “The Waverly Gallery”
Janet McTeer, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
Laurie Metcalf, “Hillary and Clinton”
Heidi Schreck, “What the Constitution Means to Me”
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Bertie Carvel, “Ink”
Robin De Jesús, “The Boys in the Band”
Gideon Glick, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Burn This”
Benjamin Walker, “All My Sons”
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Fionnula Flanagan, “The Ferryman”
Celia Keenan-Bolger, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Kristine Nielsen, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Julie White, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Ruth Wilson, “King Lear”
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, “The Cher Show”
Caitlin Kinnunen, “The Prom”
Beth Leavel, “The Prom”
Eva Noblezada, “Hadestown”
Kelli O’Hara, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, “The Prom”
Derrick Baskin, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Alex Brightman, “Beetlejuice”
Damon Daunno, “Oklahoma!”
Santino Fontana, “Tootsie”
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Andre De Shields, “Hadestown”
Andy Grotelueschen, “Tootsie”
Patrick Page, “Hadestown”
Jeremy Pope, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Ephraim Sykes, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Lilli Cooper, “Tootsie”
Amber Gray, “Hadestown”
Sarah Stiles, “Tootsie”
Ali Stroker, “Oklahoma!”
Mary Testa, “Oklahoma!”
Best Book of a Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud”, by Dominique Morisseau
“Beetlejuice”, by Scott Brown and Anthony King
“Hadestown”, by Anaïs Mitchell
“The Prom”, by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
“Tootsie”, by Robert Horn
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
“Be More Chill”, by Joe Iconis
“Beetlejuice”, by Eddie Perfect
“Hadestown”, by Anaïs Mitchell
“The Prom”, by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
“To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Adam Guettel
“Tootsie”, by David Yazbek
Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, “Hadestown”
Larry Hochman, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Daniel Kluger, “Oklahoma!”
Simon Hale, “Tootsie”
Harold Wheeler, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Bunny Christie, “Ink”
Rob Howell, “The Ferryman”
Santo Loquasto, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Jan Versweyveld, “Network”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Peter England, “King Kong”
Rachel Hauck, “Hadestown”
Laura Jellinek, “Oklahoma!”
David Korins, “Beetlejuice”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell, “The Ferryman”
Toni-Leslie James, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
Clint Ramos, “Torch Song”
Ann Roth, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Ann Roth, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass, “Hadestown”
William Ivey Long, “Beetlejuice”
William Ivey Long, “Tootsie”
Bob Mackie, “The Cher Show”
Paul Tazewell, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, “Ink”
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Peter Mumford, “The Ferryman”
Jennifer Tipton, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, “Network”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, “The Cher Show”
Howell Binkley, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Bradley King, “Hadestown”
Peter Mumford, “King Kong”
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, “Beetlejuice”
Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, “Ink”
Scott Lehrer, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Fitz Patton, “Choir Boy”
Nick Powell, “The Ferryman”
Eric Sleichim, “Network”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, “Beetlejuice”
Peter Hylenski, “King Kong”
Steve Canyon Kennedy, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Drew Levy, “Oklahoma!”
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, “Hadestown”
In addition to the nominated productions for the season, the following special awards will be given:
Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Rosemary Harris, actor
Terrence McNally, playwright
Harold Wheeler, orchestrator, composer, conductor, arranger, and music director
Isabelle Stevenson Award
Judith Light
Regional Theatre Award
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
Broadway Inspirational Voices, founded by Michael McElroy
Peter Entin, Retired Vice President of Theatre Operations for the Shubert Organization
Joseph Blakely Forbes, Founder and President, Scenic Art Studios, Inc.
FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9
Special Tony Awards
Marin Mazzie, actor (posthumously)
Jason Michael Webb, musical director and arranger
Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company, “King Kong” puppet creators
Total Nominations per production:
“Hadestown” – 14
“Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations” – 12
“Tootsie” – 11
“The Ferryman” – 9
“To Kill a Mockingbird” – 9
“Beetlejuice” – 8
“Oklahoma!” – 8
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” – 7
“The Prom” – 7
“Ink” – 6
“Network” – 5
“Choir Boy” – 4
“Kiss Me, Kate” – 4
“All My Sons” – 3
“Burn This” – 3
“The Cher Show” – 3
“King Kong” – 3
“Bernhardt/Hamlet” – 2
“The Boys in the Band” – 2
“Torch Song” – 2
“The Waverly Gallery” – 2
“What the Constitution Means to Me” – 2
“Be More Chill” – 1
“Hillary and Clinton” – 1
“King Lear” – 1
