The annual roster of Tony nominations is in as of this morning and, not unlike other years, I find myself poring over a mixed bag of “terrific” and “what were they thinking?”
In the plus column, you’ll notice (a complete list is cited below) the brilliant (albeit struggling) A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder tops the list with 10 nominations; that The Glass Menagerie has finally been recognized (something past Broadway productions have managed to skirt, as was pointed out by Patrick Healy in yesterday’s New York Times); and that a lot of really fine performances got thumbs ups.
Jefferson Mays as Henry D'Ysquith, Jennifer Smith, and Bryce Pinkham as Monty Navarro in a scene from A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Photo: Joan Marcus.
On the down side, some amazing performances didn’t make the cut –including a whole bunch from high-profile stars like Denzel Washington (A Raisin in the Sun); Zachary Quinto (The Glass Menagerie); Will Swenson (Les Misérables); LaChanze (If/Then); and Daniel Radcliffe (The Cripple of Inishmaan). The total non-acknowledgement of Will Eno’s cutting-edge Broadway debut The Realistic Joneses - including the entire cast (Toni Collette, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts and Marisa Tomei) - was just wrong.
And I’m still puzzling over the decision by the Tony committee to waive the longstanding rule that designates “revivals” be Broadway revivals vs. shows that have only been mounted Off-Broadway (Hedwig, Violet, The Cripple of Inishmaan). I get that – particularly in the musical revival category – they needed to pad the options, but does this mean they will revert back to their former rules next season if viable revivals abound? Just curious.
The American Theatre Wing’s 68th Annual Tony Awards ceremony – hosted by Hugh Jackman (always a plus) – is set for Sunday, June 8th at Radio City Hall. CBS will broadcast the event live.
Tony Nominations, The 2013-2014 Season
Best Play
Outside Mullingar
Best Musical
James Monroe Iglehart in Aladdin. Photo: Cylla von Tiedemann
Beautiful — The Carole King Musical
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Revival of a Play
The Cripple of Inishmaan
The Glass Menagerie
A Raisin in the Sun
Twelfth Night
Best Revival of a Musical
Neil Patrick Harris as Hedwig. Photo: Joan Marcus, 2014
Les Misérables
Best Book of a Musical
Aladdin
Beautiful — The Carole King Musical
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Aladdin
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
If/Then
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Bryan Cranston in All the Way. Photo: Eugenia Eliseeva
Samuel Barnett, Twelfth Night
Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Chris O'Dowd, Of Mice and Men
Tony Shalhoub, Act One
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella in The Velocity of Autumn. Photo: T. Wood.
Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Andy Karl in Rocky. Photo: Matthew Murphy
Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ramin Karimloo, Les Misérables
Andy Karl, Rocky
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Bryce Pinkham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster with Annie Golden in Violet. Photo: Joan Marcus
Mary Bridget Davies, A Night With Janis Joplin
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful — The Carole King Musical
Kelli O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Paul Chahidi, Twelfth Night
Stephen Fry, Twelfth Night
Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night
Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Sarah Greene, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun
Anika Noni Rose, A Raisin in the Sun
Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Cabaret
Nick Cordero, Bullets Over Broadway
Joshua Henry, Violet
James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin
Jarrod Spector, Beautiful — The Carole King Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Linda Emond, Cabaret
Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Anika Larsen, Beautiful — The Carole King Musical
Adriane Lenox, After Midnight
Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Direction of a Play
Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night
Michael Grandage, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Kenny Leon, A Raisin in the Sun
John Tiffany, The Glass Menagerie
Best Direction of a Musical
Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Leigh Silverman, Violet
Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Best Choreography
Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Steven Hoggett & Kelly Devine, Rocky
Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin
Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowulf Boritt, Act One
Bob Crowley, The Glass Menagerie
Es Devlin, Machinal
Christopher Oram, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Christopher Barreca, Rocky
Julian Crouch, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Santo Loquasto, Bullets Over Broadway
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Act One
Michael Krass, Machinal
Rita Ryack, Casa Valentina
Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway
Arianne Phillips, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Isabel Toledo, After Midnight
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Jane Cox, Machinal
Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie
Japhy Weideman, Of Mice and Men
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Christopher Akerlind, Rocky
Howell Binkley, After Midnight
Donald Holder, The Bridges of Madison County
Best Sound Design of a Play
Alex Baranowski, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Dan Moses Schreier, Act One
Matt Tierney, Machinal
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, After Midnight
Tim O'Heir, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Mick Potter, Les Misérables
Brian Ronan, Beautiful — The Carole King Musical
Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, Bullets Over Broadway
Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Steve Sidwell, Beautiful — The Carole King Musical
Jonathan Tunick, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Tony Nominations by Production
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder - 10
Hedwig and the Angry Inch - 8
After Midnight - 7
Beautiful — The Carole King Musical - 7
The Glass Menagerie - 7
Twelfth Night - 7
Bullets Over Broadway - 6
The Cripple of Inishmaan - 6
Act One - 5
Aladdin - 5
A Raisin in the Sun - 5
The Bridges of Madison County - 4
Casa Valentina - 4
Machinal - 4
Rocky - 4
Violet - 4
Les Misérables - 3
All the Way –
Cabaret - 2
If/Then - 2
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill - 2
Mothers and Sons - 2
Of Mice and Men - 2
A Night With Janis Joplin - 1
Outside Mullingar - 1
Richard III - 1
The Velocity of Autumn – 1
Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre: Jane Greenwood
Regional Theatre Award: Signature Theatre, New York, N.Y.
Isabelle Stevenson Award: Rosie O'Donnell
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre: Joseph P. Benincasa; Joan Marcus; Charlotte Wilcox