The Tonys reward the right people more often than not. Certainly more than any other major awards show. But I still find myself rooting for overlooked underdogs every year. And that's why I have The Sammys to imagine the Tonys done my way!
This year was filled to the brim with incredible new works and reimagined classics. Broadway has relinquished its hold on strong new plays in recent years. But that all changed this season when a group of audacious and finely crafted plays made their way to the rialto. "The Encounter" was the most unique offering in a Broadway house in years. "Indecent" dared to delve into an avant-garde ensemble structure usually reserved for only the most experimental Off-Broadway houses. And "A Doll's House, Part 2" cemented Lucas Hnath as one of our top American playwrights with a script that was moving and hysterical. All three instantly joined the ranks of my favorite plays and choosing which was my favorite was incredible difficult.
I was brought to tears by the music in "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Come From Away," had stomach pains from laughing at Bette Midler in "Hello, Dolly!" and Stephanie J. Block in "Falsettos," and was blown away by revamped revivals like Sam Gold's deconstructed "Glass Menagerie."
You can view my actually predictions for tonight's Tony Awards in the Contenders section, but here's how I wish the nominees and winners had shaken out:
Musical
Bandstand
Dear Evan Hansen (winner)
The Great Comet
Come From Away (runner-up)
Groundhog Day
Play
The Encounter
A Doll's House, Part 2 (winner)
Indecent (runner-up)
Oslo
Sweat
Musical Revival
Hello, Dolly! (winner)
Falsettos
Sunset Boulevard (runner-up)
Play Revival
Six Degrees of Separation
The Glass Menagerie (runner-up)
Jitney
The Little Foxes (winner)
Actor - Play
Corey Hawkins, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Kevin Kline, "Present Laughter"
Simon McBurney, "The Encounter" (winner)
Gideon Glick, "Significant Other" (runner-up)
Joe Mantello, "The Glass Menagerie"
Actress - Play
Laurie Metcalf, "A Dolls House, Part 2" (winner)
Cate Blanchett, "The Present"
Sally Field, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Allison Janney, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Laura Linney, "The Little Foxes"
Actor - Musical
Corey Cott, "Bandstand" (runner-up)
Ben Platt, "Dear Evan Hansen" (winner)
Josh Groban, "The Great Comet"
Andy Karl, "Groundhog Day"
Jon Jon Briones, "Miss Saigon"
Actress - Musical
Bette Midler, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Christine Ebersole, "War Paint"
Patti LuPone, "War Paint" (runner-up)
Eva Noblezada, "Miss Saigon"
Denee Benton, "The Great Comet"
Featured Actor - Play
Michael Aronov, "Oslo" (winner)
Anthony Azizi, "Oslo"
Danny DeVito, "The Price"
Nathan Lane, "The Front Page"
Richard Topol, "Indecent" (runner-up)
Featured Actress - Play
Jayne Houdyshell, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (runner-up)
Lindsay Mendez, "Significant Other"
Cynthia Nixon, "The Little Foxes" (winner)
Condola Rashad, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Alison Wright, "Sweat"
Featured Actor - Musical
Gavin Creel, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Andrew Rannells, "Falsettos"
Will Roland, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Brandon Uranowitz, "Falsettos" (runner-up)
Michael Xavier, "Sunset Boulevard"
Featured Actress - Musical
Kate Baldwin, "Hello, Dolly!"
Stephanie J. Block, "Falsettos" (winner)
Jenn Collela, "Come From Away"
Amber Gray, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
Rachel Bay Jones, "Dear Evan Hansen" (runner-up)
Director - Musical
Christopher Ashley, "Come From Away" (runner-up)
Rachel Chavkin, "The Great Comet" (winner)
Michael Grief, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Matthew Warchus, "Groundhog Day"
Jerry Zaks, "Hello, Dolly!"
Director - Play
Sam Gold, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Sam Gold, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Jitney"
Daniel Sullivan, "The Little Foxes"
Rebecca Taichman, "Indecent" (winner)
Score
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) (winner)
"Groundhog Day" (Tim Minchin)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy) (runner-up)
Book of a Musical
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein) (winner)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Steven Levenson)
"Groundhog Day" (Danny Rubin) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy)
Script of a Play
Joshua Harmon, "Significant Other"
Lucas Hnath, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (winner)
Lynn Nottage, "Sweat" (runner-up)
Simon Stephens, "Heisenberg"
Paula Vogel, "Indecent"
Choreography
"Bandstand" (Andy Blankenbuehler) (winner)
"Come From Away" (Kelly Devine)
"Groundhog Day" (Peter Darling)
"Holiday Inn" (Denis Jones) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Sam Pinkleton)
Orchestrations
"Bandstand" (Bill Elliott & Greg Anthony Rasen)
"Hello, Dolly!" (Larry Hochman) (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (Dave Malloy)
"Sunset Boulevard" (David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber) (runner-up)
Scenic Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day"
"Hello, Dolly!" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812" (winner)
Scenic Design - Play
"Jitney"
"The Little Foxes"
"The Play That Goes Wrong" (winner)
"Six Degrees of Separation" (runner-up)
Costume Design - Musical
"Anastasia"
"Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
"War Paint" (runner-up)
Costumes Design - Play
"A Doll's House, Part 2"
"Les Liaisons Dangerueses"
"The Little Foxes" (winner)
"Present Laughter" (runner-up)
Lighting Design - Musical
"Bandstand"
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (runner-up)
Lighting Design - Play
"The Encounter"
"Indecent" (winner)
"The Little Foxes"
"Oslo" (runner-up)
Sound Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Come From Away"
"Miss Saigon" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (winner)
Sound Design - Play
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Jitney"
"Significant Other"
Projection Design - Play or Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Oslo"
WINS
5 - "Hello, Dolly!"
3 - "Dear Evan Hansen," "A Dolls House Part 2," "The Encounter," "The Great Comet,"
"The Little Foxes"
2 - "Indecent"
1 - "Bandstand," "Come From Away," "Falsettos," "Groundhog Day," "Oslo,"
"The Play That Goes Wrong"
