2018 Drama Desk Nominations (mostly) tell the Broadway season to Sashay Away

The Drama Desks revealed their 2018 nominations, which include Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. And boy are they...weird.

It appears that the nominating committee didn't care for the Broadway season as much as the shows taking place in smaller venues Off-Broadway. Not a single new Broadway play was nominated for Best Play. "Frozen" was tossed out of the Best Musical category. "Harry Potter" couldn't even break into Scenic Design. A seemingly bizarre list is often the case with this awards body given the small pool of nominators who choose to sift through an entire season of New York theater. When you have just 8 people deciding the nominees, it is easy for singular tastes to emerge in the results.

So can we use any of this to predict the Tonys? Not really, but there are still some curiosities to mention. After the OCC noms, this is the second group to snub "The Iceman Cometh" for Play Revival, Lead Actor, and Director. Yet both Drama Desks and OCC cited Robert Morse in Featured Actor. So he should definitely be considered a threat. Ditto Brian Tyree Henry for "Lobby Hero." The play is well liked enough for one of it's three actors to break through, and the critical darling might be who voters are settling on.

Over in Featured Actor in a Musical, Alexander Gemignani racks up a second nomination for "Carousel." He should be competitive, but I still worry that he will be knocked out of the Tony race by one of the men from "The Band's Visit." Tony Yazbeck keeps popping up too, and he could surprise as the only Tony nomination for "Prince of Broadway." As for Featured Actress in a Musical...who knows. Lindsay Mendez is on track for her first Tony nomination. Other than that, it's clear the category will have at least two ladies from "Mean Girls" but there is zero consensus on which ones. Flip a coin I suppose.

Full list below:

Outstanding Play
Admissions, by Joshua Harmon, Lincoln Center Theater
Mary Jane, by Amy Herzog, New York Theatre Workshop
Miles for Mary, by The Mad Ones, Playwrights Horizons
People, Places & Things, by Duncan Macmillan, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, by Jocelyn Bioh, MCC Theater

Outstanding Musical
Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company
KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theatre Company/Woodshed Collective
Mean Girls
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
SpongeBob SquarePants

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Angels in America
Hindle Wakes, Mint Theater Company
In the Blood, Signature Theatre Company
Three Tall Women
Travesties, Menier Chocolate Factory/Roundabout Theatre Company

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Amerike-The Golden Land, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
Carousel
My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center Theater
Once on This Island
Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Johnny Flynn, Hangmen, Royal Court Theatre/Atlantic Theater Company
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Tom Hollander, Travesties, Menier Chocolate Factory/Roundabout Theatre Company
James McArdle, Angels in America
Paul Sparks, At Home at the Zoo, Signature Theatre Company

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Carrie Coon, Mary Jane, New York Theatre Workshop
Denise Gough, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Billie Piper, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Jelani Alladin, Frozen
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Evan Ruggiero, Bastard Jones, the cell
Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Gizel Jiménez, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater
LaChanze, Summer
Jessie Mueller, Carousel
Ashley Park, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ben Edelman, Admissions, Lincoln Center Theater
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero, Second Stage
Nathan Lane, Angels in America
David Morse, The Iceman Cometh
Gregg Mozgala, Cost of Living, Manhattan Theatre Club

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Jocelyn Bioh, In the Blood, Signature Theatre
Jamie Brewer, Amy and the Orphans, Roundabout Underground
Barbara Marten, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center, Manhattan Theatre Club
Constance Shulman, Bobbie Clearly, Roundabout Underground

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Damon Daunno, The Lucky Ones, Ars Nova
Alexander Gemignani, Carousel
Grey Henson, Mean Girls
Gavin Lee, SpongeBob SquarePants
Tony Yazbeck, Prince of Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
Kenita R. Miller, Once on This Island
Ashley Park, Mean Girls
Diana Rigg, My Fair Lady
Kate Rockwell, Mean Girls

Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, Angels in America
Jeremy Herrin, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Joe Mantello, Three Tall Women
Lila Neugebauer, Miles for Mary, Playwrights Horizons
Simon Stone, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory
John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
Teddy Bergman, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective
Jack O'Brien, Carousel
Tina Landau, SpongeBob SquarePants
Bartlett Sher, My Fair Lady

The LaDuca Award for Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Once on This Island
Christopher Gattelli, SpongeBob SquarePants
Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls
Justin Peck, Carousel
Nejla Yatkin, The Boy Who Danced on Air, Abingdon Theatre Company

Outstanding Music
The Bengsons, The Lucky Ones, Ars Nova/Piece by Piece Productions/Z Space
Ben Caplan, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
David Friedman, Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company
Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, The Public Theater
Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective

Outstanding Lyrics
Nell Benjamin, Mean Girls
Quiara Alegría Hudes/Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, Public Theatre
Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures, The York Theatre Company
Helen Park, Max Vernon, KPOP, Ars Nova/Ma-Yi Theater Company/Woodshed Collective

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Tina Fey, Mean Girls
Kyle Jarrow, SpongeBob Squarepants
Peter Kellogg, Desperate Measures, York Theatre Company
Hannah Moscovitch, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2B Theatre/59E59

Outstanding Orchestrations
Tom Kitt, SpongeBob SquarePants
Annmarie Milazzo and Michael Starobin (John Bertles and Bash the Trash, found instrument design) Once on This Island
Charlie Rosen, Erin McKeown, Miss You Like Hell, Public Theater
Jonathan Tunick, Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company
Jonathan Tunick, Carousel

Outstanding Music in a Play
Imogen Heap, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Justin Hicks, Mlima's Tale, Public Theatre
Amatus Karim-Ali, The Homecoming Queen, Atlantic Theater Company
Justin Levine, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Public Theater
Adrian Sutton, Angels in America

The Hudson Scenic Studio Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Three Tall Women
Bunny Christie, People, Places & Things, St. Ann's Warehouse/National Theatre/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Lizzie Clachan, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory
Maruti Evans, Kill Move Paradise, National Black Theatre
Louisa Thompson, In the Blood, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Set Design for a Musical
Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2b Theatre Company/59E59
Beowulf Boritt, Prince of Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club
Dane Laffrey, Once on This Island
Santo Loquasto, Carousel
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play
Dede M. Ayite, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, MCC Theater
Jonathan Fensom, Farinelli and the King
Katrina Lindsay, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ann Roth, Three Tall Women
Emilio Sosa, Venus, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Mean Girls
Clint Ramos, Once on This Island
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants
Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center Theater
Dede M. Ayite, Bella: An American Tall Tale, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play
Neil Austin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Natasha Chivers, 1984
Alan C. Edwards, Kill Move Paradise, National Black Theatre
Paul Gallo, Three Tall Women
Paul Russell, Farinelli and the King

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical
Louisa Adamson, Christian Barry, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, 2B Theatre Company/59E59
Amith Chandrashaker, The Lucky Ones
Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer, Once on This Island
Brian MacDevitt, Carousel
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, KPOP, Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Woodshed Collective

Outstanding Projection Design
David Bengali, Van Gogh's Ear, Ensemble for the Romantic Century
Andrezj Goulding, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Peter Nigrini, SpongeBob SquarePants
Finn Ross and Adam Young, Mean Girls
Finn Ross and Ash J. Woodward, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Brendan Aanes, Balls, One Year Lease Theater Company/Stages Repertory Theatre/59E59
Gareth Fry, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Tom Gibbons, 1984
Tom Gibbons, People, Places & Things, National Theatre/St. Ann's Warehouse/Bryan Singer Productions/Headlong
Stefan Gregory, Yerma, Young Vic/Park Avenue Armory
Palmer Hefferan, Today is My Birthday, Page 73 Productions

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Kai Harada, The Band's Visit
Scott Lehrer, Carousel
Will Pickens, KPOP, Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, Woodshed Collective
Dan Moses Schreier, Pacific Overtures, Classic Stage Company

Outstanding Wig and Hair
Carole Hancock, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Campbell Young Associates, Farinelli and the King
Cookie Jordan, School Girls;, or The African Mean Girls Play, MCC Theater
Charles G. LaPointe, SpongeBob SquarePants
Josh Marquette, Mean Girls

Outstanding Solo Performance
Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke, Vineyard Theatre
David Greenspan, Strange Interlude, Transport Group
Jon Levin, A Hunger Artist, The Tank/Flint & Tinder
Lesli Margherita, Who's Holiday!
Sophie Melville, Iphigenia in Splott, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff/59E59

The Chase Award for Unique Theatrical Experience
Derren Brown: Secret, Atlantic Theater Company
Master, Foundry Theatre
Say Something Bunny!

Outstanding Fight Choreography
J. David Brimmer, Is God Is, Soho Rep
Steve Rankin, Carousel
Unkle Dave's Fight House, Oedipus El Rey, The Public Theater/The Sol Project

Outstanding Puppet Design
Finn Caldwell, Nick Barnes, Angels in America
Michael Curry, Frozen
Charlie Kanev, Sarah Nolan, and Jonathan Levin, A Hunger Artist, The Tank/Flint & Tinder
Vandy Wood, The Artificial Jungle, Theatre Breaking Through Barriers

2018 Outer Critics Circle Nominations Announced! "Spongebob" leads with 11 noms

The Outer Critics Circle unveiled their list of 2018 nominees today. "Spongebob SquarePants" topped the list with eleven nominations, followed closely by "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" with ten and "My Fair Lady" with nine.

The Outer Critics Circle is comprised of writers who cover the New York theater scene for out-of-town and national media. The awards include both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. This tends to decrease their relevancy as a Tony precursor, since Off-Broadway transfers are only eligible in their first incarnation. This year, that means Tony frontrunner "The Band's Visit" isn't found anywhere among the nominees, having been recognized for the Off-Broadway run last year.

Still there are some interesting picks and snubs which may or may not foretell the tide changing right before Tony nominations are announced. Complete list of nominees below:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
The Children
Farinelli and the King
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Junk

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
Escape to Margaritaville
Frozen
Mean Girls
Prince of Broadway
SpongeBob SquarePants

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Admissions
Cost of Living
Hangmen
The Low Road
Mlima's Tale

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Cruel Intentions
Desperate Measures
Jerry Springer - The Opera
Miss You Like Hell
Woody Sez

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Tina Fey - Mean Girls
Quiara Alegría Hudes - Miss You Like Hell
Kyle Jarrow - SpongeBob SquarePants
Peter Kellogg - Desperate Measures

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil'C, Jonathan Coulton, Tom Kitt - SpongeBob SquarePants

David Friedman & Peter Kellogg - Desperate Measures

Imogen Heap - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Erin McKeown & Quiara Alegría Hudes - Miss You Like Hell

Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez - Frozen

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Angels in America
Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train
Lobby Hero
Three Tall Women
Travesties

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Carousel
My Fair Lady
Once on This Island
Pacific Overtures

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Jo Bonney - Cost of Living
Marianne Elliott - Angels in America
Patrick Marber - Travesties
Joe Mantello - Three Tall Women
John Tiffany - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Michael Arden - Once on This Island
Bill Castellino - Desperate Measures
Tina Landau - SpongeBob SquarePants
Casey Nicholaw - Mean Girls
Bartlett Sher - My Fair Lady

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Camille A. Brown - Once on This Island
Christopher Gattelli - My Fair Lady
Christopher Gattelli - SpongeBob SquarePants
Steven Hoggett - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Justin Peck - Carousel

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Miriam Buether - Three Tall Women
Myung Hee Cho - In the Body of the World
Christine Jones - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Michael Yeargan - My Fair Lady
David Zinn - SpongeBob SquarePants

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Katrina Lindsay - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Clint Ramos - Once on This Island
Paloma Young - Time and the Conways
David Zinn - SpongeBob SquarePants
Catherine Zuber - My Fair Lady

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Kevin Adams - SpongeBob SquarePants
Neil Austin - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Paule Constable - Angels in America
Paul Russell - Farinelli and the King
Lap Chi Chu - Mlima's Tale

OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Tim Reid - 1984
Finn Ross - Frozen
Finn Ross - In the Body of the World
Finn Ross & Adam Young - Mean Girls
Finn Ross & Ash Woodward - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
(Play or Musical)

Gareth Fry - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Kate Marvin - [Porto]
Fitz Patton - Napoli, Brooklyn
Marc Salzberg - My Fair Lady
Darron L. West - Mlima's Tale

OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS
Jason Robert Brown - Prince of Broadway
Tom Kitt - SpongeBob SquarePants
AnnMarie Milazzo & Michael Starobin - Once on This Island
Jonathan Tunick - Carousel
Claire Van Kampen - Farinelli and the King

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Sean Carvajal - Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train
Andrew Garfield - Angels in America
Tom Hollander - Travesties
Gregg Mozgala - Cost of Living
Michael Urie - The Government Inspector

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
MaameYaa Boafo - School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play
Jessica Hecht - Admissions
Glenda Jackson - Three Tall Women
Lauren Ridloff - Children of a Lesser God
Katy Sullivan - Cost of Living

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Harry Hadden-Paton - My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry - Carousel
David M. Lutken - Woody Sez
Conor Ryan - Desperate Measures
Ethan Slater - SpongeBob SquarePants

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lauren Ambrose - My Fair Lady
Erika Henningsen - Mean Girls
Hailey Kilgore - Once On This Island
Taylor Louderman - Mean Girls
Patti Murin - Frozen

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Anthony Boyle - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Johnny Flynn - Hangmen
Nathan Lane - Angels in America
David Morse - The Iceman Cometh
Paul Sparks - At Home at the Zoo

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Jamie Brewer - Amy and the Orphans
Denise Gough - Angels in America
Harriet Harris - The Low Road
Laurie Metcalf - Three Tall Women
Mary Testa - The Government Inspector

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Norbert Leo Butz - My Fair Lady
Alexander Gemignani - Carousel
Gavin Lee - SpongeBob SquarePants
Nick Wyman - Desperate Measures
Tony Yazbeck - Prince of Broadway

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kerry Butler - Mean Girls
Lindsay Mendez - Carousel
Lauren Molina - Desperate Measures
Ashley Park - Mean Girls
Emily Skinner - Prince of Broadway

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Billy Crudup - Harry Clarke
Eve Ensler - In the Body of the World
Alison Fraser - Squeamish
John Lithgow - Stories By Heart
Sharon Washington - Feeding the Dragon

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

Kate Benson - [Porto]
Jocelyn Bioh - School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play
Lindsey Ferrentino - Amy and the Orphans
Meghan Kennedy - Napoli, Brooklyn
Dominique Morisseau - Pipeline

2018 Drama League Nominations Announced! Who will take the Distinguished Performance award?

The nominations for the 2018 Drama League Awards were announced today. Take a look at the nominees below:

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Animal
Written by Clare Lizzimore

Hangmen
Written by Martin McDonagh

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Written by Jack Thorne, based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

In the Body of the World
Written by Eve Ensler

Is God Is
Written by Aleshea Harris

Meteor Shower
Written by Steve Martin

Oedipus El Rey
Written by Luis Alfaro

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
Written by Jocelyn Bioh

Until the Flood
Written by Dael Orlandersmith

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Angels in America
Written by Tony Kushner

Children of a Lesser God
Written by Mark Medoff

Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Written by Edward Albee

Hamlet
Written by William Shakespeare

The Iceman Cometh
Written by Eugene O'Neill

Lobby Hero
Written by Kenneth Lonergan

Saint Joan
Written by George Bernard Shaw

Three Tall Women
Written by Edward Albee

Torch Song
Written by Harvey Fierstein

Travesties
Written by Tom Stoppard

Yerma
Written by Federico García Lorca

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

The Band's Visit
Book by Itamar Moses; Music and Lyrics by David Yazek

Bella: An American Tall Tale
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Kirsten Childs

Frozen
Book by Jennifer Lee; Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Hundred Days
Book by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher; Music and Lyrics by The Bengsons

KPOP
Book by Jason Kim; Music and Lyrics by Helen Park and Max Vernon

Mean Girls
Book by Tina Fey; Music by Jeff Richmond; Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

SpongeBob SquarePants
Book by Kyle Jarrow; Based on the Series by Stephen Hillenburg
Original Songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan
Coulton, Alex Ebert, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani and Lil' C. Songs by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional music by Tom Kitt; Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Des McAnuff; Songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Paul Jabara

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie
Devised by David M. Lutken with Nick Corley and Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell and Andy Teirstein

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Carousel
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Music by Richard Rodgers

My Fair Lady
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner; Music by Frederick Loewe

Once On This Island
Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; Music by Stephen Flaherty

Pacific Overtures
Book by John Weidman; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

Jelani Alladin, Frozen
Lauren Ambrose, My Fair Lady
Annaleigh Ashford, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Laura Benanti, Meteor Shower
MaameYaa Boafo, School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Juan Castano, Oedipus El Rey
Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke
Eisa Davis, Kings
Ariana DeBose, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Noma Dumezweni, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Deanna Dunagan, The Treasurer
Eve Ensler, In The Body of the World
Chris Evans, Lobby Hero
Johnny Flynn, Hangmen
Alfie Fuller, Is God Is
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Rebecca Hall, Animal
Harriet Harris, The Low Road
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Tom Hollander, Travesties
Oscar Isaac, Hamlet
Chukwudi Iwuji, The Low Road
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Joshua Jackson, Children of a Lesser God
Hailey Kilgore, Once On This Island
LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Katrina Lenk, The Band's Visit
Robert Sean Leonard, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls
Elizabeth Marvel, Julius Caesar
James McArdle, Angels in America
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Jessie Mueller, Carousel
Patti Murin, Frozen
Alex Newell, Once On This Island
Sahr Ngaujah, Mlima's Tale
Seth Numrich, Travesties
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center
Ashley Park, Mean Girls and KPOP
Billie Piper, Yerma
Karen Pittman, Pipeline
Condola Rashad, Saint Joan
Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God
Roslyn Ruff, X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation
Amy Schumer, Meteor Shower
Tony Shalhoub, The Band's Visit
Paul Sparks, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
John Douglas Thompson, Julius Caesar
Michael Urie, Torch Song and The Government Inspector
Denzel Washington, The Iceman Cometh
Dianne Wiest, Happy Days

At first glance, this crop of nominees doesn't do much to shape the Tony race. Since the Drama League allows more than 5 nominees in their show categories, nearly all of the major contenders are present.

The one curiosity is the Best New Play category. The League largely shafted the light-on-new-works Broadway season in favor of Off-Broadway. The only two Broadway contenders here are "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and "Meteor Shower." That is certainly a boon for the Steve Martin comedy, which is seen as "on the bubble" for a Tony nomination. The most surprising omission is "The Children," but we must remember that the League can be joined by anyone who wants to pay for membership. Very limited runs with minimal advertising/buzz will always struggle to resonate with such a group, no matter the quality. The play still looks good for a Tony nomination.

The most shocking omissions in the Distinguished Performance category are Denise Gough ("Angel in America"), Caissie Levy ("Frozen"), and Ethan Slater ("Spongebob Squarepants"). Levy's co-stars Patti Murin and Jellani Alladin were nominated, and the League caps a production at 2 performer nominees maximum. Denise Gough was hit by this rule too, with her cast mates Andrew Garfield and James McArdle taking the two spots for "Angels in America." I don't know how to explain Slater's omission other than snobby theater folk turning their nose up at SpongeBob. He's sublime.

In terms of the ultimate win, it looks like Glenda Jackson's to lose. Though Michael Urie, Denzel Washington, and Katrina Lenk may give her some competition.