That honor includes nominees from plays and musicals, lead or supporting. Performers may only win this award once in their careers. Additionally, no production may have more than 2 nominated performers in this category.
Of important note: The Broadway revival of The Boys in the Band was ineligible for these nominations, as the production was not able to accommodate Drama League voters with tickets during the strictly limited run.
The most surprising omission to me is Ink, and its total shunning has me wondering if it was hindered by the late opening (its still in previews) or if every voter was able to see it in time.
Stray thoughts and observations:
- True West is the only Tony eligible Broadway revival to miss the equivalent category here, though Ethan Hawke was nominated for his performance.
- Truly bizarre that Paddy Considine is the only nominated actor from The Ferryman. One would think Laura Donnelly or Fionnula Flanagan would have registered.
- The only three lead actors from Broadway musicals nominated are Brooks Ashmanskas (The Prom), Santino Fontana (Tootsie) and Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice). Are we underestimating Brightman's Tony chances?
- It's great news for on-the-bubble and long-shot contenders like Josh Charles (Straight White Men), Bonnie Milligan (Head Over Heels), Leslie Kritzer (Beetlejuice), Janet McTeer (Bernhardt/Hamlet), and Kerry Washington (American Son). Will any of these translate into Tony nominations?
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties
Written by Jen Silverman
Dance Nation
Written by Clare Barron
Fairview
Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury
The Ferryman
Written by Jez Butterworth
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Written by Taylor Mac
The House That Will Not Stand
Written by Marcus Gardley
The Jungle
Written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson
The Lehman Trilogy
Written by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power
Network
Adapted by Lee Hall; Based on the film by Paddy Chayefsky
Paradise Blue
Written by Dominique Morisseau
Teenage Dick
Written by Mike Lew
To Kill A Mockingbird
Written by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the novel by Harper Lee
What The Constitution Means To Me
Written by Heidi Shreck
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
All My Sons
Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by Jack O'Brien
Boesman and Lena
Written by Athol Fugard
Directed by Yaël Farber
Burn This
Written by Lanford Wilson
Directed by Michael Mayer
By The Way, Meet Vera Stark
Written by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Kamilah Forbes
Choir Boy
Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Trip Cullman
King Lear
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam Gold
Torch Song
Written by Harvey Fierstein
Directed by Moisés Kaufman
Twelfth Night
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Oskar Eustis and Kwame Kwei-Armah
The Waverly Gallery
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Lila Neugebauer
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
Book by Dominique Morisseau; Music and Lyrics from The Legendary Motown Catalog
Beetlejuice
Book by Scott Brown and Anthony King; Music by Eddie Perfect; Lyrics by Eddie Perfect
Be More Chill
Book by Joe Tracz; Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis
The Cher Show
Book by Rick Elice; Music by Various Artists
Hadestown
Music, Lyrics and Book by Anais Mitchell
Head Over Heels
Songs by The Go-Go's; Conceived by Jeff Whitty; Original Book by Jeff Whitty; Book adapted by James Magruder; Based on 'The Arcadia' by Sir Philip Sidney
The Hello Girls
Music and Lyrics by Peter Mills; Book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel
King Kong
Written by Jack Thorne; Score Composed and Produced by Marius de Vries; Songs by Eddie Perfect
The Prom
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin; Music by Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Book, Music and Lyrics by Andrew R. Butler
Tootsie
Book by Robert Horn; Music by David Yazbek; Lyrics by David Yazbek
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Carmen Jones
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy's adaptation of Prosper Merimee's Carmen; Music by Georges Bizet
Directed by John Doyle
Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
Book by Joseph Stein; Music by Jerry Bock; Lyrics By Sheldon Harnick
Directed by Joel Grey
Kiss Me, Kate
Book by Sam Spewack and Bella Spewack; Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Directed by Scott Ellis
Oklahoma!
Book by Oscar Hammerstein; Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Directed by Daniel Fish
Ordinary Days
Music and Lyrics by Adam Gwon
Directed by Jonathan Silverstein
Smokey Joe's Cafe
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Directed by Joshua Bergasse
NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Annette Bening, All My Sons
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Our Lady of 121st Street
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Eboni Booth, Dance Nation
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Josh Charles, Straight White Men
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain't No Mo'
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill A Mockingbird
Jessica Frances Dukes, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark
André De Shields, Hadestown
Adam Driver, Burn This
Edie Falco, The True
Santino Fontana, Tootsie
Harriett D. Foy, The House That Will Not Stand
Lynda Gravatt, The House That Will Not Stand and The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Ammar Haj Ahmad, The Jungle
Ethan Hawke, True West
Marin Ireland, Blue Ridge and Summer and Smoke
Zainab Jah, Boesman and Lena
Nikki M. James, Twelfth Night
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill A Mockingbird
Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Tracy Letts, All My Sons
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Bonnie Milligan, Head Over Heels
Gregg Mozgala, Teenage Dick
Kelli O'Hara, Kiss Me, Kate
Jeremy Pope, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations and Choir Boy
Carey Mulligan, Girls and Boys
Anika Noni Rose, Carmen Jones
Debra Jo Rupp, The Cake
Stacey Sargeant, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Heidi Schreck, What The Constitution Means To Me
Steven Skybell, Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
Keith Randolph Smith, Paradise Blue
Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!
Michael Stuhlbarg, Socrates
Ephraim Sykes, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
Ben Turner, The Jungle
Ana Villafañe, Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
Kerry Washington, American Son
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear
BD Wong, The Great Leap
The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer's lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded.
Stockard Channing, Apologia
Glenn Close, Mother of the Maid
Glenda Jackson, King Lear
Cherry Jones, The Lifespan of a Fact
Nathan Lane, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
John Lithgow, Hillary and Clinton
Stephen Rea, Cyprus Avenue
