Hello, Sammys! (Or: If I as a Tony Voter 2017)

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"

Close Your Eyes and Say a Prayer: Final 2017 Tony Nominations Predictions

Pain is setting in as I frantically second guess every prediction I've made thus far. If you're having last minute changes of heart like me, here is some analysis of the top categories and final predictions. We will find out how smart or silly I am in the morning!

BEST MUSICAL
1.) Dear Evan Hansen
2.) Come From Away
3.) Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
4.) Groundhog Day

The top three are locks. "Groundhog Day" has developed a rooting factor and sense of goodwill after pushing through despite Andy Karl's injury. It's also a ton of fun. In case of a tie, expect last minute surprise "Bandstand," or technical marvel "Anastasia" to slip in a fifth slot.

BEST PLAY
1.) A Doll's House, Part 2

2.) Sweat

3.) Oslo
4.) Indecent

These seem pretty solid and truly any of them could win. If being an orange (audacious but poignant comedy) in a bag of apples ("important" dramas) helps you stand out, "A Dolls House Part 2" could have the edge. "Significant Other" "The Encounter" and "Heisenberg" would make worthy nominees, but probably only possible in a tie. Its been a phenomenal season for new plays.

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
1.) Hello, Dolly!
2.) Falsettos
3.) Sunset Boulevard

The only question: "Sunset Boulevard" or "Miss Saigon" in the third slot. Last year had a similar situation and yielded four nominees. It could happen again.

BEST PLAY REVIVAL
1.) The Little Foxes
2.) Jitney
3.) Six Degrees of Separation
4.) Present Laughter

"The Price" could muscle it's way in, but its only other guaranteed nomination is Featured Actor. Ditto "The Front Page" which will probably find its only nomination with Nathan Lane. It'll be "The Little Foxes" vs. "Jitney" for the win. Kudos to MTC.

DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
1.) Rachel Chavkin, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
2.) Michael Greif, "Dear Evan Hansen"
3.) Christopher Ashley, "Come From Away"
4.) Jerry Zaks, "Hello, Dolly!"
5.) Matthew Warchus, "Groundhog Day"

I feel fairly confident here. James Lapine could be a spoiler for his high concept "Falsettos" or Andy Blankenbuehler might be welcomed into the directors club for "Bandstand." But, outside of voters claiming Jerry Zaks "recreated" instead of directed, the top 5 are solid.

DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
1.) Bartlett Sher, "Oslo"
2.) Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Jitney"
3.) Daniel Sullivan, "The Little Foxes"
4.) Rebecca Taichman, "Indecent"
5.) Sam Gold, "A Doll's House, Part 2"

Holy hell, this is hard. There are seven would-be sure things, but only five slots. So some huge omissions are going to happen. Controversially, I think Kate Whoriskey ("Sweat") and Trip Cullmann ("Six Degrees of Separation") get snubbed. At least that's how I'm thinking for the next five minutes before I change my mind again. Sam Gold is vulnerable since his play is not a "big" production, but will they snub the most in demand theater director of the moment in a well liked play?

LEAD ACTRESS - MUSICAL
1.) Bette Midler, "Hello, Dolly!"
2.) Patti LuPone, "War Paint"
3.) Christine Ebersole, "War Paint"
4.) Denee Benton, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
5.) Laura Osnes, "Bandstand"

The fourth and fifth slots are completely up for grabs. Anyone who tells you otherwise is nuts. I think this may be the only lead category with a tie. My gut tells me Eva Noblezada makes the cut for her on and off stage narrative with "Miss Saigon." But would she take Benton or Osnes? And Christy Altomare has her fans. I'll stick with the above five for now and probably be wrong when I wake up.

LEAD ACTOR - MUSICAL
1.) Ben Platt, "Dear Evan Hansen"
2.) Andy Karl, "Groundhog Day"
3.) David Hyde Pierce, "Hello, Dolly!"
4.) Josh Groban, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
5.) Christian Borle, "Falsettos"

Borle could split votes with himself, but "Falsettos" is well loved. Groban isn't as true a lead as his competitors, which could hurt him. If either fall through the cracks, expect Jon Jon Briones to right the messy Tony history of The Engineer with a nomination for "Miss Saigon."

LEAD ACTRESS - PLAY
1.) Laurie Metcalf, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
2.) Laura Linney, "The Little Foxes"
3.) Cate Blanchett, "The Present"
4.) Allison Janney, "Six Degrees of Separation"
5.) Sally Field, "The Glass Menagerie"

The top four are set. Many pundits have Jennifer Ehle rounding out the category, but the character doesn't offer the actress much to work with. I think it comes down to Sally Field vs. Mary-Louise Parker. It'll be a coin toss, but Field has earned respect despite a divisive production.

LEAD ACTOR - PLAY
1.) Kevin Kline, "Present Laughter"
2.) Gideon Glick, "Significant Other"
3.) Corey Hawkins, "Six Degrees of Separation"
4.) Simon McBurney, "The Encounter"
5.) Mark Ruffalo, "The Price"

I'm going against the grain by omitting Jefferson Mays, but his character is burdened with the same narration issues as Ehle's. Chris Cooper or Denis Arndt could swoop in and grab someone's slot. Likely Ruffalo whose play is flying a bit under the radar. I'll probably kick myself for not bumping Ruffalo for Cooper but, one can never know.

For my rankings on these and all categories (including those pesky Featured acting races and design categories) head over to the contenders page.

"Sweat" claims 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony next?

The winners for the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes were announced, and Lynn Nottage has claimed the Drama prize for her new play “Sweat.” With Tony nominations just a few weeks away, will this kudos give the play’s odds a bump?

“Sweat” began its New York life at the Public Theater Off-Broadway. After a sold out and critically acclaimed limited run, it transferred to Studio 54 on Broadway. It has continued to wow critics in its new home. The culturally relevant play focuses on a group of factory workers in a rural Philadelphia town during 2000 and 2008. Nottage explores the rising economic fears and racial tensions as factories close their doors.

This marks the second Pulitzer Prize win for Nottage, who also won this award for “Ruined” in 2009. That dramatic work examined the lives of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during a civil war. Nottage is now just the 8th playwright with multiple Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. To find the most recent example you will have go all the way back to 1990, when August Wilson claimed his Pulitzer for “The Piano Lesson.” He had previously won for “Fences.”

Producers for “Sweat” are surely celebrating and making up some new marquee signage to tout the surprise win. The show is about to enter a heated Tony race for Best Play, where it faces off against  “Oslo,” “Indecent,” “Significant Other,” “The Play That Goes Wrong,” The Encounter,” “Heisenberg,” “Oh, Hello” and “The Present.” Any bump in prestige and/or press will be welcome.

The other two finalists for the Drama prize were: “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe and “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music” by Taylor Mac. Both productions played to much acclaim Off-Broadway earlier this season. Though they didn’t win, their citations are still just as impressive: “The Wolves” is DeLappe’s first play, and by my count Taylor Mac is the first genderqueer playwright to be recognized by the Pulitzers. Not too shabby.

TONY Awards Set 2017 Ceremony Date

If the summer had you missing the fervor and excitement of Tony season, here's something to get excited about!

The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League announced that the 71st Annual Tony Awards will take place on Sunday June 11, 2017. CBS will once again broadcast the telecast (for the 40th year in a row) at 8:00pm Eastern Time.

This will be the second consecutive year the Tony Awards will take place on the second Sunday in June, rather than the first Sunday of the month, as had become customary in recent years. The date change was prompted last year due to a conflict with previously used venue Radio City Music Hall. Instead of the Rockette's home turf, the Tonys played at the Beacon Theatre in the Upper West Side. The announced date could indicate that the ceremony will return to the Beacon once again, but no venue was formally announced.

The eligibility cut-off date for these kudos will be Thursday April 27, 2017. Broadway productions must be open on or before that date to be considered eligible for nominations. Nominations for the 71st Tony Awards will be announced live on May 2nd, 2017.

Are you keeping up with the eligible shows? The 2016-2017 Broadway season is already underway, with Cirque du Soleil's "Paramour". We've even seen our first closing (sorry "Motown"). Other shows in the hunt for Tony lvoe that are open or in previews include "Cats", "Heisenberg", "The Cherry Orchard", and "The Front Page". Thus far, there is no "Hamilton" type juggernaut looming over the race. That's lucky for us Broadway fans, maybe we can actually score tickets to some of these shows. Head over to the season Production Guide for a run down of everything that has been announced, and take a gander at the Contenders pages for peek at how the competition is shaping up.

New Broadway Season Announcements!

I took a small break from writing here. Life got hectic on my end with a new job, lots of traveling, and crying over Orlando. But I'm back! With the 2016 Tony Awards behind us, it's time to look forward to the 2016-2017 season.

Cirque du Soleil kicked off the current season before Tonys were even handed out, with their new circus/musical hybrid "Paramour". Most of the critics shrugged their shoulders at the conventional musical plot, but the dazzling acrobatics are getting butts in seats.

The newest season announcement arrived today courtesy of The New York Times: Roundabout's Off-Broadway hit, "Significant Other", will make the leap to the main stem this season. Jeffrey Richards will be producing the Broadway run, at a yet-to-be-announced Shubert owned theater. Previews are slated to begin sometime in February with a target opening in March.

"Significant Other" had its world premier at Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre, off-Broadway. Its director there, Trip Cullman, will also helm the Broadway mounting. Casting is not 100% confirmed, but Richards is attempting to reunite the original Off-Broadway cast, which featured: Gideon Glick, Lindsay Mendez, Sas Goldberg, Cara Patterson, and Barbara Barrie.

The play, written by 33 year old Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews), follows a young gay man (Glick) desperate to find love in the city. He hangs with his three gal pals on most nights, but the inseparable group of singles gradually starts to dissolve. The women all start to find relationships, and singles nights turn into wedding planning sessions and bachelorette parties. I saw the the play in its original run, and it has a relatable and modern quality to the dialogue rarely seen in new plays. The surprise success of Tony winner "The Humans" (another show that began at Roundabout) has obviously emboldened Richards to make another move to Broadway. I hope "Significant Other" finds the same success. It deserves it.

Another fun tidbit released today: there will be a staged reading today of the long-gestating revival of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". Rob Ashford is still set to direct and choreograph the musical, despite several delays. The cast for today's reading is impressive: Kristin Chenoweth (Miss Mona), Jennifer Holliday (Jewel), Kevin McKidd (Earl Dodd), Christopher Sieber (Melvin P. Thorpe), James Naughton (Governor), Kerry Butler (Doatsey Mae), Jim Newton (Bandleader), and Helene Yorke (Angel).

The A-List casting doesn't necessarily mean we will see all those faces in the eventual Broadway run of course. But, it would be hard to find fault with any of these choices (though should Cheno turn down the role of Mona, may I suggest Tony nominee Carmen Cusack of "Bright Star". She's in need of a job now, and has the gravitas and earthy voice to nail the part). If "Whorehouse" makes it to Broadway this season, it will compete with "Cats", "Falsettos", and "Hello, Dolly!" for the Best Revival of a Musical Tony.

If you want to take a look at all the confirmed shows for the 2016-2017 season, I've compiled them (as always!) in a handy Production Guide. You can find it listed above the Contenders pages. Is it too early to think about the 2017 Tonys?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be singing some 'Hard Candy Christmas' to get in the mood. Take it away, Dolly.

The 2016 Sammy Awards, Or, If I was a Tony Voter and All That Followed

Trying to get Cheno and Alan to host The Sammys, these costumes required

Its that time of year again. After a dynamite season I've seen around 20 Broadway shows. And I still feel like I missed out on some big shows (Shakespeare in the Park continues to elude me, and I never got to take in Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones in The Gin Game). But this has been a landmark season in New York, thanks in large part to Hamilton putting Broadway in the national news. But that show wasn't the only production worth celebrating.

I was pleasantly surprised by a number of shows I thought I wouldn't care for. When I first heard that Andrew Lloyd Webber was doing a rock musical adaptation of a Jack Black movie, my initial reaction was a Scooby Doo-esque "HUH?". But School of Rock turned out to be one of the most fun nights I had in a theatre all year. I was also worried that a re-imagined version of Spring Awakening could never live up to the thrilling first experience I had with that musical. But Michael Arden and Deaf West crafted a beautiful and heart-wrenching show about communication. Or really miscommunication, and its tragic consequences. I was a puddle of tears at the final tableaux and I wish that revival was still with us.

The Public has been on a roll ever since Fun Home. Now in addition to spawning mega-hit Hamilton, they've also given us a powerful drama in Danai Gurira's Eclipsed. The first Broadway play written, directed, and starring all women. Get it Michonne. Roundabout also had a stellar season, including a hilarious staging of Noises Off, a long-but-totally-worth-it-trust-me production of Long Day's Journey Into Night, and Stephen Karam's The Humans. I went into The Humans totally blind as to what is was about and I truly haven't stopped thinking about it since the show ended. I laughed, I cried, I clutched my pearls in absolute terror. Don't even talk to me if you haven't seen this show.

And I havent even mentioned all the career defining performances this season gave us by the likes of Jessica Lange (oh you thought she wasn't a stage actress? Wrong), Megan Hilty (I laughed so hard at the "NO BAG!" moment that people stared), Laura Benanti (Amalia was basically created for her, just a few decades early), and Danny Burstein (I'm not sure if Male Kelli O'Hara will finally win a Tony, but he is THE reason to see Fiddler). Oh and there is also Cynthia Erivo. I guess I didn't include her before because her talent and skills are so astounding I'm not sure she's human. Special shout out too, to her new co-star Heather headley who had me in tears 3 words into a song. #Aida4lyf. The Color Purple has maybe the best singing I've heard on Broadway.

So, since I'm a person of many strong opinions: it's time for the 2016 Sammys! The Sammy Awards are sort of like the Tony Awards, except they are solely decided by me. And obviously a sassy blogger's stamp of approval is a lot more fun than some shiny trophy and exposure on national television. Of course, if you're looking for more things about said Tony Awards, my final rankings and predictions are over in the contenders column to the right (or if you're on a mobile device, a much less exciting and less intuitive drop down box at the top of the screen. Huzzah!).

Without further ado: The 2016 Sammy Awards

Best Musical
Hamilton (winner)
Shuffle Along...
School of Rock
Waitress (runner-up)

Best Play
Eclipsed (runner-up)
The Father
The Humans (winner)
King Charles III

Best Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple (runner-up)
Fiddler on the Roof
She Love Me
Spring Awakening (winner)

Best Revival of a Play
Fool for Love
Fully Committed
Long Day's Journey Into Night (winner)
Noises Off (runner-up)

Director of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening (winner)
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton (runner-up)
Diane Paulus, Waitress

Director of a Play
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jeremy Herrin, Noises Off (runner-up)
Jonathan Kent, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans (winner)
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed

Best Lead Actor in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof (runner-up)
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton (winner)
Benjamin Walker, American Psycho

Best Lead Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me (runner-up)
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple (winner)
Audra McDonald, Shuffle Along
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Philippa Soo, Hamilton

Best Lead Actor in a Play
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father (winner)
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III (runner-up)
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge

Best Lead Actress in a Play
Nina Arianda, Fool for Love
Jessica Lange, Long Day's Jounrey Into Night (winner)
Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed (runner-up)
Sophie Okonedo, The Crucible
Nicola Walker, A View From the Bridge

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Gavin Creel, She Loves Me
Daniel N. Durant, Spring Awakening (winner)
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton (runner-up)
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton
Billy Porter, Shuffle Along

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton (winner)
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me (runner-up)
Krysta Rodriguez, Spring Awakening
Helene Yorke, American Psycho

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans (winner)
David Furr, Noises Off
John Gallagher Jr., Long Day's Jounrey Into Night
Robert Sella, Sylvia
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Jourey Into Night (runner-up)

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off (winner-tie)
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans (winner-tie) 
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed
...these are my awards and I refuse to choose between these two women

Best Score
Bright Star (Steve Martin and Edie Brickell)
Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) (winner)
School of Rock (Andrew Lloyd Webber & Glenn Slater)
Waitress (Sara Bareilles) (runner-up)

Best Book
American Psycho
Hamilton (winner)
School of Rock (runner-up)
Waitress

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton (runner-up)
Savion Glover, Shuffle Along (winner)
Spencer Liff, Spring Awakening
Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!

Best Orchestrations
Fiddler on the Roof
Hamilton (winner)
She Loves Me (runner-up)
Shuffle Along...

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
American Psycho
Hamilton
She Loves Me (winner)
Tuck Everlasting (runner-up)

Best Scenic Design of a Play
The Humans (runner-up)
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Misery
Therese Raquin (winner)

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Hamilton (winner)
On Your Feet!
She Loves Me
Shuffle Along... (runner-up)

Best Costume Design of a Play
King Charles III (runner-up)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (winner)
Noises Off
Therese Raquin

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
American Psycho (runner-up)
Hamilton (winner)
Shuffle Along...
Tuck Everlasting

Best Lighting Design of a Play
The Crucible
The Humans (runner-up)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (winner)
Therese Raquin

Best Sound Design of a Musical
American Psycho (winner)
Hamilton (runner-up)
School of Rock
Spring Awakening

Best Sound Design of a Play
The Crucible (runner-up)
Eclipsed
The Humans (winner)
A View From the Bridge

OFF-BROADWAY 

Unfortunately, I do not posses the time and resources to see each and every Off-Broadway offering that New York City is blessed with. So, like you I get shut out of hits like Grounded with Anne Hathaway, or miss limited runs of critical darlings. But this sector of theatre still deserves kudos and congratulations. So here are some picks from the shows I did see this season.

Best Off-Broadway Production
Cinderella (Company XIV)
Dear Evan Hansen (Second Stage) (winner)
Head of Passes (The Public Theater)
Perfect Arrangement (Primary Stages)
The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout Theatre Company) (runner-up)

Best Performance in an Off-Broadway Musical
Michael C. Hall, Lazarus
Leslie Kritzer, The Robber Bridegroom (winner)
Steven Pasquale, The Robber Bridegroom
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen (runner-up)
Marcy Richardson, Cinderella

Best Performance in an Off-Broadway Play
John Benjamin Hickey, Dad Woof, Papa Hot
James Lecsene, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Phylicia Rashad, Head of Passes (winner)
Lois Smith, John (runner-up)
Jennifer Van Dyck, Perfect Arrangement


Top Ten New Songs of the Season
10.) "My Most Beautiful Day", Tuck Everlasting
9.) "Selling Out", American Psycho
8.) "At Long Last", Bright Star
7.) "Where Did the Rock Go?", School of Rock
6.) "Sun's Gonna Shine", Bright Star
5.) "Stick it to the Man", School of Rock
4.) "My Shot", Hamilton
3.) "She Used to be Mine", Waitress
2.) "The Room Where it Happens", Hamilton
1.) "Satisfied", Hamilton

Totals                                            Wins   Nominations
Hamilton -                                        8               16
The Humans -                                   5                7
Long Day's Journey Into Night -      4                9
Spring Awakening -                          3                6
She Loves Me                                   1                9
Noises Off                                         1               6
Shuffle Along                                    1               6
American Psycho                              1               6
The Color Purple                               1               4
Therese Raquin                                 1                3
The Father                                         1               2

70th Annual Tony Award Nominations Announced

Nominees for the 2016 Tony Awards were announced this morning by Tony winner Nikki M. James and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells, from the Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel.

The 70th Annual Tony Awards ceremony will be presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing on Sunday June 12. CBS will broadcast the event live from the Beacon Theatre.

Without further ado, this years Tony nominees:

BEST MUSICAL
Bright Star
Hamilton
Shuffle Along
School of Rock
Waitress

BEST PLAY
Eclipsed
The Father
The Humans
King Charles III

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
The Color Purple
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me
Spring Awakening

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Blackbird
The Crucible
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Noises Off
A View From the Bridge

BEST DIRECTOR (MUSICAL)
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
Jonathan Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along...

BEST DIRECTOR (PLAY)
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo van Hove, A View from the Bridge

LEAD ACTOR (MUSICAL)
Alex Brightman, School of Rock
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

LEAD ACTRESS (MUSICAL)
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton

LEAD ACTOR (PLAY)
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge

LEAD ACTRESS (PLAY)
Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Laurie Metcalf, Misery
Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed
Sophie Okonedo, The Crucible
Michelle Williams, Blackbird

ORIGINAL SCORE
Bright Star
Hamilton
School of Rock
Waitress

BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Bright Star
Hamilton
School of Rock
Shuffle Along...

CHOREOGRAPHY
Hamilton
Shuffle Along
Fiddler on the Roof
Dames at Sea
On Your Feet!

FEATURED ACTOR (MUSICAL)
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along...
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

FEATURED ACTRESS (MUSICAL)
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along...

FEATURED ACTOR (PLAY)
Reed Birney, The Humans
Bill Camp, The Crucible
David Furr, Noises Off
Richard Goulding, King Charles III
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Journey Into Night

FEATURED ACTRESS (PLAY)
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

COSTUME DESIGN (MUSICAL) 
Tuck Everlasting
She Loves Me
Shuffle Along
Hamitlon

COSTUME DESIGN (PLAY)
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Noises Off
Eclipsed
King Charles III

SCENIC DESIGN (MUSICAL)
American Psycho
Hamilton
Shuffle Along
She Loves Me

SCENIC DESIGN (PLAY)
View From the Bridge
Hughie
The Humans
Therese Raquin

LIGHTING DESIGN (MUSICAL)
American Psycho
Hamilton
Shuffle Along...
Spring Awakening

LIGHTING DESIGN (PLAY)
Long Days Journey Inot Night
The Humans
The Crucible
A View From the Bridge

ORCHESTRATIONS
Bright Star
She Loves Me
Hamilton
Shuffle Along...

2016 Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced

Broadway veterans Brian d'Arcy James (Something Rotten!) and Jennifer Simard (Disaster) announced the nominees for the 2016 Outer Critics Circle Awards today at the Algonquin Hotel. They are the first major theatre awards body to announce nominees this season.

The group is creating a new award this season for "Outstanding Video/Projection Design", mirroring a similar category that recently popped up at the Drama Desk Awards. This recognition of increasingly used projection elements brings the number of categories at the OCC to 25.

This season marks the 66th year of the Outer Critics Circle Awards, which bestow honors to productions both on and off Broadway. Winners will be announced May 9th. Note: Because they were eligible for their Off-Broadway incarnations, the productions Hamilton, Blackbird, and Disaster! were only eligible for new elements.

UPDATE: Since Shuffle Along is not open and has not invited any press yet, the producers asked the OCC voters to consider the musical for next season's awards. The musical will still qualify for the Tony Awards, but the OCC has decided to consider it for the 2016-2017 season.

The nominees are as follows:

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
American Psycho
Bright Star
On Your Feet!
Tuck Everlasting
Waitress

Outstanding New Broadway Play
Eclipsed
The Father
The Humans
King Charles III
Therese Raquin

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Cagney
Daddy Long Legs
Dear Evan Hansen
Lazarus
Southern Comfort

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
The Christians by Lucas Hnath
Familiar by Danai Gurira
Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Hold On to Me Darling by Kenneth Lonergan
The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple
Dames at Sea
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me
Spring Awakening

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Blackbird
The Crucible
Fool for Love
Long Day's Journey Into Night
A View From the Bridge

Outstanding Solo Performance
Mike Birbiglia in Thank God for Jokes
Kathleen Chalfant in Rose
Anne Hathaway in Grounded
James Lecesne in The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Daphne Rubin-Vega in Empanada Loca

John Gassner Playwriting Award (for an American play, preferably a new author)
Boy by Anna Ziegler
I and You by Lauren Gunderson
Ironbound by Martyna Majok
The Royale by Marco Ramirez
Ugly Lies the Bone by Lindsey Ferrentino

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Robert Creighton, Cagney
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
Benjamin Walker, American Psycho

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Frank Langella, The Father
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge
Ben Whishaw, The Crucible

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Ana Villafañe, On Your Feet!

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed
Nicola Walker, A View From the Bridge
Michelle Williams, Blackbird

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Nicholas Barasch, She Loves Me
Roger Bart, Disaster!
Michael Esper, Lazarus
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Terrence Mann, Tuck Everlasting

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Andrea Burns, On Your Feet!
Sophia Anne Caruso, Lazarus
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Hélene Yorke, American Psycho

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Sanjit De Silva, Dry Powder
Matt McGrath, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Jim Norton, The Crucible
Robert Sella, Sylvia
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Journey Into Night

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Zainab Jah, Eclipsed
Judith Light, Thérèse Raquin
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Familiar

Outstanding New Score
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
Paul Gordon, Daddy Long Legs
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen
Duncan Sheik, American Psycho

Outstanding Book of a Musical
David Bowie and Enda Walsh, Lazarus
John Caird, Daddy Long Legs
Alexander Dinelaris, On Your Feet!
Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen
Steve Martin, Bright Star

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
Walter Bobbie, Bright Star
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Rupert Goold, American Psycho
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen

Outstanding Director of a Play
Evan Cabnet, Gloria
Mike Donahue, The Legend of Georgia McBride
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Ivo van Hove, A View From the Bridge

Outstanding Choreographer
Joshua Bergasse, Cagney
Spencer Liff, Spring Awakening
Josh Rhodes, Bright Star
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!

Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical)
Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin
David Korins, Misery
Mimi Lien, John
David Rockwell, She Loves Me
Walt Spangler, Tuck Everlasting

Outstanding Lighting Design (Play of Musical)
Donald Holder, She Loves Me
Natasha Katz, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Kenneth Posner, On Your Feet!
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
ESosa, On Your Feet!
Jane Greenwood, Bright Star
Katrina Lindsay, American Psycho
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Tom Scutt, King Charles III

Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical)
Lucy Mackinnon, Spring Awakening
Peter Nigrini, Dear Evan Hansen
Peter Nigrini, Grounded
Finn Ross, American Psycho
Tal Yarden, Lazarus

Tony Eligibility 2016 - Part 3!

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met April 7th for the third time this season to determine eligibility of eleven productions for the upcoming 2016 Tony Awards. This committee will meet one more time at the end of the season.

The shows discussed were School of Rock, The Color Purple, Fiddler on the Roof, Noises Off, Our Mother's Brief Affair, The Humans, Hughie, Eclipsed, Disaster!, Blackbird, and She Loves Me. Note: despite having already opened, the revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible and the new musical Bright Star were not discussed at this time and determinations will be discussed at the next meeting this month.

The group made the following determinations:

Alex Brightman will be eligible for Best Performance by an Lead Actor in a Musical for School of Rock.

Jennifer Hudson will be eligible for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for The Color Purple.

Jessica Hecht will be eligible for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Fiddler on the Roof.

Andrea Martin, Campbell Scott, Tracee Chimo, Daniel Davis, David Furr, Kate Jennings Grant, Megan Hilty, Rob McClure, and Jeremy Shamos will all be eligible for Best Featured Actor/Actress in a Play for their respective roles in Noises Off.

Linda Lavin will be eligible for Best Lead Actress in a Play for Our Mother's Brief Affair.

Blackbird will be eligible for Best Revival of a Play.

Gavin Creel, Michael McGrath, Byron Jennings, and Jane Krakowski will be eligible for Best Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical for their respective roles in She Loves Me.

All other decisions were consistent with opening night billing.

So, what are the biggest take-aways and surprises?

With no member of The Humans cast billed above the title and no alternate determination made, the entire cast (including Reed Birney and Jayne Houdyshell in prominent parental roles) are all eligible for Featured Actor/Actress in a Play.

Jessica Hecht's move to the Featured Actress in a Musical category gives her increased odds of landing a nomination for her portrayal of Golde, now that she can avoid the competitive Lead Actress category.

Despite their first billing, Andrea Martin and Campbell Scott will compete with the rest of their Noises Off cast, making the Featured Actor/Actress in a Play categories extremely crowded.

Disaster! is another show that has no above-the-title star, and with no change from the committee its entire cast will be eligible in the Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical categories.

Who Will Win the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award?

The Drama League announced today that Megan Hilty (Noises Off) and Zachary Levi (She Loves Me) will host the 2016 Drama League nominees on Friday May 20th.

One of the highlights of the theatre award season is guessing which sole performer will take the group's Distinguished Performance Award. Only one performer is awarded per year, from eligible Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. And once a person has won the award, they can never win it again.

Last year, the legendary Chita Rivera won for Kander and Ebb's final musical The Visit. In years prior it was Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Nathan Lane (The Nance), Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess), and Mark Rylance (Jerusalem). As you can see, the award often goes to an iconic performance that helped define the theatre season. Who fits that bill this year?

The first person who comes to mind is the front-runner for the Best Actress in a Musical Tony, Cynthia Erivo. The British belter made her Broadway debut in The Color Purple and has been the talk of the town since the first performance. With a voice that soars to the stratosphere and a deep emotional well to mine on stage, she is an early favorite.

Close behind her is her Tony competition: Laura Benanti. She was born to play Amalia in She Loves Me. In the musical comedy classic, Benanti gets to showcase her signature comedic chops as well as a glorious coloratura soprano rarely heard on Broadway these days. And since she is a New York theatre mainstay, voters will be more familiar with her and her work.

As for other performers the League will be quite familiar with, Danny Burstein makes a worthy choice for his first Broadway leading role in Fiddler on the Roof. After working for years and graduating from ensemble member to the industry's go to supporting man, Burstein finally gets the chance to anchor a big Broadway musical. As Tevye, his pitch perfect performance is able to capture the character's humor and intense internal struggle about navigating a drastically changing world.

Should the League be feeling more inclined to reward a drama, Phylicia Rashad makes a strong case for herself in Head of Passes, Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre. A contemporary parable of The Book of Job, Rashad portrays a woman who sees her life collapsing around her in apocalyptic fashion. At the end of her gut wrenching journey, there isn't a dry eye in the house.

Of course, one cannot discount the unparalleled year that Hamilton is having. Leading men Leslie Odom Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda both make sense as a winner here. Though I think Odom Jr. is ahead in the Tony race, thanks to "The Room Where it Happened", Miranda might be ahead for this particular kudos. No other persona in New York has had as much buzz and exposure as he. And though both men were eligible and did not win for the musical's Off-Broadway run, a Miranda win would be a fitting cap to the year that Hamilton took over our lives.

Performers Frank Langella, Audra McDonald, and Brian Stokes Mitchell are on stage this season, but ineligible for this award having previously won. For my money, one of the six actors mentioned above will get to join them at the winner's table next year.

The Drama League Announces 2016 Special Honors

The Drama League announced Monday that three visionaries of the stage will be honored at the upcoming 82nd Annual Drama League Awards. The awards ceremony will take place on May 20th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

The Tony winning Deaf West Theatre will receive the "Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award". The LA based company was represented on Broadway this season with their highly acclaimed signed-and-sung revival of Spring Awakening.

Sheldon Harnick will receive the "distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award". The Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize winning lyricist is currently represented on Broadway with the revivals of Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me. He was a frequent collaborator of composer Jerry Bock. other celebrated works include Fiorello!, The Apple Tree, and Cyrano: The Musical.

Finally, Olivier Award winning director Ivo van Hove will take home the "Founders Award for Excellence in Directing". The avant-garde director has had a banner year in New York and abroad. He was represented on Broadway this season with The Crucible and A View From the Bridge, as well as Off-Broadway with Antigone (BAM) and Lazarus (New York Theatre Worskshop).

In addition to the special honors, the Drama League gives out awards in five competitive categories: Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the Distinguished Performance Award. The nominees for these fields, culled from On and Off Broadway, will be announced Wednesday April 20th at Sardi's.

An Early Look at the TONY Musical Contenders

Today, GoldDerby got the jump on their Tony Awards prediction center. So I figured I would throw in my hat and take a much-too-early look at the upcoming Tony season. And today, I'm talking musicals.

If you need any confirmation as to why it really is too soon to be analyzing who takes home trophies in June, look no further than NERDS: the musical. The Bill Gates/Steve Jobs musical comedy was the most recently announced addition to the season. It was slated to begin previews on April 1st, and open on the last day of Tony eligibility. That is, until the cast had the rug pulled out from under them and producers announced the run was "postponed" (read: canceled). I hadn't heard a great deal about how the show was coming along, but was excited at the prospect of having Rory O'Malley and Lindsay Mendez back on the boards. I hope they find other work fast.

With the cancellation of NERDS and the abrupt shuttering of Forest Whitaker vehicle Hughie after some poisonous word-of-mouth, that leaves two prime Broadway theatres vacant for Tony season. It is technically possible for a show to swoop in at the last minute, but it would already need every element set and ready to go, given the time crunch to open by April 28th. As it stands, odds are the Booth and Longacre will lay dormant for a few months.

So, what WILL be open and racking up those nominations? There's this little show about a founding father, maybe you've heard of it, which my instinct says will take, among other categories, Best Musical. but at the risk of a boring awards season, lets take a look at shows that aren't Hamilton and can actually make a big splash.

Shuffle Along (Or, the musical with the really long subtitle) has the all-star cast and historical significance to become a Broadway hit. It stars Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Joshua Henry. Maybe you've heard of them. Celebrated Broadway performers Brooks Ashmanskas, Amber Iman, and Darius de Haas also fill out the cast. Couple this lineup with direction and book from George C. Wolfe, and choreography by Savion Glover and its safe to say its going to be a hot ticket. The only issue is figuring out where it will compete. Much of the original material from the musical Shuffle Along will be performed, so it does not feature an original score. But the new book, detailing the behind the scenes drama does make it a "new" show. For the time being, I'm including this in the best musical lineup, but don't be surprised if the Tony administration declares it a revival.

In terms of musicals that have already opened, don't expect to see much Tony love for the long forgotten Amazing Grace, or the departed Allegiance, or the frothy spoof Disaster! (no matter how much you love Rachel York and Adam Pascal). The Gloria and Emilio Estefan bio-musical On Your Feet has been packing them in at the Marquis theatre. I think it will be competitive for choreography and well-reviewed newcomer Ana Villafane could be a dark horse best actress contender. but, the musical will ultimately be too light to break into the top race. Possibly faring better is Andrew Lloyd Weber's latest outing, School of Rock. The show has cornered the coveted family demographic and pleasantly surprised critics who mostly to put away their knives and had an great time.

I'm putting myself out on a limb and predicting a good showing for the Sara Bareilles scored Waitress. Based on the film of the same name, it garnered positive word of mouth at its tryout in Boston, and the songs are already racking up plays on Spotify. I expect its all-female creative team and Tony winning star to make a play for some Tony hardware. One should also never count out a Casey Nicholaw musical in the awards race. The man knows how to build a showstopper and Tuck Everlasting could introduce him to a more family-friendly audience. It also provides hardworking actor and blogger Andrew Keenan-Bolger with the best shot of his career thus far at scoring a Tony nomination.

Two other shows on the horizon are Bright Star and American Psycho. The former could win points from its famous composing duo of Steven Martin and Edie Brickell. The bluegrass infused music has the potential to set itself apart from the rest of the contenders. The show also boasts the Broadway debut of powerhouse singer Carmen Cusak who is already getting great publicity and buzz in her leading role. American Psycho has music from Tony winner (and 90s pop guru) Duncan Sheik. The dark nature of the show could prove divisive, so I'm not predicting a nomination in the top category until I see it, but the talented cast (Benjamin Walker, Alice Ripley, Jennifer Damiano, Helene York) will certainly draw interest.

And then we have the revivals. This one is going to get ugly. It has been a tremendous season for this category, as all the contenders are/were truly stellar. Of the five eligible, Dames at Sea is the most likely to be left in the dust due to its early closure and lack of buzz. But after that its anyone's guess. How is one to choose between these awesome productions of The Color Purple, Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, and Spring Awakening? There will be three nomination slots unless there is a tie (within 3 votes) for third place. I'm not one to advocate for voter fraud, but I would be perfectly happy if the nominating committee planning out their votes so this scenario plays out. Otherwise, something truly worthy will get left off the list no matter what. I have a feeling that they may opt to give Deaf West/Spring Awakening a Special Tony Award (as they did with their last Broadway outing, Big River). That way they can reward the closed production and find space for the other three which are still playing.

Stay tuned and check the Contender pages for up to date listings and personal rankings.

"Eclipsed" Makes the Jump and "Bright Star" Makes it Official

The Public Theater is moving yet another production to Broadway. After the Best Musical winner Fun Home and (the likely Best Musical winner) Hamilton, the company is bringing their Off-Broadway play Eclipsed to the main stem.

The Public Theater engagement will conclude on November 29th. It's star, recent Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, will transfer with the production. The Broadway production will have its first preview on February 23, 2016 at the Golden Theatre. Opening night is set for March 6th, with a strictly limited run of 17 weeks.

Eclipsed is written by Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead's Michonne) and directed by Liesl Tommy. The play centers on a group of women being held captive during the Liberian civil war. The entire cast from the Public; which includes Saycon Sengbloh (Hair, Fela!), Pascale Armand, Akosua Busia, and Zainab Jah, will transfer with the production.

The Public now finds itself in a unique Tony position. It has a contender in both the Best Musical and Best Play races. Could it nab both top prizes?

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While we knew Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's musical Bright Star was showing up sometime this season, the team has finally announced official dates and cast information.

Following a winter run at the Kennedy Center, Bright Star will begin previews on March 7th with a March 31st opening (which, in case anyone wants to get me some tickets, happens to be this theatre nerd's birthday). The show will fill a Shubert house to be announced at a later date.

Tony winner Walter Bobbie will direct with Josh Rhodes as choreographer. After starring in the premiere at The Old Globe, Carmen Cusack will repeat her performance in her Broadway debut. The rest of the cast features: Paul Alexander Nolan, A.J. Shively, Dee Hoty, Stephen Lee Anderson, Emily Padgett, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Michael X. Martin, William Michals, Tony Roach, and William Youmans.

The Sammys (Or, If I Was a Tony Voter)

The 2015 Tony season comes to an end tomorrow night, but not before one import final precursor award: my own! I do my best to take in as much theatre as possible every year, and though I didn't make it to everything (sorry The Country House...well, not really) I caught over two dozen Broadway productions this season. I marveled at legends like Chita Rivera and Carol Burnett, laughed and cried at revivals that went too soon (Side Show) or not soon enough (The Real Thing), and I even saw a Tupac musical on Tupac's birthday and had better seats than Madonna (but she definitely had the better outfit). The following list of nominations and winners is the best of the best, in one blogger's humble opinion.

I have stuck to the Tony rulings on eligibility with one exception: The ladies from Side Show are nominated together. If you're mad about it: take it up with the Tony administration who broke their own precedent. Together, they gave one of the fiercest performances of any gender this season. Tonys also grant the use of additional nominees in certain categories, so I have increased a few categories by one where I felt it necessary.

Finally, I also forced myself to avoid ties this year. No copping out, even in Lead Actress in a Musical (where a four way tie would have me ecstatic) or Featured Actress in a Musical (with "Ring of Keys" and "I Can Cook Too" being the two best performed numbers of the season). I made several Sophie's Choices and will have to live with them.

THE 2015 SAMMYS

Best Musical
*Fun Home (winner)
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Last Ship
Something Rotten! (runner-up)
The Visit

Best Play
Constellations
*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Hand to God (runner-up)
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two

Revival of a Musical
*The King and I (winner)
On the Town (runner-up)
On the Twentieth Century
Side Show

Best Revival of a Play
A Delicate Balance
The Elephant Man (runner-up)
The Heidi Chronicles
*You Can't Take it with You (winner)

Best Lead Actor in a Play
*Steven Boyer, Hand to God (winner)
Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
Kieran Culkin, This is Our Youth
Jake Gyllenhaal, Constellations
Alex Sharp, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (runner-up)

Best Lead Actress in a Play
Geneva Carr, Hand to God (runner-up)
Glenn Close, A Delicate Balance
Helen Mirren, The Audience
Elizabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
*Ruth Wilson, Constellations (winner)

Best Lead Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, Fun Home (runner-up)
Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
*Brian d'Arcy James, Something Rotten! (winner)
Rob McClure, Honeymoon in Vegas
Tony Yazbeck, On the Town

Best Lead Actress in a Musical
*Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century (winner)
Erin Davie & Emily Padgett, Side Show (runner-up)
Beth Malone, Fun Home
Kelli O'Hara, The King and I
Chita Rivera, The Visit

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Ian Barford, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man (runner-up)
Michael Oberholtzer, Hand to God
*Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (winner)
Bryce Pinkham, The Heidi Chronicles
Micah Stock, It's Only a Play

Best Featured Actress in a Play
*Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take it With You (winner)
Lucy Briers, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two
Enid Graham, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (runner-up)
Kristine Nielsen, You Can't Take it With You
Julie White, Airline Highway

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
*Fred Applegate, The Last Ship (winner)
Brooks Ashmanskas, Something Rotten!
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century (runner-up)
Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
*Syndey Lucas, Fun Home (winner)
Ashley Park, The King and I
Emily Skeggs, Fun Home
Alysha Umphress, On the Town (runner-up)

Best Director of a Musical
Bill Condon, Side Show
*Sam Gold, Fun Home (winner)
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
John Rando, On the Town
Bartlett Sher, The King and I (runner-up)

Best Director of a Play
*Marianne Elliot, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Scott Ellis, The Elephant Man
Scott Ellis, You Can't Take it With You (runner-up)
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two
Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to God

Best Original Score
*Fun Home (Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron) (winner)
The Last Ship (Sting) (runner-up)
Something Rotten! (Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick)
The Visit (John Kander and Fred Ebb)

Best Book of a Musical
*Fun Home (Lisa Kron) (winner)
Honeymoon in Vegas (Andrew Bergman)
Something Rotten! (Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell) (runner-up)
The Visit (Terrence McNally) 

Best Choreography
An American in Paris (Christopher Wheeldon) (runner-up)
Finding Neverland (Mia Michaels)
The King and I (Christopher Gattelli)
*On the Town (Joshua Bergasse) (winner)
Something Rotten! (Casey Nicholaw)

Best Orchestrations
*An American in Paris (winner)
Fun Home (runner-up) 
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Visit

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
*An American in Paris (winner)
The King and I
Something Rotten!
The Visit (runner-up)

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Airline Highway (runner-up)
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two
You Can't Take it With You

Best Costume Design of a Musical
An American in Paris (runner-up)
*The King and I (winner)
On the Twentieth Century
Side Show

Best Costume Design of a Play
A Delicate Balance
The Audience (runner-up)
*Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (winner)
You Can't Take it With You

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Fun Home
The King and I
The Last Ship (runner-up)
*The Visit (winner)

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Constellations
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Skylight
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (runner-up)

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Finding Neverland
*Fun Home (winner)
The Last Ship (runner-up)
Something Rotten!

Best Sound Design of a Play
Constellations
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Skylight (runner-up)
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two

Top Ten New Songs
10. 'We Got Now't Else', The Last Ship
9. 'Days and Days', Fun Home
8. 'I Love Betsy', Honeymoon in Vegas
7. 'The Last Ship', The Last Ship
6. 'Welcome to the Renaissance', Something Rotten!
5. 'A Musical', Something Rotten!
4. 'Changing My Major', Fun Home
3. 'Love and Love Alone', The Visit
2. 'Telephone Wire', Fun Home
1. 'Ring of Keys', Fun Home



WINS
Fun Home: 6
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: 5
An American in Paris: 2
The King and I: 2
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two: 2
You Can't Take it With You: 2
Constellations: 1
Hand to God: 1
On the Town: 1
On the Twentieth Century: 1
Something Rotten!: 1
The Visit: 1

Final Predictions: 2015 Tony Winners

The Tonys are upon us! Sunday's ceremony is fast approaching, and many categories are still up for grabs. Will it be Kelli or Kristin? Fun Home or An American in Paris? Can anyone take down Helen Mirren? (Spoiler: No, they can't).

For your convenience, and office pool assistance, I have broken down each category into who will, could, and should win Broadway's highest honor. Note: I've stuck with the actual nominees for my "should win" citations. But stay tuned for this years edition of The Sammys where I right the wrongs of the Tonys and nominate/award whoever I please. There will be justice for Side Show and Honeymoon in Vegas. The North remembers...or at least I do.

Here's your fearless final Tony predictions. As always, I invite you to tell me how foolish I am. And remember to click over to the individual Contenders pages for rankings and further thoughts.

BEST MUSICAL
Will Win: Fun Home
Could Win: An American in Paris
Should Win: Fun Home
Big commercial show vs. the intimate artistic achievement. Fun Home is just plain better (sorry I'm not sorry) but Paris has built a huge swell of support. Tesori and Kron have changed the landscape of what types of stories can be told in a Broadway musical and they deserve to take home the award. I'm praying that Tony voters are savvy enough to repeat last year's pattern and realize that we need to endorse this type of creative achievement.

BEST PLAY
Will Win: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Could Win: Hand to God
Should Win: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
This is a lock. Hand to God or Wolf Hall could win in another year, but the ingenious adaptation from across the pond is too well done and too well liked to fail. Hand to God smartly marketed themselves as the American alternative, but it won't be enough for a win.

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: The King and I
Could Win: On the Town
Should Win: On the Town
Any of the three nominees would make a worthy winner. On the 20th Century was hysterical and vibrant. On the Town has actually stayed with me the most thanks to its winning performances. It would also be a chance to reward the only "for profit" nominee. But the grand scope of The King and I will be too much to ignore.

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Will Win: Skylight
Could Win: The Elephant Man
Should Win: You Can't Take it With You
Does Skylight win by default of being the only nominee still open? Not so fast. You Can't Take it With You also scored a director nod, and had very healthy run. The Elephant Man may pose more of a threat given the sheer number of producers (read: voters) involved. It also helps that it's back on the radar thanks to its London transfer. But Skylight has an air of "importance" and sophistication around it...and it's still here.

BEST SCORE
Will Win: Fun Home
Could Win: The Last Ship
Should Win: Fun Home
Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron should handily win this for the best new score of the season. There is a slight possibility that voters will feel bad for Sting and want to reward the artist for the passion and hard work he put in to his show, only to see it scuttled.

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: Fun Home
Could Win: Something Rotten!
Should Win: Fun Home
Points must be rewarded for creating something out of nothing, and Something Rotten! nails its intended goals. Comedic books also tend to do well here. But Lisa Kron should pick up an additional Tony for the moving and heart-wrenching Fun Home.

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Will Win: Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
Could Win: Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
Should Win: Brian d'Arcy James, Something Rotten!
One of the toughest races to predict. Support seems to be uniting behind ballet star turned Broadway leading man Robert Fairchild. He won the Drama Desk and OCC. He beat out Broadway vet d'Arcy James in those races, but industry favorite Michael Cerveris wasn't eligible. Cerveris turns in a remarkably nuanced performance, but he might make it look to easy. Fairchild is as charming as they come so I give him the slight edge. It's anyone's game.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Will Win: Kristin Chenoweth, On the 20th Century
Could Win: Kelli O'Hara, The King and I
Should Win: Tie Please?
The race between Kelly and Kristin sparks some of the most fiery debates of the year in theatre circles. But I don't think voters sit with ballots and think "well, she's been nominated so many times...". They see everything and vote for what grabs them. Chenoweth has a role that utilizes all of her skills and prowess. It might be the role of her lifetime, so I think Kelli will sadly have to play bridesmaid again.

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
Will Win: Alex Sharp, Curious Incident
Could Win: Steven Boyer, Hand to God
Should Win: ...A Tie Again?
Seems like a lock for Mr. Sharp despite Boyer's stunning work. If they want to spread the wealth, this is the one category they can give to Hand to God. Not likely though, as Bradley Cooper is also there to siphon votes from the stargazers.

BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Will Win: Helen Mirren, The Audience
Could Win: LOL
Should Win: Ruth Wilson, Constellations
Do I need to convince you on this one? It's Helen. #bowdown

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Will Win: Andy Karl, On the 20th Century
Could Win: Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Should Win: Andy Karl, On the 20th Century
Brad Oscar has the standing O's, but Borle has the awards support (and Drama Desk win). The industry loves Christian Borle and he could be the one win for Something Rotten! But many will be tempted to reward Andy Karl, another beloved New York actor. And he shows tremendous contrast from his nominated dramatic performance last year.

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Will Win: Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
Could Win: Sydney Lucas, Fun Home -or- Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I
Should Win: Sydney Lucas, Fun Home
A tough one to call. Logic would say that Broadway veteran Judy Kuhn will finally win for her quietly devastating performance (her dedicated Times article will help), but her co-star Sydney Lucas is just so damn good. And Lucas' song "Ring of Keys" is poignant, catchy, and complex. Ruthie Ann Miles could be the benefactor of vote splitting, but I have a hard time imaging  Fun Home losing this category.

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Will Win: Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall
Could Win: Richard McCabe, The Audience -or- Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man
Should Win: Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall
Days away from the Tonys and still no one has a damn clue about this category. K. Todd Freeman surprised at the Drama Desk...but he was the only Tony nominee in contention. Micah Stock still has buzz, but will find it hard to win as the sole nominee of his show. So the Olivier winners Nathaniel Parker and Richard McCabe and "lead-hiding-in-featured" Alessandro Nivola, will battle it out for the win. Go with God, or the Kabbalah Monster, or whoever on this one.

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Will Win: Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take it With You
Could Win: Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall
Should Win: Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take it With You
If you were thinking that the closing of You Can't Take it With You would hurt Ms. Ashford's chances, she just gave a great showing at the Drama Desk ceremony which reminded everyone why it is time to finally reward this sought after, hard working actress. Lydia Leonard and Patricia Clarkson will provide compelling alternatives, but Ashford's chances look better every day.

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: Sam Gold, Fun Home
Could Win: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Should Win: Sam Gold, Fun Home
Will they think Wheeldon needs two Tonys? I'm more inclined to think Sam Gold takes it for expertly utilizing the unique space of the Circle in the Square. Fun Home fans were concerned about losing magic in the re-staging for the round, when in fact the show got more magical.

BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Will Win: Marianne Elliott, Curious Incident
Could Win: It's Hers
Should Win: Marianne Elliott, Curious Incident
Scott Ellis could be remembered, Jeremy Herrin admired, and Stephen Daldry saluted. But Ms. Elliott should handily beat them all for creating spectacle with substance in her Best Play juggernaut.

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Will Win: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Could Win: Joshua Bergasse, On the Town
Should Win: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
How wonderful would it be if Bergasse and Wheeldon could tie in this category? It's a shame they have to compete. Bergasse is the likely runner-up given the massive surge of support for An American in Paris. It's Wheeldon's to lose.

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Will Win: An American in Paris
Could Win: Fun Home
Should Win: Fun Home
An American in Paris sounds grand and lush, and that will tip the scales in its favor. This is the category most voters know the least about, so I don't think they will appreciate Fun Home's intimate and haunting assemblage enough for it to win.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: An American in Paris
Could Win: The King and I
Should Win: An American in Paris
The King and I would be a worthy choice (that boat!), and it has a shot. But An American in Paris is the prettiest show of the year. The romantic Paris setting will seal the deal.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will Win: Curious Incident
Could Win: Wolf Hall
Should Win: Curious Incident
There's a ton of striking designs in this category, but Bunny Christie's set is so integral to the storytelling of Curious Incident it couldn't possibly lose. The team behind expertly designed Wolf Hall is cursing the gods for opening against this juggernaut.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: The King and I
Could Win: An American in Paris
Should Win: The King and I
The King and I will get revenge on the Paris design team's coup with Catherine Zuber's gorgeous costumes. It's hard to ignore that sweeping ballgown. Or the fact that she designed for a cast of 50.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will Win: Wolf Hall
Could Win: The Audience
Should Win: Wolf Hall
Christopher Oram is probably super grateful that Curious Incident isn't a period piece. The sheer amount of costumes he created for Wolf Hall is impressive enough, but the detail is astounding. The Audience has an impressive costume showcase as well. Given the costumes' importance to the Queen's aging (and all of Helen's quick changes), it won't go down without a fight.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: An American in Paris
Could Win: The Visit
Should Win: The Visit
Well, The Visit should win by a landslide for Japhy Weideman's evocative, moody work. For my money, easily the best of the season. But the freight train to Paris is headed straight for this design category too.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will Win: Curious Incident
Could Win: Wolf Hall
Should Win: Wolf Hall
I actually find the lighting work in Wolf Hall a daring choice, and its use of space and shadow is essential to every scene. But voters won't be able to separate the lighting in Curious Incident from the scenic and projection design, and the play should easily win here.