1984 is Benched! first 2018 Tony Eligibility Rulings are a Shocker

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the first time, to discuss eligibility rulings for the 2017-2018 Broadway season. The productions discussed in this first round of rulings were 1984, Marvin's Room, The Terms of My Surrender, Prince of Broadway, and Time and the Conways.
The rulings were as follows:

• 1984 has been deemed ineligible. According to a statement, "1984 has been deemed ineligible by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The show did not fulfill all of the eligibility requirements, as outlined by the Tony Rules and Regulations."

• Celia Weston will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for her performance in Marvin's Room.

• David Rockwell and Andrew Lazarow will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on The Terms of My Surrender.

• David Thompson will be considered eligible in the Best Book of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• Beowulf Boritt will be considered eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• William Ivey Long will be considered eligible in the Best Costume Design of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• Steven Boyer, Anna Camp, Gabriel Ebert, Charlotte Parry and Matthew James Thomas will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Featured Role in a Play categories for their respective performances in Time and the Conways.

So...if you are scratching your head at that first ruling, you aren't alone. In a bizarre turn, the entire production of 1984 won't be competing for any awards this spring. Huh? To qualify for the Tonys a show must: play in an eligible Broadway house, open during the current Broadway season, provide free admission to the Tony Administration and Nominating Committees. It seemed like the disturbing George Orwell adaptation checked all those boxes.

No further clarification has been given by the Administration Committee, but Jeremy Gerard at Deadline is reporting via anonymous source, that the issue may have arisen because one member of the 51 member Nominating Committee was not able to see the performance. This would be most odd, since attending every show in the season is a requirement for serving as a nominator. In previous years, nominators have had to recuse themselves if they could not attend every show (usually because they found themselves involved in a Broadway project of their own).

It's possible that given the early start date of 1984 (it was the first production of the season, beginning previews on May 18, 2017) that individuals who did not officially become nominators until several weeks into the 2017-2018 season were somehow overlooked in terms of invites. The only other possibility that comes to mind: the failure to submit the show's Tony Compliance Certificate within 16 weeks of opening. Both options for exclusion appear to be silly oversights, but without any official clarification from the Tony Awards, we only have speculation at this time.

As for clarification on what the other rulings mean for Tony eligibility:

• Both Lili Taylor and Janeane Garofalo will be considered under Lead Actress in a Play for Marvin's Room, with the rest of the cast considered under Featured Actor/Actress

• The entire cast of Prince of Broadway will compete in Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical

• Elizabeth McGovern will be considered under Lead Actress in a Play for Time and the Conways, with the rest of the cast competing under Featured Actor/Actress in a Play

RIP to 1984's Tony chances. And my condolences to whomever Scott Rudin is currently screaming at.

Final 2016 Tony Eligibilty Decisions

The Tony Awards Administrative Committee met for the fourth and final time today to determine eligibility for nine Broadway productions.

Discussed productions are American Psycho, Bright Star, The crucible, The Father, Fully Committed, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Shuffle Along..., Tuck Everlasting, and Waitress.

The following determinations were made:

Carmen Cusack will be eligible in Lead Actress in a Musical for Bright Star.

Ciarin Hinds and Saoirse Ronan will be eligible in Featured Actor/Actress in a Play for their respective performances in The Crucible.

Frank Langella will be considered eligible in Lead Actor in a Play for The Father.

Es Devlin and Finn Ross will be considered jointly eligible in Scenic Design of a Musical for American Psycho.

Fully Committed will be eligible in Best Revival of a Play.

Sarah Charles Lewis will be eligible in Lead Actress in a Musical for Tuck Everlasting.

Michael Shannon and John Gallagher Jr. will both be considered eligible in Featured Actor in a Play for their respective performances in Long Day's Journey Into Night.

Brandon Victor Dixon, Joshua Henry, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Billy Porter will all be considered eligible in Featured Actor in a Musical for their respective performances in Shuffle Along...

Shuffle Along... will be considered eligible in Best Musical.

All other determinations were consistent with opening night billing.


The biggest impact is the decisions regarding Shuffle Along. Press notes for the musical had continually referred to the piece as a revival, obviously hoping to avoid competing with the unstoppable Hamilton for the top award. The committee didn't buy it and rightfully placed them in competition with this season's new musicals.

More surprising is that all the men in the production will now compete in Featured Actor in a Musical. I assumed at least Brian Stokes Mitchell would fall under the Lead Actor category, but now the co-stars will have to compete with themselves for nominations. Audra McDonald is now the only performer from the show classified as lead.

Also of note, is the joint eligibility of Es Devlin and Finn Ross for American Psycho. A scenic designer and video designer double bill helped Curious Incident take home a Tony last year, and I suspect this move will make American Psycho more competitive in the Scenic Design of a Musical category.

Other determinations went according to expectations. Tony nominations will be announced Tuesday May 4th at 8:30am.

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.

First Tony Administration Meeting for 2016 Awards!

The Tony Administration Committee met for the first time this season on November 12th. They discussed eligibility for the 2015/2016 season, as it pertained to the following productions: An Act of God, Amazing Grace, Hamilton, Spring Awakening, Old Times, Fool for Love, The Gin Game, Sylvia, Dames at Sea, and Therese Raquin.

The following determinations were made:

Lin Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., and Phillipa Soo will all be considered eligible under Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Musical for their respective performances in Hamilton.

Austin P. Mackenzie and Sandra Mae Frank will be considered eligible under Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Musical for their respective performances in Spring Awakening. (Note: Frank portrays Wendla, while Katie Boeck provides her singing voice).

Dane Laffrey and Lucy Mackinnon will be considered jointly eligible for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Spring Awakening. Laffrey is credited as Scenic Designer while Mackinnon is Projections Designer.

Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda will be considered eligible under Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Play for their respective performances in Fool for Love (it is standard practice for MTC to bill all of their actors below the title in alphabetical order).

Robert Sella and Julie White will be considered eligible under Best Featured Actor/Actress for their respective performances in Sylvia.

Cary Tedder and Eloise Kropp will be considered eligible under Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Musical for their respective performances in Dames at Sea.

Gabriel Ebert and Judith Light will be considered eligible under Best Featured Actor/Actress for their respective performances in Therese Raquin.

No special distinction was made regarding Therese Raquin's prior incarnations, so this new adaptation is eligible under Best Play per Tony Awards rules.

All other eligibility rulings were consistent with opening night billing.


The biggest ruling outcomes center around Hamilton and Spring Awakening. For the latter, there was some speculation over joint nominations for characters portrayed by both a hearing and non-hearing actor (namely, Wendla and Moritz). But per the Tony rulings, each actor will be eligible separately.

As for Hamilton, I always assumed Odom Jr. would fall under lead. It is actually for the show's benefit, since they now have an additional spot open for the talented featured cast. For those of you worrying about the talented Mr. Odom Jr.'s chances: I think he can handily take down his co-star Miranda (they have two other opportunities to reward him in Score and Book). It's Danny Burstein who will pose the real threat for Best Actor.

"Falsettos" Postpones Broadway Bow

Theatre fans rejoiced when Jordan Roth announced a revival of the beloved musical Falsettos was heading to Broadway. But it appears we will have to wait longer than anticipated.

The William Finn/James Lapine musical has officially been pushed back to the 2016-2017 Broadway season. No official reason was given, but sources are citing budget and casting concerns. The reported estimated budget came in at roughly $5 million, more than many expected. The number reportedly had producers concerned over its commercial viability. Roth attempted to strike a deal with the Roundabout Theatre Company, one of Broadway's few non-profit organizations, to insult the production from financial burdens. However, Roundabout's spring season is locked in place and no deal came to fruition.

Casting a movie star seemed to be the only option left to avoid a financial failure. But William Finn's score is tough. And finding a star who can pull it off (and was available for the time frame) proved fruitless.

The postponement of Falsettos has upended the already competitive race for Best Revival of a Musical. With just five revivals remaining, now only three of them are guaranteed Tony nominees. A fourth nominee is possible if they tie for third place. The new tie rule didn't help Side Show or Gigi this past season, nor Roundabout's re-staging of Cabaret the year before. Will a fourth nominee come into play this time? Or will there be lots of unhappy producers come spring?

One upside: Laura Benanti will be done with She Loves Me by next season, and she would make a perfect Trina. Make it happen Mr Lapine!

Tony Awards Eligibility for "Honeymoon" and "Constellations" Revealed

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has met for the third time this season, to discuss eligibility of Broadway shows. The two productions discussed at this meeting were "Honeymoon in Vegas" and "Constellations".

Both Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson will be considered eligible in Best Performance by a Lead Actor/Actress in a Play.

Tony Danza will be considered eligible in Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
(Tony Danza was billed above the title along with Rob McClure and Brynn O'Malley, but producers petitioned to consider him in the featured category.)

All other decisions were consistent with opening night credits.

The committee will meet one more time before the end of the season. Tony nominations will be announced on April 28th. The cutoff date for eligibility is April 23rd.

Tony Awards Announce Dates and Robin Hood Declines the Marquis

We now have an official announcement from the Tony Awards on dates for the upcoming awards season.

Thursday April 23rd is the official cut off date for nomination eligibility. Opening night must be on or before this day in order for a production to be considered.

Tuesday April 28th is the Tony Awards nomination announcement. The event will take place from the Diamond Horseshoe in the Paramount Hotel. A live webcast can viewed at www.tonyawards.com. A limited number of tickets to the Tony Awards will also go on sale at this date, by visiting the aforementioned website.

Wednesday April 29th is the annual Meet the Press Reception for all of 2015's Tony nominees. This event will also take place at the Paramount Hotel.

Friday May 15th is the Tony Nominee Luncheon. Located in the Paramount's Diamond Horseshoe, this is a private event for the nominees and is closed to all media.

Sunday June 7th is the 69th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. The awards will be broadcast by CBS from 8:00-11:00 pm EST.

One show which won't be hunting for Tony Awards this season is The Heart of Robin Hood. The production is currently playing in Toronto (and also received a recent staging at ART) and was originally booked for the Marriott Marquis Theatre this spring.

The Broadway bow came with a contractual end date in August. The producers, citing booming business with the Toronto mounting, have chosen to scrap the move to Broadway this season. The show has extended for an additional four weeks at the Royal Alexandria Theatre in Toronto. They hope to bring the show to New York when a longer Broadway run is possible.

The Gloria Estefan backed musical "On Your Toes" is already set to play the Marquis in the fall.

Tony Eligibility Revealed for Eight Productions, Increase Nomination Numbers

The Tony Administration Committee met for the second time this season to discuss eligibility for eight Broadway productions. They are The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Disgraced, The Last Ship, The Real Thing, The River, Side Show, A Delicate Balance, and The Elephant Man.

They have determined the following:

Alex Sharp will be considered for Best Lead Actor in a Play for Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Finn Ross (video design) with Bunny Christie (scenic design) will be considered for Best Scenic Design of a Play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Josh Radnor will be considered for Best Lead Actor in a Play for Disgraced.

Michael Esper and Rachel Tucker will be considered for Lead Actor/Actress in a Musical for their respective performances in The Last Ship.

Cynthia Nixon and Josh Hamilton will be considered for Best Featured Actress/Actor in a Play for The Real Thing.

Erin Davie and Emily Padgett will be considered for Best Lead Actress in a musical for their respective performances in Side Show.

Bob Balaban, Claire Higgins, and Martha Plimpton will be considered for Best Featured Actor/Actress in a play for their respective performances in A Delicate Balance.

Patricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola will be considered for Best Featured Actress/Actor in a Play for their respective performances in The Elephant Man.

All other eligibility was consistent with opening night billing.

The biggest takeaways are that Disgraced will have just two lead bids in Hari Dhillon and Gretchen Mol. The rest of the cast will compete in the featured races. A Delicate Balance will have two leads under the same category with Glenn Close and Lindsay Duncan.

Curiously, they made no mention of the two ladies from Side Show being considered together as one. In its original Broadway bow, Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner made history with their joint lead actress nomination. Its unclear if such a situation is now possible for Erin Davie and Emily Padgett.

I'm also quite happy Finn Ross finds himself on the ballot for his video work. It's an essential aspect of Curious Incident... and some of the most interesting design craft of the season thus far.

One new piece of information: the committee made a potentially huge ruling for Best Director of a Musical, Best Director of a Play, and Best Chroeography. If there are at least seven eligible candidates, then the respective category will yield five nominees.

Performance Categories were also affected. Should there be a two or three way tie in any of the eight acting categories for the last spot, all of the tied contenders will be eligible for a nomination. In theory, this could yield an acting category with seven nominees.

While You Were Gambling

Well, the desert was fun, but I've missed so much while I was away! I had a nice break from obligations/reality in the City of Sin for the past weekend and now its time to get back to work. Though I did manage to see some incredible theatre in Las Vegas with Cirque du Soleil's "O". It was my first time seeing one of their shows live, and it's just unspeakably cool.  After the show finished, I found myself wishing it could be on Broadway so I could experience it again at home...but I would likely spend all my money on repeat trips, so perhaps its in my own best interest that it isn't located in Manhattan. Plus, with the drinking and general gluttony of Vegas, the bodies of the acrobats cause some serious gym guilt.

Speaking of Manhattan theatre: Broadway heard the first Tony rulings of the season this past week. The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the first of four times and dished out rulings on Holler if Ya Hear Me, This is Our Youth, Love Letters, It's Only a Play, You Can't Take it With You, The Country House, and On the Town. Most decisions went as predicted, based on billing and precedent, with a few notable exceptions.

Saul Williams will be the sole Lead Actor candidate from Holler if Ya Hear Me, despite Christopher Jackson's rather central role. Tavi Gevinson will be considered in Featured Actress for her Broadway debut in This is Our Youth. It's Only a Play and On the Town will also have just one lead candidate within their large ensembles: Nathan Lane and Tony Yazbeck, respectively. 

The most surprising decision is that the entire cast of You Can't Take it With You will be eligible in the featured categories. It may help James Earl Jones' chances come nomination time (the lead actor category is plenty stacked), but may hurt the ladies. Kristine Nielsen will now have to compete against her scene stealing co-stars Annaleigh Ashford and Elizabeth Ashley. My Tony contenders pages have been updated to reflect the rulings. 

We've also seen several shows make their grand entrance recently, including the Hugh Jackman vehicle The River, and the much anticipated revival of Side Show. I'm dying to see the new "come look at the freaks" take on Side Show, but I likely wont be able to see anything for a week given my rehearsal schedule. 

Shameless plug alert: if you'd like to see your favorite blogger perform (and put his money where his mouth is) I'm singing in a concert at the Duplex this Saturday at 6:30pm. I'll be performing songs by my friend Timothy Mathis in an evening titled "If Only I'd Written it Down". He's an excellent composer and I can't wait to perform his material. I'll try to channel a little bit of "Who Will Love Me as I Am" in honor of Side Show.  

And as we head deeper into the Oscar race, I am continuing to update those contender pages with my latest thoughts. "Selma" has recently crashed the party and made such an impression I'm going to put it in the top five Best Picture candidates. Of course the race is ever shifting, but the MLK drama seems to check off every requirement for Oscar love. Could we have the first year with two female best director nominations? Ava DuVernay makes a strong case for nomination (though I'm probably putting too much faith in the "boys-club" director branch ). The film "Selma" kicks out is "Foxcatcher", in my opinion. It's a cold film, with a depressing ending. It will get a lot of support from actors, but I think too much competition has entered the fray for it to make Best Picture. 

I'm off to obsess over my rankings, rehearse some songs, and attempt to contain my excitement that I'm seeing Glenn Close in A Delicate Balance in just over a week. If you hear squeals of joy coming from the Golden...it's totally me.