2015 Tony Nominations

[FilmFan720]

Technically, I believe that Curtains was their last collaboration, as Fred Ebb died in the middle of writing the show, although I think they were working on Scottsboro Boys at the same time.

The Visit has been floating around for years; I saw it at the old Goodman Theatre here in Chicago in 2001. I don't think the show has been changed much in the 14 years since!

[The Original BJ]

Congrats for your friend, flipp. I, too, have some friends nominated this morning, one as one of the nine million "producers" nominated in those top categories, as well as King and I nominee for Choreography Chris Gattelli (a recent winner for Newsies), who I worked with on a project earlier this year.

But I reserve my greatest enthusiasm for my friend Beth Malone, nominated this morning for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Fun Home. Allow me to sing her praises a bit, here: I first saw her in the LA production of Sister Act nearly a decade ago; five years later, when the show finally made it to Broadway, she had aged out of her role and was replaced in the part she thought would be her big break. But she continued to work pretty regularly in regional theater out in California, and I saw her in numerous shows over those years. A few years back, as is inevitable among folks in the LA theater scene, we had the chance to work together, and we became friends. After that, I saw her in virtually everything she did, and to paint a honest portrait of things, a lot of those shows were pretty bad regional theater, in which Ms. Malone completely wiped the floor with everyone else on stage (and frequently made her material seem better than it was). But she was the kind of workhorse performer who never turned down a job, who always gave 100% on stage, and was always grateful to be working.

And then came Fun Home. And here she is, several decades into her career, finally getting the chance to star in one of the most acclaimed shows currently on Broadway, and nabbing a Tony nomination in the process alongside some of the most acclaimed actresses in musical theater. Her category looks like a gigantic logjam -- in which voters could easily opt for Chita Rivera's farewell, Kristen Chenoweth in the most praised role of her career, or always-a-bridesmaid Kelli O'Hara -- but Malone's case is one where the nomination truly is the reward, which will very likely skyrocket her career into a completely different level. And it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.

I've only seen one of the nominated productions -- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time -- but I have to imagine it will be a big favorite across the board. It's so rare for a straight play without stars to become a big hit, but critics cheered and audiences really seem to be loving it. Technically, it's a dazzling production, full of imaginative staging and theater magic -- I imagine that Directing prize is in the bag. But it's also a very touching story about family and growing-up, full of poignant moments but also a lot of laughs. I won't say that I found it a revelation -- the material just isn't bold or bracing enough for that -- but it's a very enjoyable night at the theater, and the fairly wide range of folks I've recommended it to have all appreciated the suggestion. Oh, and Alex Sharp is extraordinary in a very physically demanding role. I think he's very much in the running to win.

This is the second morning this year Jake Gyllenhaal has woken up with great anticipation only to be deeply disappointed.

The Best Musical race is indeed hugely competitive. I'd say Something Rotten looks like the kind of show that usually wins -- a big, broad musical comedy that's an instant hit. Fun Home strikes me as more of a Next to Normal-type candidate -- one that will probably win some major prizes down-ballot, but is probably too arty to take the top prize. (But I imagine veteran Jeanine Tesori, on her fifth nomination -- and it would have been sixth had Violet been eligible last year -- has to be considered a strong candidate to take the Score category. Fun Home is absolutely the kind of show that wins that prize.) But, as Mister Tee said yesterday, I don't think one can rule out An American in Paris either, which seems like it would hit enough of an art/commerce sweet spot to be a threat as well.

How many more shows do Kander & Ebb have laying around? After Ebb's death, Curtains was billed as the final collaboration between the famed duo. And then, a few years later, so was The Scottsboro Boys. And now, The Visit. Fred Ebb must seriously be chasing a record for most posthumous nominations at this point, right?

[flipp525]

Patricia Clarkson got the weakest reviews in the show, so I actually think her showing up at all was a surprise.

[Big Magilla]

No huge surprises, unless you count Carole Shelley's best actress role magically turned into featured actress for Patricia Clarkson.

I don't know, The Elephant Man was the last play I saw on Broadway before moving to California. I thought Carole Shelley was good in her role but I thought it was a supporting role although one that was better written and performed than it was by Anne Bancroft in the 1980 film version. Kevin Conway in the role later played by Anthony Hopkins in the film, though, had a part equal to that of Philip Anglim in the title role so Alessandro Nivola's nomination in the supporting/featured category seems more whacked to me.

Interestingly Shelley won in a tie with Constance Cummings who was extraordinary in Wings and should have easily won over Shelley and the other two nominees that year, Jane Alexander in First Monday in October and Frances Sternhagen in On Golden Pond.

Had Shelley been nominated in support she might have tied instead with Joan Hickson in Bedroom Farce.

The placement becomes even more silly when you consider that Carlyn Glynn and Henderson Forstyth, who were the leads in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas won the featured acting awards for a musical the same year. No way they were going to compete with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou in the lead category for Sweeney Todd. But then we were still in the era of names above the title competing in lead and those billed below relegated to featured which was actually originally titled featured or supporting.

[flipp525]

Is the fact of already-won Christian Borle being nominated alongside Brad Oscar a problem for Oscar?

So happy for Brad. Just talked to him this morning and he's thrilled with this nomination. We're pulling for him to beat Borle!

[Mister Tee]

No huge surprises, unless you count Carole Shelley's best actress role magically turned into featured actress for Patricia Clarkson. Or the fact that the bloom is completely off Diane Paulus -- I thought Finding Neverland might slip in somewhere.

Best musical remains a brawl, as does actress in a musical. Best actor is probably Michael Cerveris, no? The three-way split of supporting women in Fun Home might make it difficult for any one of them to win -- Judy Kuhn is generally seen as most likely -- but, then, both productions of Nine had the same triple-batch and managed to win. Is the fact of already-won Christian Borle being nominated alongside Brad Oscar a problem for Oscar?

There'll probably be temptation for some voters to boost Bradley Cooper, and many critics would opt for Steven Boyer, but I think Alex Sharp is going to run away with best actor in a play. And Helen Mirren seems likely to add a Tony to her trophy shelf. Does she have a Grammy possibility to finish out the EGOT?

Whatever softness for King and i seemed to be indicated by the Drama Desk omission of O'Hara is certaibly gone this morning. The show has to be the favorite under musical revival.

[Big Magilla]

And the nominees are...

http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

[Greg]

Here is fascinating video about the making of Hamilton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wboCdgzLHg

[Big Magilla]

They're both roughly the same age with lilting soprano voices and O'Hara bears a strong resemblance to Baldwin when she wears a red wig as she did in Far from Heaven and does again in The King and I.

[FilmFan720]

Drama Desk nominated Kate Baldwin who many confuse with Kelly O'Hara for off-Broadway's John & Jen which isn't Tony eligible.

Really, who confuses them? They are completely different performers who look nothing alike!

[Greg]

They also nominated Hamilton, which if it were Tony eligible, would likely sweep the awards instead of leaving them almost all up in the air.

As I will probably not be making it to New York any time soon, I really hope they make Hamilton into a movie. I would love to see a hip-hop musical about my favorite Founding Father.

[flipp525]

Tyne Daly is eligible for featured actress, not lead.

Which is exactly the category I have her placed in for my predictions. Why are you pointing this out?

Kelli O'Hara is becoming sort of the Deborah Kerr of the Tonys.

Btw, the "Hamilton" cast performed a wonderful homage of some "A Chorus Line" numbers the other night to celebrate the 40th anniversary of that show. They ended it with the original cast joining them up on stage. If you can find the video, it's well worth the look.

[Mister Tee]

Something that's going to make the Tonys more interesting on the whole is the fact that the Drama Desks won't be, for once, a de facto warm-up. It's not just the presence of Hamilton, but the absence of Fun Home (which was eligible and nominated last year by the Drama Desk). This will mean that Tony night will be the first direct face-off between Fun Home and Something Rotten, two utterly different sort of musicals that will appeal to different sets of voters, each of which might carry the night. (And you probably can't rule out An American in Paris, either)

Am I wrong, or is Curious Incident a heavy favorite for best play? For director even moreso, but it strikes me as far more widely popular than the competition.

[Big Magilla]

Kelli O'Hara was inexplicably shut out of the Drama Desk nominations suggesting that she is not the front-runner many think. Of course the Tonys aren't the Drama Desk Awards or the Outer Critics Circle awards so that could be just an oddity. Drama Desk nominated Kate Baldwin who many confuse with Kelly O'Hara for off-Broadway's John & Jen which isn't Tony eligible. They also nominated Hamilton, which if it were Tony eligible, would likely sweep the awards instead of leaving them almost all up in the air.

Sydney Lucas is eligible for featured actress, not lead.

Tyne Daly is eligible for featured actress, not lead.

Tony.com has the eligibility decisions in four parts. Those two were among those listed in Part IV.

[flipp525]

Best Actress in a Musical will be a nail-biter, for sure. I really can't say which direction the voters will go there. Something tell me Chita takes it in the end.

I was on the fence between including Elisabeth Moss for "The Heidi Chronicles" (a play that I was in during college) or Carey Mulligan in "Skylight." I went with Moss because I think she might have more momentum at the moment with Mad Men, but her spot could easily go to Mulligan or even a bumped-up Sydney Lucas from "Fun Home" if she's ultimately considered a lead rather than featured.

The category that I'm most excited about is Best Featured Actor in a Musical because it seems like my good friend Brad Oscar has a legitimate shot at winning this year. He was previously nominated in the same category for "The Producers" but lost to his co-star, Gary Beach. We're all really rooting for him to win this time!