The 2010-2011 Tony Awards

[The Original BJ]

Well, I'm in a very rare situation this year, as I actually just returned from New York, where I saw three of this season's musicals (The Book of Mormon, Sister Act, & Anything Goes). So I can give informed commentary on 28 nominations -- I generally consider myself lucky if I've seen ONE of the nominated shows.

I'm quite thrilled to see Book of Mormon leading the pack. It's a pretty spectacular evening at the theater -- one of the most uproariously funny shows I have ever seen, yet also possessing a heart, as well as a collection of songs destined to become beloved by contemporary musical theater fans. (I'll take bets that the phrase "assa dega ebo aye" will work its way into the vernacular of this certain group of people.) I also think the high nomination count is telling of fairly widespread support, especially since it's a relatively smaller-scaled musical -- I wouldn't have counted on those Scenic Design/Costume Design mentions.

The four nominated Book of Mormon actors are all wonderful. Nikki James is the beating heart of the show, a really sweet presence that provides a great counterbalance to the ribald humor surrounding her. Rory O'Malley is very funny as the repressed gay Mormon with a great dance number. Josh Gad is a riot in a crowd-pleasing role that would be any young character actor's dream. But, for me, the standout performer is Andrew Rannells, the dynamite center of the show. Effortlessly funny, dramatically powerful, and possessing a splendid voice, watching him in this role felt like watching the breakthrough for a performer who could one day become one of musical theater's top leading men.

No, Book of Mormon is not for everybody. Certainly some will be offended, and even some who aren't just don't like this type of humor. (Let me put it this way -- there is a character in this show named General Butt F**king Naked, and characters from Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Lord of the Rings make cameo appearances. You know if that won't be your thing.) I'd wondered if the show's boundary-pushing humor might cost it the top prize...but Avenue Q was equally foul, and triumphed over a pretty strong blockbuster option in Wicked. Given the fact that Mormon is both the critical darling AND the sold-out-until-kingdom-come popular hit -- it's this year's Avenue Q as well as this year's Spamalot -- I have a hard time imagining it could lose against the competition this year.

I'll chime in on Anything Goes and Sister Act a little later.

[Big Magilla]

The nominees:

Best Play
Good People Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
Jerusalem Author: Jez Butterworth
The Motherf**ker with the Hat Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
War Horse Author: Nick Stafford


Best Musical
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Best Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys David Thompson
Sister Act Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Book of Mormon Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek

Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart

Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello The Normal Heart
Al Pacino The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance Jerusalem

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand Good People
Lily Rabe The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster Anything Goes
Beth Leavel Baby It's You!
Patina Miller Sister Act
Donna Murphy The People in the Picture


Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook Jerusalem
Billy Crudup Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin The Normal Heart
Edie Falco The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light Lombardi
Joanna Lumley La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley Anything Goes
John Larroquette How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley The Book of Mormon

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark Sister Act
Nikki M. James The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations

Doug Besterman How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank Catch Me If You Can

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith War Horse
Ultz Jerusalem
Mark Wendland The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane Anything Goes
Scott Pask The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson La Bête
Catherine Zuber Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz Anything Goes
Ann Roth The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Paule Constable War Horse
David Lander Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt The Book of Mormon

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan Anything Goes
Brian Ronan The Book of Mormon

Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Athol Fugard
Philip J. Smith

Regional Theatre Tony Award®
Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, Ill.)

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Eve Ensler

Special Tony Award
Handspring Puppet Company

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
William Berloni
The Drama Book Shop

[Big Magilla]

With just seven women eligible for Best Lead Actress in a play and six for Best Lead Acterss in a Musical, speculation must be on who will be snubbed.

[anonymous1980]

I might as create it.

The eligibility list.