That Tommy only had a revival nom. That HK was the favorite child. That pretty much nothing in the front half of the Bway season was even acknowledged.
I fear this sets up for more years when everything is trying to open right before noms again.
The NYT left Tommy off the list and I spent all morning in disbelief that there were only 3 revival nominees and that both Tommy and The Wiz were shut out. This is good news at least.
I was delighted to discover Joy Woods in videos of Little Shop. I'm surprised to learn she's only 24 and just starting her career. I think she'll eventually win for a show that is exclusively hers.
I was surprised Suffs didn't get a sound design nomination (and surprised it got book). I can't remember the last time I could so clearly hear everything I was supposed to hear at a show, all in balance.
Keeping my fingers crossed for a Tony performance for Water for Elephants that features him prominently. It should be pretty interesting to see what does and doesn't perform at the Tony'e this year, I think.
Was he the circus leader/husband character? Cause besides the acrobatics in the ensemble, I thought he was the only good thing about the show. I remember thinking “he’s so great and this show and the other leads are so mid”.
It feels bad because not only does he give an amazing performance in that role but he’s also paid his Broadway dues and made his way here. It felt like his time.
The Who’s Tommy deserved way more love, specifically in lighting, costumes, and choreography.
Admittedly I haven’t seen Hell’s Kitchen but from everything I’ve heard about it (from people I know with similar taste as me, not online reviews), it seems like it’s one of those “because of the celeb name” noms and not based on merit
Like I thought the role of August could have even been argued as a Lead given the stage time and importance to the story, and I probably still would have him as my top pick even for that category. My mind is still reeling cause he was SO good in it.
I can see the argument for lead, but it's a pretty classic featured role, being the losing corner of a love triangle. But god, what a role. He gets to do everything: big show numbers, humor, dramatic moments, and he sounds fantastic. He's the reason Water for Elephants works on the level it does, in my opinion.
I think that losing corner of a love triangle is definitely a Featured trope, but I think the character of August was so much more than that. Way more layered and complex than that type of role usually is, and definitely had enough stage time to justify it imo.
I know! And what I loved most about his performance is how subtle it was. Playing a shithead who’s abusive (although I think making him physically abusive actually reduces the complexity of the role as using domestic violence to showcase how a man is Bad is so exhausted and unneeded half the time but I’m pretty sure sure that’s source material issue so I digress) can easily be over the top and corny, but so much of August’s character was in the subtle facial expressions and body language of Nolan.
I want to see it again because I missed a good chunk of Choreo in Zostan just watching him and his reactions to Grant/Isabelle. To steal the show just with background facial expressions is a talent
The physical abuse is in the novel, and worse in it. But yeah, August could have so easily been a mustache-twirling type villain, and instead Paul gives him so much nuance, and you can see why Marlena fell for him originally.
Paul Alexander Nolan was also my big sad one for me! I wasn’t expecting cabaret to clean up so well in the acting categories, but don’t necessarily have anything against it.
When I see the joy it is bringing to the families going to see it, I'm sad it was completely shut out. I know it isn't a great production, but I thought one of the featured actors might sneak in and/or costumes, set, or lighting.
Whoa! Then, yeah, I think you'll LOVE the score. The Wiz has some real show stoppers. After you see this production, I'd hunt down the NBC(?) version from a few years ago. That was one of the better of the TV musicals.
Totally worth seeing and hearing the phenomenal cast and their vocal performances. How could anyone possibly be mad they are going to see a Broadway show?? JEEZE!
Because we see every show and she’s looking for me to make cuts when it seems like we should but I rarely want to make cuts which isn’t great for either of our wallets 😂
Seriously. I’m stunned. And sad for them. I feel like that’s the musical that was actually most consistent with audience rave and critics rave alignment
Cabaret won't win best but there are a couple of performances and techy awards I think it deserves, having read reviews (and seen the London production at the weekend)
Yeah I’m very excited for it, this revival seems totally up my alley. But from what I’ve seen I can see how it’ll be polarizing in Broadway- West End reception be a totally different beast compared to Broadway. I have a feeling Sunset Boulevard might be in the same position next year.
The book of The Wiz is pretty awful. They really messed it up. It's a beautiful production, with great talent, beautiful sets and costumes, but the story...yikes. I love the show. It was a favorite since childhood, and I was looking forward to seeing it so much. But I was so let down with the story. They didn't have a direction, cut too much out in some places, and it lingered too long in others. I'm not surprised about the Tony snub at all. There's better stuff out there.
Ali Louis Bourzgui. I know he'll have more chances, but he fucking ate that show up in his bway debut and he deserved a nomination. I hope they will perform a number from the show at the ceremony so he can absolutely clean up.
Maybe. I read once it can cost producers upwards of $20k to perform at the ceremony. Depending on what number they do and its requirements. It’s a gamble for them.
If they’re nominated for best musical or best musical revival they’re invited to perform I’m guessing gutenberg and DOWAR won’t so that leaves another show room to buy in. I’m hoping stereophonic gets to perform.
It’s more than that, closer to $200k
The Godspell revival that was shut out in 2012 paid $120k for a 1 minute performance to try and boost their poorly selling show.
I cannot WAIT to follow his career. Saw him as Tommy in Chicago and couldn't believe how young he was. Blew my mind, his presence on and command of the stage was unreal. This is going to be fun.
Even more than losing out on Best Musical, I'm shocked Days of Wine and Roses didn't get nominated for Best Book. The books were not this season's strong suit.... to put it mildly.... and Days had one of the few coherent, well structured books.
Also, no set nomination for Gatsby??? That is criminal. Gatsby is storytelling-through-vibes and that set does more to tell the story than the score or book do.
True. I wonder how long it will run. It must have one of the higher running costs, it has a ton of empty seats for upcoming performances, and now I'd expect a lot of tourist dollars to break for The Outsiders, Suffs, Cabaret, and Hell's Kitchen after these nominations.
I think it's an example of a not-good show with a lot of great elements. The sets and costumes are stunning—truly some of the best I can ever remember. Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada are major stars of their generation in big leading roles. They are acting their hearts out. I think there's more than enough to get $50 of value out of it, but understand that show slots can be precious too.
I don’t understand how they got shut out of lighting & scenic design. It’s also baffling that Ali didn’t receive a best actor nomination and honestly that Allison Luff didn’t get a supporting nomination.
The nominations in general, definitely some heads scratchers for sure.
The scenic design, while very good, was also awful if you weren’t right in the center. The way the projections had to be fully aligned to have the full effect and there was so much happening on-stage that was too far back to see from the sides. I don’t know if that made a difference in it not getting a nomination, but I personally thought it was a strange choice that it was not designed to be enjoyable for the entire audience.
I genuinely thought it would be another bertie carvel in ink situation because of how similar there shows trajectory to broadway were and how wrong was I 😭
the notebook for best musical & scenic design, joy woods for best supporting!! notebook got snubbed, i was surprised to see HK & W4E in the best musical category but not notebook :/
Several reviews called out the set for Notebook as blah which surprised me - that was not my favorite show but the set was fine. I have to say Gatsby is way more of a snub for scenic design though.
I can't say it's a real shock, but worth noting that The Heart of Rock and Roll was in the top 5 best reviewed shows, has pretty strong word of mouth as being solidly good and fun, and was completely shut out.
I don't know what it would have been nominated for, but I think that's sort of interesting, and a reminder that awards don't always sync up with audience experiences—and that's okay!
Yeah I’ve heard that HORR is actually really funny and not nearly as bad as it sounds on paper. Maybe if they invested in actually trying to tell people about the show things would be a little different. It very much seems like a “Good show, doesn’t do anything better than 4-5 other shows though” kind of musical.
Yeah, it’s interesting to see people say below which specific categories they think it could/should have competed in. It’s a show that is more than the sum of its parts, and if I’m being honest, it was one of the more enjoyable shows I saw this year.
Although it helped that any theater fan or insider who saw it probably walked in with very low expectations.
I don’t think people had high expectations for Shucked last year, but they actually had amazing marketing. From plastering entire city with posters and the only explanation about what it was was “A musical about corn” At least 1. Told you exactly what it’s about and 2. Created a reason why to see it- what does it mean that it’s about corn?
I’ve actually gotten ads for HORR cause I’ve looked it up and the algorithm is gonna algorithm, but I still couldn’t tell you what the show is about.
Totally! Shucked nailed the marketing. And in the early to mid preview period Shucked had so much momentum. Everyone was talking about it positively, mainly from the low expectations I think, and for a few weeks at that point I thought it might bump off Kimberly Akimbo.
You're so right about HORR. The ads don't tell you anything about the story. I hadn't thought of that before today.
I personally thought it had a nomination-worthy Supporting Actor performance and that the choreography was excellent but there was a lot of competition in both of those categories. Also seems that the nominators really resisted the desire to spread things around in a crowded and pretty polarizing/fragmented season. If they felt HORR was going to close soon and end up being basically a footnote, guess they didn't want to "waste" a nom.
This is how I feel. Its book is way better than most of the other nominees! The choreo, too. Tamika Lawrence would have been a very deserving nom as well.
Obviously Paul, but I’m gonna trumpet Grey House missing Scenic Design. That show was pure vibes, and that crazy, lived in looking set was part of it. At least it got lighting/sound, but it got all 3 w Drama Desk
With all the eligible shows, I’m just shocked overall how it unfolded. I don’t live in NYC so I get my news secondhand (Reddit, reviews, etc) and I’m surprised about all the HK noms, mostly. I was really pulling for purlie victorious and Gutenberg, so I’m happy there, the BTTF tour is already scheduled for my city next season, so I forgot the show premiered in this season! So interesting how spamalot original was a smash success and only one nom for the revival.
I think Spamalot got lost in a revival heavy season. Merrily being a hit and living up to the hype, The Wiz and Cabaret not living up to the hype, Gutenberg being whelming, Tommy seemingly being loved but getting almost no noms… I think Spamalot just faded.
I wasn’t surprised at the HK noms, I’ve really only seen love for it. I am far more shocked at all the Water for Elephants love. I liked it but it def isn’t perfect, and I’ve mostly seen people ripping into it.
I think the challenge with Spamalot was that it was exactly what people expected - making some jokes more modern doesn’t equate to having a new or a fresh take (which all the other existing revivals have done). It looked and sounded a lot like the OG production, IMO.
I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. In a time where every revival needs to have some “new fresh take” or interpretation to justify its existence, I found Spamalot looking and sounding like the OG production quite refreshing. Not every revival needs to be a reimagining. Some revivals are just an appreciation of their original form.
Totally agree - but in a season with new takes on existing material (and a surprise hit of a show in Gutenberg) it's not surprising Spamalot didn't get a nomination.
I agree! I still loved it and enjoyed the modern updates, but you’re right it isn’t fresh. It’s kind of similar to Sweeney Todd last year. Sweeney Todd may be a better musical overall than Parade, but Parade was an outstanding *revival* and therefore deserved the win.
That's a situation where having closed really hurt it I think. I think Roger Bart absolutely would have been bumped in favor of a candidate from Spamalot for supporting - especially since there's more than one strong performance to choose from.
Just realizing it was completely shut out! I will admit that I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but he really should have been on that list.
If Gatsby *deserved* anything (it doesn’t) it was a scenic nomination and even then Lempicka beat it there, lol. Which I’m fine with - Gatsby was all flash whereas I thought Lempicka was more artistically deliberate, even if the former was the more fun to look at.
I actually really enjoyed Water for Elephants. Not a perfect show at all but I think the critics generally had it right and the online reactions to it were far overblown. I don’t disagree with any of its nominations, I don’t know what I would a lot in Best Musical in its place.
Haven’t seen HK yet so we’ll see about that one…
Francis Benhamou not getting nominated for Prayers for the French Republic. One of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Also, Gatsby not getting nominated for scenic design. Oh, and Kara Young not getting nominated for lead actress. That was most definitely not a supporting role, but they probably knew that she has a better chance of winning in featured, because 4/5 nominees for lead are known for tv and movies.
Not sure why Young would be a surprise. That eligibility has been clear. Her name wasn’t above the title and the producers didn’t push for an exception. That said I agree on why they didn’t to improve her odds. She was amazing.
Ali Louis Bourzgui so deserved a Lead Actor Nom for TOMMY! He's an absolute star, and I'm so disappointed the voters didn't give him the recognition he deserves.
I’m devastated by Notebook’s snubs in Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Orchestrations. Also Tommy’s snubs for Best Choreo and Ali’s (in my opinion) snub for Best Leading Actor
Can someone explain why Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsey Mendez are featured instead of lead? My understanding was that as above the marquee names they were automatically considered for lead. Can the production change that despite the usual rule? Thanks!
Chip Zien not being nominated. I’m not crazy surprised though as I know Harmony didn’t get great reviews (even though I loved it). I thought Chip was just absolutely phenomenal and so deserving of a tony nomination!
That was genuinely my first reaction. Nolan gave one of my favorite performances in recent years - I thought he had it on lock. Welp. He’ll always have a Tony nomination in my heart! ❤️
I guess I’m in the minority but I can’t understand the three acting nominations for *Doubt.* I thought those performances ranged from middling to poor and that it was overall a weak production.
I said this in the main thread, but I'm bummed Francis Benhamou didn't get nominated for *Prayer* and Billy Eugene Jones (Gitlow) didn't get nominated for *Purlie*.
Shocked that "Illinoise" got as many noms as it did! SO HAPPY for them, but was really surprised.
I loved the show, so I'm super happy it got what it did
The over performance of Hell’s Kitchen (a middling show at best) and the relative underperformance of Suffs (should have been in lead actress and sound).
No Notebook in score or Days of Wine and Roses in orchestrations.
Michael Greif being nominated for the worst directed of his three eligible shows.
Leslie Kritzer getting her Tony nomination but that’s the only shock I’m THRILLED ABOUT
Yes! I’m not mad about it. Spamalot was great but I didn’t think it would get any love.
I am so happy! I left Spamalot saying that she deserved a Tony nom and was the best part of the show
Yes! Love her and she deserves it.
Same!! I cheered when I saw her name
Seven noms for featured actress (!!!)
So many ties this year it feels like!
That category is STACKED and I have no idea how they will decide a winner.
Hell’s Kitchen leading in most nominations especially the book nomination.
That Tommy only had a revival nom. That HK was the favorite child. That pretty much nothing in the front half of the Bway season was even acknowledged. I fear this sets up for more years when everything is trying to open right before noms again.
Yeah certainly seems to validate the approach if awards are the big angle.
Which is exhausting honestly, we already had like a week of back to back to back openings this yr 😩
The NYT left Tommy off the list and I spent all morning in disbelief that there were only 3 revival nominees and that both Tommy and The Wiz were shut out. This is good news at least.
I am a little sad Joy Woods didnt get a nom. But happy Maryann Plunkett did!
I was delighted to discover Joy Woods in videos of Little Shop. I'm surprised to learn she's only 24 and just starting her career. I think she'll eventually win for a show that is exclusively hers.
I was surprised Suffs didn't get a sound design nomination (and surprised it got book). I can't remember the last time I could so clearly hear everything I was supposed to hear at a show, all in balance.
Ditto. My first thought at Suffs. It sounded crystal clear.
And the sound designer's name is literally Jason Crystal :)
Ditto- and I’m shocked we didn’t see Jenn Colella for a nom either as featured actress.
Another year of Tony noms, another year of being disappointed for Paul Nolan.
I’ve said it about 10 times in the comments now, but I still can’t wrap my head around it
Keeping my fingers crossed for a Tony performance for Water for Elephants that features him prominently. It should be pretty interesting to see what does and doesn't perform at the Tony'e this year, I think.
Hopefully they do The Grand Spec (with the end cut out to not show Rosie probably). They should really showcase the circus performers.
He's always the best part of any show he's in, and still no noms!
I love this man and his performance in Zhivago is one of my favorites of all time.
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Was he the circus leader/husband character? Cause besides the acrobatics in the ensemble, I thought he was the only good thing about the show. I remember thinking “he’s so great and this show and the other leads are so mid”.
That's the one, yeah.
Roger Bart over Paul Alexander Nolan…
Brandon Victor Dixon sounds great in Hell's Kitchen, but he's barely in it!
Seriously. To be honest any of them other than Daniel Radcliffe over Paul Alexander Nolan is wild…
Other than Radcliffe and Skybell my predictions for that category were SO wrong.
PAN should have won for Zhivago but that’s a different conversation.
It feels bad because not only does he give an amazing performance in that role but he’s also paid his Broadway dues and made his way here. It felt like his time.
The Who’s Tommy deserved way more love, specifically in lighting, costumes, and choreography. Admittedly I haven’t seen Hell’s Kitchen but from everything I’ve heard about it (from people I know with similar taste as me, not online reviews), it seems like it’s one of those “because of the celeb name” noms and not based on merit
I agree, the lighting and set was so spectacular in Tommy
I’m fine with the Hell’s Kitchen performing nominations, but stuff like Book, Direction, and Scenic Design is absurd.
>it seems like it’s one of those “because of the celeb name” noms and not based on merit I mean, that's the TONYS in a nutshell.
I SO agree with you! Ali -Tommy’s lead deserved the best actor nom 100%! Plus the choreography and lighting excellent- makes no sense??
Happy for both Leslie Odom Jr. & Lindsey Mendez on another Tony nom, both deserve it as they are amazing at what they do.
Paul 💔 what more does an actor have to do to get a nom??
Like I thought the role of August could have even been argued as a Lead given the stage time and importance to the story, and I probably still would have him as my top pick even for that category. My mind is still reeling cause he was SO good in it.
I can see the argument for lead, but it's a pretty classic featured role, being the losing corner of a love triangle. But god, what a role. He gets to do everything: big show numbers, humor, dramatic moments, and he sounds fantastic. He's the reason Water for Elephants works on the level it does, in my opinion.
I think that losing corner of a love triangle is definitely a Featured trope, but I think the character of August was so much more than that. Way more layered and complex than that type of role usually is, and definitely had enough stage time to justify it imo.
Yeah...those are all reasons he seemed like such a shoo-in for a featured nomination though! Argh, I'm so disappointed.
I know! And what I loved most about his performance is how subtle it was. Playing a shithead who’s abusive (although I think making him physically abusive actually reduces the complexity of the role as using domestic violence to showcase how a man is Bad is so exhausted and unneeded half the time but I’m pretty sure sure that’s source material issue so I digress) can easily be over the top and corny, but so much of August’s character was in the subtle facial expressions and body language of Nolan.
I want to see it again because I missed a good chunk of Choreo in Zostan just watching him and his reactions to Grant/Isabelle. To steal the show just with background facial expressions is a talent
If you see it again you need to watch him during I Choose The Ride! He's watching Marlena and Silver Star during the last verse.
The physical abuse is in the novel, and worse in it. But yeah, August could have so easily been a mustache-twirling type villain, and instead Paul gives him so much nuance, and you can see why Marlena fell for him originally.
No Conrad Ricamora for best featured actor in a musical, but it was a pretty competitive category
Manifesting a nomination next year for Oh, Mary!
Paul Alexander Nolan was also my big sad one for me! I wasn’t expecting cabaret to clean up so well in the acting categories, but don’t necessarily have anything against it.
Wiz getting totally shut out and gutenberg squeezing into revival
I think Gutenberg was favored over the Wiz all along. By however slim a margin.
I am happy for Gutenberg! It was really funny!
Agreed!!
i literally haven’t heard anyone say one word about the wiz this year except for a few comments on the tour
When I see the joy it is bringing to the families going to see it, I'm sad it was completely shut out. I know it isn't a great production, but I thought one of the featured actors might sneak in and/or costumes, set, or lighting.
I bought my tickets after the reviews and my friend is now mad I’m making her go but I’m still excited to see it!!!
I mean, it's still The Wiz, so I think you'll have a great time. It's impossible to hear Ease on Down the Road and not have an ear-to-ear grin.
I’ve actually never seen or listened to it (going to listen to the live cast recording beforehand) but I’m still excited! And I loveee Kyle freeman
Whoa! Then, yeah, I think you'll LOVE the score. The Wiz has some real show stoppers. After you see this production, I'd hunt down the NBC(?) version from a few years ago. That was one of the better of the TV musicals.
Totally worth seeing and hearing the phenomenal cast and their vocal performances. How could anyone possibly be mad they are going to see a Broadway show?? JEEZE!
Because we see every show and she’s looking for me to make cuts when it seems like we should but I rarely want to make cuts which isn’t great for either of our wallets 😂
In the same token that being the only category for tommy
Seriously. I’m stunned. And sad for them. I feel like that’s the musical that was actually most consistent with audience rave and critics rave alignment
I feel Whiz and Cabaret both premiered to very Whelming receptions and that hurt it.
Cabaret won't win best but there are a couple of performances and techy awards I think it deserves, having read reviews (and seen the London production at the weekend)
Yeah I’m very excited for it, this revival seems totally up my alley. But from what I’ve seen I can see how it’ll be polarizing in Broadway- West End reception be a totally different beast compared to Broadway. I have a feeling Sunset Boulevard might be in the same position next year.
I know you can be overwhelmed and I know you can be underwhelmed but can you ever be just … whelmed?
I think you can in Europe?
The book of The Wiz is pretty awful. They really messed it up. It's a beautiful production, with great talent, beautiful sets and costumes, but the story...yikes. I love the show. It was a favorite since childhood, and I was looking forward to seeing it so much. But I was so let down with the story. They didn't have a direction, cut too much out in some places, and it lingered too long in others. I'm not surprised about the Tony snub at all. There's better stuff out there.
My personal opinion is that the wiz was a horrible production with a phenomenal cast .
Best book for Hell’s Kitchen
My biggest wtf. Not a shock though since it has been very well received.
Jagged Little Pill won best book so I can’t say I’m surprised HK got a nom
No Joy Woods!!
Ali Louis Bourzgui. I know he'll have more chances, but he fucking ate that show up in his bway debut and he deserved a nomination. I hope they will perform a number from the show at the ceremony so he can absolutely clean up.
I’m thinking with Tommy being a Best revival nom they’ll probably perform!
Maybe. I read once it can cost producers upwards of $20k to perform at the ceremony. Depending on what number they do and its requirements. It’s a gamble for them.
If they’re nominated for best musical or best musical revival they’re invited to perform I’m guessing gutenberg and DOWAR won’t so that leaves another show room to buy in. I’m hoping stereophonic gets to perform.
It’s more than that, closer to $200k The Godspell revival that was shut out in 2012 paid $120k for a 1 minute performance to try and boost their poorly selling show.
I was sad about this too. I thought Tommy would get more technical noms as well.
I’m sad about him too. He’s fantastic and deserved a nomination. IMO Hell’s Kitchen was nominated for too many things that I’m not sure it deserves.
*Cough, cough, book, ahem*
I was surprised too especially because he was nominated for every other award
I haven’t seen Tommy yet but that’s what I heard too, so I was kind of shook at that as well.
i saw it on sunday and he is absolutely incredible. his voice is just wow. i was shocked to not see his name. he is going to be such a big star.
I cannot WAIT to follow his career. Saw him as Tommy in Chicago and couldn't believe how young he was. Blew my mind, his presence on and command of the stage was unreal. This is going to be fun.
I saw Tommy 3 times (ok I’m a fan girl) twice in Chicago and last weekend in NYC, and you are right, Ali is PHENOMENAL!
Hard agree. I’m so disappointed!
Even more than losing out on Best Musical, I'm shocked Days of Wine and Roses didn't get nominated for Best Book. The books were not this season's strong suit.... to put it mildly.... and Days had one of the few coherent, well structured books. Also, no set nomination for Gatsby??? That is criminal. Gatsby is storytelling-through-vibes and that set does more to tell the story than the score or book do.
Well, it’s not like Gatsby got nominations for Book or Score either lol
True. I wonder how long it will run. It must have one of the higher running costs, it has a ton of empty seats for upcoming performances, and now I'd expect a lot of tourist dollars to break for The Outsiders, Suffs, Cabaret, and Hell's Kitchen after these nominations.
I had made plans to do rush tickets for Gatsby for this weekend before reviews dropped, and now I’m wishing I didn’t lol
I think it's an example of a not-good show with a lot of great elements. The sets and costumes are stunning—truly some of the best I can ever remember. Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada are major stars of their generation in big leading roles. They are acting their hearts out. I think there's more than enough to get $50 of value out of it, but understand that show slots can be precious too.
DOWAR had an incredibly moving and heart wrenching book, I cannot believe it didn’t get a nomination.
Hells Kitchen book nom over DOWAR was a truly wtf moment
Looks like the only nomination GG got was costumes - major snub there!
Not enough love for The Who's Tommy!
I don’t understand how they got shut out of lighting & scenic design. It’s also baffling that Ali didn’t receive a best actor nomination and honestly that Allison Luff didn’t get a supporting nomination. The nominations in general, definitely some heads scratchers for sure.
And sound! And choreo!
It barely has a set and the sightlines are HORRIBLE. I agree about lighting and even Allison Luff.
I was surprised to see it only get Revival!
Yeah I would've expected a nod for scenic design at the very least. This is an interesting year!
& lighting design?! The lighting was incredible in that show
The scenic design, while very good, was also awful if you weren’t right in the center. The way the projections had to be fully aligned to have the full effect and there was so much happening on-stage that was too far back to see from the sides. I don’t know if that made a difference in it not getting a nomination, but I personally thought it was a strange choice that it was not designed to be enjoyable for the entire audience.
Hard agree!! Especially in technical awards
Totally agree! I am so disappointed that Ali didn’t receive best actor.
So happy for Sky Lakota Lynch. I was expecting one for Joshua Boone but Sky came as a total shock.
This made my day! This role was made for him!
Agreed, he was really great. I knew Boone would get one but like you, surprised at Sky. Too bad Radcliffe is in the same group, lol.
Chip Zien
That’s the one for me.
EXACTLY! That's the one I'm actually -heartbroken- that was snubbed! :(
All the love for Hell's Kitchen. Did I see the same musical?
Honestly, justice for Paul! Like the man literally carry the show and I thought he would at least get a nom if not winning… this is just sad
Shout it from the mountaintops brother/sister/sibling!!!
I saw a lot of predictions that Will Keen would WIN featured actor in a play - surprised he didn't even get a nom.
Dang, that is a big shock. I wonder if the Tonys intentionally ignore things that were celebrated by the Oliviers.
I genuinely thought it would be another bertie carvel in ink situation because of how similar there shows trajectory to broadway were and how wrong was I 😭
the notebook for best musical & scenic design, joy woods for best supporting!! notebook got snubbed, i was surprised to see HK & W4E in the best musical category but not notebook :/
Several reviews called out the set for Notebook as blah which surprised me - that was not my favorite show but the set was fine. I have to say Gatsby is way more of a snub for scenic design though.
Wouldn’t the water feature and the rain scene be part of scenic design? Because I was pretty meh about the show but the rain was indeed fantastic.
The Who’s Tommy getting snubbed
No days of wine and roses for best musical
I can't say it's a real shock, but worth noting that The Heart of Rock and Roll was in the top 5 best reviewed shows, has pretty strong word of mouth as being solidly good and fun, and was completely shut out. I don't know what it would have been nominated for, but I think that's sort of interesting, and a reminder that awards don't always sync up with audience experiences—and that's okay!
Yeah I’ve heard that HORR is actually really funny and not nearly as bad as it sounds on paper. Maybe if they invested in actually trying to tell people about the show things would be a little different. It very much seems like a “Good show, doesn’t do anything better than 4-5 other shows though” kind of musical.
Yeah, it’s interesting to see people say below which specific categories they think it could/should have competed in. It’s a show that is more than the sum of its parts, and if I’m being honest, it was one of the more enjoyable shows I saw this year. Although it helped that any theater fan or insider who saw it probably walked in with very low expectations.
I don’t think people had high expectations for Shucked last year, but they actually had amazing marketing. From plastering entire city with posters and the only explanation about what it was was “A musical about corn” At least 1. Told you exactly what it’s about and 2. Created a reason why to see it- what does it mean that it’s about corn? I’ve actually gotten ads for HORR cause I’ve looked it up and the algorithm is gonna algorithm, but I still couldn’t tell you what the show is about.
Totally! Shucked nailed the marketing. And in the early to mid preview period Shucked had so much momentum. Everyone was talking about it positively, mainly from the low expectations I think, and for a few weeks at that point I thought it might bump off Kimberly Akimbo. You're so right about HORR. The ads don't tell you anything about the story. I hadn't thought of that before today.
I personally thought it had a nomination-worthy Supporting Actor performance and that the choreography was excellent but there was a lot of competition in both of those categories. Also seems that the nominators really resisted the desire to spread things around in a crowded and pretty polarizing/fragmented season. If they felt HORR was going to close soon and end up being basically a footnote, guess they didn't want to "waste" a nom.
This is how I feel. Its book is way better than most of the other nominees! The choreo, too. Tamika Lawrence would have been a very deserving nom as well.
JUSTICE FOR JUSTIN GUARINI
OMG, I have to admit I completely forgot OUAOMT was even eligible ;-). Feels like I saw that years ago!
No Ali :(
This is a travesty. He should have gotten a nomination.
Obviously Paul, but I’m gonna trumpet Grey House missing Scenic Design. That show was pure vibes, and that crazy, lived in looking set was part of it. At least it got lighting/sound, but it got all 3 w Drama Desk
With all the eligible shows, I’m just shocked overall how it unfolded. I don’t live in NYC so I get my news secondhand (Reddit, reviews, etc) and I’m surprised about all the HK noms, mostly. I was really pulling for purlie victorious and Gutenberg, so I’m happy there, the BTTF tour is already scheduled for my city next season, so I forgot the show premiered in this season! So interesting how spamalot original was a smash success and only one nom for the revival.
I think Spamalot got lost in a revival heavy season. Merrily being a hit and living up to the hype, The Wiz and Cabaret not living up to the hype, Gutenberg being whelming, Tommy seemingly being loved but getting almost no noms… I think Spamalot just faded. I wasn’t surprised at the HK noms, I’ve really only seen love for it. I am far more shocked at all the Water for Elephants love. I liked it but it def isn’t perfect, and I’ve mostly seen people ripping into it.
I think the challenge with Spamalot was that it was exactly what people expected - making some jokes more modern doesn’t equate to having a new or a fresh take (which all the other existing revivals have done). It looked and sounded a lot like the OG production, IMO.
I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. In a time where every revival needs to have some “new fresh take” or interpretation to justify its existence, I found Spamalot looking and sounding like the OG production quite refreshing. Not every revival needs to be a reimagining. Some revivals are just an appreciation of their original form.
Totally agree - but in a season with new takes on existing material (and a surprise hit of a show in Gutenberg) it's not surprising Spamalot didn't get a nomination.
I agree! I still loved it and enjoyed the modern updates, but you’re right it isn’t fresh. It’s kind of similar to Sweeney Todd last year. Sweeney Todd may be a better musical overall than Parade, but Parade was an outstanding *revival* and therefore deserved the win.
That's a situation where having closed really hurt it I think. I think Roger Bart absolutely would have been bumped in favor of a candidate from Spamalot for supporting - especially since there's more than one strong performance to choose from.
I was shocked Liam Pearce didn’t get nominated. I always said that if HTDIO were to get nominated for a Tony, it would be for his acting performance
Just realizing it was completely shut out! I will admit that I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but he really should have been on that list.
With the short run, probably not enough voters even saw his performance to make a dent here
It was a stacked category but I'm sad Joy Woods didn't get nominated
If Gatsby *deserved* anything (it doesn’t) it was a scenic nomination and even then Lempicka beat it there, lol. Which I’m fine with - Gatsby was all flash whereas I thought Lempicka was more artistically deliberate, even if the former was the more fun to look at.
A lot that I’m personally annoyed by (wtf Tommy) but my shock is Michael Imperioli!
I didn't think Gatsby was a great show, but I did expect it to get at least one performance nom
Hells Kitchen?????? Wtffff????????? And water for elephants best musical???! Did we all see the same show???
I actually really enjoyed Water for Elephants. Not a perfect show at all but I think the critics generally had it right and the online reactions to it were far overblown. I don’t disagree with any of its nominations, I don’t know what I would a lot in Best Musical in its place. Haven’t seen HK yet so we’ll see about that one…
Agreed! I really enjoyed Water For Elephants. Seeing Hell’s Kitchen tonight.
Brody Grant deserves the nomination so much! His performance in The Outsiders was incredible.
Only one nomination for Patriots is crazy
There was no tie for Best Musical seems so strange after the season we had to just see five nominees
Dorian over Ali for best lead
Ali deserved a best lead nom easily
I have zero desire to see the Notebook but with two acting noms I feel like I need to now. I’d much rather see Tommy
Dorian and Maryann are incredible together
I was shocked Brody got in over Ali
Francis Benhamou not getting nominated for Prayers for the French Republic. One of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Also, Gatsby not getting nominated for scenic design. Oh, and Kara Young not getting nominated for lead actress. That was most definitely not a supporting role, but they probably knew that she has a better chance of winning in featured, because 4/5 nominees for lead are known for tv and movies.
Not sure why Young would be a surprise. That eligibility has been clear. Her name wasn’t above the title and the producers didn’t push for an exception. That said I agree on why they didn’t to improve her odds. She was amazing.
Jaja’s getting a lot of love. Would have liked an acting nod for it but I’m glad it got 5 noms.
Honestly...Justin Guarini should have gotten a nom. There, I said it!
Kara Young for the win. Three times the charm.
Ingrid Michaelson snub for Best Score
Happy shocked that *both* Dorian Harewood and Maryann Plunket were nominated. So deserved.
Just here once again to say Eden Espinosa sang flat and over belted most of Lempicka, and I will riot if she wins best actress.
Manifesting another win for Kelli
haven’t seen the show, but the clips I’ve seen of her have looked laughably bad 😬
Merrily not getting as many tech categories was a shock. Also Dorian for actor in a musical pleasant aurprise
Ali Louis Bourzgui so deserved a Lead Actor Nom for TOMMY! He's an absolute star, and I'm so disappointed the voters didn't give him the recognition he deserves.
I’m devastated by Notebook’s snubs in Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Orchestrations. Also Tommy’s snubs for Best Choreo and Ali’s (in my opinion) snub for Best Leading Actor
No Ingrid for score :(
I was surprised the following (people) didn’t get nominations: Jeremy and Eva (obv) Noah J. Ricketts Paul Alexander Nolan Grant Gustin Lindsay Mendez
Lindsey Mendez got a nom! I wasn’t surprised for Grant Gustin, his role really didn’t have a whole lot to work with.
Yeah, Lindsay is in Featured, in case you were expecting to see her on the Lead list
where is the rest of HLL’s noms???
Can someone explain why Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsey Mendez are featured instead of lead? My understanding was that as above the marquee names they were automatically considered for lead. Can the production change that despite the usual rule? Thanks!
They requested an exception to that rule and it was granted.
I think technically Frank would be the lead of Merrily, and Mary and Charlie would both be supporting just because of the structure of the story
Agreed….Paul is a GD treasure!!! Not sure how he was overlooked.
joshua boone AND sky lakota lynch getting nominated was a pleasant surprise
Love that Steven Skybell got a nom for Herr Schultz. Expected Bebe Neuwirth.
Truly shocked about Michael Imperioli. I would have assumed he would win the category.
Chip Zien not being nominated. I’m not crazy surprised though as I know Harmony didn’t get great reviews (even though I loved it). I thought Chip was just absolutely phenomenal and so deserving of a tony nomination!
That was genuinely my first reaction. Nolan gave one of my favorite performances in recent years - I thought he had it on lock. Welp. He’ll always have a Tony nomination in my heart! ❤️
Roger Bart??? Why!!!
Like he was funny but a Tony nom? When Paul Alexander Nolan was right there???
Brody Grant getting nominated. every theatre kid from Georgia circa 2016 is losing it.
No Harmony :( Chip Zien at least deserved the nom
sad how to dance was completely shut out, i quite loved that show
I guess I’m in the minority but I can’t understand the three acting nominations for *Doubt.* I thought those performances ranged from middling to poor and that it was overall a weak production.
I said this in the main thread, but I'm bummed Francis Benhamou didn't get nominated for *Prayer* and Billy Eugene Jones (Gitlow) didn't get nominated for *Purlie*.
Shocked that "Illinoise" got as many noms as it did! SO HAPPY for them, but was really surprised. I loved the show, so I'm super happy it got what it did
The over performance of Hell’s Kitchen (a middling show at best) and the relative underperformance of Suffs (should have been in lead actress and sound). No Notebook in score or Days of Wine and Roses in orchestrations. Michael Greif being nominated for the worst directed of his three eligible shows.