Every year, the Broadway community comes together to award all of the new and revived shows at the Tony Awards. The 77th annual ceremony will be held on June 16 at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater in New York City. The show will be aired on CBS and will be hosted by Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose. Thirty six shows were eligible for this year’s awards, and of those, 28 received nominations. This season was packed with many popular shows that fans are hoping will win these prestigious awards.
“Broadway is notorious for being the heart of the theater community, and this year they are truly delivering outstanding productions. The Tony Awards is a celebration of the dedication that everyone on Broadway brings to the stage. I can’t wait to see the performances as well as who takes home each award,” said sophomore Aurora Mata.
The nominees in the Best Musical category include Hell’s Kitchen, Illinoise, The Outsiders, Suffs, and Water For Elephants. Hell’s Kitchen is a semi-autobiographical show about singer-songwriter Alicia Keys’ journey to stardom, which features her beloved songs, while Illinoise is a dance musical with the music from Sufjan Stevens’s album, Illinois.
The Outsiders is based on the notable novel by S.E. Hinton. It follows the story of Ponyboy Curtis and the Greasers, a gang of young teenage boys who are rivals with the higher-class gang, the Socs. Suffs tells the story of women’s suffrage in America, centered on the suffragist Alice Paul who was a main figure in the movement in the early 20th century, and Water For Elephants is based on the 2006 novel of the same name, which follows a traveling circus.
“The Tony voters this season will have a tough decision to make in each category, as there are so many amazing shows to pick from this season. For the Best Musical, I’m hoping to see The Outsiders win. It was an incredible show and it deserves the recognition,” said sophomore Tori Kaufman.
Up for Best Revival of a Musical are Cabaret, Merrily We Roll Along, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and The Who’s Tommy. Cabaret, the story of a nightclub in 1930s Germany, is being revived on Broadway for the fifth time, and Merrily We Roll Along follows three friends over the course of 20 years. The Stephen Sondheim-penned musical flopped the first time it was on Broadway, closing after only sixteen performances. Thanks to rewrites by the show’s creators and the talent and popularity of its leads such as Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe, the show has been a massive success.
Gutenberg! The Musical! follows two friends attempting to create a musical about the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg. Although the show has never been on Broadway before, it is still nominated in the revival category because it has been featured in many productions around New York City, and due to this is eligible for theater awards. The Who’s Tommy is based on the famous 1969 rock opera by the band, The Who.
“I really hope Gutenberg! The Musical! starring Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells wins Best Revival. When I went to see it, the singing, set and acting were all amazing. It was such a funny and creative show. I am rooting for it at Tony’s,” said freshman Gabriel Jaffe.
Competing for the Best Play Award is Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Mary Jane, Mother Play, Prayer for the French Republic, and Stereophonic. Stereophonic has broken the record for the most nominated play ever, taking thirteen nominations including Best Score, which is a category usually reserved for musicals. Stereophonic is a play with music, meaning it has songs in it but does not use song to further its plot. The Best Revival of a Play nominees are An Enemy of the People, Appropriate, and Purlie Victorious: a Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch.
Many new and old Broadway stars have taken performance nominations this year. A-list Hollywood celebrities including Sarah Paulson, Rachel McAdams, Daniel Radcliffe, and Eddie Redmayne have taken nominations for each of their respective performances in their featured shows. Broadway favorites such as Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, Eden Espinosa, Kelli O’Hara and Leslie Odom, Jr. have taken home nominations for their respective performances, and some are looking to do so again this year. Many up-and-coming stars in the Broadway community have also taken home acting nominations, such as Brody Grant as Ponyboy in The Outsiders, and Maleah Joi Moon as Ali in Hell’s Kitchen.
Although many Broadway stars have been nominated this year, many fans of Broadway shows believe their favorites have been snubbed. Fan-favorites Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada did not receive any nominations for their roles as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, despite already having a huge fanbase for their new roles. Joy Woods, proved herself to be a breakout star as Middle Allie in The Notebook, also was not nominated. Woods went viral on social media for her powerhouse vocals and emotional acting in the song “My Days”.
The Tony Awards is a big celebration of everyone on Broadway who has been putting in hard work to make the shows the best they can be. Although some shows will win and others will lose, viewers will still be in awe of the incredibly talented people who put on these spectacular productions.