The TONY Awards are tomorrow. That’s why I have a picture below of my cat, Playbill, laying on a TONY Awards tote bag that I got years ago at an afterparty. She’s still wondering why she hasn’t been formally invited. She’s always in black tie attire, right?
I celebrated Theatre Nerd Christmas almost arriving today with a TONY Awards-themed 60 minute Flywheel ride at the Lincoln Square Flywheel, set to all kinds of show tunes. It’s how all rides should be. It was amazing. One of the actresses from Oslo even came by in between her matinee and evening show to ride, which is AMAZING and insane at the same time.
I sort of feel very removed from the TONYs this year, given that I haven’t seen Dear Evan Hansen yet, and that’s supposed to take home the big award of the night. My greatest hope for tomorrow night would be for the Best Musical award to go to Come From Away, inspiring one of the biggest upsets since 2004. I loved Come From Away and I think it is so timely. But I think Dear Evan Hansen will probably win because the TONYs are usually predictable and boring. That said, here’s who I want to win and who I think will win:
Best Musical
Come From Away – Should win
Dear Evan Hansen – Will win
Groundhog Day
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Best Play
A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath
Indecent by Paula Vogel
Oslo by J.T. Rogers – Will win/should win
Sweat by Lynn Nottage
Best Revival of a Musical
Falsettos
Hello, Dolly! – Will win
Miss Saigon – Should win (because HD is so goddamn boring, but I really shouldn’t talk because I haven’t seen this production yet)
Best Revival of a Play
August Wilson’s Jitney
The Little Foxes – Will win/should win
Present Laughter
Six Degrees of Separation
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, Falsettos
Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!
Andy Karl, Groundhog Day
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
I honestly have no idea who will win in this category. Thoughts?
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Denée Benton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Christine Ebersole, War Paint
Patti LuPone, War Paint – Patti/Christine will cancel each other out.
Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly! – Will win
Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon – Should win. She’s amazing!
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Denis Arndt, Heisenberg
Chris Cooper, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of Separation
Kevin Kline, Present Laughter – Will win, if the voters are basic.
Jefferson Mays, Oslo – Should win
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Cate Blanchett, The Present
Jennifer Ehle, Oslo
Sally Field, The Glass Menagerie
Laura Linney, The Little Foxes – If it’s not Metcalf, Linney will win this one.
Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2 – Should win
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!
Mike Faist, Dear Evan Hansen
Andrew Rannells, Falsettos
Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos
I feel like I can’t have an opinion on this as I’ve only seen one of these shows.
Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos
Jenn Colella, Come From Away – Will win/should – oh, I hope so!
Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Michael Aronov, Oslo
Danny DeVito, Arthur Miller’s The Price – Will win, likely. I hear he’s amazing. Probably should win too.
Nathan Lane, The Front Page
Richard Thomas, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes
John Douglas Thompson, August Wilson’s Jitney
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Johanna Day, Sweat
Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll’s House, Part 2 – Should win
Cynthia Nixon, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes – Will win
Condola Rashad, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Michelle Wilson, Sweat
Best Score
Come From Away, David Hein and Irene Sankoff – should win
Dear Evan Hansen, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – likely will win
Groundhog Day, Tim Minchin
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy
Best Book of a Musical
Come From Away, David Hein and Irene Sankoff – Should win
Dear Evan Hansen, Steven Levenson – Will win
Groundhog Day, Danny Rubin
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy
Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Come From Away
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen – Will win
Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day – Should win
Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!
Best Direction of a Play
Sam Gold, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s Jitney
Bartlett Sher, Oslo – Should win/Will win
Daniel Sullivan, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent
Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day
Kelly Devine, Come From Away
Denis Jones, Holiday Inn
Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – Should win/Will win
Best Orchestrations
Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand
Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!
Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen – Will win
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – Should win
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, Anastasia – Will win
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – Should win
Catherine Zuber, War Paint
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes – Should win/Will win
Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter
Toni-Leslie James, August Wilson’s Jitney
David Zinn, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rob Howell, Groundhog Day
David Korins, War Paint
Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – Should win/will win
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Best Scenic Design of a Play
David Gallo, Jitney
Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong
Douglas W. Schmidt, The Front Page
Michael Yeargan, Oslo
I’ve only seen Oslo here and the set isn’t anything mind-blowing.
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Come From Away
Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!
Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – Should win/Will win
Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Christopher Akerlind, Indecent
Jane Cox, August Wilson’s Jitney
Donald Holder, Oslo
Jennifer Tipton, A Doll’s House, Part 2 – Should win/Will win
We’ll see how I did with my predictions tomorrow night at 7pm!
That Girl Allison 