Tony Awards Eligibility 2023-2024

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 5:09pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tony-Awards-Administration-Committee-Meets-to-Determine-Eligibility-for-2023-24-Season-20231130

The committee made the following determinations: 

Briga Heelan and Justin Guarini will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress/Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical categories for their respective performances in Once Upon a One More Time.  

Anna Fleischle and Sven Ortel will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Once Upon a One More Time.  

Arielle Jacobs will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category for her performance in Here Lies Love.  

Eric McCormack and Laura Bell Bundy will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Leading Role in a Play categories for their respective performances in The Cottage.  

Casey Likes will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for his performance in Back to the Future: The Musical.  

Tim Hatley and Finn Ross will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Back to the Future: The Musical.   

Duncan Henderson and Nina Dunn for PixelLux will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on The Shark is Broken.  

Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Sound Design of a Play category for their work on Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.  

Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by Actor/Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical categories for their respective performances in Merrily We Roll Along. 

Updated On: 11/30/23 at 05:09 PM

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 5:37pm

Very curious what people think about Mendez's chances in featured vs. lead. 

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 5:49pm

So I guess Kara Young is featured then? I thought they might push her for leading. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 5:50pm

Makes perfect sense to me for Mendez to be featured. Everything I've heard about this Merrily makes it clear that Groff is the only true lead. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 5:55pm

Also, will Gutenberg! and Here Lies Love be considered new musicals or revivals? 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 5:56pm

Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez are above the title in ''Merrily We Roll Along,'' but I'm glad they've been ruled eligible in Featured Actor and Actress, which is where they belong. The Outer Critics put them both in its non-gendered Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical (and Mendez won). And Jonathan Groff won for OCC's non-gendered Leading Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical. On the other hand, the Drama Desk placed Radcliffe in Featured Performance in a Musical, but Mendez in Lead Performance in a Musical.

I'm also happy to see Arielle Jacobs deservedly eligible for Lead Actress for ''Here Lies Love,'' and I hope the Tony nominators reward her with a slot. (And I'll be rooting for her co-stars Conrad Ricamora and Jose Llana in Featured Actor, but there are still so many more shows to open ... )

 

Updated On: 11/30/23 at 05:56 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 5:59pm

I have no issue with Mendez or Radcliffe's placements. At this early point in the season, both have fairly easy shots at winning (especially Radcliffe).

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 6:08pm

Right now, I'd say Bebe Neuwirth and Kecia Lewis from Hell's Kitchen (if it transfers) will have better chances of winning than Lindsay.

[getatme]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 6:31pm

It makes sense for Mendez and Radcliffe to be featured. Personally, I’d award Mendez way before I’d award Radcliffe based on the performances they’re giving. And I’d say Neiwirth and Joy Woods are pretty formidable opponents for Mendez. 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 10:39pm

I very much disagree with Mendez in featured, but see why they felt she and Radcliffe were a package deal in that way. It’s hard to say she’s leading if he’s not as well. I assumed they would push Mendez leading to get Krystal Joy Brown in featured.

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 10:53pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Also, willGutenberg!andHere Lies Lovebe considered new musicals or revivals?"

A major question that the committee did not answer and really would change the game in quite a few respects…

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 11:37pm

If ''Gutenberg'' and ''Here Lies Love'' were ruled as musical revivals, I'm pretty sure the press release would've included that. Personally, I'd consider both new musicals. 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 11:51pm

Also interesting to note they are keeping gendered categories, even after all of the discussion last season. If they were going to make any changes, this would’ve been the meeting it was announced in. Would be interested to know if they discussed it at all and perhaps there was not full support.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/30/23 at 11:55pm

Odd to see the video designer of Jaja’s placed in sound design.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/1/23 at 12:04am

quizking101 said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "Also, willGutenberg!andHere Lies Lovebe considered new musicals or revivals?"

A major question that the committee did not answer and really would change the game in quite a few respects…"

Gutenberg was submitted as a revival

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/1/23 at 12:41am

HeyMrMusic said: "Odd to see the video designer ofJaja’splaced in sound design."

That is WEIRD. But I guess since it would be for what's playing on the TV, and there are audible parts there?

We're long overdue for a Projection & Video Design category. Add Hair & Makeup while they're at it.

The eligibility announcement also confirms what was assumed: there will be no changes to the gender binary of the acting awards for the 2023-24 Tonys.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/1/23 at 10:46am

Here's what I would like to do about hair & makeup.  Open up the costume category to include (when warranted) hair and/or make up.  IMO, there are so few truly UNIQUE hair/make up designs that it warrants their own category.   How often do we get a CATS make up design?  Or anything beyond a period piece?   Sixties hairstyles are sixties hairstyles.  Yes, I realize that choices are still made, and they are artistic - I just think there are few that are jaw dropping.  Years that we get truly outstanding/unique hair or make up can be nominated either stand alone or along with the outstanding costume.  (I wouldn't be opposed, to both being nominated instead of jointly, either.)

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 12/1/23 at 11:46am

Gold Derby has confirmed that Here Lies Love will compete as a new musical, and Gutenberg will compete as a revival. Don't know why the Tonys wouldn't put this in their press release, but there ya go!

https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/2024-tony-awards-eligibility-rulings-round-1/

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/1/23 at 11:53am

So Gutenberg now has a significantly better chance at a nomination (no universe where it would beat Merrilly or Cabaret unless some bizarre vote split thing occurs) but I see it slipping into slot #4 with The Wiz and Spamalot sitting out

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 12/1/23 at 12:55pm

Glad to see that GoldDerby.com confirmed the Tony placement of ''Here Lies Love'' and ''Gutenberg.'' Stories elsewhere about the eliginility rulings at say, Playbill, BroadwayWorld and Deadline.com, didn't mention this. And yes, ''Gutenberg's'' chances are probably better trying to score a slot for Best Musical Revival than in the very competitive and crowded field of Best Musical contenders.

Updated On: 12/1/23 at 12:55 PM

[BeingAlive44Ever]

Posted: 12/2/23 at 11:41pm

I think Gutenbug has definitely the best chance of winning a Tony or even getting nominated if they frame it as a revival, so that's probably ideal. Same thing with Hedwig from 2014, though that show had a chance of actually winning best musical in that season. Gutenburg is very earnest and fun but something about it just screams "I won't win best musical!" I find the Mendez placing a bit odd but understandable. It's interesting, though. I mean, Harvey Fierstein and Bertie Carvel are Leading Actors and Daniel Radcliffe is a Featured Actor. It's weird how that works out, but it isn't too horribly illogical. And here's a controversial take from one of the gayest and most transiest theatre kids in America: 

It's not really strictly necessary to make the performance categories nongendered. I mean I understand why people want it so much with non binary performers and such but I'm kind of an opera head. Male and female voices are inherently different physiologically, and singing is a huge part of acting in musicals. From that perspective, I just can't see desegregating the categories. However, if L Morgan Lee was nominated in the Featured Actress Category and Alex Newell won for Featured Actor, then I see no reason that they should stay segregated. Y'know it's like if they want them segregated they could at least do a policy that makes sense but now it's not based entirely on identity or physiology and because of that it just seems pointless. Now, this isn't like sports where males have an inherent advantage, but I do worry that some years will be lopsided by desegregated performance categories. But that's another thing that kind of messes with it-- if you look at newly desegregated awards, you'll see that the ones that give out two awards in the performance categories try to give them to one male and one female. At that point, it's basically exactly the same as it was before but just with more nominations per list. I think that changing it won't do much and will be hard to agree on. Not changing it will be illogical and kind of silly but honestly makes more sense. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/2/23 at 11:56pm

BeingAlive44Ever said: "I think Gutenbug has definitely the best chance of winning a Tony or even getting nominated if they frame it as a revival"

GUTENBERG will be lucky to be nominated, considering all the revivals this season (MERRILY, CABARET, THE WIZ, TOMMY, SPAMALOT, perhaps others to be announced).

imho, it's a pretty poor piece of writing, elevated by its two performers. Recoupment is the best award it could hope for.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 12/3/23 at 12:06am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "BeingAlive44Ever said: "I think Gutenbug has definitely the best chance of winning a Tony or even getting nominated if they frame it as a revival"

GUTENBERG will be lucky to be nominated, considering all the revivals this season (MERRILY, CABARET, THE WIZ, TOMMY, SPAMALOT, perhaps others to be announced).

imho, it's a pretty poor piece of writing, elevated by its two performers. Recoupment is the best award it could hope for."

The Wiz is getting terrible reviews on the road and this revival of Spamalot is good but its not really reinventing the wheel

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 12/3/23 at 1:01am

It'll be Cabaret, Merrily We Roll Along & The Who's Tommy nominated.

Spamalot, The Wiz & Gutenberg! will fight for last spot.

Updated On: 12/3/23 at 01:01 AM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/3/23 at 6:30am

BeingAlive44Ever said: "Here's a controversial take from one of the gayest and most transiest theatre kids in America:

It's not really strictly necessary to make the performance categories nongendered. I mean I understand why people want it so much with non binary performers and such but I'm kind of an opera head. Male and female voices are inherently different physiologically, and singing is a huge part of acting in musicals. From that perspective, I just can't see desegregating the categories.However, if L Morgan Lee was nominated in the Featured Actress Category and Alex Newell won for Featured Actor, then I see no reason that they should stay segregated. Y'know it's like if they want them segregated they could at least do a policy that makes sense but now it's not based entirely on identity or physiology and because of that it just seems pointless. Now, this isn't like sports where males have an inherent advantage, but I do worry that some years will be lopsided by desegregated performance categories. But that's another thing that kind of messes with it-- if you look at newly desegregated awards, you'll see that the ones that give out two awards in the performance categories try to give them to one male and one female. At that point, it's basically exactly the same as it was before but just with more nominations per list. I think that changing it won't do much and will be hard to agree on. Not changing it will be illogical and kind of silly but honestly makes more sense."

Here's something else to think about: If the acting categories were degendered last season, only Victoria Clark or J. Harrison Ghee would’ve won Best Lead Performance in a Musical. Had Ghee won, it would’ve been at the expense of Clark winning for what is sure to go down as a legendary performance. Had Clark won, it would’ve been at the expense of Ghee’s history-making win. I doubt anyone would've really wanted either scenario to happen.

Updated On: 12/3/23 at 06:30 AM