Anika Noni Rose News

This has been just great! It was a wonderful way to wake up. I actually found out by rolling over and looking at my phone because I thought for some reason that the announcements were being made at 9AM. And I woke up to my buzzing phone and so many texts. It's been such an honor- the whole awards season has been so crazy, because we only opened a month ago. Everything's happening so quickly, and I haven't had any expectations. It's so intimidating to step into such an iconic role that has been played by so many talented women. My goal was just to not mess it up too badly. This is just the icing. Kathleen [Marshall] allowed all of us to really create our own characters with their own intentions and the whole process has been a dream. I plan to have a glass of champagne with the cast, but the role is so demanding so I've gotta be smart about celebrating. I definitely wanna raise a glass tonight though!

'We are thrilled that so many members of our superb creative team have been recognized for their astonishing work on War Horse. From the beginning it's been a collaborative effort, with all members of the creative team operating so far outside our comfort zone everyone has contributed to everyone else's work - often by accident! We were additionally thrilled that Drama Desk Awards recognized this with a combined award for the whole creative team. The value of a truly collaborative creative team is too rarely celebrated in theatre awards. We'd also like to thank the National Theatre for believing in the project so supportively from the start when no one else would have. The idea of doing an epic show where the leading character was played by a puppet and couldn't speak would have hit the trash bin in any other theatre we know. But Nick Hytner was able to point us to the National Theatre Studio where we could test the idea until it started to make some kind of sense. And we'd like to acknowledge the Lincoln Center Theater staff and wonderful cast for working so unstintingly and with such dedication to make it so alive in New York. They understood that we weren't just remounting the show and resourced our rehearsals and production time accordingly. As a result our wonderful New York company have truly made the show afresh. They are a true ensemble, selfless and gifted. They have made the show their own and it has ended up different from the London show in many respects.'

'I am out in Stanford, CT at my day job shooting the second season of The Big C, and Laura Linney came on set and stopped the take and announced the news to everyone! I was beside myself with pride and so proud to be part of the company. It is humbling and the experience has been incredible. I would love to go out and celebrate but I am on another 6:00am to 6:30pm call tomorrow! But, of course, I would never want god or anyone overhearing that I am complaining because I really have the two best jobs in the whole world. My first call was to my mother in Plano, Texas, she has been waiting and wishing for this longer than anyone, so she was thrilled. Then I talked to Joe and our other cast members, we feel like an ensemble in support of Joe and for the show, it is a wonderful collaboration.'

'I was asleep during the nominations and found out about the nominations when my girlfriend, Sutton Foster, woke me up. It feels amazing to have the show honored like this and I'm just so thrilled that it was recognized in so many categories. It's scary to start a new play and put it on stage and see how it is received. I believe so strongly in this play. It is the best play I have ever read and I have always had confidence in it. This is a big moment for us and I'm proud of everyone who got in the room on February 7, Chris Rock's first day actually, to make this a reality. We are so connected as a cast. Seeing Stephen's work recognized is absolutely one of the highlights of this whole process. I have known Stephen Adly Guirgis for years and he has a unique voice, a special voice, and an important voice that deserves to be on Broadway. Finally, working class New Yorkers, which are such an important part of this city, are having their moment on Broadway. I was proud of him the day we opened on Broadway, proud for him when we got our reviews and I'm proud for him today. It's also my birthday so I get to continue celebrating with birthday presents - I'm still waiting on my girlfriend's gift, so that should be good - and then I get to perform tonight, which is always a pleasure.'

This morning was amazing! I woke up to work out and decided to take a peek . I went to bed really hoping that SCOTTSBORO BOYS would get nominated for Best Musical, but this is just amazing. And hearing my name among those eligible guys was so humbling and unbelievable. I'm on cloud nine right now. As it was happening I was like ‘Hell yeah.' We saw how the audiences responded to the show, and I've never experienced anything like that in my life. They loved it. We knew we had something special on our hands, so today was very validating. It's an honor. I've got a few hours of rehearsal, and I don't have plans right now for later, but I'm sure we'll find some way to celebrate. Maybe I'll get to the hundreds of emails and texts that I've gotten today!

'I am beyond thrilled, I am so happy. I was telling a friend of mine earlier that I have never been happier about anything I have ever done. My manager called me while I was walking the dog and I let out a big scream and the dog jumped, and that was my celebration moment. I love the part and I love the score, and I really just love this company so I am thrilled that the show was nominated-- that is more exciting than my own nomination. I don't know how much people know but on a personal note it was an excruciating process for me for the last several years. It was a heartbreaking journey and a ton of adversity, and for me to be here, having survived what my family has survived, and to get the recognition... it is incredible. I will be picking my kids up at school soon and they don't know yet so they will be excited, they love TONY night, it means they get to stay up late. As for celebrating with the cast, we are meeting at the theater before the show tonight to listen to our cast recording! So it is really just a wonderful beautiful day.'

'Well I'm in LA right now. So I rolled over in bed and I opened up my laptop and I had a Google Alert all set and it came up. You know, 5:30am is too early to hear announcements, I figured I would just wait until 11:30 to hear it. Mostly I am just so excited about the collaborative nature of the whole enterprise- it's been a story that we have been trying to tell people for a while, and I feel like some of it hasn't gotten through but a lot of it has and that is all because of who we are working with. Trey and I get most of the ink for our TV and film work, but its great to get a collaborative acknowledgement for the whole crew. A Broadway show is a totally different beast that way. With Bobby and Josh... everyone has been with us from the beginning so they are a huge part of what the show is, their DNA is in the show. And then in the last year we got Andrew and Rory... we didn't think it was possible to have such amazing actors take on the characters. We couldn't have the show without Andrew, the show started to gel with him. As for ever thinking we could win a TONY, all we ever wanted to do was write a cool musical that was a good night out. You don't start off thinking 'let's aim for a TONY.' If you do, you are kind of an asshole. It has already been such a fun experience. You know, we work in TV and film I like our job, it's not that our job is shitty, but we wanted to do this show. When we started with a musical people were like 'why are you doing that? Broadway is this world that is shitty and snotty' and we now know that it's just not true. It has been much more of a fun process. Putting it on can be intense moment to moment, but overall, it has been great. Today I have work, South Park work, so I won't really have time to celebrate. Actually this is our longest day of the week so we'll be working 'till five or six in the morning. It sucks, I would love to raise a glass with the cast and crew because they must really be flying high. Maybe I'll sneak a beer at work.'

'We're all just really, really happy! Tuesdays are the busiest day for us because South Park airs on Wednesdays and we're rushing to make final changes to the episodes, so this was a nice break. I read about the nominations on the internet and was a little worried about someone being left out. But as I scrolled down the list I got happier and happier to see that so many of these amazing people were recognized. Though we've been working on this show for almost 7 years, my favorite part was tech week, and seeing it as a real Broadway show for the very first time. No matter how many workshops you sit through, the first time you see it with the set and lights, it's a whole different experience. This whole process has felt so natural. Matt and I met Bobby several years ago and just started talking about how we wanted to do a musical about Joseph Smith and Mormon sort of evolved from that. It will be nice to reconnect with everyone at the Tonys once South Park is done. We're really looking forward to it and are so proud!'

'I got the news about 20 minutes ago after I woke up and there was a list of the nominees. I'm thrilled! I'm very, very pleased that the show got best revival and of course I'm thrilled. We started this in Canada and thanks to Todd Haimes we brought it down to New York and it's a lovely success story. It's great to be recognized by the crème dela creme. I guess I've done 300 performances, and there hasn't been one performance that I haven't really enjoyed. That's quite a rare thing. You feel like you're on auto pilot sometimes, and I've never felt that way with this show, and it's because the text is so absolutely brilliant. I'm not celebrating actually. When you do eight shows a week that's pretty much it. I might have a walk in the park, but then I start getting ready for the show. When you wake up at 10AM there isn't much of a day left. I'm still on the same schedule of going to bed quite late. I've done this all my life. I shall be very happy wandering in the park. I terribly wanted this to happen and it has!'

'I am floating on air. I am delighted, thrilled, surprised and gleeful. I am having trouble just sitting still and even putting together full sentences! Florence Greenberg's story is so unknown, which is why it was so important to get right. She was such a pioneer and to have this musical bookend her life is amazing. It's an honor to be able to tell her story and work with these incredible people everyday. This recognition is just a thrill. Today, I am going to go shop for a dress and just enjoy every phone call I get to make and every person I get to talk to.'

'I'm back home in Somerset, England on a farm right now. I was playing with my daughter this morning and I got the news. I'm so pleased! I think it's a great play and I'm so thrilled that it's working so well it the states. The Music Box Theatre is the most beautiful space I've been in. Being on Broadway is totally new experience for me, and I love that the atmosphere is so intimate. I'll be going out to dinner tonight to celebrate!'

'I'm having a good morning! I was actually watching the announcements on NY1 this morning- I'm not gonna lie, or try to be cool about that. I'm just so thrilled for the show. We really couldn't have asked for a better outcome. I'm so thrilled by all of the nominations the we got today, but I'm not surprised. We've always been thrilled doing the show and it's great that everyone's hard work is being recognized. Just working with the cast every night has been an absolute dream. To have so many of us nominated has been amazing. Particularly the fact that both Josh and I were nominated is amazing. We're both over the moon about the whole thing. The rest of the day I'll be making phone calls and sending emails. Later Scott Rudin has a little get-together planned, so there will be a celebration tonight!'

'I've having a pretty lovely morning. I have to say, I found out about the nomination on my iPhone! I kissed my little girl off to kindergarten and went back to bed. I knew generally the time range of when the announcement would be made, but I've never actually been awake for them. I was up late last night doing family stuff and I woke up to my phone a little after 9 and I had a lovely message from Todd Haimes and I had a lot of emails. I was thrilled but knew it could go either way. I try to focus on doing my job and the rest is sugar, icing, and candy. And today I got some sugar, icing and candy. I'm proud that this role is so different from anything else I've done and I'm proud to represent the show. Some of the things that seemed most challenging in the beginning are now my favorite moments in the show. I love that I've had the opportunity to have the process to discover the character. Now I've got to find something to wear to the press reception tomorrow morning! I still have to call my family, and I hope to see my little girl after school today before I leave for work!'

'I am in London right in the middle of Shrek tech rehearsals. So at some point I went backstage to look at my lists of the next things we had to do and my phone was lighting up. It was my agent and good friend and he told me the news. It was very exciting. As for celebrating we have a Shrek run tonight, so I won't be free for a while, but afterwards I would love to have a glass of champagne in my hotel room! You know, it is always a surprise. To be recognized like this is a total gift, and the show means so much to me. It was such a joy to do, Dan Radcliffe is a dream to work with, and to have this honor for the show... you just never know. And this is the best outcome. Of course it was a disappointment that Dan wasn't nominated, I think he is terrific. He is the leader of the production. But it is great that we were recognized... you just want everyone to feel as wonderful as you feel right now.'

'I think it's wonderful. Every single one of those persons deserved their nominations so I am so pleased. I thought David Rockwell was sadly robbed of a nomination, however, as he has produced one of the best sets on Broadway in my opinion. It has been so nice to have been a part of this process as a consultant and see this show play well. I trust George C. Wolfe completely. I am looking forward to The Normal Heart movie. Ryan Murphy who does GLEE has optioned the rights and announced that Mark Ruffalo will be playing Ned Weeks, so I hope that I can be a part of that process, too.'

'I am in Connecticut right now, so I watched the announcements on the news, and then Philip Rinaldi, my publicist called me. It was an exciting phone call! I was so very proud to be a member of that ensemble, and to get to work with the entire creative team. I feel that it is a bold and original piece of material, and I am thrilled that the TONY committee also feels the same way. I just listened to the cast album, it just makes me feel very nostalgic. As for today, no celebrating yet I will be headed back into NYC for rehearsal with NYC ballet.'

'This is the best morning that I have had in a long time. I was asleep in bed when my manager called me, and when he told me I felt like just jumping up and shouting! I immediately called my mother and father and told them, which was just wonderful to share. Really, I'm on cloud nine... this is a dream of mine. To be making my Broadway debut and to be nominated for it, it is just mind-blowing for me. And to share a nomination with everyone in my category as well as everyone on my team, it is just incredible. As for today, we are definitely all getting together and having a celebration, as we speak I am having a celebratory breakfast with my best friend and then I am going to work out, and then go shopping. It is going to be a wonderful day!'

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.

'I am thrilled beyond belief! I was really shocked and a got really quiet and I've just now started to stop shaking. It overwhelming! It's beyond my wildest dream and certainly my childhood dream come true. I never could have imagined this. I had no idea what to expect our show is so different that I had no idea what to expect. When I saw the show coming up repeatedly this morning I was just blown away. I'm so thrilled that the people have put so much time are being recognized for their work. To celebrate I'm going to go to brunch with friends and go for a run in Central Park, which is my way of meditating in the city. And I'm so thrilled that I get to spend the rest of the day my wonderful cast.'

Past Tony winners Anika Noni Rose and Matthew Broderick announced the 2011 Tony Awards nominees live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City this morning, May 3. BroadwayWorld.com was on hand for the big announcements and brings you photo coverage below!