Tony Award Eligibility - Acting

[Blackbird3]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 1:31pm

I attempted to come up with a list of all of the performances eligible for a Tony Award this season. Here is what I have so far. I am hoping that those more knowledgeable can let me know what errors I've made, or if I've forgotten to include anyone. Thank you!

(I apologize in advance for the length of this post.)

Leading Actress In A Musical
Courtney Reed - Aladdin
Idina Menzel - If/Then
Jessie Mueller - Beautiful
Kelli O'Hara - The Bridges Of Madison County
Krysta Rodriguez - First Date
Mary Bridget Davies - A Night With Janis Joplin
Michelle Williams - Cabaret
Sutton Foster - Violet

Leading Actor In A Musical
Adam Jacobs - Aladdin
Andy Karl - Rocky
Bryce Pinkham - A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Eric Anderson - Soul Doctor
Jefferson Mays - A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Neil Patrick Harris - Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Norbert Leo Butz - Big Fish
Ramin Karimloo - Les Miserables
Steven Pasquale - The Bridges Of Madison County
Will Swenson - Les Miserables
Zach Braff - Bullets Over Broadway
Zachary Levi - First Date

Featured Actress In A Musical
Adriane Lenox - After Midnight
Amber Iman - Soul Doctor
Anika Larsen - Beautiful
Betsy Wolfe - Bullets Over Broadway
Caissie Levy - Les Miserables
Cass Morgan - The Bridges Of Madison County
Ciara Renee - Big Fish
Fantasia Barrino - After Midnight
Helene Yorke - Bullets Over Broadway
Karen Ziemba - Bullets Over Broadway
Kate Baldwin - Big Fish
LaChanze - If/Then
Lauren Worsham - A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Lena Hall - Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Linda Emond - Cabaret
Lisa O'Hare - A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Margo Seibert - Rocky
Marin Mazzie - Bullets Over Broadway
Nikki M. James - Les Miserables
Samantha Hill - Les Miserables
Whitney Bashor - The Bridges Of Madison County

Featured Actor In A Musical
Alexander Gemignani - Violet
Anthony Rapp - If/Then
Bobby Steggert - Big Fish
Brooks Ashmanskas - Bullets Over Broadway
Colin Donnell - Violet
Danny Burstein - Cabaret
Dule Hill - After Midnight
Hunter Foster - The Bridges Of Madison County
Jake Epstein - Beautiful
James M. Iglehart - Aladdin
James Snyder - If/Then
Jarrod Spector - Beautiful
Jonathan Freeman - Aladdin
Joshua Henry - Violet
Nick Cordero - Bullets Over Broadway
Terence Archie-Rocky
Vincent Pastore - Bullets Over Broadway


Leading Actress In A Play
Anne-Marie Duff - Macbeth
Audra McDonald - Lady Day
Cherry Jones - The Glass Menagerie
Condola Rashad - Romeo & Juliet
Debra Messing - Outside Mullingar
Estelle Parsons - The Velocity of Autumn
LaTanya Richardson Jackson - A Raisin In The Sun
Marisa Tomei - The Realistic Joneses
Mary Louise Parker - The Snow Geese
Rachel Weisz - Betrayal
Rebecca Hall - Machinal
Toni Collette - The Realistic Joneses
Tyne Daly - Mothers And Sons

Leading Actor In A Play
Brian F. O'Byrne - Outside Mullingar
Bryan Cranston - All The Way
Chris O'Dowd - Of Mice And Men
Daniel Craig - Betrayal
Daniel Radcliffe - The Criple of Inishmaan
Denzel Washington - A Raisin In The Sun
Ethan Hawke - Macbeth
Frederick Weller - Mothers And Sons
Ian McKellen - No Man's Land
Ian McKellen - Waiting For Godot
James Franco - Of Mice And Men
Mark Rylance - Richard III
Michael C. Hall - The Realistic Joneses
Orlando Bloom - Romeo & Juliet
Patrick Stewart - No Man's Land
Patrick Stewart - Waiting For Godot
Peter Scolari - Bronx Bombers
Rafe Spall - Betrayal
Roger Rees - The Winslow Boy
Samuel Barnett - Twelfth Night
Santino Fontana - Act One
Sebastian Arcelus - A Time To Kill
Stephen Spinella - The Velocity of Autumn
Tony Shaloub - Act One
Tracy Letts - The Realistic Joneses
Zachary Quinto - The Glass Menagerie

Featured Actress In A Play
Andrea Martin - Act One
Anika Noni Rose - A Raisin In The Sun
Ashley Williams - A Time To Kill
Celia Keenan-Bolger - The Glass Menagerie
Dearbhla Molloy - Outside Mullingar
Jayne Houdyshell - Romeo & Juliet
Leighton Meester - Of Mice And Men
Mare Winningham - Casa Valentina
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - The Winslow Boy
Sarah Greene - The Cripple Of Inishmaan
Sophie Okonedo - A Raisin In The Sun
Tracy Shayne - Bronx Bombers
Victoria Clark - The Snow Geese

Featured Actor In A Play
Alessandro Nivola - The Winslow Boy
Billy Crudup - No Man's Land
Billy Crudup - Waiting For Godot
Bobby Steggert - Mothers and Sons
Brandon J. Dirden - All the Way
Brian D'Arcy James - Macbeth
Brian J. Smith - The Glass Menagerie
Daniel Sunjata - Macbeth
Danny Burstein - The Snow Geese
Gabriel Ebert - Casa Valentina
Jim Norton - Of Mice And Men
John Cullum - Casa Valentina
Mark Rylance - Twelfth Night
Michael Cumpsty - Machinal
Michael Cumpsty - The Winslow Boy
Morgan Spector - Machinal
Pat Shortt - The Cripple Of Inishmaan
Patrick Page - A Time To Kill
Patrick Page - Casa Valentina
Reed Birney - Casa Valentina
Peter Maloney - Outside Mullingar
Reed Birney - Casa Valentina
Samuel Barnett - Richard III
Shuler Hensley - No Man's Land
Shuler Hensley - Waiting For Godot
Stephen Fry - Twelfth Night
Tom McGowan - Casa Valentina
Tom Skerritt - A Time To Kill


Updated On: 4/27/14 at 01:31 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 1:56pm

I have a feeling that GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE is going to pull a KINKY BOOTS/FOLLIES, with Mays being the sure thing and Pinkham being the surprise dark horse

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:00pm

Thanks for this! Looks about right... I love everyone in these lists, but I would think the nominees of the musical categories would be...

Leading Actress In A Musical
Idina Menzel - If/Then
Jessie Mueller - Beautiful
Kelli O'Hara - The Bridges Of Madison County
Michelle Williams - Cabaret
Sutton Foster - Violet

Leading Actor In A Musical
Andy Karl - Rocky
Jefferson Mays - A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Neil Patrick Harris - Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Norbert Leo Butz - Big Fish
Ramin Karimloo - Les Miserables

Featured Actress In A Musical
Helene Yorke - Bullets Over Broadway
Kate Baldwin - Big Fish
LaChanze - If/Then
Margo Seibert - Rocky
Marin Mazzie - Bullets Over Broadway

Featured Actor In A Musical
Anthony Rapp - If/Then
Danny Burstein - Cabaret
Jake Epstein - Beautiful
James M. Iglehart - Aladdin
Jarrod Spector - Beautiful



Updated On: 4/3/14 at 02:00 PM

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:11pm

I think Will Swenson may get moved to featured actor for strategic purposes.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:13pm

Casa Valentina?

[Blackbird3]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:17pm

Thank you, Jeffrey Karasarides! My mistake. I am not familiar with the show's billing. Any idea who would be nominated in the respective categories?

[PJPan]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:20pm

For Casa Valentina, I think Patrick Page would be the only one in Lead (Reed Birney would be possible, but I think he has a stronger chance in Featured).

Featured might also go to Gabriel Ebert and Tom McGowan. Mare Winningham also for Featured Actress. As much as I love John Cullum, I just don't think he had enough of a role to warrant a nomination.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:22pm

Just FYI for spelling- Steven Pasquale

[Blackbird3]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:27pm

Thanks, PJPan and neonlightsxo! I modified my list.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 2:51pm

Good list. I would add Brooks Ashmanskas and Vincent Pastore as possible nominees for featured actor in a musical for Bullets. Also wouldn't be surprised to see Roger Rees snag a best actor nod for The Winslow Boy.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 3:03pm

Great list.


2 "Bullets' thoughts -first, if I remember, everyone is below the title - so I would presume they would petition for Braf in Leading.

2nd -and I am a HUGE Marin Mazzie fan and loved her in Bullets - but if you are the producers do you petition her as leading so she can lost to one of the ladies there rather than potentially have her lose to Helene Yorke???

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 4:26pm

Maybe I'm not sure how this works but barring designation as a lead or other disqualification, can't the Tony committee nominate anyone who appeared in a show this past season for a featured tony? Or do they have to nominate only from among those petitioned for consideration by producers?

For example, are Rylance and Fry the only featured actors eligible for nominations from Twelfth Night? Or could the committee, if they decide to, nominate one or more of the other terrific performances in the show: including - but by no means limited to - Angus Wright's Sir Andrew and Paul Chahidi's Maria?

I'm not saying that I nec. expect the committee will nominate Wright or Chahidi (or anyone else from that company other than Fry or Rylance), but aren't they "eligible" to be nominated? Frankly, I find their work far more memorable than that of many who have been nominated for a Tony in the pasts; and certainly their roles were a lot more interesting.

[Blackbird3]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 5:12pm

Thanks, Broadway61004! I added those to the list.

theatregeek6, I think you're right about Zach Braff. His role seems like a leading one, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was petitioned into that category.

henrikegerman, that was part of the reason I made this post. I was hoping those that have knowledge on how the committee nominates featured performers could shed some light.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 5:28pm

Gotcha Blackbird3. So, does anyone know the answer to my question?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 5:35pm

Would love to see Actor In A Musical

Karl - Rocky
Karimloo - Les Miz
Pasquale - Bridges
Mays - Gentlemens
Butz - Big Fish

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 5:45pm

Though it is pretty unlikely, I hope Krysta Rodriguez gets a nod for First Date. She was wonderful and has a great singing voice, she deserves it. I'm not saying she should win, but definitely a nom.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 6:38pm

We don't know yet if Lady Day will be considered a play or a musical. The original production was nominated in musical categories at the Drama Desk awards. It would also be strange for the same committee that ruled Janis Joplin a musical to rule Lady Day a play, given that both shows have a similar idea.

While watching it, it felt more like a play. But given the precedence, who knows what the Tony committee will decide?

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 7:46pm

Will Lena Younger be considered a featured performance? Odd, given that the role (in both straight and musical versions) has three times been nominated for best lead actress, and twice won in that category.

[jdrye222]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 9:15pm

I really can't imagine that LADY DAY will be anything other than a Revival of a Play.
But they've done some crazy stuff in the past that baffled me, so who knows?

[MNC77]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 9:23pm

Some other possible nominees:
Featured actor in a musical-Terence Archie-Rocky
Featured actress in a play-Dearbhla Molloy-Outside Mullingar
Featured actor in a play-Brandon J. Dirden-All the Way
Featured actor in a play-Peter Maloney-Outside Mullingar
Featured actor in a play-Bobby Steggert-Mothers and Sons

Another thing to think about would be some of the performers who might be petitioned to a different category. I could see Marin Mazzie, Margo Seibert and Courtney Reed all going either way. Same with Michael C. Hall and Marisa Tomei for Realistic Joneses, where both would have a much better shot at a nomination.

[dtzumbrunnen]

Posted: 4/5/14 at 10:55am

@henrik - it seems that it would be anyone who performed on opening night, regardless of petitioned category. Probably just typical that the higher profile featured actors end up getting the nod.

(k) Eligibility of Performers.

i) In order to be eligible, an actor or actress must perform in the role on the
production’s opening night and must perform in the minimum number of
performances to which the producer of such production must invite and
make tickets available to Tony voters as required by Rule 2(a)vi).
ii) If an actor or actress is otherwise eligible but is repeating a role for which
such actor or actress has won a Tony Award previously, such actor or
actress shall not be eligible regardless of the category that role may have
been placed in previously.

Full Tony Rules...excerpt from p. 11-12

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/5/14 at 12:50pm

"Or do they have to nominate only from among those petitioned for consideration by producers?"

The petitions that we hear about are not petitions for nomination consideration, but rather for a change in category placement.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/5/14 at 1:01pm

Yes, the committee can decide to nominate ANY actor. There was a lot of surpise when David Bologna from Billy Elliot was nominated for featured actor.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/5/14 at 5:13pm

Thanks DTZ, AEA and Dramamama for the clarifications. That's what I thought. And also why it seems making a list of all "eligible" featured tony nominee actors doesn't seem worthwhile. Which is quite different, of course, from making a list of featured actors who one thinks will and or should (those two very different values) receive consideration.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/5/14 at 5:18pm

If someone wants to go through the trouble I would say the list would be more worthwhile to note those who've been petitioned into the featured category, such as Angela Lansbury being billed above the title in A Little Night Music, but being moved to the featured actress category after a petition from the producers.

The nominating committee also does have the power to act on their own and move people into different categories even if the producers don't submit a petition. I'm not sure how often that might happen, but in theory it can. And of course the committee is not bound to honor every petition that comes their way. Again I'm not sure if they have ever made an announcement when they have declined a petition so there probably isn't a way to tell how often that happens, if ever.