I think it's pretty telling that Carousel picked up so many acting nominations but not director. Seems like Tony voters recognized that cast was doing the best it could despite poor vision.
I am shocked that Frozen was shut out of all technical categories.
And like others have said, so many of last year's musicals that were shut out of wins and/or nominations could have done so much better against this class. Oh well.
These nominations are just bizarre. SpongeBob and Mean Girls might have the most nominations, but I doubt it'll win any. Maybe one. Also, I hope Fey doesn't win for book, what isn't lifted directly from the film is so painfully mediocre, especially when compared to the book of The Band's Visit. DeBose and LaChanze really didn't need to be nominated. Nothing about that show is special at all, including their performances. McArdle, Nathan Stewart-Jarret, Alex Newell, Kenita Miller, and John Cariani are glaring omissions to me. I can't believe the love for SpongeBob and Mean Girls. Talk about a weak year in which two mediocre musicals like those two could land so many noms. Also Gemignani does next to nothing in Carousel. Why the hell is he nominated? This has got me scared that we could actually see a year in which SpongeBob the musical wins Best Musical.
- The Great Comet received 12 nominations. It won 2.
- Shuffle Along received 10 nominations. It won 0.
- Something Rotten! received 10 nominations. It won 1.
- Cinderella received 9 nominations. It won 1.
Today might have been a great day for Carousel, Mean Girls, and SpongeBob, but I doubt June 10 will be a great evening for any of them. Of those three, I can only really see Carousel winning Featured Actress, with maybe a design award or two for SpongeBob. That's about it.
BroadwayConcierge said: "Friendly reminder of some recent Tony facts:
-The Great Cometreceived 12 nominations. It won 2.
-Shuffle Alongreceived 10 nominations. It won 0.
-Something Rotten!received 10 nominations. It won 1.
-Cinderellareceived 9 nominations. It won 1.
Today might have been a great day forCarousel,Mean Girls, andSpongeBob, but I doubt June 10 will be a great evening for any of them. Of those three, I can only really seeCarouselwinning Featured Actress, with maybe a design award or two for SpongeBob. That's about it."
Agreed! But you forgot the actual record-breaking example: Scottsboro Boys nominated for 12, and won 0 (still sad about that!)
rattleNwoolypenguin said: "All those great shows from last year shut out by Dear Evan Hansen that should have waited and opened this year. Ugh, it just hurts."
Shut out? Comet got more noms that DEH. Groundhog Day and Come From Away both notched a respectable 7 each. That doesn't look like a shut out to me.
MadsonMelo said: "Also, with this amount of LOVE for the Carousel cast. I believe Henry and Mendez are in a pretty amazing position, right?"
I will just repeat what others here far more knowledgeable than myself have already said - there is no correlation between number of nominations and actually winning anything. A show with strong supporting performances plus a lot of scenic, lighting and technical wizardry can rack up nominations. But that means nothing when it comes down to vote for the best in each category
OK, here's the Frozen elephant in the room - how weird is it that Frozen was only nominated in the Best Musical category and then nods for the writers? Not one person associated with the production was nominated! I mean you really have to look the other way to pass over the costumes, scenic design, projections and lighting that make that show work. Frozen only earned one more nomination that Summer: The Donna Summer Musical!
Shh_413 said: "MadsonMelo said: "I was thinking about Metcalf's year.
Has any person ever got nominated for three out of the four main awards at the same year?
Or any actor, actually.
She will likely be an Emmy nominee for ROSEANNE. Incredible!"
Off the top of my head, Bob Fosse won the Tony (for directing and choreographing Pippin), Emmy (for directing Liza with a Z), and the Best Director Oscar all in 1973. As for nominations, I don't have a full list of people but I know for sure Glenn Close is one of them (Oscar, Emmy, and Tony (win) in 1984)."
I knew about Fosse, but didn't know about Close. I mean, wow!
I think outside of Featured Actor and Lead Actress, Carousel's nominations were sort of default (I only put Joshua Henry in the default category because there was only one eligible actor that they left out for a nomination). I mean there really wasn't anything else to take its place other than arguably Frozen but I doubt many really were championing that show since it had it own set of detractors.
Miles2Go2 said: "S394206H said: "A few thoughts I have after reading this thread-
As a novice scenic designer myself, Mean Girls shouldn't have been nominated for Scenic Design. Projections design needs to be its own separate category, especially as it is a completely different design process than designing a set.
People are complaining about how weak this season is- Broadway seasons ebb and flow. In my opinion, 15-16 was our most recent "standard" season- it had a decent amount of shows open, and even with Hamilton as the clear winner from the beginning, it was still a competitive enough season to be interesting. Last season, everyone rushed to pack the season in an attempt to be the next "Hamilton," while many of them should have spent more time in workshops and tryouts and opened this season instead (Looking at you, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- a show which I love dearly.) Because of last season's sheer numbers, (37 total productions were eligible) the competition was off the charts. Now, with 31 of those shows closed, we're left with a "weaker" season because producers who were counting on those big shows to run longer had to scramble to find new shows to fill the houses. Broadway shows take YEARS to develop, so it's not like you can pickthe next big hit out of a hat and have it be ready just like that. Yeah, this season is pretty thin, especially for musicals, but that's how it goes. Next season is already shaping up to be a lot stronger, so hopefully we get some better competition then.
I'm honestly amazed that Summer got any kind of nod at all after the reviews it got. Nothing against LaChanze or Ariana, but this feels like more of a consolation prize than an actual reward for the performance."
I’m genuinely curious (no snark intended) what new musicals have you hopeful for next season. When I looked at the projected upcoming new musicals, I’m even less hopeful for next season. Of course, this time last year I’m not sure I knew anything about The Band’s Visit (which I dearly love), but I don’t see anything coming that excites me. I made a list of what I’d like to see when I hopefully get to NYC in November after my June trip. So far it’s four musicals I’ve already seen (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked and The Band’s Visit), only one new musical King King (a likely hot mess but I’m a sucker for a big ape), and three plays (Torch Song, The Ferryman, and Bernhardt/Hamlet). Love Cher, but not excited for The Cher Show."
Sorry for such a late response to this, but the two new musicals I am particularly excited for are The Prom and Head Over Heels! I've heard some pretty promising reviews coming from their out-of-town tryouts, and I hope they do well on Broadway. I also heard good things about Ain't Too Proud when it was in Berkeley. As for plays, the Boys in The Band is included in the next season, not this one, and I'm also excited for Torch Song and Mockingbird, if it ever makes it through this nightmare of a lawsuit. I'm not from the city either, so I know what you mean about having to plan out what shows to see, but those are a few I've heard good things about, so it may be worth looking into them!
God, the almighty and all-knowing, has misplaced a cup?
I’ve heard mixed things about Head Over Heels. So far it doesn’t appeal to me although I like me some Go-Go’s. Wasn’t sure what to make of The Prom, yet. I agree that the next season looks relatively strong for plays. I already have my ticket for The Boys in the Band revival in June.
Impossible2 said: "I liked Come From Away very much, probably even more than Hansen.
But I can understand why Hansen won and I could accept it beating Great Comet..
However if Come From Away had'vebeaten Great Comet I think I would've actually started beating random strangersin the street.
"
I would have joined you.
ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "I love Diana Rigg as much as the next gay, but did she really do anything award worthy in My Fair Lady? Maybe she bumped it up a notch since I saw it in mid previews."
I love Mary Beth Peil but I'm not sure she did anything award worthy in Anastasia. That's not a knock on her but how messily that part was rewritten from the movie. She had moments though so maybe the committee was able to fully separate the performance from the material? What I'm saying is maybe they just wanted to give a nod to an older actress that they like who has done good work in other things.
Camille A. Brown should've snagged one of Gattelli's two choreography nominations for her joyous work in ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. Most likely his nod for MY FAIR LADY, though I wasn't thrilled with his work in that or SPONGEBOB. Big mistake, BIG mistake.
I wonder if Once on this Island & The Band’s Visit opened too long ago and therefore the performances weren’t as fresh in people’s minds? Newell absolutely deserves a nom.
RippedMan said: "I wonder if Once on this Island & The Band’s Visit opened too long ago and therefore the performances weren’t as fresh in people’s minds? Newell absolutely deserves a nom."
I mean, they were nominated for a bunch of other awards, so why would that only affect this one specific thing?
Have the nominations changed anyone's predictions of who will actually win? (Aside from those who thought Newell and McArdle would win, of course, but I don't know if anyone else who wasn't nominated was anyone's favorite to win?)
Also - is The Prom the only new musical coming next season so far with an original score? Please tell me I'm overlooking lots of original works...
rjm516 said: "Also - is The Prom the only new musical coming next season so far with an original score? Please tell me I'm overlooking lots of original works...”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady Joshua Henry, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel Tony Shalhoub, The Band's Visit Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two Michael Cera, Lobby Hero Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero Nathan Lane, Angels in America David Morse, Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play Susan Brown, Angels in America Noma Dumezweni, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two Deborah Findlay, The Children Denise Gough, Angels in America Laurie Metcalf, Edward Albee's Three Tall Women
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Ariana DeBose, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Renée Fleming, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel Lindsay Mendez, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel Ashley Park, Mean Girls Diana Rigg, My Fair Lady
It would be a joke if Mean Girls won best book. It's really not good. What isn't directly from the film, is horrible. Is the weird framing device still in the show? Because that right there should cost the show any sort of chance at Best Book.
I'm finding all this kvetching well-informed but amusing. There are so few shows produced in any given year so you get situations like 4 men nominated for Best Lead Musical Actor when there were only 5 possibilities. Or all 3 musical revivals being nominated. Say what you want about the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, those nominees come from a large pool. Not saying that being up for a Tony is easy--getting a show on Broadway is extremely hard work and landing a gig that results in a Tony nomination is amazing. It's just this how was Mean Girls nominated? convo is cracking me up. It was one of, what, 7 or 8 possible shows that could have been nominated? 4 of these possible shows received mixed to bad reviews.
And goshdarnit people, SpongeBob is a fun and well-done comical musical. Get past the name.
Does anyone know how many categories Cursed Child was eligible for? I can't seem to find the answer with a google search. I'm wondering if it was even considered for best original score and/or best orchestration.
GregHut said: "Does anyoneknow how many categories Cursed Child was eligible for? I can't seem to find the answer with a google search.I'm wondering if it was evenconsideredfor best original score and/or best orchestration."
Wasn't eligible for Best Score, but I don't know why it wouldn't have been eligible for orchestration.