Below are my preferences — not my predictions — for the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. See my article in DC Theatre Scene for an explanation for each of my choices, and shout-outs to other nominees.
Best Musical
Nominated
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
My preference: Hadestown
Best Play
Nominated
:Choir Boy, The Ferryman, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Ink, What the Constitution Means to Me
My preference: The Ferryman
Best Revival of a Play
Nominated:
My preference: The Boys in the Band
Best Revival of a Musical
Nominated:
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
My preference: Oklahoma!
Best Book of a Musical
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Dominique Morisseau
Beetlejuice
Scott Brown & Anthony King
Hadestown
Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom
Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Tootsie
Robert Horn
My preference: Dominique Morisseau
Best Original Score
Nominated:
Be More Chill
Music & Lyrics: Joe Iconis
Beetlejuice
Music & Lyrics: Eddie Perfect
Hadestown
Music & Lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell
The Prom
Music: Matthew Sklar
Lyrics: Chad Beguelin
To Kill a Mockingbird
Music: Adam Guettel
Tootsie
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
My preference: Anais Mitchell, Hadestown
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Nominated:
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Bryan Cranston, Network
Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird
Adam Driver, Burn This
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy
My preference: Bryan Cranston
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nominated:
Annette Bening, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me
My preference Elaine May
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Nominated
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Damon Daunno, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana, Tootsie
My preference: Santino Fontana
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Nominated:
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show
Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Eva Noblezada, Hadestown
Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate
My preference: Stephanie J. Block
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Nominated
Bertie Carvel, Ink
Robin De Jesús, The Boys in the Band
Gideon Glick, To Kill a Mockingbird
Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This
Benjamin Walker, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
My preference: Benjamin Walker
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nominated
Fionnula Flanagan, The Ferryman
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird
Kristine Nielsen, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear
My preference: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
André De Shields, Hadestown
Andy Grotelueschen, Tootsie
Patrick Page, Hadestown
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
My preference: Andre De Shields, Hadestown
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Nominated
Lilli Cooper, Tootsie
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Mary Testa, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
My preference: Amber Gray
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, To Kill a Mockingbird
Bunny Christie, Ink
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Santo Loquasto, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Jan Versweyveld, Network
My preference: Santo Loquasto, Gary
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Peter England, King Kong
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown
Laura Jellinek, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
David Korins, Beetlejuice
My preference: Peter England, King Kong
Best Choreography
Nominated
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
My preference: Warren Carlyle
Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell, The Ferryman
Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Clint Ramos, Torch Song
Ann Roth, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ann Roth, To Kill a Mockingbird
My preference: Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass, Hadestown
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bob Mackie, The Cher Show
Paul Tazewell, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
My preference: Bob Mackie
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Ink
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Peter Mumford, The Ferryman
Jennifer Tipton, To Kill a Mockingbird
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, Network
My preference: Peter Mumford, The Ferryman
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, The Cher Show
Howell Binkley, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Bradley King, Hadestown
Peter Mumford, King Kong
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice
My preference: Peter Mumford, King Kong
Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, Ink
Scott Lehrer, To Kill a Mockingbird
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Nick Powell, The Ferryman
Eric Sleichim, Network
My preference: Fitz Patton, Choir Boy
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, Beetlejuice
Peter Hylenski, King Kong
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Drew Levy, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown
My preference: Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown
Best Direction of a Play
Nominated
Rupert Goold, Ink
Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird
Ivo van Hove, Network
George C. Wolfe, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
My preference: Sam Mendes
Best Direction of a Musical
Nominated
Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom
My preference: Rachel Chavkin
Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown
Simon Hale, Tootsie
Larry Hochman, Kiss Me, Kate
Daniel Kluger, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Harold Wheeler, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
My preference: Daniel Kluger, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
