Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad in The Book of Mormon.By Hap Erstein
Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s irreverent, yet surprisingly traditional musical comedy, The Book of Mormon, went into this morning’s announcement of Tony Award nominations as the prohibitive favorite to win the all-important Best Musical award. It emerged with 14 nominations, making it even more of a lock to clean up at the Tonys ceremony on Sunday, June 12, and – at least mathematically – a chance to cop a record number of Tonys.
Like The Producers a decade ago, this buddy musical was nominated in every category possible, but had no candidate for Best Actress. Both of its male stars, Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, will be vying for the Best Actor Tony, also a repeat of The Producers’ contest between Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
Book of Mormon’s nomination haul included Best Book (Parker, Robert Lopez and Stone), Best Score (Lopez, Parker and Stone), Best Featured Actor (Rory O’Malley), Best Featured Actress (Nikki M. James), Best Scenic Design (Scott Pask), Best Costume Design (Ann Roth), Best Lighting Design (Brian MacDevitt), Best Sound Design (Brian Ronan), Best Direction (Casey Nicholaw and Parker), Best Choreography (Nicholaw) and Best Orchestrations (Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus).
As a marketing tool for Broadway, the Tonys usually slight shows that opened early in the season and have since closed, but this year The Scottsboro Boys – the final musical by the late Fred Ebb, which transferred from off-Broadway and never managed to attract a Broadway audience – earned 12 nominations. Other shuttered shows remembered with nominations, largely to fill out categories, included Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (3 nominations) and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2). Still, the odds against either of them winning anything are astronomical.
In the play categories – the stepchildren of the Tony telecast – the British import Jerusalem and the rudely titled, but serious drama The Motherf**ker with the Hat each pulled in six nominations. They will compete with War Horse and Good People, making it two American plays versus two British.
The Tonys may have gotten over their crush on movie stars which dominated last year’s results. Among the Hollywood fixtures who appeared on Broadway this year but failed to get nominations are Daniel Radcliffe (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Robin Williams (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), Chris Rock (The Motherf**ker …), Kiefer Sutherland (That Championship Season) and Jim Belushi (Born Yesterday).
Undoubtedly Bengal Tiger was hoping for a Best Play nod to help its flagging box office. Also looking for better returns today was Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, a jukebox version of the 1994 Australian flick, which scored nominations for Best Actor (Tony Sheldon) and its costumes, but not Best Musical.
Snubbed productions with slumping ticket sales often post their closing notices soon after the Tony nominations are announced. My pick for first to close is the Shirelles show Baby, It’s You, which had to settle for one nom, for Best Actress candidate, Beth Leavel. Also earning one nomination and facing a shaky future are the panned revival of House of Blue Leaves (Featured Actress Edie Falco) and bio-play Lombardi (Featured Actress Judith Light).
Here is the complete list of today’s Tony Award nominations:
Best Play
Good People, Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
Jerusalem, Author: Jez Butterworth
The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
War Horse, Author: Nick Stafford
Best Musical
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
Best Book, Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon, Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys, David Thompson
Sister Act, Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Book of Mormon, Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys, John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act, Alan Menken, Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, David Yazbek
Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart
Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Play
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby, It’s You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture
Best Actor in a Featured Role, Play
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Best Actress in a Featured Role, Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Best Actor in a Featured Role, Musical
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon
Best Actress in a Featured Role, Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Best Scenic Design, Play
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice
Best Scenic Design, Musical
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Best Costume Design, Play
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday
Best Costume Design, Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Best Lighting Design, Play
Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem
Best Lighting Design, Musical
Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon
Best Sound Design, Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse
Best Sound Design, Musical
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon
Best Direction, Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice
Best Direction, Musical
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman and Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can