In recent seasons on Broadway, all a show had to do to be showered with Tony nominations was open near the award deadline and not close quickly. But this year, with so many new productions, a higher-than-usual snub count was almost inevitable.
For instance, A Bronx Tale, Amelie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and revivals of Cats and Sunset Boulevard came up empty-handed Tuesday morning when the Tony nominations for the 2016-17 season were announced. And such A-list performers as Allison Janney, Mark Ruffalo, Philippa Soo and Glenn Close failed to make the nomination cut.
Nor is there a clear front-runner for best musical, like the Hamilton sweep last year. Leading in nominations is Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (12 nominations), adapted from a slice of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. But it seems more likely that the race will be between Dear Evan Hansen (9 noms.), the emotional story of a high school loner caught in a lie that goes viral, and Come From Away (7), about the tiny Canadian town where 7,000 travelers were diverted after 9-11. The fourth nominee in the best musical category is Groundhog Day (7), based on the Bill Murray movie about a guy trapped in a recurring day.
The top nominee among new plays is Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 (8 nominations), an imaginative sequel to the Ibsen drama. On its heels is the epic Oslo (7 nominations), about the back channel negotiations leading to the Israeli-Palestinian peace accord of 1993. Tie with three nominations each are Paula Vogel’s Indecent, about the groundbreaking play God of Vengeance, and this year’s Pulitzer Prize winner, Lynn Nottage’s Sweat.
The musical revival category looks like an easy win for the season’s hot ticket, Hello, Dolly! (10 nominations), headlined by Bette Midler. It will be competing against Falsettos (5 noms.) and Miss Saigon (2). The play revival category appears to be between acclaimed plays by two name-brand writers – August Wilson’s Jitney and Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes (5 nominations each). The latter probably has the edge since it is still running. Also in the field is Noel Coward’s Present Laughter (3 noms.) and John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation.
Film and television names continue to fill the performance categories, with Oscar winners Chris Cooper (A Doll’s House, Part 2), Kevin Kline (Present Laughter), Cate Blanchett (The Present) and Sally Field (The Glass Menagerie) gaining nominations Tuesday. TV fixtures David Hyde Pierce (Hello, Dolly!), Laurie Metcalf (A Doll’s House, Part 2), Danny DeVito (Arthur Miller’s The Price), Richard Thomas and Cynthia Nixon (The Little Foxes) will be vying for Tonys.
The announcement of Tony nominations is often followed by the posting of closing notices for shows left out in the cold. In that sense, expect A Bronx Tale and Amelie to react soon to their disappointing showings.
The 71st annual Tony telecast will be live from Radio City Music Hall, on CBS, Sunday, June 11, from 8-11 p.m. Hosting will be Kevin Spacey, himself a Tony winner.
A complete list of this year’s Tony nominees follows:
Best Play
A Doll’s House, Part 2, by Lucas Hnath
Indecent, by Paula Vogel
Oslo, by J.T. Rogers
Sweat, by Lynn Nottage
Best Musical
Come From Away
Dear Evan Hansen
Groundhog Day: The Musical
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Best Book of a Musical
Come From Away, Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Dear Evan Hansen, Steven Levenson
Groundhog Day: The Musical, Danny Rubin
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Come From Away, Music and lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Dear Evan Hansen, Music and lyrics: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Groundhog Day: The Musical, Music and lyrics: Tim Minchin
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Music and lyrics: Dave Malloy
Best Revival of a Play
Jitney, by August Wilson
The Little Foxes, by Lillian Hellman
Present Laughter, by Noël Coward
Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare
Best Revival of a Musical
Falsettos
Hello, Dolly!
Miss Saigon
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Denis Arndt, Heisenberg
Chris Cooper, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of Separation
Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
Jefferson Mays, Oslo
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Cate Blanchett, The Present
Jennifer Ehle, Oslo
Sally Field, The Glass Menagerie
Laura Linney, The Little Foxes
Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, Falsettos
Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Andy Karl, Groundhog Day: The Musical
David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Denée Benton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Christine Ebersole, War Paint
Patti LuPone, War Paint
Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!
Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Michael Aronov, Oslo
Danny DeVito, The Price
Nathan Lane, The Front Page
Richard Thomas, The Little Foxes
John Douglas Thompson, Jitney
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Johanna Day, Sweat
Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes
Condola Rashad, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Michelle Wilson, Sweat
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!
Mike Faist, Dear Evan Hansen
Andrew Rannells, Falsettos
Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!
Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos
Jenn Colella, Come From Away
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia
Best Scenic Design of a Play
David Gallo, Jitney
Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong
Douglas W. Schmidt, The Front Page
Michael Yeargan, Oslo
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rob Howell, Groundhog Day: The Musical
David Korins, War Paint
Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, The Little Foxes
Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter
Toni-Leslie James, Jitney
David Zinn, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, Anastasia
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Catherine Zuber, War Paint
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Christopher Akerlind, Indecent
Jane Cox, Jitney
Donald Holder, Oslo
Jennifer Tipton, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Come From Away
Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!
Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen
Best Direction of a Play
Sam Gold, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Jitney
Bartlett Sher, Oslo
Daniel Sullivan, The Little Foxes
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent
Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Come From Away
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day: The Musical
Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!
Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day: The Musical
Kelly Devine, Come From Away
Denis Jones, Holiday Inn
Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Best Orchestrations
Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand
Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!
Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812