Alicia Keys’ musical Hell’s Kitchen and David Adjmi’s critically adored play Stereophonic, about a 1970s band rehearsing and combusting in an atmospherically rendered recording studio, each picked up 13 nominations Tuesday, leading the contenders for theater-land’s Oscars which will be televised on CBS on June 16. The Outsiders musical, based on S.E. Hinton’s classic 1967 novel, picked up 12 nominations.
One notable snub was for movie star Steve Carell, locked out of the Best Actor Play category for his title role in Uncle Vanya—his co-star William Jackson Harper beat him to the nomination instead. (Danny DeVito was also snubbed for his role in the poorly received I Need That.) Also nominated were Leslie Odom Jr. for Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, Succession star Jeremy Strong for An Enemy of the People, Liev Schreiber for Doubt, and Michael Stuhlbarg for Patriots.
The Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play category is a vibrant list of boldface names: Sarah Paulson for Appropriate, Rachel McAdams (Mary Jane), Jessica Lange (Mother Play), Betsy Aidem (Prayer for the French Republic), and Amy Ryan for Doubt: A Parable.
In the highly contested Best Musical category, where 15 productions were vying for nominations, the five productions nominated were: Hell’s Kitchen, Water for Elephants, The Outsiders, Illinoise, and Suffs. Locked out were shows including Lempicka, Days of Wine and Roses, The Notebook, Here Lies Love, Back to the Future: The Musical, and The Heart of Rock and Roll.
The highly favored Stereophonic was nominated for Best Play, alongside Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Prayer for the French Republic, Mary Jane, and Mother Play, while Patriots was locked out. Five of the seven actors from Stereophonic were honored in the featured actor categories.
In the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category, Jonathan Groff for Merrily We Roll Along will be competing against Brody Grant (The Outsiders), Dorian Harewood (The Notebook), Brian D’Arcy James (Days of Wine and Roses), and Eddie Redmayne for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. That locked out the much-buzzed about Ali Louis Bourzgui for The Who’s Tommy and Chip Zien (Harmony).
In the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category, Eden Espinosa (Lempicka) will be competing against Maleah Joi Moon (Hell’s Kitchen), Kelli O’Hara (Days of Wine and Roses), Maryann Plunkett (The Notebook), and Gayle Rankin for her rendering of Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Shaina Taub for Suffs was among those locked out.
The 44 Tony nominators considered 36 Tony-eligible plays and musicals that opened on Broadway between April 28, 2023, and April 25, 2024. 28 of those shows received at least one nomination.
The Best Musical category was the most competitive, and the most potentially critical when it comes to the survival of shows. There were 15 eligible musical productions, with no standout critical or audience favorite. 10 of the 15 shows are still running, and so the continued life of the five/six shows locked out of contention—and all the publicity and public awareness that being a Tony nominee brings with it—immediately becomes that bit more perilous.
Now the race begins: expect to see lots of dance numbers on morning TV, and the most boldface of nominees on any chat show their reps can book. It is always a vigorous, competitive race, as shows and nominees seek to make an indelible impression on both voters and audiences.
As to who wins—that’s now it’s up to the approximately 800 Tony voters.
This article is being be updated…
