Predicting the 2024 Tony Awards: A Conversation with Myself.

If you are reading this, I’m pretty sure you realize it is awards time for the 2023-24 New York theater season.  

For Broadway, the season began with the first preview in April 2023 of “Grey House,” Levi Holloway’s theatricalization of any number of fright flicks (more atmospheric like “The Haunting” than scary-gory like “The Evil Dead”).  

The last play to open during a mad rush to meet the Tonys cutoff date was “Mother Play,” Paula Vogel’s quasi-autobiographical examination of life with her less-than-maternal mother, which boasts a starry three-person cast of Jessica Lange, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Jim Parsons. 

In between:  9 additional new plays, 5 play revivals, 15 new musicals, 6 musical revivals, and a couple of special events (the magic show “El Mago Pop” and “Melissa Etheridge:  My Window,” which was a wonderful addition to the season.)

While I am a voter for the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards, I am not a Tony voter (except for the Regional Theatre Tony Award, which this year is being bestowed on Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater).  Still, I’m happy to make predictions, for what they are worth, as to the likely Tony winners.  Just please do not make any wagers base on my remarks, because who can read the minds of the actual voters? Anyway, for what it’s worth, my batting average generally runs around 60 percent or thereabouts.  So here we go: 

BEST NEW MUSICAL

In my view, the best new musical of the season was the Atlantic Theater Company’s Off Broadway production of “Buena Vista Social Club.” I’m hoping its reputed transfer to Broadway will happen this coming fall.  But until it does, it is not Tony eligible.  

That leaves us with the five actual nominees:  “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Illinoise,” “The Outsiders,” “Suffs,” and “Water for Elephants.” 

All are strong contenders for various reasons, but I’m thinking that the Tony will go to “Hell’s Kitchen,” Alicia Keys’ semi-autobiographical musical which is full of youthful energy, Keys’ songs, wonderful choreography, and terrific performances that make it rise to the top of the pack.  

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

The four nominees are: 

“Cabaret,” “Guttenberg,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” and “Tommy.”

“Guttenberg” is mostly fun, thanks to the pairing of Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells as a couple of theater nerds dreaming of hitting the big time with their own show. “Tommy” is an exquisitely executed trip down trippy memory lane.  And “Cabaret” captures what, at least in my view, is necessary for any production of this show, the spirit of sleaziness and debauchery of rotting souls just as Naziism was on the rise in Germany.  Nevertheless, there is no doubt in my mind that the Tony will go to the revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” the much loved and often tinkered with George Furth/Stephen Sondheim musical that has finally found its footing under Maria Friedman’s direction and its trio of pitch-perfect, crowd-pleasing lead performers:  Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe.  

BEST NEW PLAY

The five nominees are:

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” “Mary Jane,” “Mother Play,” “Prayer for the French Republic,” and “Stereophonic.” 

Each of these is well deserving of being singled out – thoughtful, original, and deeply engaging. Of these, however, an almost universal love has been bestowed upon “Stereophonic,” David Adjmi’s play about a rock band dealing with creative and personal challenges during the recording a new album during the mid-1970s. It is my personal favorite among the nominees as well, and I don’t think it’s too much of a leap to suggest this is the one that will take home the Tony.

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

The three nominees are:

“Appropriate,” “An Enemy of the People,” and “Purlie Victorious.”  

This is a satisfying list of nominees, but of the three, the standout is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Appropriate.” Although it was originally produced a decade ago, it couldn't be more timely, with a subject matter that gets right at the heart of what is sometimes referred to as "America's original sin," that of slavery, racism, white privilege, and all that these encompass.  

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE IN A MUSICAL

The five nominees are Eden Espinosa (“Lempicka”), Maleah Joi Moon (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Kelli O’Hara (“Days of Wine and Roses”), Maryann Plunkett (“The Notebook”), and Gayle Rankin (“Cabaret”).

“Lempicka” was not particularly well received (as measured by reviews and ticket sales) and closed after a brief run, so it is unlikely Eden Espinosa’s performance will carry her to a Tony.  I think Gayle Rankin is doing a splendid job in “Cabaret,” but everything about the production has been controversial, enough so that it is likely to split Tony voters into pro and con camps.  Maryann Plunkett will likely break your heart in “The Notebook,” but the role is perhaps too small to be singled out for a Tony. I absolutely loved Kelli O’Hara in “Days of Wine and Roses” (and was so pleased she won the Outer Critics Circle Award), but the show definitely drew a niche audience, so, again, not a likely Tony winner. Fortunately, with Maleah Joi Moon, voters have someone they can happily champion, a newcomer to Broadway whose a-star-is-born performance in “Hell’s Kitchen” make her the likeliest contender.  

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE IN A PLAY

The five nominees are Betsy Aidem (“Prayer for the French Republic”), Jessica Lange (“Mother Play”), Rachel McAdams (“Mary Jane”), Sarah Paulson (“Appropriate”), and Amy Ryan (“Doubt”). 

An embarrassment of riches, here. Each of these splendid actresses brought so much amazing talent and skill to their roles, but I do believe it is between Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson. Lange won the Outer Critics Circle Award for her portrayal of a messed-up, self-absorbed mom who never wanted to be one and who isn’t shy about letting her son and daughter know.  But I think Paulson has the edge for her oversized performance in “Appropriate.”  She is a blazing flame of fury in the role and is my pick as likeliest to win the Tony.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE IN A MUSICAL

The five nominees are Brody Grant (“The Outsiders”), Jonathan Groff (“Merrily We Roll Along”), Dorian Harewood (“The Notebook”), Brian d’Arcy James (“Days of Wine and Roses”), and Eddie Redmayne (“Cabaret”).

Again, lovely work all around, but it’s unlikely anyone will come between “Merrily We Roll Along” and its bid for Tony Awards.  It’s gotta be Groff.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE IN A PLAY

The five nominees are William Jackson Harper (“Uncle Vanya”), Leslie Odom Jr. (“Purlie Victorious”), Liev Schreiber (“Doubt”), Jeremy Strong (“An Enemy of the People”), and Michael Stuhlbarg (“Patriots”). 

Harper oozes undeniable charm in “Uncle Vanya,” but it’s not the type of role or the kind of production that shouts “Tony.” Odom was terrific in “Purlie Victorious,” especially when he set loose in some of the play’s gloriously powerhouse speeches.  But that play closed early in February and is likely to be forgotten (with one notable exception that I’ll get to later on) by the Tony voters.  Schreiber’s role in “Doubt” is certainly a biggie, but it is secondary to the role of his character’s nemesis, Sister Aloysius, and therefore it doesn’t shout “lead” loudly enough to warrant a win.  Both Strong and Stuhlbarg are giving ace performances in their respective plays, but it is likely that Jeremy Strong, best known for his work in the HBO series “Succession,” will take the Tony. 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

The seven nominees are Shoshana Bean (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Amber Iman (“Lempicka”), Nikki M. James (“Suffs”), Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (“Spamalot”), Kecia Lewis (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Lindsay Mendez (“Merrily We Roll Along”), and Bebe Neuwirth (“Cabaret”).

Tough call, this one.  Can’t we just hand out seven Tony Awards for these wonderful performances? I’m thinking it will be a tight race among Kecia Lewis, Lindsay Mendez, and Bebe Neuwirth. I can’t really choose from among them, so I’ll resort to a kind of logic, which goes something like this:  With two nominees from “Hell’s Kitchen,” that will water down the number of votes for Kecia Lewis. Bebe Neuwirth gets to the heart of the universal question raised by “Cabaret” when she sings the living daylights out of “What Would You Do,” but the show itself has not been showered with the kind of universal adoration that has been bestowed on “Merrily We Roll Along,” and no one wants to break up the winning trio by refusing any of the three a Tony. And let’s not forget the Sondheim factor. So, based on this analysis, I’m calling it for Lindsay Mendez.  

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

The five nominees are Quincy Tyler Bernstine (“Doubt”), Juliana Canfield (“Stereophonic”), Celia Keenan-Bolger (“Mother Play”), Sarah Pidgeon (“Stereophonic”), and Kara Young (“Purlie Victorious”).  

Earlier, I mentioned there was one notable exception to the collective forgetfulness of voters when it comes to productions that closed months ago.  Thus, my two cents is on Kara Young, whose exceptional performance in “Purlie Victorious” as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins was priceless.  She won the Outer Critics Circle Award and I am predicting she’ll win the Tony.  

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

The six nominees are Roger Bart (“Back to the Future”), Joshua Boone (“The Outsiders”), Brandon Victor Dixon (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Sky Lakota-Lynch (“The Outsiders”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Merrily We Roll Along”), and Steven Skybell (“Cabaret”). 

The cheese will not stand alone, as Daniel Radcliffe joins his “old friends” from “Merrily We Roll Along” and picks up a Tony for his performance as Charlie. 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

The five nominees are Will Brill (“Stereophonic”), Eli Gelb (“Stereophonic”), Jim Parsons (“Mother Play”), Tom Pecinka (“Stereophonic”), and Corey Stoll (“Appropriate”).  

This makes five acting nominations for cast members of “Stereophonic” and speaks to the high quality of the production overall.  Too bad there is no Tony Award for Best Ensemble cuz the cast of “Stereophonic” would win hands down.  But there isn’t.  I think anyone would be hard pressed to pick one performance over the rest. But since “Appropriate” is such a deeply rich play with juicy roles all around, I’m predicting that Cory Stoll will win this one. 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

The five nominees are Maria Friedman (“Merrily We Roll Along”), Michael Greif (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Leigh Silverman (“Suffs”), Jessica Stone (“Water for Elephants”), and Danya Taymor (“The Outsiders”).

Here we are pitting the director of the best musical revival against the director of the best new musical.  A tie would be nice, but this one is for Maria Friedman for reimagining and breathing new life into “Merrily We Roll Along.” 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

The five nominees are Annie-B Parson (“Here Lies Love”), Camille A. Brown (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman (“The Outsiders”), Justin Peck (“Illinoise”), and Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll (“Water for Elephants”).

This has been a great season of choreography, with each of these nominees making the art form of dance a front-and-center element of their respective shows. It’s a tough call, with such thrilling work on display. I was particularly taken with Camille A. Brown’s choreography for “Hell’s Kitchen.” The dance numbers light up the stage all on their own and play a huge part in raising the level of this show way beyond anything you might expect from a jukebox musical that isn’t “MJ”.  So kudos to Brown. Nevertheless, I expect a win for Justin Peck, who pulled out all the stops to create the choreography that, when combined with Sufjan Stevens’ songs, serves to tell the emotionally rich tapestry of tales that make up “Illinoise.”  The fact that Peck wrote the book and directed the production only serves to clinch the deal.  

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

The five nominees are Kristoffer Diaz (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Bekah Brunstetter (“The Notebook”), Adam Rapp and Justin Levine (“The Outsiders”), Shaina Taub (“Suffs”), and Rick Elice “Water for Elephants”). 

Three of these were adapted from novels, one was shaped around mostly existing songs, and one was an original work.  That would be “Suffs,” which does an outstanding job of telling the story of women’s suffrage movement in the U. S.  The characters are distinct, and the writing relates the history with strength and clarity.  The Tony goes to Shaina Taub for “Suffs.”   

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE

The five nominees are Adam Guettel “Days of Wine and Roses”), David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (“Here Lies Love”), Will Butler (“Stereophonic”), Shaina Taub (“Suffs”),  and Jamestown Revival & Justin Levine (“The Outsiders”). 

Personally, I love Adam Guettel’s jazzy, soaring, stirring, and altogether sublime score for “Days of Wine and Roses.” But I’m pretty sure the Tony will go Will Butler, and I’m equally happy with that.  “Stereophonic,” which is not officially a musical, could not work without Butler’s songs, so,  yes, the Tony.

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

The six nominees are Timo Andres (“Illinoise”), Will Butler and Justin Craig (“Stereophonic”), Justine Levine, Matt Hinkley, and Jamestown Revival (“The Outsiders”), Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone (“Hell’s Kitchen”), and Jonathan Tunick (“Merrily We Roll Along”).  

Tunick is forever associated with Sondheim, and with “Merrily We Roll Along” garnering such love, a win for this might just happen (“Merrily” is Tunick’s twelfth Tony nomination, with one win under his belt – for “Titanic” in 1997).  But I think the race is a tight one, with Tunick running neck-and-neck with Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone’s orchestrations for “Hell’s Kitchen.”  In the end, turning a collection made up almost entirely of existing songs into a cohesive musical is quite a feat, so I’m thinking Kitt and Blackstone will win this one. 

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

The five nominees are Daniel Aukin (“Stereophonic”), Anne Kauffman (“Mary Jane”), Kenny Leon (”Purlie Victorious”), Lila Neugebauer (“Appropriate”), and Whitney White (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”). 

Here we go again.  Best New Play:  “Stereophonic” v Best Play Revival: “Appropriate.” Flip a coin?  Nah. My best guess is Daniel Aukin for the masterful ensemble piece that is “Stereophonic.” 

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

The seven nominees are AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian (“The Outsiders”), Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Takeshi Kata (”Water for Elephants”), David Korins (“Here Lies Love”), Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini (“Lempicka”), Tim Hatley and Finn Ross (“Back to the Future”), and Tom Scutt (“Cabaret”).  

Good choices here, but I’m going to say it’s a win for Takeshi Kata’s design for “Water for Elephants,” which has to accommodate both the narrative and the many circus elements that are seamless fused into a visually thrilling whole.  

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

The five nominees (actually three, as you will notice) are the design collective known as dots (“Appropriate”), dots (“An Enemy of the People”), Derek McLane (“Purlie Victorious”), David Zinn (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” and David Zinn (“Stereophonic”).

Will the two nominations for dots and the two for David Zinn open the pathway for Derek McLane?  Not this time.  It’ll be David Zinn for “Stereophonic.” 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

The five nominees are Dede Ayite (“Hell’s Kitchen”), Linda Cho (“The Great Gatsby”), David Israel Raynoso (“Water for Elephants”), Tom Scutt (“Cabaret”), and Paul Tazewell (“Suffs”).  

The one who best captured the style of the era in which the show is set is Linda Cho, whose award will allow “The Great Gatsby” to call itself a Tony-winning musical. 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

The five (four actually, with a couple of names that will sound rather familiar by now) are the very talented and very busy Dede Ayite (“Appropriate”), Dede Ayite (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”), Enver Chakartash (“Stereophonic”), Emilio Sosa (“Purlie Victorious”), and David Zinn (“An Enemy of the People”)

Tough call among such talented designers, but I’m going with Dede Ayite for “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” a lovely mix of contemporary American and African-inspired costumes, so fitting for this show. 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

The five nominees are Brandon Stirling Baker (“Illinoise”), Isabella Byrd (“Cabaret”), Natasha Kat (“Hell’s Kitchen”). Bradley King and David Bengali (“Water for Elephants”), and Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim (“The Outsiders”)

Lighting and sound are integral design elements that can have a tremendous effect on how the audience perceives the performance.  In this case, I believe that Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim’s outstanding lighting work on “The Outsiders” will take the Tony. 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

The five nominees are Isabella Byrd (“An Enemy of the People”), Amith Chandrashaker (“Prayer for the French Republic”), Jiyoun Chang (“Stereophonic”), Jane Cox (“Appropriate”), and Natasha Katz (“Grey House”).

This one is between Jane Cox an Natasha Katz.  “Grey House” is all about atmosphere, and the lighting is key to providing that haunted look.  It is, however, a show that came and went without much notice way back at the start of the season.  Frankly, I’d like to see it pick up this one, but I’m thinking the Tony will go to Jane Cox for the much more successful “Appropriate,” in which the design elements work so well to support the overall production. 

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

The five nominees are M. L. Dogg and Cody Spencer (“Here Lies Love”), Kai Harada (“Merrily We Roll Along”), Nick Lidster for Autograph (“Cabaret”), Gareth Owen (“Hell’s Kitchen”), and Cody Spencer (“The Outsiders”). 

Can you hear me now?  Sound design has improved tremendously over the past few years.  Even so, M. L. Dogg and Cody Spencer faced some unique design challenges, as the performers in “Here Lies Love” moved all over the theater.  And yet not a word was lost.  So, yes, a Tony for this.  

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY

The five nominees are Justin Ellington an Stefania Bulbarella (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”), Leah Gelpe (“Mary Jane”), Tom Gibbons (“Grey House”), Bray Poor and Will Pickens (“Appropriate”), and Ryan Rumery (“Stereophonic”).

When you are working on a play that takes place entirely in a recording studio, you’d better get the sound design right.  And Ryan Rumery did just that with “Stereophonic.”  Tony time!

In sum, my predictions:

Best new musical:  Hell’s Kitchen

Best revival of a musical:  Merrily We Roll Along

Best new play:  Stereophonic

Best play revival: Appropriate

Best performance by an actress in a lead role in a musical: Maleah Joi Moon

Best performance by an actress in a lead role in a play:  Sarah Paulson

Best performance by an actor in a lead role in a musical: Jonathan Groff

Best performance by an actor in a lead role in a play: Jeremy Strong

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical: Lindsay Mendez

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play: Kara Young

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical: Daniel Radcliffe

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play: Cory Stoll

Best direction of a musical:  Maria Friedman

Best choreography: Justin Peck

Best book of a musical:  Shaina Taub

Best original score: Will Butler

Best orchestrations:  Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone

Best direction of a play:  Daniel Aukin

Best scenic design of a musical:  Takeshi Kata

Best scenic design of a play:  David Zinn for “Stereophonic”

Best costume design of a musical:  Linda Cho

Best costume design of a play:  Dede Ayite  for “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”

Best lighting design of a musical:  Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim

Best lighting design of a play:  Jane Cox

Best sound design of a musical:  M. L. Dogg and Cody Spencer

Best sound design of a play: Ryan Rumery

THEMES EMERGE AND SOMETIMES CONVERGE IN A LOOK-BACK AT THE FIRST HALF OF THE 2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON

Rather than rehash all of 2023, I'd like focus on some half dozen of the plays and musicals that have opened since the 2022-2023 Broadway season ended and the 2023-2024 season began.

 

Interestingly, that period has been bookended by a pair of haunted house tales, one literal, with literary roots, and the other satirical/allegorical, with historical roots – the latter being far more successful in disturbing an audience’s equilibrium and which, as of now at least, sits high on the list for one or more likely Tony nominations when the season ends next April. 

 

The season’s opener was GREY HOUSE, whose seemingly innocuous title was never explained, something that was true  of the play itself, which went for atmosphere over substance.

Written by Levi Holloway, known mostly for his work as a Chicago-based actor and theater director, GREY HOUSE was an otherworldly excursion built on the familiar trope of travelers stranded during a blizzard, seeking shelter in a mysterious house in the woods. All told, and despite committed performances and excellent direction, this was a mix of predictability and bafflement. 

GRAY HOUSE Photo by MurphyMade

       

On the other hand, there was the final show of the first half of the season, the Broadway production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ masterful play APPROPRIATE, an Obie Award winner for an Off Broadway run a decade ago.  This play, too, is set in a sort of haunted house, though without the presence of actual ghosts.  Using biting satire, a most unsavory group of characters, and historical references that are far more disconcertedly creepy than anything cooked up in GREY HOUSE, APPROPRIATE makes for a powerful evening of theatergoing.  

Without ever overdoing easy weapons of blame, shame, and guilt, the subject matter gets at the heart of issues of our country’s history of slavery, racism, and white privilege.  APPROPRIATE, sharply directed by Lila Neugebauer and boasting a solid acting company and outstanding design elements, is still running and comes as close to must-see as any show that opened on Broadway in recent months.  (The other is the revival of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, a production I will discuss in an upcoming post, along with Stephen Sondheim's newest and last show, HERE WE ARE, currently having its first run Off Broadway). 

  

APPROPRIATE Photo by Joan Marcus

Another significant revival of a play with a satirical sting aimed at issues of racism is PURLIE VICTORIOUS: A CONFEDERATE ROMP THROUGH THE COTTON PATCH, written by Ossie Davis and originally produced in 1961. The production, under the discerning direction of Kenny Leon, is an outstanding one, funny, astute, and, unfortunately, still utterly timely.  

The play's central character is one Purlie Victorious Judson, an itinerant Black preacher brilliantly played by Leslie Odom Jr., who has returned home to rural Georgia with a grand scheme for buying and revitalizing the community church.  Standing in the way is Ol’ Cap'n, the white landowner who runs his cotton plantation as if the Civil War had never occurred, much less been lost by his forebears. 

As good as Odom is, it is Kara Young as his partner-in-crime Luttiebelle who nearly steals the show with her glorious comic timing and the most expressive eyes you're likely ever to see. Here's another play that is likely to pick up Tony nominations and that sits high on my list of recommendations.

PURLIE VICTORIOUS Photo by Marc J. Franklin

Plays and musicals with themes tied to Judaism and antisemitism have also been occurring with greater frequency, from last season's LEOPOLDSTADT and PARADE to the more recent JUST FOR US and HARMONY.

JUST FOR US marked the Broadway debut of comic Alex Edelman, who has garnered accolades for his solo show, the central set piece being a story of an evening he spent among a group of antisemitic white supremacists. 

My reaction, which admittedly was an outlier to the general praise the show received, was not enthusiastic.  Although I was taken by Edelman's engaging performance style, I was less impressed by the overall content of the evening, which I found to be overly practiced and familar, with stories that reminded me too much of those I've heard from other comics through the years or of situations that I and friends and family experienced growing up in our own Jewish homes. I haven't changed my mind, but I regret my hemming-and-hawing published review in which I failed to adequately explain my rationale. 

JUST FOR US Photo by Matthew Murphy

More to my liking was HARMONY (still playing and well worth seeing), the musical by pop icon Barry Manilow and his longtime writing partner Bruce Sussman.  It is framed as a memory play about the real world of the one-time Germany-based international performing sensation known as the Comedian Harmonists, made up of a mix of Jewish and non-Jewish members whose fame and fall coincided with the emergence of the Nazis. 

Another likely Tony nomination or more for this one, with special kudos to actor Chip Zien, whose character remembers every moment -- the good, bad, and the ugly -- of the group's time together back in the late 1920s and into the 1930s, and to director/choreographer Warren Carlyle, who keeps the show totally focused on the rise and fall of the sextet. 

HARMONY Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Wrapping up on a final upbeat note, let's recognize the near perfect revival of MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, Eric Idle and John Du Prez's musical about those unforgettable knights and knaves of the Round Table whose rousing non-sequiturs and merriments remain a high point of theatrical delights. The original Broadway production in 2005 ran for close to 1,600 performances, and I would love to see this revival match or exceed that.  Fun. Silly. Weird. Wacky. And joyful as they come.  SPAMALOT makes a virtue of digressions and tangential meanderings and will send you dancing and whistling out to the street to the tune of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." It seldom gets any better than this. 

SPAMALOT Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

__________________________________

Links to my full reviews of these shows:

GREY HOUSE: https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/GreyHouse.html

APPROPRIATE:

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/Appropriate.html

PURLIE VICTORIOUS:

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/PurlieVictorious.html

JUST FOR US:

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/JustforUs.html

HARMONY:

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/Harmony.html

SPAMALOT

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/Spamalot23.html

PREDICTING THE 2023 TONYS

From THE KITE RUNNER to NEW YORK, NEW YORK, Broadway saw 40 new productions during the 2022-23 season,including 15 musicals (9 original, 6 revivals), 24 plays (18 original, 5 revivals, one return engagement), and one special engagement (original). 

Lots of competition for awards, to be sure.

Despite my being a voting member of Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk as well as the lead Broadway critic for Talkin' Broadway (talkinbroadway.com), my ability to predict Tony Award winners is more of a matter of guessing and luck.  Still, who can resist?  No foul, no harm!

So, with no further ado, here are my picks for the winners for the 2023 Tony Awards.  Tune in to CBS on Sunday night, June 11, 2023 to see how things pan out!!!

Best Book of a Musical

Kimberly Akimbo

Best Original Score

Some Like It Hot

Best Performance by Lead Actor in a Play

Sean Hayes

Best Performance by Lead Actress in a Play

Jessica Chastain

Best Performance by Lead Actor in a Musical

J. Harrison Ghee

Best Performance by Lead Actress in a Musical

Victoria Clark

Best Performance by Featured Actor in a Play

Jordan E. Cooper

Best Performance by Featured Actress in a Play

Miriam Silverman

Best Performance by Featured Actor in a Musical

Alex Newell

Best Performance by Featured Actress in a Musical

Bonnie Milligan

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi)

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Scott Pask (Some Like It Hot)

Best Costume Design of a Play

Emilio Sosa (Ain’t No Mo’}

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot)

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Ben Stanton (A Christmas Carol)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Natasha Katz (Sweeney Todd)

Best Sound Design of a Play

Ben and Max Ringham (Prima Facie)

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Kai Harada (New York, New York)

Best Direction of a Play

Patrick Marber (Leopoldstadt)

Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden (Parade)

Best Choreography

Casey Nicholaw (Some Like It Hot)

Best Orchestrations

Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter (Some Like It Hot)

Best Play

Leopoldstadt

Best Musical

Kimberly Akimbo

Best Revival of a Play

The Piano Lesson

Best Revival of a Musical

Parade

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PREDICTING THE TONYS 2022

 

'Tis a foolish thing to try to read the minds of Tony voters.  But who can resist?  

In any event, here are my predictions of the winners (plus who I would have voted for if anyone had invited me to do so).

Best Play:                  The Lehman Trilogy

Personal Choice:      Clyde's

Best Musical:             Six

Personal Choice:       MJ (but close enough to tie with Six)

Play Revival:              For Colored Girls...

Personal Choice:       Trouble in Mind

Musical Revival:         Company

Personal Choice:        Company

Lead Actor, Play:        David Morse

Personal Choice:        David Morse

Lead Actress, Play:    LaChanze

Personal Choice:        LaChanze

Lead Actor, Musical:  Jaquel Spivey

Personal Choice:        Jaquel Spivey

Lead Actress, Musical:  Sharon D Clarke

Personal Choice:           Sharon D Clarke

Featured Actor, Play:    Jessie Tyler Ferguson

Personal Choice:           Chuck Cooper

Featured Actress, Play:      Uzo Aduba

Personal Choice:                 Uzo Aduba

Featured Actor, Musical:      Matt Doyle

Personal Choice:                   Matt Doyle

Featured Actress, Musical    Patti LuPone

Personal Choice:                    Patti LuPone

Book of Musical:                    A Strange Loop

Personal Choice:                    A Strange Loop 

Score:                                      Six

Personal Choice:                    Flying Over Sunset

Scenic Design, Play:            Es Devlin

Personal Choice:                  Es Devlin

Scenic Design, Musical:    Beowulf Boritt

Personal Choice:                Beowulf Boritt

Costume,  Play:                Jennifer Moeller

Personal Choice:              Jennifer Moeller

Costumes,  Musical:       Gabriella Slade

Personal Choice:              Gabriella Slade

Lighting, Play:               Jon Clark

Personal Choice:         Jon Clark

Lighting, Musical:        Bradley King

Personal Choice:        Bradley King

Sound, Play:                Mikhail Fiksel

Personal Choice:         Mikhail Fiksel

Sound, Musical:            Paul Gatehouse

Personal Choice:        Paul Gatehouse

Direction, Play:            Sam Mendes

Personal Choice:        Camille A. Brown 

Direction, Musical:    Marianne Elliott

Personal Choice:        Christopher Wheeldon

Choreography            Christopher Wheeldon

Personal Choice:        Christopher Wheeldon

Orchestrations:          David Cullen

Personal Choice:        David Cullen

THE TONYS: Monday Morning Quarterbacking

 

Danny Burstein, Tony Winner for Moulin Rouge

Photo by Matthew Murphy

It has been a confusing and anxious time for everyone involved in the theater, and the very fact that the Tonys for 2019-2020 were presented last night marks an important milestone in terms of Broadway's return.

So no recriminations or second-guessing here.  Just some observations.

To begin with, I successfully predicted 15 of the 25 winners, largely owing to my thinking that Moulin Rouge would walk away with a Tony in pretty much every category for which it was nominated. Since the show picked up 10 Tonys, you can see that my crystal ball did me a service.

Regarding musicals, it does seem a shame that all three shows that were up for awards in that category were what we call "jukebox musicals," including the winner.  The others were Jagged Little Pill, and Tina -- a show whose star, Adrienne Warren, gave an extraordinarily powerful Tony-garnering performance.  

Unfortunately, with no original musicals in the mix, all of the shows that were nominated for Best Original Score were actually non-musicals (though, of course, with supporting music). My thinking is that the category itself should be confined to actual musicals with original scores.  Since there were none this go-round, that category should have been eliminated.  

And speaking of categories with too few nominees, there was the case of Best Lead Actor in a Musical, in which Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge) was the only nominee.  The Tony voters were directed to vote  yea or nay.  Fortunately, enough of them voted yea, so that Mr. Tveit picked up his award, but, really, this category should have been eliminated.  

By the way, for the record and from my perspective, the actual best performance in this category was given by Isaac Powell in West Side Story, a show that -- while it did open in February of 2020, prior to the Covid shutdown -- unfortunately did not make the cutoff date for the Tonys.  

Overall, there were few surprises, even among those categories where I failed to successfully predict the winner.  

I did wonder that the highly touted Slave Play, which garnered a dozen nominations and is returning for another run on Broadway, failed to win any Tonys.  I especially admired the performance in that play of Joaquina Kalukango, but I will say that Mary-Louise Parker's performance in The Sound Inside (itself a small, esoteric play) was stunning and deserving of the Tony she won for Best Lead Actress in a Play. 

I was also very happy to have erred in the category of Best Revival of a Play, since the winner, A Soldier's Play, was my favorite for the season.  In that, I especially admired the performance by David Alan Grier, and I was delighted that he, too, won a Tony (for Best Featured Actor).  I did have a difficult time choosing between A Soldier's Play and Betrayal, which was given a truly stellar production.

Apart from the awards themselves, I was somewhat puzzled by the televised two-hour "Celebration of Broadway" show, which seemed geared toward the in-crowd of the industry rather than an audience of potential Broadway theater-goers.  There were very few performances from the 2019-2020 season and none from the current season (other than that of David Byrne's American Utopia, which is returning to Broadway for another run).  

I have the fondest memories of growing up, watching the performances on the Tony show each year, looking forward to the day when I could get to New York and take in a Broadway show myself.  Who knew that someday I would live here and be able to attend Broadway and Off Broadway shows to my heart's content!

________________

Here are links to my reviews of all the shows I have mentioned above:

Jagged Little Pill

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/JaggedLittlePill2019.html

Moulin Rouge

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/MoulinRouge2019.html

Tina

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/Tina2019.html

Slave Play

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/SlavePlay2019.html

West Side Story 

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/WestSideStory.html

A Soldier's Play

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/SoldiersPlay.html

The Sound Inside

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/SoundInside2019.html

Betrayal

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/Betrayal2019.html

David Byrne's American Utopia

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/AmericanUtopia2019.html

 

TONY AWARDS. Long delayed but here we go...

There has been lots of mischigas about the on again-off again Tony Awards.  And, really, it's all understandable under the circumstances.  

Now is a time to celebrate the reopening of Broadway and to honor the hard work that went into the productions that did make it into the 2019-2020 Broadway season prior to the shutdown.

So, yes, tonight, it's on, though how it's being presented for public viewing is rather convoluted.

From 7-9 PM,  eastern time, you'll have to watch all but three of the awards being distributed on a streaming service, Paramount+.  To lure people in, they are offering a free week of viewing before the fee kicks in.  Up to you.  I'm not biting.

But starting at 9 PM, tune in to CBS for "The Tony Awards Presents Broadway's Back," a celebration filled with performances and the final three awards:  for best play, best play revival, and best musical.

For the record, I am posting my predictions here:

Best Play:  SLAVE PLAY

Best Musical:  MOULIN ROUGE

Best Play Revival:  BETRAYAL

Best Book of a Musical:  JAGGED LITTLE PILL

Best Original Score:  THE ROSE TATTOO

Best Lead Actor, Play:  TOM HIDDLESTON

Best Lead Actress, Play:  JOAQUINA KALUKANGO

Best Lead Actor, Musical: AARON TVEIT

Best Lead Actress, Musical:  ADRIENNE WARREN

Best Featured Actor, Play:  DAVID ALAN GRIER

Best Featured Actress, Play: LOIS SMITH

Best Featured Actor, Musical:  DANNY BURSTEIN

Best Featured Actress, Musical:  LAUREN PATTEN

Best Scenic Design, Play:  CLINT RAMOS

Best Scenic Design, Musical: DEREK McLANE

Best Costume Design, Play: DEDE AYITE (for Slave Play)

Best Costume Design, Musical:  CATHERINE ZUBER

Best Lighting Design, Play:  JIYOUN CHANG

Best Lighting Design, Musical:  JUSTIN TOWNSEND (for Moulin Rouge)

Best Sound Design, Play:  Daniel Kluger (for The Sound Inside)

Best Sound Design, Musical:  PETER HYLENSKI

Best Director, Play: ROBERT O'HARA

Best Director, Musical:  ALEX TIMBERS

Best Choreography: SONYA TAYEH

Best Orchestrations: KATIE KRESEK, CHARLIE ROSEN, MATT STINE &  JUSTIN LEVINE

Let's all find out together how well my predictions hold up.