Steve Kazee & Cristin Milioti in "Once". Photo by Joan Marcus.
Get out your crystal ball and start laying odds, the Tony Awards are this Sunday night and, for once (and for Once) it’s a real nail-biter in many categories. Which is my way of saying…don’t blame me if my predictions are off. Nevertheless, I’m diving into the fray for the first time and giving my picks for the winner (in violet) and possible spoiler (in red) in each of the marquee categories; the tech awards are just as important but I leave those to more knowledgeable experts.
And, of course, check back in here on Monday morning for a wrap up of all the Tony surprises, snubs and snafus. Let the game’s begin…
Best Play
Clybourne Park
Other Desert Cities
Peter and the Starcatcher
Venus in Fur
[One of the toughest categories of the night with all four shows having legitimate claims to the prize. The snub for Mantello’s direction of Desert Cities slightly tips this in favor of Pulitzer-winner Clybourne.]
Best Musical
Leap of Faith
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once
[It’s a two show race though between the low key, artsy show and the Disney crowd-pleaser. I may be being swayed by my love for the music in Once on this one but a tour announcement and growing box office for the show tells me this is the little musical that could. But, again, this one is razor thin…]
Andrew Garfield & Finn Wittrock in "Death of a Salesman". Photo by Brigitte Lacombe.
Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Don’t Dress for Dinner
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Master Class
Wit
[Um…yeah…there are other choices here?]
Best Revival of a Musical
Evita
Follies
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar
[Follies is hurt by not being open in New York anymore but the rapturous reviews and the Sondheim aura should propel it over the impressive but more controversial Porgy.]
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Play
James Corden – One Man, Two Guvnors
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
James Earl Jones – Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Frank Langella – Man and Boy
John Lithgow – The Columnist
[I wish I had the courage of my convictions to predict Corden as I want to but it’s hard to imagine the voters ignoring the movie star allure and the “import” of Hoffman’s role.]
Tracie Bennett in "End of the Rainbow". Photo by Carol Rosegg.
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Play
Nina Arianda – Venus in Fur
Tracie Bennett – End of the Rainbow
Stockard Channing – Other Desert Cities
Linda Lavin – The Lyons
Cynthia Nixon – Wit
[Goodness, this year is hard to predict with many viable candidates in each category. Arianda would have this sewn up given her meteoric rise and her second nod in two years. But Bennett is a wonder and doing more work than anyone out there…sometimes more acting wins. I’ve switched my choice on this ten times so…flip a coin.]
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Musical
Danny Burstein – Follies
Jeremy Jordan – Newsies
Steve Kazee – Once
Norm Lewis – The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Ron Raines – Follies
[Kazee is the true center of his show and has a personal story (long road to success, family tragedy, etc.) that make him a Cinderella candidate that is hard to beat. I know people are mentioning Jordan as a spoiler but I think the good will for Broadway regular Burstein and his stealing the show from starrier colleagues makes him the stealth candidate.]
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Musical
Jan Maxwell – Follies
Audra McDonald – The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Cristin Milioti – Once
Kelli O’Hara – Nice Work If You Can Get It
Laura Osnes – Bonnie & Clyde
[Audra continues her untouchable track record with another win; she’ll need a separate home to house these. Maxwell’s work, though, lingers in the mind.]
Best Actor in a Featured Role, Play
Tom Sedden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Andrew Garfield, Death of a Salesman
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Michael Cumpsty, End of the Rainbow
Jeremy Shamos, Clybourne Park
Judith Light in "Other Desert Cities". Photo by Joan Marcus.
Best Actress in a Featured Role, Play
Linda Emond, Death of a Salesman
Spencer Kayden, Don’t Dress For Dinner
Celia Keenan Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
Judith Light, Other Desert Cities
Condola Rashad, Stick Fly
[She’s the boss…and absolutely deserving. I don’t see anyone else winning this unless Salesman is a juggernaut.]
Best Actor in a Featured Role, Musical
Philip Boykin, Porgy and Bess
Michael Cerveris, Evita
David Alan Grier, Porgy and Bess
Michael McGrath, Nice Work…
Paul Young, Jesus Christ Superstar
Best Actress in a Featured Role, Musical
Elizabeth A. Davis, Once
Jane Houdyshell, Follies
Judy Kaye, Nice Work
Jessie Mueller, On a Clear Day
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ghost
[Beloved, stretching herself and having a blast, Kaye is unbeatable.]
Best Original Score
Frank Wildhorn & Don Black, Bonnie & Clyde
Alan Menken & Jack Feldman, Newsies
Grant Olding, One Man, Two Guvnors
Wayne Barker & Rick Elice, Peter and the Starcatcher
[As I said in my nominee post and only feel it more now, “Menken can finally add that Tony to his shelf…and we should all say a little prayer to Howard Ashman, who should be there by his side.”]
Best Book of a Musical
Douglas Carter Beane, Lysistrata Jones
Harvey Fierstein, Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It, Joe DiPeitro
Enda Walsh, Once
[Yikes, each on here has a strike against it. Some find Once too slight, Nice Work too haphazard, Newsies too Newsies and Jones too closed.]
Aaron J. Albano & Jess LeProtto in "Newsies". Photo by Deen van Meer.
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Evita
Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Steven Hoggett, Once
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
[No contest; Gattelli is taking home the Tony.]
Best Director, Play
Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors
Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park
Mike Nichols, Death of a Salesman
Roger Rees & Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher
[Nichols is a legend taking on a legend…but they sure did give Peter a lot of nominations.]
Best Director, Musical
Jeff Calhoun, Newies
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Diane Paulus, Porgy and Bess
John Tiffany, Once
[Tiffany takes it for bringing his independent sensibilities to Broadway and not losing his way.]
What do you think I have wrong? Who do you hope surprises with a win? Let me know in the comments!