Better late than never!

Now that I’ve finally finagled my way to catching every stray production from last season that I never got around to seeing, I can share with y’all the Stevens for the 2017-2018 Broadway season.

You know, like the Tonys. But here, it’s me, Steven, doling out the distinctions, not a cross-section of the theatre community that A) commonly votes for their own (vested financial) interests, or those of a friend, and thus B) don’t actually visit everything that graces the Great White Way between May and April each year. This allegation of course doesn’t apply to the nominating committee, but it sure as shit holds true for the general voting body.

Even so, they’ve admittedly produced some wise results in recent years, often supporting smaller, superior fare over the flashier, commercial, crowd-pleasing spectacles. Unfortunately, they had slim pickings to choose from this year. Though the season included two of my favorite experiences ever to be offered on Broadway in my lifetime, the rest rarely scaled the heights of greatness.

As such, I refuse to hand Steven nominations to undeserving receivers simply to reach the requisite 4-5 nominees. If less than that turned in great work, then the category will just remind unfilled, matching the unfulfilled feeling they left me with. To balance out such negativity, I’ll also include honorable mentions for all those that would’ve made the cut in an indiscriminate world.

Another way I deviated from the Tonys: every show that played Broadway this year is eligible, even those that were too greedy to grant tickets to voters.

Following the formal nominations, you’ll find some special awards of my own concoction that I believe the Tonys should’ve rewarded. And at the very bottom, I’ve power-ranked every production, pitting each against the others without regard for genre or form.

Oh, and every category is listed in order of personal preference.

Let’s do it:

Best Play

1. Latin History for Morons
2. 1984
3. Meteor Shower
4. Farinelli and the Kings
5. The Children

 

Best Revival of a Play

1. Angels in America 
2. Lobby Hero
3. Travesties
4. M. Butterfly
5. Three Tall Women

(Honorable Mention: Saint Joan)

 

Best Direction of a Play

1. Marianne Elliot, Angels in America
2. Trip Cullman, Lobby Hero
3. Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan, 1984
4. Julie Taymor, M. Butterfly
5. Patrick Marber, Travesties

(Honorable Mentions: Jerry Zaks, Meteor Shower ; Joe Mantello, Three Tall Women

 

Best Actor in a Play

1. Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
2. Michael Cera, Lobby Hero
3. Tom Hollander, Travesties
4. John Leguizamo, Latin History for Morons
5. Mark Rylance, Farinelli and the King

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Shamos, Meteor Shower

 

Best Actress in a Play

1. Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
2. Condola Rashad, Saint Joan
3. Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God
4. Amy Schumer, Meteor Shower

 

Best Supporting Actor in a Play

1. Nathan Lane, Angels in America
2. James McArdle, Angels in America
3. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Angels in America
4. Keegan-Michael Key, Meteor Shower
5. Jin Ha, M. Butterfly

Honorable Mentions: Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero ; Chris Evans, Lobby Hero

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Play

1. Denise Gough, Angels in America
2. Susan Brown, Angels in America
3. Bel Powley, Lobby Hero
4. Laura Benanti, Meteor Shower
5. Amanda Lawrence, Angels in America

 

Best Scenic Design of a Play

1. Ian MacNeil, Angels in America
2. Miriam Buether, Three Tall Women
3. Chloe Lamford, 1984
4. Paul Steinberg, M. Butterfly
5. Neil Patel, Time and the Conways

Best Lighting Design of a Play

1. Neil Austin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
2. Paule Constable, Angels in America
3. Natasha Chivers, 1984
4. Paul Russell, Farinelli and the King
5. Alexander V. Nichols, Latin History for Morons

(Honorable Mention: Mike Baldassari, Children of a Lesser God)

 

Best Costume Design of a Play

1. Ann Roth, Three Tall Women
2. Nicky Gillibrand, Angels in America
3. Lorraine Ebdon Price, Farinelli and the King
4. Jane Greenwood, Saint Joan
5. Ann Roth, Meteor Shower

 

Best Sound Design of a Play

1. Tom Gibbons, 1984
2. Ian Dickinson & Autograph, Angels in America
3. Gareth Fry, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
4. Bray Poor, Latin History for Morons

 

 

Best Musical

1. Springsteen on Broadway
2. Escape to Margaritaville
3. The Band’s Visit
4. SpongeBob SquarePants
5. Frozen

 

Best Revival of a Musical

1. Carousel

Best Direction of a Musical

1. Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen on Broadway
2. Tina Landau, SpongeBob SquarePants
3. David Cromer, The Band’s Visit
4. Christopher Ashley, Escape to Margaritaville
5. Jack O’Brien, Carousel

 

Best Actor in a Musical

1. Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants
2. Joshua Henry, Carousel
3. Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen on Broadway
4. Paul Alexander Nolan, Escape to Margaritaville

 

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

1. Ari’el Stachel, The Band’s Visit
2. Don Sparks, Escape to Margaritaville

 

Best Actress in a Musical

1. Jessie Mueller, Carousel
2. Patti Murin, Frozen
3. Ariana DeBose, Summer
4. Hailey Kilgore, Once on this Island
5. Caissie Levy, Frozen

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

1. Katrina Lenk, The Band’s Visit
2. Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
3. Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls
4. Ashley Park, Mean Girls
5. Barrett Wilbert Weed, Mean Girls

 

Best Book of a Musical

1. Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen on Broadway
2. Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley, Escape to Margaritaville

 

Best Original Score

1. Tom Kitt & Co., SpongeBob SquarePants
2. David Yazbek, The Band’s Visit
3. Adrian Sutton, Angels in America
4. Elliot Goldenthal, M. Butterfly
5. Imogen Heap, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

 

Best Orchestrations

1. Michael Utley, Escape to Margaritaville
2. Jamshied Sharifi, The Band’s Visit
3. Jonathan Tunick, Carousel
4. Tom Kitt, SpongeBob Squarepants
5. Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen on Broadway

 

Best Choreography

1. Finn Caldwell & Steven Hoggett, Angels in America
2. Justin Peck, Carousel
3. Kelly Devine, Escape to Margaritaville

 

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

1. David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants
2. Dane Laffrey, Once on this Island
3. Heather Wolensky, Springsteen on Broadway
4. Santo Loquasto, Carousel
5. Walt Spangler, Escape to Margaritaville

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

1. Natasha Katz, Springsteen on Broadway
2. Tyler Micoleau, The Band’s Visit
3. Brian MacDevitt, Carousel
4. Kevin Adams, SpongeBob SquarePants
5. Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Once on this Island

 

Best Costume Design of a Musical

1. David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants
2. Ann Roth, Carousel
3. Christopher Oram, Frozen
4. Paul Tazewell, Escape to Margaritaville

 

Best Sound Design of a Musical

1. Walter Trarbach, SpongeBob SquarePants

 

 

Best Worst/Best Delightmare

1. Escape to Margaritaville

 

Best Ensemble

1. Angels in America
2. Meteor Shower
3. Lobby Hero
4. Saint Joan

 

Best Projections

1. Finn Ross, Frozen
2. Finn Ross and Ash Woodward, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (PPTlite-)
3. Christopher Ash, Saint Joan

 

Best Scene Change

1. Three Tall Women
2. Time and the Conways

 

Best Transitions

1. Angels in America

 

Best Title

1. Latin History for Morons

 

Funniest/Best Comedy

1. Meteor Shower
2. Latin History for Morons
3. Lobby Hero

 

Best Voices

1. Carousel
2. Once on this Island

 

Best Voice

1. Joshua Henry, Carousel

 

Best One-Person Show

1. Springsteen on Broadway
2. Latin History for Morons

 

Complete Power Rankings

1. Angels in America
2. Springsteen on Broadway
3. Lobby Hero
4. Travesties
5. Latin History for Morons
6. M. Butterfly
7. Three Tall Women
8. Saint Joan
9. 1984
10. Meteor Shower
11. Carousel
12. Escape to Margaritaville
13. The Band’s Visit
14. Spongebob SquarePants
15. Farinelli and the King
16. Junk
17. Marvin’s Room
18. The Children
19. John Lithgow: Story By Heart
20. Children of a Lesser God
21. Frozen
22. Summer
23. The Parisian Woman
24. Michael Moore: The Terms of My Surrender
25. Time and the Conways
26. Once on this Island
27. Mean Girls
28. The Iceman Cometh
29. My Fair Lady
30. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
31. Prince of Broadway