My recap thus far of the 2018-2019 theatre season:
- Introduction
- Musicals
- Plays
- Revivals
- Miscellaneous Categories
- Musical Categories
- Play Categories
- Broadway, Miscellaneous Categories
Today: Musical Categories, Great White Way Edition!
As I mentioned in regards to off-Broadway belters, which is ESPECIALLY relevant for this season’s crop of Broadway tuners:
“I feel no obligation to fill out each category with the conventional number of “nominees.” Rather, I include ALL work that I consider the best of the year’s best. Often, there are more than five per category (yay!). Sometimes, fewer (sad face); why should the subpar enter the historical record — er…my historical record? — as “Tony-worthy” due simply to a lack of competition?”
ACTRESS
- Rebecca Naomi Jones, Oklahoma!
- Samantha Barks, Pretty Woman
ACTOR
- Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy
- Damon Daunno, Oklahoma!
- Andy Karl, Pretty Woman
- Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud
- King Kong, King Kong
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!
- Mary Testa, Oklahoma!
- Stephanie Hsu, Be More Chill
SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Choir Boy
- Every single member of the ensemble takes home a prize. Special work deserves special commendation.
- Oklahoma!
- Ditto!
- George Salazar, Be More Chill
- Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud
- The performance probably isn’t revelatory enough on its own to be nominated, but his duel appearances on Broadway stages this season (I may not have even noticed him here if not for Choir Boy) should be remembered. We may have another double-dip in the 2019-2020 season: The Sound Inside and How I Learned to Drive‘s Mary-Louise Parker!
- Eric Anderson, Pretty Woman
BOOK
- Tarell Alvin McCraney, Choir Boy
CHOREOGRAPHY
- Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
- John Heginbotham, Oklahoma!
- Light Balance, The Illusionists—Magic of the Holidays
- Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud
- Spencer Liff, Head Over Heels
- Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
- For the Act 2 opener alone.
COSTUMES
I’m sorry, but The Cher Show winning at the Tonys is akin to the show winning Best Original Score as well.
- Sonny Tilders, King Kong
- Creature design is costume design, right?? And yes, there’s a reason that Roger Kirk — King Kong’s actual costume designer — is nowhere to be found.
- Light Balance, The Illusionists—Magic of the Holidays
- Arianne Phillips, Head Over Heels
- Terese Wadden, Oklahoma!
- Gregg Barnes, Pretty Woman
DIRECTION
- Daniel Fish, Oklahoma!
- Trip Cullman, Choir Boy
- Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud
- Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown
LIGHTING
- Scott Zielinsk, Oklahoma!
- Peter Mumford, King Kong
- Peter Kaczorowski, Choir Boy
- Light Balance, The Illusionists—Magic of the Holidays
ORCHESTRATIONS
- Daniel Kluger, Oklahoma!
- Michael Chorney & Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown
- Will Van Dyke, Pretty Woman
SCORE
- Eric Sleichim, Network
- Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown
- Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance, Pretty Woman
- SHOOT THIS GLORIOUS TRASH STRAIGHT INTO MY FUCKING VEINS!!!
SET
- Laura Jellinek, Oklahoma!
- David Zinn, Choir Boy
SOUND DESIGN
- Peter Hylenski, King Kong
- Drew Levy, Oklahoma!
