Tony Nominations 2009 – At Last!!
HOORAY!! They are finally here!! The nominations are out!! (Please note the use of the double exclamation point!! I thought it might help convey my uber-enthusiasm!!)
Today is also Cinco de Mayo. At work we’ve put together a little pot luck to celebrate. I made a layered dip, someone else made a cake; it’s all very festive. When someone from another department came in this morning, one of my coworkers said, “Guess what we’re celebrating today.”
I couldn’t refrain from shouting out, “It’s Tony Nomination Day!” There was a moment of awkward silence and then I heard, “That’s what Kari’s celebrating today.” He he he. That is exactly what Kari is celebrating today.
Below you’ll find the list of nominations. In keeping with last year’s crazy Tony experience, I thought I’d give you a little information about each and try to add some helpful links. God, but I do love the Tony Awards.
Alas, due to work contraints and a crummy computer (loved it when I got it but that was 8 years ago), I have to do this in pieces. Top shows tonight, the rest to follow.
Nominations for the 2009 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing
Best Play
Dividing the Estate
Author: Horton Foote
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, Bernard Gersten, André Bishop, Primary Stages
This comedy by the late Horton Foote depicts a family that must confront its past as it prepares for its future. Dividing the Estate is set in small-town Texas where Stella Gordon’s late husband’s estate must be split up amongst herself, neighborhood friends, and other family members.
God of Carnage
Author: Yasmina Reza
Producers: Robert Fox, David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Jon B. Platt, The Weinstein Company, The Shubert Organization
Yasmina Reza’s “comedy of manners without the manners” deals with the aftermath of a playground altercation between two boys and what happens when their parents meet to talk about it. Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, and James Gandalfini star.
Reasons to Be Pretty
Author: Neil LaBute
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, MCC Theater, Gary Goddard Entertainment, Ted Snowdon, Doug Nevin/Erica Lynn Schwartz, Ronald Frankel/Bat-Barry Productions, Kathleen Seidel, Kelpie Arts, LLC, Jam Theatricals, Rachel Helson/Heather Provost
Neil LaBute’s play begins with Greg’s tight-knit social circle thrown into turmoil when his off-hand remarks about a female co-worker get back to his girlfriend.
33 Variations
Author: Moisés Kaufman
Producers: David Binder, Ruth Hendel, Goldberg/Mills, Latitude Link, Arielle Tepper Madover, Bill Resnick, Eric Schnall, Jayne Baron Sherman, Wills/True Love Productions, Tectonic Theater Project, Greg Reiner, Dominick Balletta, Jeffrey LaHoste
Jane Fonda stars in Moisés Kaufman’s play about a woman who races against time to solve the riddle of a composer’s 200-year-old obsession. As she faces her daughter, her past, and Beethoven himself, she must struggle to embrace the legacy of her own life.
(For those who can’t place the name of the playwright, Kaufman also wrote The Laramie Project. Yeah, he’s that guy.)
Best Musical
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Producers: Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films, Old Vic Productions, Weinstein Live Entertainment
This tale of a young boy with a dream, this celebration of his triumph against the odds, is set against the historic British miners’ strike of the 1980s. The story follows Billy’s journey as a boy in a small mining town. After stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, he realizes that his future lay not in the boxing ring but on stage as a dancer.
Next to Normal
Producers: David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Second Stage Theatre, Carole Rothman, Ellen Richard
This musical explores how one suburban household copes with crisis, and how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family’s world intact.
Rock of Ages
Producers: Matthew Weaver, Carl Levin, Jeff Davis, Barry Habib, Scott Prisand, Relativity Media, Corner Store Fund, Janet Billig Rich, Hillary Weaver, Toni Habib, Paula Davis, Simon and Stefany Bergson/Jennifer Maloney, Charles Rolecek, Susanne Brook, Israel Wolfson, Sara Katz/Jayson Raitt, Max Gottlieb/John Butler, David Kaufman/Jay Franks, Mike Wittlin, Prospect Pictures, Laura Smith/Bill Bodnar, Happy Walters, Michele Caro, The Araca Group
A legendary rock club faces its demise at the hands of eager developers, and a young rocker, hoping for his big break, falls for a small-town girl chasing big dreams of her own. The score of Rock of Ages features numerous classic rock hits from the 1980s.
(Ok, so while I love all things Broadway, I’m not generally a fan of shows where the songs are from the radio. It used to be that the songs on the radio were from hit shows. Jury is out here.)
Shrek The Musical
Producers: Dreamworks Theatricals, Neal Street Productions
Based on William Steig’s book and the Hollywood blockbuster it spawned, Shrek The Musical tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre; his wisecracking sidekick, Donkey; Princess Fiona; Lord Farquaad; and a chorus of fractured fairytale creatures.
(Mixed feelings here as well. I loved the movie – the FIRST movie – and it has some of my absolute favorite stars. Still, one of their big numbers is about farting. Then again, if it gets kids to love the theater, I guess I’m ok with it.)
Best Book of a Musical
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Lee Hall
Next to Normal
Brian Yorkey
Shrek The Musical
David Lindsay-Abaire
(Believe it or not, this writer who penned such a silly show, also wrote Rabbit Hole, a poignant story about a family’s struggle with the loss of a child. Seriously. I was shocked, too.)
[Title of Show]
Hunter Bell
(I love this show. It makes me smile and I hope he wins.)
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Music: Elton John
(Say what you will, but the man knows music.)
Lyrics: Lee Hall
Next to Normal
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
9 to 5: The Musical
Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton
(Sort of on the fence here as well, but we all enjoyed the movie and let’s hear it for a little girl power.)
Shrek The Musical
Music: Jeanine Tesori
(She’s done the music for some really fantastic shows. Truly great stuff.)
Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire
Best Revival of a Play
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten
Set in Pittsburgh in 1911, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone tells the story of Herald Loomis who, after serving seven years hard labor, has journeyed north with his young daughter and arrives at a Pittsburgh boarding house filled with memorable characters who aid him in his search for his inner freedom.
Mary Stuart
New Version: Peter Oswald
Producers: Arielle Tepper Madover, Debra Black, Neal Street Productions/Matthew Byam Shaw, Scott Delman, Barbara Whitman, Jean Doumanian/Ruth Hendel, David Binder/CarlWend Productions/Spring Sirkin, Daryl Roth/James L. Nederlander/Chase Mishkin, The Donmar Warehouse
For a Queen to stand, a Queen must fall. Friedrich Schiller’s Mary Stuart is the dramatic account of the extraordinary relationship between England’s Elizabeth I (Harriet Walter) and her rival cousin, Mary Queen of Scots (Janet McTeer).
The Norman Conquests
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Dede Harris, Tulchin/Bartner/Lauren Doll, Jamie deRoy, Eric Falkenstein, Harriet Newman Leve, Probo Productions, Douglas G. Smith, Michael Filerman/Jennifer Manocherian, Richard Winkler, Dan Frishwasser, Pam Laudenslager/Remmel T. Dickinson, Jane Dubin/True Love Productions, Barbara Manocherian/Jennifer Isaacson, The Old Vic Theatre Company
Set in the dining room (Table Manners), living room (Living Together) and garden (Round and Round the Garden) of an English country house, Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy The Norman Conquests follows six characters — assistant librarian Norman, his wife, in-laws and the local vet—from Saturday night through Monday morning. Norman attempts to seduce his sister-in-law Annie, charm his brother-in-law’s wife Sarah and woo his estranged wife Ruth, during a disastrously hilarious weekend of eating, drinking and misunderstanding.
Waiting for Godot
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Elizabeth Ireland McCann
Two seemingly homeless men (Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin) are waiting near a tree on a barren stretch of road for someone—or something—named Godot. The result is a wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes and nonsense, which has been interpreted as a somber summation of mankind’s inexhaustible search for meaning. John Goodman and John Glover also star in this modernist classic by Samuel Beckett.
(The cast of this show looks amazing. It has Nathan Lane and I have found that anything with Nathan Lane is worth watching. I’ve had the good fortune to see him on Broadway twice now and the man has a presence I can’t quite explain. When he steps onto a stage, you’re bowled over by his energy. It’s damn impressive.)
Best Revival of a Musical
Guys and Dolls
Producers: Howard Panter and Ambassador Theatre Group, Tulchin/Bartner, Bill Kenwright, Northwater Entertainment, Darren Bagert, Tom Gregory, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., David Mirvish, Michael Jenkins/Dallas Summer Musicals, Independent Presenters Network, Olympus Theatricals, Sonia Friedman Productions
This “musical fable of Broadway” tells the tale of two New York couples betting on love despite the odds. Nathan Detroit (Oliver Platt) is looking for a location for his floating crap game; in order to raise cash he bets high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson (Craig Bierko) that Masterson will not be able to take the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown (Kate Jennings Grant) on a date to Havana. Meanwhile, Detroit’s long-suffering fiancée, Miss Adelaide (Lauren Graham), has caught cold, on account of having to wait 14 years for her wedding day.
(I have loved Oliver Platt since his role as Porthos in the Disney version of the Three Musketeers. And I love Lauren Graham as Lorelei Gilmore, but I confess to some trepidation about her as a Broadway star. Then again, we all remember the singing at the end of the series and it was pretty impressive. Basically, I think this could be amazing. Besides, it’s Guys and Dolls! What’s not to love?)
Hair
Producers: The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Andrew D. Hamingson, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Gary Goddard Entertainment, Kathleen K. Johnson, Nederlander Productions, Inc., Fran Kirmser Productions/Jed Bernstein, Marc Frankel, Broadway Across America, Barbara Manocherian/Wencarlar Productions, JK Productions/Terry Schnuck, Andy Sandberg, Jam Theatricals, The Weinstein Company/Norton Herrick, Jujamcyn Theaters, Joey Parnes, Elizabeth Ireland McCannPal Joey
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Marc Platt
This rock musical depicts the the birth of a cultural movement in the 1960s and ‘70s that changed America forever. Hair follows a group of hopeful, free-spirited young people who advocate a lifestyle of pacifism and free-love in a society riddled with intolerance and brutality during the Vietnam War. As they explore sexual identity, challenge racism, experiment with drugs, and burn draft cards, the “tribe” in Hair creates an message of hope.
(This show is oddly just as relevant today as it was the year it was released. The music is still impressive, and the concept of a torn nation and a generation struggling with its identity is one we can see all too clearly.)
Pal Joey
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Marc Platt
Set in Chicago in the late 1930s, Pal Joey is the story of Joey Evans (Matthew Risch), a brash, scheming song-and-dance man with dreams of owning his own nightclub. Joey abandons his wholesome girlfriend, Linda English, to charm a rich, married older woman, Vera Simpson (Stockard Channing), in the hope that she’ll set him up in business.
(I love Stockard Channing. And I love this show. Frank Sinatra was the original Pal Joey. His version of the swaggering performer really set a high standard.)
West Side Story
Producers: Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, Jeffrey Seller, Terry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Roy Furman/Jill Furman Willis, Freddy DeMann, Robyn Goodman/Walt Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller, The Weinstein Company, Broadway Across America
Two star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, find themselves caught between the rival street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, the “Jets” and the “Sharks.” They struggle to exist together in a world of violence, hate and prejudice.
(Did you know that this was originally called East Side Story? It was about a Jewish girl and a Catholic boy. By the time they got the go ahead on the show, the issue had shifted so they re-wrote it towards race issues.)
Best Special Theatrical Event – We will pick up here when my computer isn’t so tired. Bear with me; I promise to get you the information. Whether you really want it or not!
Liza’s at The Palace
Producers: John Scher and Metropolitan Talent Presents, LLC; Jubilee Time Productions, LLC
Slava’s Snowshow
Producers: David J. Foster, Jared Geller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Marinoff Cohn, John Pinckard
Soul of Shaolin
Producers: Nederlander Worldwide Productions, LLC; Eastern Shanghai International Culture Film & Television Group; China on Broadway
You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush
Producer: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Steve Traxler, Home Box Office Inc., Gary Sanchez Productions, Bat-Barry Productions, Ken Davenport, Ergo Entertainment, Ronald Frankel, Jon B. Platt, James D. Stern, The Weinstein Company, Tara Smith/b. Swibel, Dede Harris/Sharon Karmazin, Arny Granat
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson, Hair
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark Wendland, Next to Normal
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
Michael McDonald, Hair
Best Lighting Design of a Play
David Hersey, Equus
David Lander, 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side Story
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke, Equus
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, Hair
Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal
Best Direction of a Play
Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests
Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair
Best Choreography
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Best Orchestrations
Larry Blank, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical
* * *
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Jerry Herman
Regional Theatre Tony Award
Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.
Isabelle Stevenson Award
Phyllis Newman
Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
Shirley Herz
* * *
Tony Nominations by Production
Billy Elliot, The Musical – 15
Next to Normal – 11
Hair – 8
Shrek The Musical – 8
Mary Stuart – 7
The Norman Conquests – 7
God of Carnage – 6
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone – 6
Rock of Ages – 5
33 Variations – 5
Exit the King – 4
9 to 5: The Musical – 4
Pal Joey – 4
West Side Story – 4
Reasons to Be Pretty – 3
Waiting for Godot – 3
Blithe Spirit – 2
Dividing the Estate – 2
Equus – 2
Guys and Dolls – 2
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas – 2
Liza’s at The Palace – 1
Slava’s Snowshow – 1
Soul of Shaolin – 1
Speed-the-Plow – 1
[Title of Show] – 1
You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush – 1
www.TonyAwards.com
Can I just say that I think “Waiting for Godot” is the most god-awful play I have ever been forced to sit through 3 different times? I disliked it equally all three times. (Ok, maybe I disliked the second one a little bit more than the others…)
May 6th, 2009 at 7:42 pm