The thing I love about the Tonys, though, is that while it certainly creates a little extra crazy it also heals me a little bit. We all have problems day to day and sometimes they can seem insurmountable. But one night a year, for about four hours, I block out everything else and I’m completely immersed in all things Broadway. The good, the bad, and the ugly. (Yeah, I’m talking to you, Turn Off the Dark.)

In that time I see the fruition of childhood dreams as people perform on stage at the highest possible level of their craft. They thank God and their partners and their children and their parents and they do it with an astounding stage presence. It may be the fact that they have so much more practice with live audiences, but the acceptance speeches are so much more powerful and moving for me than any other award show all year.

You’ll see the true legends of the stage and the new movers and shakers who are redefining what it means to be a Broadway star. Sutton Foster and Angela Lansbury and Raul Esparza and Brian Stokes Mitchell all converge in one place. It’s as though it’s a unique universe of theater awesome.

But my favorite part? The reason I can sleep the night before and the reason I cry every year? The things that make me shiver and catch my breath in my throat? The numbers.

I live in Colorado, which is a wonderful place with an emerging theater community and traveling shows. However, Colorado is not New York City. Out of the year, 364 days I am perfectly content to be here with my mountains out the window, but one day a year I just want to lose myself in the music of that world. I can see many shows here, but there are many more than will never cross into my yard. On Tony Day, I can get a little taste of them and feel like I’m part of that. I can be in the audience and feel the power of the performance.

I know that sometimes things don’t translate as well from the stage to the screen. Several people mocked last year’s Tony winner Catherine Zeta Jones for her intense version of Send in the Clowns. Sure, if you watch it on tv it seems a little much. If you take a moment and put yourself in a theater, it’s perfect. And for this one night, I get to be in that theater.

I know I get crazy. I know I get weird about noise and food and whatnot, but try to put up with me until the broadcast is over. Then we’ll get back to your regularly scheduled life.

Best Play

Good People
Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills and where Margie Walsh has just been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks an old fling who has made it out of Southie might be her ticket to a fresh new start. But is this apparently self-made man secure enough to face his humble beginnings? Margie is about to risk what little she has left to find out. Tate Donovan and Frances McDormand star in this new play by David Lindsay-Abaire.

Author: David Lindsay-Abaire (Ok, so I love this author. I have read a few of his works and I find him really compelling. Look him up. He’s worth the read.)
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove

Jerusalem
In the woods of South West England, Johnny “Rooster” Byron, former daredevil motorcyclist and modern-day Pied Piper, is a wanted man. The council officials want to serve him an eviction notice, his son wants to be taken to the country fair, a stepfather wants to give him a serious kicking, and a motley crew of friends wants his ample supply of drugs and alcohol.  Mark Rylance stars in this new play by Jez Butterworth.

Author: Jez Butterworth
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Royal Court Theatre Productions, Beverly Bartner/Alice Tulchin, Dede Harris/Rupert Gavin, Broadway Across America, Jon B. Platt, 1001 Nights/Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber/Richard Willis, Jacki Barlia Florin/Adam Blanshay

The Motherf**ker with the Hat

A high-octane, verbal cage match about love, fidelity, and misplaced haberdashery from playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. Jackie and Veronica have been in love since the eighth grade. But now, Jackie is on parole and living clean and sober under the guidance of his sponsor, Ralph D., while still living and loving with his volatile soul mate, Veronica, who is fiercely loving, but far from sober. Still, their love is pure. And true. Nothing can come between them except a hat.

Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
Producers: Scott Rudin, Stuart Thompson, Public Theater Productions, Oskar Eustis, Joey Parnes, Labyrinth Theater Company, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Mimi O’Donnell, Yul Vázquez, Danny Feldman, Fabula Media Partners LLC, Jean Doumanian, Ruth Hendel, Carl Moellenberg, Jon B. Platt, Tulchin Bartner/Jamie deRoy

War Horse
At the outbreak of World War I, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a mission to find him and bring him home.

Author: Nick Stafford
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, National Theatre of Great Britain, Nicholas Hytner, Nick Starr, Bob Boyett, War Horse LP

Best Musical

The Book of Mormon (The one thing I’ll say for the South Park guys is that they seem to appreciate good musical numbers.)
Described as “God’s favorite musical,” this show from the creators of “South Park” and the co-composer/lyricist of Avenue Q features a pair of mismatched Mormon boys who are sent on a mission to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get.

Producers: Anne Garefino, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Important Musicals LLC, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson

Catch Me If You Can (Another movie-turned-musical. Sometimes they work and sometimes, we end up with High Fidelity the Musical.)
This new musical captures the astonishing true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a world-class con artist who passed himself off as a doctor, a lawyer, and a jet pilot all before the age of 21. With straight-arrow FBI agent Carl Hanratty on Frank’s trail, we’re off on a jet-setting, cat-and-mouse chase, as a jazzy, swinging-sixties score keeps this adventure in constant motion. In the end, Agent Hanratty learns he and Frank aren’t so very different after all, and Frank finds out what happens when love catches up to a man on the run.

Producers: Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Yasuhiro Kawana, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, The 5th Avenue Theatre

The Scottsboro Boys (Kander and Ebb gave us Cabaret, so if anyone can write snappy show tunes about a really dark time in history with racism and violence, it would be them.)
The Scottsboro Boys is based on the notorious “Scottsboro” case in the 1930s, where nine African American men were unjustly accused of attacking two white women on a train in Alabama. The young men were convicted by an all-white jury and spent years in jail, while the case was tried and retried. This new musical features a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Producers: Barry and Fran Weissler, Jacki Barlia Florin, Janet Pailet/Sharon A. Carr/Patricia R. Klausner, Nederlander Presentations, Inc./The Shubert Organization, Beechwood Entertainment, Broadway Across America, Mark Zimmerman, Adam Blanshay/R2D2 Productions, Rick Danzansky/Barry Tatelman, Bruce Robert Harris/Jack W. Batman, Allen Spivak/Jerry Frankel, Bard Theatricals/Probo Productions/Randy Donaldson, Catherine Schreiber/Michael Palitz/Patti Laskawy, Vineyard Theatre

Sister Act (See my earlier comments for Catch Me if You Can.)
When disco diva Deloris witnesses a crime, the cops hide her in the last place anyone would think to look – a convent. Under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own. The musical is a sparkling tribute to the power of friendship.

Producers: Whoopi Goldberg & Stage Entertainment, The Shubert Organization and Disney Theatrical Productions

Best Book of a Musical

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – Alex Timbers

An audacious mix of historical fact and invention, this musical uses the story of America’s controversial seventh president, “the man who invented the Democratic Party, doubled the size of our nation, and signed the Indian Removal Acts that started the Trail of Tears,” to investigate the attraction and terrors of American populism, using a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and infectious emo rock.

The Book of Mormon – Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone

The Scottsboro Boys – David Thompson

Sister Act – Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
(Given how I feel about showtunes, this is sort of my favorite part. Ok, one of several favorite parts.)

The Book of Mormon – Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone

The Scottsboro Boys – Music & Lyrics: John Kander & Fred Ebb

Sister Act – Music: Alan Menken, Lyrics: Glenn Slater

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek (David Yazbek wrote the music for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which I quite enjoyed. Also, I have a feeling I’ll be able to dig this show based on the women in it, the title, and the general oomph it seems to have.)
Set in late 20th-century Madrid, this musical tells the story of the intertwining lives of a group of women whose relationships with men lead to a tumultuous 48 hours of love, confusion and passion. At the show’s center is an actress whose lover has left her, putting into motion a dizzying set of complications, farcical comedy, and some pretty potent gazpacho.

Best Revival of a Play

Arcadia (I’m currently reading this. I like how it crosses back and forth a bit through time. Plus it has Raul Esparza. Love him!!)
Tom Stoppard’s play is a masterpiece of wit, misunderstanding, and quest for knowledge, resonating across centuries. It is April 1809 on an elegant English country estate. Thomasina, a gifted pupil, proposes a startling theory well beyond her comprehension. All around her, the adults, including her tutor, Septimus, are preoccupied with secret desires, illicit passions and professional rivalries. Two hundred years later, academic adversaries Hannah and Bernard are piecing together puzzling clues, curiously recalling those events of 1809 in their quest for an increasingly elusive truth. Starring Billy Crudup, Raúl Esparza, and Margaret Colin

Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Roger Berlind, Stephanie P. McClelland, Scott M. Delman, Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Disney Theatrical Group, Robert G. Bartner, Olympus Theatricals, Douglas Smith, Janine Safer Whitney

The Importance of Being Earnest (A classic for a reason.)
Oscar Wilde’s comedy of mistaken identity ridicules codes of propriety and etiquette. Dashing men-about-town John Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff pursue fair ladies Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Matters are complicated by the imaginary characters invented by both men to cover their on-the-sly activities – not to mention the disapproval of Gwendolen’s mother, the formidable Lady Bracknell.

Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy

The Merchant of Venice (I love so many things about this play. Sadly, the website is no longer available.)
In Shakespeare’s comedy, Antonio is a young man who pledges a pound of his own flesh to a moneylender, Shylock (Al Pacino), so a friend can woo his lady-love in style. Antonio learns a hard lesson in loyalty, humanity, friendship and prejudice when the revenge-seeking Shylock comes to collect and he is unable to pay.

Producers: The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Andrew D. Hamingson, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Debbie Bisno & Eva Price, Amy Nederlander, Jonathan First, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Merritt Forrest Baer, The Araca Group, Broadway Across America, Joseph & Matthew Deitch, JK Productions, Terry Allen Kramer, Cathy Chernoff/Jay & Cindy Gutterman, Mallory Factor/Cheryl Lachowicz, Joey Parnes, The Shubert Organization

The Normal Heart (I’ve seen this show. We did this at the Upstart festival a few years ago and it will get you hard. I am glad that people are seeing this again.)
Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart focuses on the early years of the AIDS epidemic in New York and the criminal silence of America’s political and media powers in addressing the issue. A quarter-century after it burst onto the stage and forever changed a generation, the issues it tackles are more relevant than ever.

Producers: Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind, Martian Entertainment, Gregory Rae, Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser

Best Revival of a Musical (I’m sad there are so few revivals this year, but I love the two that are nominated. I’ve seen them both and they are fun, silly, and full of big musical numbers just the way I like.)

Anything Goes
When the S. S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love… proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail. Peppering this hilariously bumpy ride are some of musical theatre’s most memorable Cole Porter standards. Sutton Foster stars as Reno Sweeney. (Yay Sutton Foster!)

Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Daniel Radcliffe stars in a new Broadway production of the classic musical with a score by Frank Loesser. Following the advice of a book entitled How to Succeed in Business, a young window-cleaner, J. Pierrepont Finch, begins a meteoric rise from the mail-room to Vice President of Advertising at the World-Wide Wicket Company. Finch’s unorthodox and morally-questionable business practices jeopardize not only his career but also his romance with a secretary, Rosemary Pilkington.

Producers: Broadway Across America, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Joseph Smith, Michael McCabe, Candy Spelling, Takonkiet Viravan/Scenario Thailand, Hilary A. Williams, Jen Namoff/Fakston Productions, Two Left Feet Productions/Power Arts, Hop Theatricals, LLC/Paul Chau/Daniel Frishwasser/Michael Jackowitz, Michael Speyer-Bernie Abrams/Jacki Barlia Florin-Adam Blanshay/Arlene Scanlan/TBS Service

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest (He plays a lady. Hehe.)
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat (I knew him as Will’s significant other in the final days of Will and Grace.)
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart (He’s mostly a director, but he acted in Angels in America. Makes me think this show is really important to him.)
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice (Do you even need his link? Seriously?)
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday (So far this is Nina’s only play on Broadway. What a debut!)
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter (Another newbie.)

More to come, friends. However, as I am battling a horrific sinus attack, this is it for now and I will continue the update post-medicated nap.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It’s You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon

Best Sound Design of a Play

Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon

Best Direction of a Play

Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical

Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations

Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys

Larry Hochman & Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can

Tony Nominations by Production

The Book of Mormon – 14

The Scottsboro Boys – 12

Anything Goes – 9

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – 8

The Merchant of Venice – 7

Jerusalem – 6

The Motherf**ker with the Hat – 6

The Normal Heart – 5

Sister Act – 5

War Horse – 5

Catch Me If You Can – 4

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo – 3

The Importance of Being Earnest – 3

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – 3

Arcadia – 2

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – 2

Born Yesterday – 2

Brief Encounter – 2

Good People – 2

La Bête – 2

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – 2

Baby It’s You! – 1

Driving Miss Daisy – 1

The House of Blue Leaves – 1

Lombardi – 1

The People in the Picture – 1

www.TonyAwards.com

I missed the first hour, but once I found it I immediately began squealing and clapping. Before I knew it, David Hyde Pierce was introducing Patti Lupone (who sang Here’s to the Ladies Who Lunch), Marin Mazie (Am I Losing My Mind?), Donna Murphy (Could I Leave You?), Audra McDonald (Glamorous Life), Bernadette Peters (Day After Day), and Elaine Stritch (I’m Still Here). Needless to say, I was in a bit of tizzy. After my third or fourth squeal, Irving, who was napping at the time, asked from the other room if I’d be doing that all night. I clamped down the crazy that I could, but there’s only so much control I have over myself when these women are singing songs written by one of my favorite composers of all time. I tell you, it can be exhausting moving from the emotional high to the heartbreaking sorrow these women can cause with Sondheim’s lyrics. I moved back and forth from laughter to tears with some significant overlap.

Irving watched me from a safe distance behind the kitchen counter, where I’m pretty sure he took my picture. He told me later he texted one of my sisters about it. She responded that if she can hardly handle my theater crazy, she didn’t expect him to either. I just want to say that I warned him about this long ago. He had a head’s up. He’d been given a clear explanation of the madness that sometimes comes loose at Tony Time.

He told me that I was less crazy than I had advertised. I explained that it was because I had reigned in. He thought I was kidding there. I had to reinforce the fact that the squeals, the tears, the gasps, and the beating of the floor with my hands and speaking to Stephen Sondheim through the television were far reduced from the nearly catatonic state I can be found in during the Tonys.

I just wanted to share with you that Irving finally got a little taste of the theater crazy last night and despite that, he’s still with me.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Sondheim. I love you!

A few months later, when I was given the amazing gift of a trip to New York, I knew I had to see that show. While my sister (who was amazing and gave me this incredible experience) wasn’t too keen on the show itself, she did agree that when it was over we could wait, huddled in the alley behind the theater, with the other groupies.

I stood in the alley and clutched my expensive, glossy souvenier program for dear life, praying that despite the fact that no one comes out after matinees, Hugh Jackman would deign to come out and scrawl his name across the pages. The Broadway gods heard my prayer and he did. I floated back to the hotel and began to call everyone I could think of to tell them I had just met Hugh Jackman.

I thought I could never be more in love with him than I was at that moment. And I was right. Until recently, that is. You see, Mr. Jackman is back on Broadway. He is currently staring in A Steady Rain with Daniel Craig. A few weeks ago, during a preview show, someone snuck in with a recorder. Gasp! I know. I was horrified, too.

But here’s the really big news. Worse than trying to tape the show is the terrifying moment the pirate caught on camera. A cell phone went off. In the middle of a Broadway show! Personally, I think there is a special place in hell for people who unwrap candy, send text messages, and let their phone go off during live theater. It’s next to the place in hell for people who take your order and ask, “You wanted diet, right?” But I digress.

So there they were: Daniel Craig, Hugh Jackman, a pirating patron, a ringing cell phone, and an audience aghast. Mid-scene, Hugh Jackman took a beautiful and powerful stand against all that is wrong with the modern flippant theater-goer. For a moment, he broke the illusory fourth wall and, all the while still in character, turned to the audience to ask, “You wanna get that?”

The crowd went wild and my heart soared. He looked into the crowd and assured the villian that he should just answer it. They’d wait. Afraid of drawing any additional attention, the cell phone holder simply allowed the ringing to continue until it finally reached voice mail. I suppose no one wanted to be seen ducking into a coat pocket or purse to remove the offending gadget.

I cannot tell you how proud I am of Mr. Jackman. Way to maintain the integrity of the theater. Yes, breaching the fourth wall is not a great idea most of the time. However, I’ve also been told that nothing is more important than the show itself. If you need a moment to get the control back, then you take it!

I’ve included an article about the event and a clip from the same pirate who captured this sin against drama. While under normal circumstances I’d be furious, today I applaud the visual proof that Hugh Jackman took a stand and reclaimed his show. Bravo!

(And next time, put the damn phone on vibrate or just stay home, you jackass!)

Hugh Jackman Article

Let me give you a little information about this show, just to make sure everyone is up to speed.

It’s called 45 Minutes From Broadway. It was originally a 2-hour show. We bought the rights to the 1-hour show. We didn’t have enough people to cast the entire production, so now our 45 Minutes From Broadway actually runs just about 36 Minutes From Broadway. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t fit with the song.

I came out for this show a few weeks ago and at my audition I performed a monologue that was awfully funny. They asked if I’d be singing and I stated that I would only sing if they really, really wanted me to. You see, there are two non-singing parts in the play. I asked to be considered for them, if at all possible.

Lo and behold that on the first day of rehearsal I found out that my character was, in fact, the lead female role with lots and lots of singing. I did not rejoice at this news. In fact, I was pretty peeved and a bit panicked.

Singing has never been something I shine at. I’m ok. I rock out a mean “Fever” a la Peggy Lee when I’m reading off of a karaoke machine, but that’s where my skill level tapers off. For the most part, that’s ok with me. Unfortunately, this show did not call for a Peggy Lee-eqsue singer. Instead, it requires more a Marin Mazie, Audra MacDonald, Sherrie Rene Scott-type of singer. You know—a soprano.

I’ve been freaking myself out over and over again as the rehearsals for this show have progressed. I’ve had panic attacks, my throat has seized up on me, and I’ve been known to break into a sweat every time I am forced to get through the high notes of “So Long, Mary.”

My cast has been amazingly supportive. I’ve received nothing but encouragement and praise from them. My director and the music director, however, have told me that “it sucked,” that “she hates your key changes,” “that won’t carry past the footlights,” and a variety of other panic-inducing comments. Awesome.

Four days ago we added a new cast member. This man has years of experience and is the only “professional” actor in the bunch. It’s his full-time job and how he makes his living. To his credit, he hasn’t given us one moment of “I’m so far above you all” attitude. In fact, he even came out with us for karaoke and participated in shots with the cast. Well done, him.

He is very, very talented. (And heart-flutteringly hot, I might add.) I find myself nervous to sing in front of him because I know that I’m not of the caliber of singer he usually performs with. That’s not him. This is all my own crazy.

The acting part I have down. I know my lines well, I have my blocking set, and I know the basic show. I’m hoping that my acting ability will be enough to carry me through my singing. Maybe I can just act like someone who is a good singer?

I open in just a few hours. I’ve been coughing all morning and I’m suddenly afraid that I’ll lose my voice. I still need to buy the stuff for my final rehearsal cake, a pair of white tights, some cough drops, and maybe a few shooters of tequila to imbibe just before each song.

If I can live through this, my second terrifying musical in three years, then I can handle just about any show at any time. Fingers crossed that if the audience did bring tomatoes, they don’t stain my costume.

It’s important to remember that whatever happens, for about 37 minutes tonight, I get to be someone else under the lights of a lovely stage, and truly, there are few things I love as much as that experience. Here goes nothing!

Click on a show title for more information about the production. When you click on a name, you will get the complete Broadway credits from Internet Broadway Database. Each show link will provide you with the information about the play as well as providing a link (where available) to the show’s official site.

Best Play:
God of Carnage
This show looked pretty fantastic.  Some truly talented artists performed in this piece.  I think I may have to find it and read it soon.

Best Musical:
Billy Elliot, The Musical
This show won a ton of awards.  This is the only time you’ll see it linked, but don’t be surprised when you see it listed about a dozen more times.

Best Book of a Musical:
Billy Elliot, The Musical

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre:
Next to Normal
The performance of this show at the Tonys took my breath away.  I think it looks a little intense, but I must have it.

Best Revival of a Play:
The Norman Conquests
This show actually has three parts.  This link is to the first of the three.

Best Revival of a Musical:
Hair
Somehow this show is always powerful.  I don’t understand it, but it’s moving each and every time. You can’t help but sing along.

Best Special Theatrical Event:
Liza’s at The Palace Winner
Who saw that coming?  What can I say?  In my heart of hearts, even though she weirds me out, I love Liza.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play:
Geoffrey Rush – Exit the King
I loved his speech.  He is a great character actor on screen and I’m delighted to hear that he carried it off on stage.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play:
Marcia Gay Harden – God of Carnage
She strikes me as someone I’d like to get to know.  I know I’ve loved her in several movies over the years.  And she was in Angels in America, Millennium Approaches.  That’s pretty awesome.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical:
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical
Yes, the three boys all won.  I think that is a Tony first.  And they were so freaking cute making their speech!

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:
Alice Ripley - Next to Normal
I love her.  I fell for her as a singer when she was in Side Show, a show in which she played a conjoined twin.  Yes, a conjoined twin.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play -
Roger Robinson – Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
This is the show the Obama’s went to see not too long ago.  Excellent taste, apparently.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Angela Lansbury – Blithe Spirit
She is now one of only two women ever to win five Tony Awards.  She just rocks my little theater world.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical:
Gregory Jbara – Billy Elliot, The Musical
He actually brought his wife on stage with him for his speech.  He’s a great actor and you all may have seen him in some cholesterol commercials or as the weird brother in In and Out.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical:
Karen Olivo – West Side Story
She’s been on Broadway a while, but I fell for her last year as Vanessa in In the Heights.

Best Direction of a Play:
Matthew Warchus - God of Carnage
Talk about impressive!  Nominated twice in the same category for directing two shows, one of which actually has three parts.  And while accepting his award for this play, acknowledged the cast of his other as well. Well done, Matthew.

Best Direction of a Musical:
Stephen Daldry - Billy Elliot, The Musical
Seems only fair considering how well the show did.

Best Choreography:
Peter Darling - Billy Elliot, The Musical
Usually the showcase the singing in a show at the Tonys.  Billy Elliot is a dancing show and the choreography I saw that night proved to me that this man certainly earned his Tony.

Best Orchestrations:
Martin Koch - Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt - Next to Normal
Yep. A tie!

Best Scenic Design of a Play:
Derek McLane - 33 Variations
Believe it or not, I’m running out of opinions.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical:
Ian MacNeil – Billy Elliot, The Musical
Ditto.

Best Costume Design of a Play:
Anthony Ward – Mary Stuart
Pretty impressive show to costume, don’t you think?

Best Costume Design of a Musical:
Tim Hatley – Shrek The Musical
Hats off to the guy who created the Shrek costume.  Not an easy job, I think.

Best Lighting Design of a Play:
Brian MacDevitt – Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Look at this man’s list of credits.  Damn!

Best Lighting Design of a Musical:
Rick Fisher - Billy Elliot, The Musical
We expected them to win a lot, but holy cow!

Best Sound Design of a Play:
Gregory Clarke - Equus
I think this is the only thing the show won, but it was very well reviewed.

Best Sound Design of a Musical:
Paul Arditti – Billy Elliot, The Musical
He actually did the sound design for more than one nominated show.  Well done, indeed.

Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre:
Jerry Herman
What an illustrious career he has had.  I admire him so much and love his work.  The man rocks.

Regional Theatre Tony Award®:
Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.

Isabelle Stevenson Award:
Phyllis Newman

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre:
Shirley Herz

And there it is. The year has wrapped up but next year is just a few months away.  Ok, so 12, but I’m looking for the happy.  Thanks for holding up against the crazy again!

The menu this year is focused on favorite foods so it’s an eclecctic spread featuring Kraft mac and cheese, baked brie en croute, and New York cheesecake, just to name a few items. 

The shows look fantastic and I’m putting my bets on Next to Normal and BIlly Elliot for the big musical winners. 

Some of my all-time favorite actors will be presenting and singing for us.  Brian Stokes Mitchell will be co-hosting the pre-Tony awards.  Niel Patrick Harris will be running the show.  Could it get better?  Really?  I don’t think so.

I cannot wait and I will keep you updated on the Kari Tony Crazy as the day progresses.  Helmets on, everyone!

This year, not only did they pick a host, they picked a kick ass host.  This year our guide through the world of the Tony Awards is…

Neil Patrick Harris!

I love him.  I love him so very much.  First of all, he was one of my earliest crushes in the Doogie days.  Secondly, he’s performed on Broadway himself as a singing, dancing assassin.  He was even one of the performers at the Tonys a few years ago when Assassins was nominated as Best Revival of a Musical.

Third, let’s not forget how oddly charming he is on television in How I Met Your Mother.  His obnoxious character is somehow endearing.  And if all of that is not enough, he’s also Dr. Horrible.  Who doesn’t love Dr. Horrible? 

I just have to tell you how incredibly pleased I am with the choice of host this year.  I’m looking forward to a little singing and dancing and swooning in my living room.  Hooray for Tony Season!

(This is actually the most wonderful time of the year!

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