2020 is almost over.
Hey wait– what happened to the Tony Awards?
Well, the Tony season never really happened. Broadway closed back on March 12th. Shows that had opened in the fall and winter were eligible. Shows that were in previews when the clock struck 12 were out of luck.
On October 15th, the Theater League announced Tony nominations. None of the shows nominated for Best Musical were musicals. The actual Best Actor in a Musical, Aaron Tveit– from “Moulin Rouge” — was the only nominee in his category. It was a big mess.
And then. Silence, Crickets. No Tony Awards. Not even on Zoom. NBC staged a rather dull Broadway special just to help Tina Fey promote “Mean Girls” in case it ever returns. Otherwise, that was it.
And no one has mentioned it since then. Do we give out the awards ourselves?
So, here are the nominees below. I bold faced the winners I’ve chosen. I wish them all well. On to the next season, which we hope will begin after Labor Day.
Best Play
Grand Horizons
The Inheritance
Sea Wall/ A Life
Slave Play
The Sound Inside
Best Revival Of A Play
Betrayal
A Soldier’s Play
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Best Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Book Of A Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name Is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldier’s Play
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge!
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Aaron Tviet, Moulin Rouge!
**From The Tony Awards Rules: If the Tony Awards Nominating Committee has determined that if there is only one nominee in a category listed, such category shall be submitted to the Tony Voters which may, by the affirmative vote of sixty (60%) percent of the total ballots cast, grant an Award in that category
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tour, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge!
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge!
Daniel J. Watts, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge!
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
A Christmas Carole
The Inheritance
The Rose Tattoo
Slave Play
The Sound Inside
Best Direction Of A Play
The Sound Inside
The Inheritance
A Soldier’s Play
Betrayal
Slave Play
Best Direction Of A Musical
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge
Best Choreography of a Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Orchestrations
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
