Stage Door: Tony Predictions
Thursday, June 9, 2016 at 2:00PM
NATHANIEL R in Broadway and Stage, Danny Burstein, Hamilton, Jessica Lange, Lin-Manuel Miranda, She Loves Me, The Color Purple, Tony Awards

We've already talked Tony Presenters & Performances so let's delve into predictions for the show this Sunday night on CBS.

Best Musical
Bright Star (REVIEWED
Hamilton
School of Rock
Shuffle Along
Waitress

Will Win: Hamilton in a cakewalk though Shuffle Along has ardent fans so it probably would have won in a year without a juggernaut like Hamilton

Best Play
Eclipsed by Danai Gurira -- closes June 19th
King Charles III by Mike Bartlett - already closed
The Father by Florian Zeller (REVIEWED
The Humans by Stephen Karam

Will Win: The Humans has been nabbing all the precursor prizes so it's got the momentum.
Possible Spoiler: ...if there's a surprise look to Eclipsed

more after the jump...

Best Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple (REVIEWED
She Loves Me (REVIEWED) -extended to July 10th
Fiddler on the Roof 
Spring Awakening - already closed

Will Win: The Color Purple won raves but...
Possible Spoiler: ...the people who love She Loves Me, loooooooove it. 

 

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller's The Crucible (REVIEWED) - closes July 17th
Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge - already closed
Blackbird - closes June 11th
Long Day's Journey Into Night - closes June 26th
Noises Off - already closed

Will Win: A View From the Bridge probably has this but...
Possible Spoiler: ... if it bothers them that's it's already closed they could always go Long Day's Journey.


Frank Langella headed for his fourth statueBest Leading Actor in a Play
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge

Will Win: Frank Langella is headed to his 4th Tony Award. With 7 nominations he's won twice in Featured and once in lead for Frost/Nixon for which he also received an Oscar nomination when the play transferred to screen. His last performance in The Father is the day of the Tonys, too.

Best Leading Actress in a Play
Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Laurie Metcalf, Misery
Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed
Sophie Okonedo, The Crucible
Michelle Williams, Blackbird

Will Win: Jessica Lange. Never doubt Jessica Lange who has magnetic pull for statues of every sort. If Jessica wins here she joins the ranks of the Triple Crown (and she's only a Grammy away from an EGOT). This is her first Tony nomination and third Broadway show.
Possible Spoiler: Lupita Nyong'o is the only other possibility, really, since the others don't have the buzz or have small roles in comparison (Hi Sophie)

Danny Burstein is on his sixth nomination!

Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

Will Win: Going out on a limb here to predict that six time nominee Danny Burstein, who has never won the Tony, comes up between the Hamilton men to take it in a surprise. Burstein is such a dynamic performer.
Possible Spoiler: ... either Leslie Odom Jr (who's been pushing hard for the win) or Lin-Manuel Miranda if they just want to shower the man behind the mania with prizes (which is possible)
Should've Been Here and I'm Still Mad About It: Benjamin Walker who was superb superb superb in American Psycho. This is the second time Tony voters have snubbed him for an awesome performance in a musical, too. What's the deal?


Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton

Will Win: Cynthia Erivo has all the buzz for her powerhouse work in The Color Purple


Best Score
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater, School of Rock
Sara Bareilles, Waitress

Will Win: Hamilton. This will be Lin-Manuel Miranda's second Tony in this category since he also won for his first musical In the Heights (2008)

Best Orchestrations
August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
Larry Hochman, She Loves Me
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along

 Will Win: Hamilton

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
Savion Glover, Shuffle Along
Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!

 Will Win: Going out on a limb here to predict that Shuffle Along gets a consolation prize with this lone Tony... and also because it's reportedly great choreography



Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Es Devlin and Finn Ross, American Psycho (REVIEWED)
David Korins, Hamilton
Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along
David Rockwell, She Loves Me

 Will Win: I'm guessing She Loves Me gets its one Tony consolation prize here. People are obsessed with that "jewel box" set... but I'd vote for American Psycho if I had a ballot
Possible Spoiler... Hamilton

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowul Boritt, Therese Raquin
Christopher Oram, Hughie
Jan Verweyveld, A View From the Bridge
David Zim, The Humans

Will Win: The Humans

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Michael Krass, Noises Off
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
Tom Scutt, King Charles III

Will Win: Long Day's Journey


Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Ann Roth, Shuffle Along
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton

Will Win: Hamilton
Possible Spoiler: Shuffle Along - from Oscar winner Ann Roth. whooooo

Best Book
Julian Fellowes, School of Rock
Steve Martin, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along

Will Win: Hamilton

Hamilton. Photo by: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Hamilton
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Will Win: Hamilton, though I'd explode with joy if American Psycho somehow took this

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Katz, Long Day's Journey
Justin Townsend, The Humans
Jan Verseweyveld, The Crucible
Jan Verseweyveld, A View From the Bridge

Will Win: The Humans
Possible Spoiler: Jan Verseweyveld for something. I loved his work on The Crucible

Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along

Will Win: Hamilton

 

Jayne Houdyshell (3 Tony nominations) and Reed Birney (2 Tony nominations) got their caricatures at Sardis last week

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

Will Win: Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans. Just a guess. And also because she's always a delight on stage.

 

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans
Bill Camp, The Crucible
David Furr, Noises Off
Richard Goulding, King Charles III
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Journey Into Night

Will Win: Reed Birney in The Humans. That show has the heat
Possible Spoiler: Michael Shannon, if Broadway really wants to welcome him since he's been doing lots of stage work

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Jennifer Simard, Disaster! 
Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along

Will Win: Renée Elise Goldberry but, damn, Danielle Brooks was great as Sophia. 

Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson in "Hamilton"

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

Will Win: Daveed Diggs has the buzz. 

Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo van Hove, A View From the Bridge

Will Win: Ivo van Hove had quite a year.


Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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