Tony Award Nominations! "Some Like It Hot" leads

by Nathaniel R

Christian Borle and J Harrison Ghee are 2 of "Some Like It Hot"'s 13 nominations

Lea Michele, still treading the boards in Funny Girl, and Myles Frost who won Best Actor in a Musical last season for the Michael Jackson musical "MJ" announced the Tony Award nominations this morning honoring the current season on Broadway. The nomination leader, far out front, was the musical adaptation of movie classic Some Like It Hot (review coming soon!) with 13 nominations. Jessica Chastain scored her first Tony nominations (with her second Broadway show) though other screen stars weren't as lucky this year. Though the Tony Awards are gendered for acting, two non-binary performers became the first to score nods for acting with their work in popular musicals: Alex Newell (Shucked) and J Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot). 

Nominations are after the jump...

THE NOMINATIONS (MUSICALS)

* = the show has already closed

BEST MUSICAL

• & Juliet (9 nominations)
  In this jukebox musical using 90s pop anthems, Juliet DOESN'T kill herself and moves on without Romeo
  
  
• Kimberly Akimbo (8 nominations)
  This one is about a Jersey teen who happens to look like a 72 year old lady.

• New York New York (9 nominations)
  Loosely based on the 1977 Scorsese film with songs by Kander & Ebb. Critics were not altogether kind so 9 nominations is something of a surprise. 
  
  
• Shucked (9 nominations)
  A comedy set in the rural Midwest
  
  
• Some Like It Hot (13 nominations)
  Based on the 1959 comedy masterpiece and still set during Prohibition but otherwise it's been thoroughly modernized. 

Four other shows were eligible with Almost Famous and KPOP receiving a few nominations between them. But Andrew Lloyd Webber's Bad Cinderella and the Neil Diamond jukebox musical Beautiful Noise were shut out.

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

• Camelot (5 nominations)
  This is the fourth revival of the Lerner & Loewe classic. Once again King Arthur (Andrew Burnap), Guinevere (Phillipa Soo), and Lancelot (Jordan Donica) get caught up in their doomed love triangle. Aside from a one night one off in 2011 Camelot hasn't been seen on Broadway in 30 years!
  
  
• Into the Woods (6 nominations)
  This is the third revival of Sondheim's genius 80s classic which skewers fairy tales comically even as it goes deep dramatically. The new revival was ecstatically praise but it closed in January so perhaps the other shows which are still open have more than a fighting chance to win.
  
  
• Parade (6 nominations)
  Jason Robert Brown's musical is wildly loved by musical theater geeks though less famous outside of that niche.  It closes in August so if you're hoping to see it, do so  quickly. 

• Sweeney Todd (8 nominations)
  This is the third revival of Sondheim's genius 1979 musical about the 'demon barber' and the meat shop owner who fawns on him and aids him in his gruesome vengeance. None of the revivals of this show have won Best Musical Revival though they've all been popular with Tony voters. 

It's a double dose of Sondheim versus a Lerner & Lowe classic and Parade which is much beloved by musical theater geeks but far less famous than the other three nominees. Only two other musical revivals opened this season, the poorly received 1776 and the revue show Bob Fosse's Dancin'

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

• & Juliet 
• Kimberly Akimbo 
• New York New York 
• Shucked 
• Some Like It Hot 

Same nominees exactly as Best Musical.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE 
Technically plays are also eligible here though rarely nominated since they dont tend to have much scoring

• Almost Famous*, Tom Kitt & Cameron Crowe
• Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori & David Lindsay-Abaire
• KPOP, Helen Park & Max Vernon
• Shucked, Shane McAnally & Brandy Clark
• Some Like It Hot, Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman

Congrats to Almost Famous and KPOP for slipping in here since not all of the Best Musical nominees were eligible (since they were working with some pre-existing songs).

*for the rest of the musical categories both originals and revivals are eligible

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Tony winner Victoria Clark in "Kimberly Akimbo". Can she win again?

• Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd (8th show, 3rd nomination, 1 previous win)
• Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods (2nd show as an actress, 1st nomination in acting)
• Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo (13th show, 5th nomination, 1 previous win)
• Lorna Courtney, & Juliet (3rd show, 1st nomination)
• Micaela Diamond, Parade (2nd show, 1st nomination)

Tough break for Adrianna Hicks, who plays "Sugar" in Some Like It Hot but there can be only five. Annaleigh Ashford has the most iconic role (Mrs Lovett) in a new show so she might have the edge. But you never know. Victoria Clark has one before and Kimberly Akimbo is wildly acclaimed. 

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL 

• Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot (12th show, 5th nominations, 2 previous wins)
• J Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot (3rd show, 1st nomination)
• Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd (3rd show, 2nd nomination)
• Brian D'Arcy James, Into the Woods (15th show, 4th nomination)
• Ben Platt, Parade (3rd show, 2nd nomination, 1 previous win)
• Colton Ryan, New York New York (3rd show, 1st nomination)

Some Like It Hot dominates but will Borle & Ghee cancel each other out? Perhaps some Tony voters might think it's about damn time they gave Brian D'Arcy James the Tony? We shall see.

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

"Sweet Sue" in Some Like It Hot

• Julia Lester, Into the Woods (Broadway debut)
• Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd (3rd show, 2nd nomination, 1 previous win)
• Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo (2nd show, 1st nomination)
• NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot (8th show, 1st nomination)
• Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet (7th show, 1st nomination)

Ruthie Ann Miles, the only previous winner here, plays 'Beggar Woman" which is a pretty small role in Sweeney Todd so kudos on that nomination. The nomination for NaTasha Yvette Williams is not a surprise at all as she's great fun as the bandleader "Sweet Sue" in Some Like It Hot. Finally, we're very happy for Bonnie Milligan who has been a "rising" star in musical theater for a long time now and finally gets some attention. 

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Alex Newell for "Shucked"

• Kevin Cahoon, Shucked (6th show, 1st nomination)
• Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway debut)
• Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like It Hot (4th show, 1st nomination)
• Jordan Donica, Camelot (3rd show, 1st nomination)
• Alex Newell, Shucked (2nd show, 1st nomination)

An entire lineup of newbies including a 19 year old (Justin Cooley) who was not so long ago a finalist at the "Jimmy" awards (the big prize for High School musicals around the country). It remains baffling that this is Alex Newell's first nomination given their show-stopper performance of "Mama Will Provide" in Once on This Island a handful of years ago. As for the shows you know: Jordan Donica plays Lancelot Du Lac in Camelot while Kevin Del Aguila plays Osgood, the rich older man who falls for Josephine in Some Like It Hot.

BEST DIRECTION, MUSICAL

• Into the Woods, Lear DeBesonnet
• Kimberly Akimbo, Jessica Stone
• Parade, Michael Arden
• Shucked, Jack O'Brien
• Casey Nicholaw, Some Like it Hot

BEST SCENIC DESIGN, MUSICAL

• Camelot
• New York New York
• Shucked
• Some Like It Hot
• Sweeney Todd

BEST COSTUME DESIGN, MUSICAL 

• & Juliet
• Camelot
• KPOP
• New York New York
• Parade
• Some Like It Hot

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN, MUSICAL

• & Juliet
• Camelot
• New York New York
• Some Like It Hot
• Sweeney Todd
• Parade

BEST SOUND DESIGN, MUSICAL

• & Juliet
• Into the Woods
• New York New York
• Shucked
• Sweeney Todd

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Technically plays are also eligible in this category though rarely nominated  

• & Juliet
• Kimberly Akimbo
• New York New York
• Shucked
• Some Like It Hot

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Technically plays are also eligible in this category though rarely nominated 

• & Juliet
• KPOP
• New York New York
• Some Like It Hot
• Sweeney Todd

THE NOMINATIONS (PLAYS)

* = the show has already closed 

BEST PLAY

• Aint No Mo (6 nominations)
• Between Riverside and Crazy (2 nominations)
• Cost of Living (5 nominations)
• Fat Ham (5 nominations)
• Leopoldstadt (6 nominations)

17 plays opened this season so the ones that weren't lucky enough to land the nods were: A Christmas Carol, The Collaboration, Good Night Oscar, The Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Pictures from Home, Summer 1976, The Thanksgiving Play, and Walking with Ghosts. Some of those productions scored acting nods or tech honors though.

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

• A Doll's House (6 nominations)
• The Piano Lesson (2 nominations)
• The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (2 nominations)
• Topdog/Underdog (3 nominations)

Two other Play Revivals were eligible this season, Death of a Salesman and Ohio State Murders but they had to make due with nominations for their actors. 

BEST ACTRESS, PLAY

• Jessica Chastain, A Dolls House (2nd show, 1st nomination)
• Jodie Comer, Prima Facie (Broadway debut)
• Jessica Hecht, Summer 1976 (10th show, 2nd nomination)
• Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders (13th show, 10th nomination, 6 previous wins)

Chastain and Comer are the newbies and probably in a fight for the win. The Meryl Streep of Broadway, Audra McDonald is nominated yet again. In addition to having the most wins for an actor she's also won in every acting category (Featured Play, Featured Musical, Lead Play, Lead Musical)

BEST ACTOR, PLAY

Yahya & Corey in "Topdog/Underdog"

• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topdog/Underdog (Broadway debut) 
• Corey Hawkins, Topdog/Underdog (3rd show, 2nd nomination)
• Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar (3rd show, 2nd nomination)
• Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy (8th show, 2nd nomination)
• Wendel Pierce, Death of a Salesman (5th show, 1st acting nomination, previously won Best Play)

An exciting race since none of them have won before. It's also a majority black men shortlist (with the exception being Sean Hayes obviously)

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS, PLAY

• Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham
• Crystal Lucas-Perry, Aint No Mo
• Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
• Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
• Kara Young, Cost of Living

Miriam Silverman managed a nomination for The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window but her very famous co-stars (Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan) did not.

BEST FEATURED ACTOR, PLAY

• Jordan E Cooper, Aint No Mo (Broadway debut - he also wrote it so he's nominated for Best Play, too)
• Samuel L Jackson, The Piano Lesson (3rd show, 1st nomination)
• Arian Moayed, A Doll's House (3rd show, 2nd nomination)
• Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt (7th show, 4th nomination)
• David Zayas, Cost of Living (2nd show, 1st nomination)

Brandon Uranowitz has become a mainstay of the featured categories, split evenly between plays and musicals. This is his fourth nomination in the past eight years. He has yet to win. 

The fun trivia of this category is that Samuel L Jackson made his Broadway debut in The Piano Lesson as an understudy in the original run back in 1990. Now he's starring in it. 

BEST DIRECTION, PLAY 

• Aint No Mo, Stevie Walker-Webb (Broadway debut)
• Cost of Living, Jo Bonney (Broadway debut)
• A Doll's House, Jamie Lloyd (3rd show, 2nd nomination for directing)
• Fat Ham, Saheem Ali (2nd show, 1st nomination)
• Leopoldstadt, Patrick Marber (4th show, 2nd nomination for directing)
• Life of Pi, Max Webster (Broadway debut)

It's a fresh blood year for directors. None of them have won and half of them are making their Broadway debuts. Patrick Marber is the most famous of them having written the classic play Closer which was adapted to the screen in 2004.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN, PLAY 

• A Christmas Carol
• Good Night Oscar
• Leopoldstadt
• Life of Pi
• Prima Facie

BEST COSTUME DESIGN, PLAY 

• Aint No Mo
• Fat Ham
• Good Night, Oscar
• Leopoldstadt
• Life of Pi

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN, PLAY

• A Christmas Carol
• Death of a Salesman
• A Doll's House
• Fat Ham
• Leopoldstadt
• Life of Pi
• Prima Facie

BEST SOUND DESIGN, PLAY

• Aint No Mo
• A Christmas Carol
• A Doll's House
• Life of Pi
• Prima Facie

The Tony Awards will once again be hosted by Ariana DeBose and will be held at United Palace on June 11th. 

Comments

[Ryan T.]

I had the *best* time seeing the following: Shucked, & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, Ain't No Mo, and KPOP. So I'm very happy they all got nods especially those last two which closed WAY too early.

THRILLED for Alex Newell/Kevin Cahoon and Bonnie Milligan/Victoria Clark/Justin Cooley. As well as J. Harrison Ghee, Jordan E. Cooper, Julia Lester, Betsy Wolfe/Lorna Courtney, Annaleigh Ashford/Ruthie Ann Miles. There were a lot of good stuff on Broadway this year!

On the other hand, I'm annoyed at the non-nominations for 1776 (I liked it!), Danielle Brooks, Marcel Spears, Patina Miller, Oscar Isaac, Jefferson Mays, D'Arcy Carden/Katie Finneran (Thanksgiving Play was a mess, but man they were good) as well as two OG ladies from SIX leading in new musicals: Anna Uzele & Adrianna Hicks.

I still need to see Camelot, Parade, A Doll's House, Prima Facie!

[Owl]

I heard very positive things about Some Like It Hot -- quite a different interpretation from the classic musical it was based on.

I managed to see A Doll's House at the Hudson and although Jessica Chastain was very good, I thought Okieriete Onaodowan (as the lender Nils) and Michael Patrick Thornton (Dr Rank) were quite effective as well.

That last scene when Nora leaves Torvald was a pleasant surprise. Almost hair raising in its unexpectedness. The play is very very minimalist otherwise (production set-wise).

A colleague suggested Kimberly Akimbo because it is character-driven. Will check it out. Also & Juliet was advertised in a theatre in Melbourne when I visited last month. I now wish I'd seen it.

[Mr Ripley79]

The Piano Lesson just started filming with Samuel L Jackson and Danielle Deadwyler.

[Peggy Sue]

Sorry to be that person but there should be FIVE nominees in best actress.

[NathanielB]

Peggy Sue, I agree that there should be, but, because there were only seven possibilities in that category, only four slots were available, so, short of a tie, there were only four nominations possible. I would have liked to see Linney get in too, but she's 0 for 5 in the category, so I am glad she'll be spared another loss on her record at least. And Hecht, also in her late 50s, has given wonderful stage performances for over 25 years now, so it's nice to finally see her get a second Tony nomination, even if it was likely at the expense of Linney.

[Pam]

"Belting Bonnie" Milligan getting a nom is fantastic! Would be shocked if Jodie Comer DIDN'T win Best Actress, and Prima Facie for Sound Design.

For those who saw it, is Shucked really good? I saw the Robber Bridegroom at the Roundabout a few years ago with Steven Pasquale, and it was...corny, and not great.

[DK]

Haven’t seen Comer’s or McDonald’s plays.

I’ve heard faintly positive to mixed to VERY negative things about A Doll’s House—and frankly Chastain is too mannered and self-serious a performer to pull that role off (same was true of Jane Fonda). The more she acts the more her completely natural work in The Help feels like a fluke. How did she manage that? Apart from (maybe) A Most Violent Year we haven't seen it since.

THRILLED for Jessica Hecht who’s incredible in Summer 1976. If you’ve seen it, it’s no surprise she got in over Linney (who’s also superb in it) because she steals the show. It’s not the most dramatically epic play but it’s sneakily ambitious. It’s a joy to watch her in that role.

[Ryan T.]

Pam, SHUCKED is hilarious. I hadn't laughed so much at a musical in awhile. But yes there are puns GALORE and it's slightly corny, but it's also sincere and quite lovely I thought. Then again I also loved Robber Bridegroom.

[Joe G.]

I'm really pulling for Victoria Clark. I thought she was amazing in Kimberly Akimbo, and gives a really physical performance. I think she could definitley win. If that musical ever gets translated to film by a decent director, then I could easily see Meryl winning her fourth Oscar or Glenn picking up her first if they're as good as Clark.

Very happy for Jessica Hetch. She's been great for decades and it's great to see her here.

I've heard great things about Sean Hayes, so I could see him easily winning. However, I really do love Henderson in Riverside. I saw that pre-broadway a few years ago and he really knocked it out of the park.

[Mr Ripley79]

@Owl Chastain wasn't the least bit natural in The Help or A Most Violent Year you always know she's acting with an A,I think Tree of Life is her least acted role.

[Pam]

@Ryan T Thanks very much. Sounds like a road trip south is in order. I also want to see The Grey House with Laurie Metcalf and Tatiana Maslany. Looks spooky!

[thevoid99]

Happy for Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Chastain. Happy that Lea Michele got nothing. She's awful.

[Robert G]

You have to give the KPOP team credit for staying the discussion so long. They started releasing promo material shot in the theatre to hype up the launch of the cast album that doubled as a showreel of music, choreography, and costumes. I'm sure having easy access to those performance clips helped get the votes to be nominated in those categories.

[Angelo]

I saw Fat Ham and Prima Facie a few weeks back. I'm really happy to see Fat Ham score some major nods--it was great.

Comer was a force of nature in Prima Facie--every award she's won has been richly deserved.

I'm also glad to see both Topdog/Underdog leads land nods, as they were incredible.

Re: Chastain ... I think she is wonderful onscreen, and I can't say I'm in agreement with some of the comments on here about her film performances. That said, I saw her in The Heiress about a decade ago and she was VERY stiff and mannered. Given that and the fact that I've heard not-so-great things about A Doll's House, I'm saving my money.

I'm seeing Summer 1976 later this month--I'm excited! And I'm curious if The Grey House will be good--I think it's only in previews now, so it didn't open in time for the Tony nominations.

[Max Brandt]

Overjoyed that & Juliet scored 9 nominations. It may not be the best musical ever, but it was fun and it would make you happy. We left the theater smiling from ear to ear and four months later, we are still listening to the soundtrack.

Would have been awesome if Ben Jackson Walker was nominated for featured actor.

[Owl]

@Mr Ripley79 - it wasn't me who said Chastain was a natural in The Help and A Most Violent Year. Someone else said that. But I have admiration for 'acting' as a craft that requires intense training and preparation, so it's a delight to watch how actorly (actressly?) creative expressions take flight onstage. Some do it more effectively than others.

Chastain as Nora made her lines crackle with vitality as though she is casually confiding to someone. I admire what Chastain brought to the proceedings as Nora in this latest production even if I don't count myself as a big fan of hers. The dialogue was spruced up a bit to be more contemporary-sounding.

I was not bothered by the play's minimalist staging but I overheard someone remark after the show I attended that it was like a glorified table read. I had to smile at that. It was kinda true although that didn't detract much from my enjoyment of the play.

How I wish I saw A Doll's House 2 a few years ago with Laurie Metcalf as the returning Nora. My wife said Melcalf was more convincing.

[Michael R]

I can't help but feel terrible for Will Swenson. I thought he was going to win the Tony. In a less competitive year he would have.

[DK]

Again, having not seen Chastain—what’s incredible about Hecht’s work is that she delivers Auburn’s lines as if the thoughts are occurring to her in real time, it’s an uncanny thing to watch. There are very few actors I’ve seen do that so well on stage, and I definitely wouldn’t expect it from Jessica Chastain Doing An Important Play (which would make a great subtitle for those smug promotional visuals).