It’s that most wonderful time of the year when we salute the best in American theater. Yep, the Tony Awards are almost here and this year’s nominees span different genres and backgrounds.
Among them is the legendary James Earl Jones who will receive the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. When he wasn’t slaying the galaxy as Darth Vader or teaching valuable life lessons as Mufasa, he was lighting up the stage in shows like Othello, Of Mice and Men, Hamlet and Fences. I can’t wait to hear his acceptance speech because it’s another opportunity to hear that awesome voice saying really cool things. Can we get him on Google Maps?
Big congrats to Straight Outta Compton and 24: Legacy’s Corey Hawkins, who was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in the play Six Degrees of Separation. He’s in good company alongside the likes of Chris Cooper and Kevin Kine.
See the full list of nominees below:
Best Play:
“A Doll’s House, Part 2”
“Indecent”
“Oslo”
“Sweat”
Best Musical:
“Come From Away”
“Dear Evan Hansen”
“Groundhog Day The Musical”
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Best Book of a Musical:
“Come From Away” — Irene Sankoff and David Hein
“Dear Evan Hansen” — Steven Levenson
“Groundhog Day The Musical” — Danny Rubin
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” — Dave Malloy
Best Original Score:
“Come From Away” — Music & Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein
“Dear Evan Hansen” — Music & Lyrics: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
“Groundhog Day The Musical” — Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” — Music & Lyrics: Dave Malloy
Best Revival of a Play:
“August Wilson’s Jitney”
“Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
“Present Laughter”
“Six Degrees of Separation”
Best Revival of a Musical:
“Falsettos”
“Hello, Dolly!”
“Miss Saigon”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play:
Denis Arndt, “Heisenberg”
Chris Cooper, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Corey Hawkins, “Six Degrees of Separation”
Kevin Kline, “Present Laughter”
Jefferson Mays, “Oslo”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play:
Cate Blanchett, “The Present”
Jennifer Ehle, “Oslo”
Sally Field, “The Glass Menagerie”
Laura Linney, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Laurie Metcalf, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Christian Borle, “Falsettos”
Josh Groban, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Andy Karl, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
David Hyde Pierce, “Hello, Dolly!”
Ben Platt, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Denee Benton, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Christine Ebersole, “War Paint”
Patti LuPone, “War Paint”
Bette Midler, “Hello, Dolly!”
Eva Noblezada, “Miss Saigon”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play:
Michael Aronov, “Oslo”
Danny DeVito, “Arthur Miller’s The Price”
Nathan Lane, “The Front Page”
Richard Thomas, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
John Douglas Thompson, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play:
Johanna Day, “Sweat”
Jayne Houdyshell, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Cynthia Nixon, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Condola Rashad, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Michelle Wilson, “Sweat”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Gavin Creel, “Hello, Dolly!”
Mike Faist, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Andrew Rannells, “Falsettos”
Lucas Steele, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Falsettos”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Kate Baldwin, “Hello, Dolly!”
Stephanie J. Block, “Falsettos”
Jenn Colella, “Come From Away”
Rachel Bay Jones, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Mary Beth Peil, “Anastasia”
Best Scenic Design of a Play:
David Gallo, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
Nigel Hook, “The Play That Goes Wrong”
Douglas W. Schmidt, “The Front Page”
Michael Yeargan, “Oslo”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical:
Rob Howell, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
David Korins, “War Paint”
Mimi Lien, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!”
Best Costume Design of a Play:
Jane Greenwood, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Susan Hilferty, “Present Laughter”
Toni-Leslie James, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
David Zinn, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Best Costume Design of a Musical:
Linda Cho, “Anastasia”
Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!”
Paloma Young, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Catherine Zuber, “War Paint”
Best Lighting Design of a Play:
Christopher Akerlind, “Indecent”
Jane Cox, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
Donald Holder, “Oslo”
Jennifer Tipton, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical:
Howell Binkley, “Come From Away”
Natasha Katz, “Hello, Dolly!”
Bradley King, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Japhy Weideman, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Best Direction of a Play:
Sam Gold, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
Bartlett Sher, “Oslo”
Daniel Sullivan, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Rebecca Taichman, “Indecent”
Best Direction of a Musical:
Christopher Ashley, “Come From Away”
Rachel Chavkin, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Michael Greif, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Matthew Warchus, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
Jerry Zaks, “Hello, Dolly!”
Best Choreography:
Andy Blankenbuehler, “Bandstand”
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
Kelly Devine, “Come From Away”
Denis Jones, “Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical”
Sam Pinkleton, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Best Orchestrations:
Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, “Bandstand”
Larry Hochman, “Hello, Dolly!”
Alex Lacamoire, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Dave Malloy, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre:
James Earl Jones
Special Tony Award:
Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin, sound designers for “The Encounter”
Regional Theatre Tony Award:
Dallas Theater Center in Dallas, Texas
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award:
Baayork Lee
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre:
Nina Lannan and Alan Wasser
(via Variety, image: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
.jpg){kind=link}