Tony Award Nominations

[mrdreamjeans]

The 2010 Tony Award nominations came out today. There are quite a few surprises, especially the virtual shut out of "The Addams Family", a new musical starring Nathan Lane and BeBe Neuwirth. Only Kevin Chamberlin (Uncle Fester) and the score (Andrew Lippa) were nominated. Also, Kristin Chenowith, leading lady of the revival of "Promises, Promises", was left out of consideration. Still, there are several legends who have hit the Broadway stage this season and are nominated.

Personally, I'm rooting for the musical "Memphis", that spent a key part of its gestation at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, closing just after we began rehearsals for "Hello, Dolly" just over a year ago. Its leading actors (and music) deserve every accolade that can come their way! "Memphis" is the only show on this list that I've seen. Anyone want to give a shout out to production or performance that they thought was deserving?

The Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from Radio City Music Hall on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 13, 2010. Here's a partial list of the nominees ... My picks are in bold. What are yours?

Best Play (I've not heard of any of these plays:)
In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play Author: Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall Author: Geoffrey Nauffts
Red Author: John Logan
Time Stands Still Author: Donald Margulies

Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet

Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture - Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott
Fela! - Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
Memphis -Joe DiPietro
Million Dollar Quartet - Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family
Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

Enron
Music: Adam Cork
Lyrics: Lucy Prebble

Fences
Music: Branford Marsalis

Memphis
Music: David Bryan
Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan

Best Revival of a Play
Fences
Lend Me a Tenor
The Royal Family
A View from the Bridge

Best Revival of a Musical The most competitive category for my tastes
Finian's Rainbow
La Cage aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Ragtime

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law, Hamlet
Alfred Molina, Red
Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge
Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis, Fences
Valerie Harper, Looped
Linda Lavin, Collected Stories
Laura Linney, Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow
Montego Glover, Memphis
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier, Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences
Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts
Stephen Kunken, Enron
Eddie Redmayne, Red

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play
Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family
Jessica Hecht, A View from the Bridge
Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Hard to pick just one here!
Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
Lillias White, Fela!

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away