TONY NOMS!!!!!

This morning I woke up REALLY early, was on the train by 7:15am to meet my friend Brenden in Times Sq for the "Live Feed" of the Tony Nominations. It wasn't a live feed at all but rather a stream of CBS This Morning (which has, what, 8 viewers?) who DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE TONY AWARDS. It was about 8:35, and CBS was in the middle of a piece about road rage (seriously) when a woman screamed "You're nominated for a Tony!" and hugged a little boy. That's when the 20 or so die hard theater fans realized (a) that little boy was one of the Billies and (b) we were going to miss the Tony Noms. Luckily, I had started to follow the Tony Awards on Twitter, so I started reading the live Tweets of nominations. Eventually the people in charge read off a full list of noms to the soggy/weary crowd. They are certainly interesting, but before I go into the nitty gritty, here's a pic of Billy1 and his mom. I have to say, that made the whole ordeal worthwhile, having never witnessed anyone realize s/he was nominated for a Tony (or anything), let alone someone so young:

Now onto the nominations. I won't go into the design awards, but a full list of nominees can be found here. As with last year, I'll go into what the "tizzy" will be, and the likely winner.

Best Play
Dividing the Estate(Author: Horton Foote)
God of Carnage (Author: Yasmina Reza)
Reasons to Be Pretty (Author: Neil LaBute)
33 Variations (Author: Moises Kaufman)
Tizzy: Some people might have thought IRENA'S VOW or AMERICAN PLAN would get the nom over the divisive 33 VARIATIONS.
Prediciton: By all accounts it will probably go to CARNAGE, with PRETTY being the strongest competition (which may get support for being American, the underdog and it being Labute's B'way debut).

Best Musical
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical
Tizzy: Really? ROCK and SHREK? I think everyone assumed 1, or both, of those, would get shut out. But Ben Brantley's damning review of 9 to 5 really did a lot of damage. I think a lot of people were also hoping [title of show] would eek out a surprise nomination in the category (and it probably deserved it).
Prediction: BILLY is the big hit of the year, but by filling the other candidates with snow-ball-in-hell nominees, the stage is set for a NORMAL upset. People said this last year about PASSING STRANGE vs IN THE HEIGHTS, but NORMAL has a serious edge in being an original American musical with an intersting and inspiring road to Broadway in a season full of imports, movie knock-offs, and imported movie knock-offs. And BILLY, though the box office winner and a major JERSEY BOYS level attraction is yesterday's news while NORMAL is a recent surprise hit with lots of buzzworthy, viral, new medial stuff going on (like tweeting the plot of their show) But BILLY has money...and kids.

Best Book of a Musical
Lee Hall, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal
David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical
Hunter Bell, [Title of Show]
Tizzy: Not a lot of surprise here (aside from SHREK which I was under the impression everyone hated, even if I kinda liked it). It was nice to see [tos] included.
Prediction: This might be voters opportunity to say "we like [tos]. Otherwise it will go to N2N, which deserves the award.


Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Music: Elton John,Lyrics: Lee Hall Billy Elliot, The Musical
Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal
Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton, 9 to 5: The Musical
Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical
Tizzy: Poor [tos] wasn't nominated, and people might take umbrage to SHREK's inclusion, though I personally find a lot to admire in the score.
Prediction: I think this will go to N2N, since it probably won't be able to overtake BILLY in the end. And Elton John already has a Tony he doesn't deserve for the shit-pile he put together for AIDA, nor have I heard anything (positive or otherwise) about the BILLY score, other than that it's Elton John's best (which is like saying Sarah Palin did a good job at the debates simply because she had previously set the bar for performance so low).


Best Revival of a Play
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot
Tizzy: The fact that they narrowed down the 15 potential nominees to 4 is really impressive. I am surprised SPEED THE PLOW didn't take the MARY STUART slot, since following it's trials and tribulations was the most entertaining thing to happen to the industry in years.
Prediction: Probably GODOT simply because, when done well, it's just a fucking good play. But NORMAN may have an edge simply by being such a fun and involved event.

Best Revival of a Musical
Guys and Dolls
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story
Tizzy: These were the only 4 shows, but I'm annoyed that G&D is still running...
Prediction: It seems like WSS is a lock, but I've been hearing mixed things about it, whereas HAIR has gotten nothing but unqualified raves and is a show that most people (myself included) considered unrevivable, simply because the task of harnesses the energy of the period in any sort of authentic way is so daunting.

Best Special Theatrical Event
Liza's at The Palace
Slava's Snowshow
Soul of Shaolin
You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush
Tizzy: I suppose there's someone out there who thought CIRQUE DREAMS: JUNGLE FANTASY was robbed...
Prediction: Will Ferrell had a hit just by showing up, but he'll have to pry that Tony out of Liza's cold dead hands.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty
Tizzy: Harry Potter wasn't nominated. Nor were either Nathan Lane or Bill Irwin for GODOT, but again, there were 24 possible contendors.
Prediction: Geoffrey Rush has made a hit out of Ionesco during a goddamn recession. Give the man a Tony. Raul will win someday (though he does have serious edge in dealing with all that went down with the otherwise ignored PLOW)

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
Tizzy: No Tovah.
Prediction: My instinct is telling me Janet McTeer, but the GODs and the MARYs may cancel each other out, leaving the field wide open for Fonda (who turned a play with luke-warm reviews into a Tony nominated Best Play in a crowded season).

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish ‚ Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
Tizzy: An American Idol loser is now a Tony nom? The couldn't have given that to Jeff Bowen, whose score for [tos] wasn't nominated?
Prediction: I don't really see anyone taking d'Arcy James down except for those little boys. But, you know, Brian does 8 shows a week and has been doing this since before those kids were born, so I would hope that gives him an edge.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
Tizzy: Stockard Channing? Really? They couldn't have given one of the other 9 to 5 gals a shot? Not that it matters because...
Prediction: Alice Ripley can start rehearsing her speech. Just listen

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Tizzy: None that I could think off. Another crowded pond.
Prediction: Stephen Mangan for his titular conquests.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
Tizzy: see above
Prediction: I just want it to be Angie so bad I can't, in good conscience, recommend anyone else.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson, Hair
Tizzy: No Aaron Tveit? Maybe that will help keep his ego in check.
Prediction: Christopher Sieber won over even those who hated his show. Listen here.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Tizzy: Does Martha Plimpton even need to do a show to get nominated? I really wish Susan Blackwell was on this list.
Prediction: From what I hear Hadyn is pretty damn good. But Karen Olivo has those legs and that hair (and that role) and could snatch it from her.

Best Direction of a Play
Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests
Tizzy: Well, with about 376 elidgeable directors, did Warchus really need to get nominate twice?
Prediction: Warchus, probably for NORMAN, since he did 3 times the work.

Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair
Tizzy: Joe Mantello is usually nominated for directing traffic and was totally shut out this year despite helming 2 (poorly reviewed) musicals.
Prediction: Daldry, though I think it should go to Paulus for getting HAIR "right".

Best Choreography
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Tizzy: WHITE CHRISTMAS?
Prediction: Well, if a musical about Ballet can't win this award...