Today, Book of Mormon alums Nikki M. James and Andrew Rannells were up bright and early to announce the Tony Award Nominations.
We would know his name, indeed. To say Hamilton is a big hit is the understatement of the decade. The perpetually sold-out show has been acclaimed by critics and audience alike, and now we see that praise translate to the biggest awards in theatre. Hamilton has made history today by snagging 16 Tony nominations, more than any other show in the history of the awards.
The Producers (2001) and Billy Elliot (2009) held the previous record for the most Tony nominations ever, with 15 nominations each. The record for the most wins is held by The Producers, with 12 Tony awards.
Hamilton creator and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda is nominated in three categories for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score Written for the Theatre.
Miranda will compete against Hamilton’s own Leslie Odom Jr. for the Leading Actor in a Musical Tony. Besides Miranda and Odom, five more Hamilton actors have been nominated, including Glee and Looking star, Jonathan Groff. Groff played King George in the groundbreaking show and has proven the old adage that there are no small roles, only small actors. King George is not featured as much as other characters on the show, but Groff has consistently chewed off the scenery in the small amount of time he has been on stage.
After the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, the Tony nominations clearly got the message. The nominations, impressively, look very diverse. Aside from Hamilton — which, among its good things, casts people of color to play historical figures — Shuffle Along, the show that follows Hamilton’s lead with a remarkable 10 Tony nominations, was written by four African-American Vaudeville veterans; The Color Purple tells the story of African-American women in the South; Eclipsed, starring Lupita Nyong’o, has an all-female African-American cast; Spring Awakening revival’s cast is comprised by hearing-impaired performers, and sign language is used throughout the show; and the team behind Waitress is all female, led by Grammy-nominated singer Sara Bareilles, who wrote the music and lyrics for the show and who, today, received her first Tony nomination. It certainly looks like Broadway and the Tony Nominations Committee are doing things the right way by promoting equality of opportunities.
Some notable acting nominees, known to the public for TV and movie performances, are Gabriel Byrne, Jessica Lange and Michael Shannon for Long Days’ Journey Into Night, Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams for Blackbird, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o for her Broadway debut in Eclipsed, Chuck’s Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti and Jane Krakowski for She Loves Me, Megan Hilty for Noises Off!, and Danielle Brooks for The Color Purple.
The 70th Annual Tony Awards will be hosted by James Corden and will air live from the Beacon Theatre on CBS June 12 at 8 p.m.
Take a look at all the nominees below:
Best Play
Eclipsed
The Father
The Humans
King Charles III
Best Musical
Bright Star
Hamilton
School of Rock—The Musical
Shuffle Along
Waitress
Best Revival of a Play
The Crucible
A View From the Bridge
Blackbird
Long Days’ Journey Into Night
Noises Off!
Best Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me
Spring Awakening
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Gabriel Byrne, Long Days’ Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Jessica Lange, Long Days’ Journey Into Night
Laurie Metcalfe, Misery
Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed
Sophie Okenedo, The Crucible
Michelle Williams, Blackbird
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock—The Musical
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
Best Performance by a 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
Best Performance by a 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 Days’ Journey Into Night
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off!
Jaune Houdyshell, The Humans
Andrea Martin, Noises Off!
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton
Best Performance by a 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
Best Book of a Musical
Steve Martin, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Julian Fellowes, School of Rock—The Musical
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Glenn Slater and Andrew Lloyd Weber, School of Rock—The Musical
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin
Christopher Oram, Hughie
Jan Versweyveld, A View From the Bridge
David Zinn, The Humans
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Es Devlin and Finn Ross, American Psycho
David Korins, Hamilton
Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along
David Rockwell, She Loves Me
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Long Days’ Journey Into Night
Michael Krass, Noises Off!
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
Tom Scutt, King Charles III
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Anne Roth, Shuffle Along
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Katz, Long Days’ Journey Into Night
Justin Townsend, The Humans
Jan Versweyveld, The Crucible
Jan Versweyveld, A View From the Bridge
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Hamilton
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho
Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Days’ Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesel Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo Van Hove, A View From the Bridge
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
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!
Best Orchestrations
August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
Larry Hochman, She Loves Me
Alex LaCamoire, Hamilton
Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along