Tony Nominations! My thoughts and reactions.
- Austin Walker
- May 7, 2017
- 3 min read
So I made it through finals week and finally have time to write about the Tony nominations from earlier this week! Needless to say, with so many musicals this year (13 new shows and 6 revivals to be exact), we were sure to see some snubs, some upsets, and some downright surprises. Here's a summary of my main takeaways from nominations.
The Power Four
If you've been following this season as closely as I have, then the picks for Best Musical will come as no surprise. However, it wasn't just Best Musical where these shows reigned supreme. Great Comet, Dear Evan Hansen, Groundhog Day, and Come From Away took home 12, 9, 7, and 7 nominations respectively. It will be a hard-fought race for the categories where these shows are up against each other, and each show has its own strengths and weaknesses.
I'll be talking about these shows over the next couple weeks, so stay tuned for that. But for now, I think it's safe to say that these shows will be walking away with the bulk of the awards this season.
The Revivals
Only three of the six revivals received nominations, with Sunday in the Park with George being declared ineligible at the request of the producer. Hello, Dolly! grabbed a surprising 10 nominations (more than I think it deserved), and Falsettos received 5. It's hard to imagine Hello, Dolly! not winning best revival, and I also wouldn't be surprised to see Bette Midler take Best Leading Actress.
Other than that, I don't really see a lot of wins coming out of these nominations. The Falsettos cast is really quite spectacular, but I'm not sure they can compete with the likes of Ben Platt and Lucas Steele this season. And Miss Saigon, unfortunately, will probably walk away with nothing.
The Subtle Nods
Of the remaining new musicals, only four received any nominations at all. War Paint and Anastasia walked away with a handful each, while Bandstand and Holiday Inn received two and one nominations respectively.
It feels like a snub that Christy Altomare wasn't nominated for Best Leading Actress for her role as Anastasia, but with actresses like Patti Lupone and Bette Midler taking up the spotlight, it was probably a long shot to begin with. In my opinion Holiday Inn was lucky to get any nominations at all. The show closed in January after 117 performances and already feels like a long forgotten dream. Even so, I don't think any of these four shows really stand much of a chance as winners. I could see War Paint maybe lucking out with one win in either Leading Actress or Scenic Design, but it still feels unlikely.
The No Shows
With 13 new musicals and only 8 receiving any nominations at all, basic math tells us there were 5 new shows that didn't receive any nominations at all. Most notably Phillipa Soo's Amélie went unnoticed, and consequently will be closing later this month. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also left empty handed, but has already announced a national tour. Revivals like Cats and Sunset Boulevard were overlooked as well. Overall, none of this is too surprising given the sheer number of shows this year plus the buzz around shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Great Comet.
Ultimately, I think the nominations are pretty indicative of what's good and what's not this season on Broadway. Like I said, I will be talking more in-depth about the big four nominees in the coming weeks, so be sure to check that out. What do you think? Were there any more snubs? Any predictions? Let me know in the comments! And our course, mark your calendars for the only television awards show worth watching, June 11.
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