Even though the theatres are closed and have been closed for a while now due to COVID-19, the American Theatre Wing revealed that the Tony Awards would take place nevertheless. The Digital Event has been scheduled for fall/winter of 2020 with a specific date that has yet to be announced.
The Tony Awards are the most prestigious prize to receive in the American Theatre Community. Each year, the best and most impressive works of live theatre are celebrated and honoured. Usually through an extravagant live show. This year, the event will be transmitted digitally.
Previous Tony Award Winner James Monroe Iglehart recently revealed the nominees for the Tony Awards 2020 and explained that despite the difficult circumstances, the nominated stage productions deserve recognition nevertheless. With all the struggles many people who work in live theatre are experiencing right now, he said, “Theatre has always and will always survive. Theatre is constant”.
After that, Iglehart who is most famous for his Tony Award winning role in Aladdin, continued to reveal the nominations for this year. Only 18 productions have been eligible for a nomination in 2020 which means that some of the categories look frightfully empty. Still, I’m sure you’ll find one or two familiar faces even if you are not a “theatre kid”.
Without further ado, here is the complete list of nominees for the 2020 Tony Awards:
Best Play
A Christmas Carol – Jack Thorne
Grand Horizons – Bess Wohl
Slave Play – Jeremy O Harris
The Inheritance – Matthew Lopez
The Sound Inside – Adam Rapp
Sea Wall / A Life – Simon Stephens/Nick Payne
Best Musical
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Best Book of a Musical
Christopher Nightingale – A Christmas Carol
Paul Englishby – The Inheritance
Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb – The Rose Tattoo
Lindsay Jones – Slave Play
Daniel Kluger – The Sound Inside
Best Choreography
Anthony Van Laast – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Sonya Tayeh – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – Jagged Little Pill
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Clint Ramos – Slave Play – Jeremy O Harris
Bob Crowley – The Inheritance – Matthew Lopez
Derek McLane – A Soldier’s Play – Charles Fuller
Rob Howell – A Christmas Carol – Jack Thorne
Soutra Gilmour – Betrayal – Harold Pinter
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Derek McLane – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Riccardo Hernández and Lucy Mackinnon – Jagged Little Pill
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dede Ayite – Slave Play – Jeremy O Harris
Dede Ayite – A Soldier’s Play – Charles Fuller
Bob Crowley – The Inheritance – Matthew Lopez
Rob Howell – A Christmas Carol – Jack Thorne
Clint Ramos – The Rose Tattoo – Tennessee Williams
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Mark Thompson – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Catherine Zuber – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Emily Rebholz – Jagged Little Pill
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jiyoun Chang – Slave Play – Jeremy O Harris
Jon Clark – The Inheritance – Matthew Lopez
Heather Gilbert – The Sound Inside – Adam Rapp
Allen Lee Hughes – A Soldier’s Play – Charles Fuller
Hugh Vanstone – A Christmas Carol – Jack Thorne
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Bruno Poet – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Justin Townsend – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Justin Townsend – Jagged Little Pill
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti & Christopher Reid – The Inheritance – Matthew Lopez
Simon Baker – A Christmas Carol – Jack Thorne
Lindsay Jones – Slave Play – Jeremy O. Harris
Daniel Kluger – Sea Wall/A Life – Simon Stephens/Nick Payne
Daniel Kluger – The Sound Inside – Adam Rapp
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Nevin Steinberg – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Peter Hylenski – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Jonathan Deans – Jagged Little Pill
Best Director of a Play
Jamie Lloyd – Betrayal – Harold Pinter
David Cromer – The Sound Inside – Adam Rapp
Robert O’Hara – Slave Play – Jeremy O Harris
Kenny Leon – A Soldier’s Play – Charles Fuller
Best Director of a Musical
Phyllida Lloyd – Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Alex Timbers – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Diane Paulus – Jagged Little Pill
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Ian Barford – Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap – The Inheritance
Jake Gylenhaal – Sea Wall / A Life
Tom Hiddleston – Betrayal
Tom Sturridge – Sea Wall / A Life
Blair Underwood – A Soldier’s Play
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Joaquina Kalukango – Slave Play
Laura Linney – My Name is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald – Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary Louise Parker – The Sound Inside
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Ato Blankson-Wood – Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer – Slave Play
David Alan Grier – Soldier’s Play
John Benjamin Hickey – The Inheritance
Paul Hilton – The Inheritance
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Jane Alexander – Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tour – Slave Play
Annie McNamara – Slave Play
Lois Smith – The Inheritance
Cora Vander broek – Linda Vista
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Karen Olivo – Moulin Rouge!
Elizabeth Stanley – Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Aaron Tveit – Moulin Rouge!
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Kathryn Gallagher – Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding – Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder – Moulin Rouge!
Lauren Patten – Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor – Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein – Moulin Rouge!
Derek Klena – Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill – Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Kgaujah – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Daniel J Watts – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Orchestrations
Ethan Popp – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Tom Kitt – Jagged Little Pill
Best Revival of a Play
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune – Terrence McNally
Betrayal – Harold Pinter
A Soldier’s Play – Charles Fuller
Just in case you were wondering: No, I didn’t forget anyone in the category “Best Performance of a Leading Actor in a Musical”. I think we can already congratulate Aaron Tveit for his admittedly easy, but in no way less deserved win. All in all, the musical Jagged Little Pill received the most nominations (15). The Inheritance, which originally premiered in the UK and already won several awards is nominated eleven times.
