“Natasha, Pierre” Leads with 12 Nominations

This morning, May 2, 2017, the Tony committee announced the nominations for the Tony Awards, which will take place on Sunday, June 11, 2017 at Radio City Music Hall, hosted by Kevin Spacey. The show with the most nominations was, to the great surprise of some, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, leading with 12 nominations. Just behind was Hello, Dolly! with 10 nominations. The most contentious and venerated award, that for Best Musical, is by no means a shoe-in this year, like it was last year for Hamilton. This year, only four shows are up for the award for Best Musical: Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Groundhog Day, and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. This means that the following new musicals were left out of the running: War Paint, Anastasia, Amélie, A Bronx Tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bandstand, Holiday Inn, and In Transit. As for the nominees for Best Revival of a Musical, only three made the cut: Falsettos, Hello, Dolly!, and Miss Saigon. This means the following two musical revivals were left out of the race: Cats and Sunset Boulevard. As for Best Play, the four nominees are A Doll’s House, Part 2, Indecent, Oslo, and Sweat, which means the following new plays were snubbed: The Encounter, Heisenberg, Oh, Hello, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Present, and Significant Other. Finally, the nominees for Best Revival of a Play are Jitney, The Little Foxes, Present Laughter, and Six Degrees of Separation, a list that excludes The Cherry Orchard, The Front Page, The Glass Menagerie, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and The Price.

Best Actor and Actress Awards Will Be Tough to Call

The nominees for Best Leading Actor in a Play are Denis Arndt from Heisenberg, Chris Cooper from A Doll’s House, Part 2, Corey Hawkins from Six Degrees of Separation, Kevin Kline from Present Laughter, and Jefferson Mays from Oslo. As for Best Leading Actress in a Play, the nominees are Cate Blanchett from The Present, Jennifer Ehle from Oslo, Sally Field from The Glass Menagerie, Laura Linney from The Little Foxes, and Laurie Metcalf from A Doll’s House, Part 2. The nominees for Best Leading Actor in a Musical are Christian Borle from Falsettos, Josh Groban from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Andy Karl from Groundhog Day, David Hyde Pierce from Hello, Dolly!, and Ben Platt from Dear Evan Hansen. As for the award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, the nominees are Denée Benton from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Christine Ebersole from War Paint, Patti LuPone from War Paint, Bette Midler from Hello, Dolly!, and Eva Noblezada from Miss Saigon. Many of these awards will be quite contentious. Some of the major snubs in the leading actor or actress categories include Laura Osnes from Bandstand, Phillipa Soo from Amélie, Mark Ruffalo from The Price, Allison Janney from Six Degrees of Separation, and Gideon Glick from Significant Other.

Best Direction, Writing, and Composing Awards

The nominees for Best Direction of a Play are Sam Gold for A Doll’s House, Part 2, Ruben Santiago-Hudson for Jitney, Bartlett Sher for Oslo, Daniel Sullivan for The Little Foxes, and Rebecca Taichman for Indecent. The nominees for Best Direction of a Musical are Christopher Ashley for Come From Away, Rachel Chavkin for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Michael Greif for Dear Evan Hansen, Matthew Warchus for Groundhog Day, and Jerry Zaks for Hello, Dolly! The nominees for Best Book of a Musical are Irene Sankoff and David Hein for Come From Away, Steven Levenson for Dear Evan Hansen, Danny Rubin for Groundhog Day, and Dave Malloy for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. As for Best Original Score, the nominees are Irene Sankoff and David Hein for Come From Away, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul for Dear Evan Hansen, Tim Minchin for Groundhog Day, and Dave Malloy for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Major snubs include War Paint, Anastasia, and Amélie. *** Below is the full list of nominations: Best Play: “A Doll’s House, Part 2” “Indecent” “Oslo” “Sweat” Best Musical: “Come From Away” “Dear Evan Hansen” “Groundhog Day The Musical” “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Best Book of a Musical: “Come From Away” — Irene Sankoff and David Hein “Dear Evan Hansen” — Steven Levenson “Groundhog Day The Musical” — Danny Rubin “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” — Dave Malloy Best Original Score: “Come From Away” — Music & Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein “Dear Evan Hansen” — Music & Lyrics: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul “Groundhog Day The Musical” — Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” — Music & Lyrics: Dave Malloy Best Revival of a Play: “August Wilson’s Jitney” “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes” “Present Laughter” “Six Degrees of Separation” Best Revival of a Musical: “Falsettos” “Hello, Dolly!” “Miss Saigon” Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: Denis Arndt, “Heisenberg” Chris Cooper, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Corey Hawkins, “Six Degrees of Separation” Kevin Kline, “Present Laughter” Jefferson Mays, “Oslo” Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play: Cate Blanchett, “The Present” Jennifer Ehle, “Oslo” Sally Field, “The Glass Menagerie” Laura Linney, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes” Laurie Metcalf, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Christian Borle, “Falsettos” Josh Groban, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Andy Karl, “Groundhog Day The Musical” David Hyde Pierce, “Hello, Dolly!” Ben Platt, “Dear Evan Hansen” Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Denee Benton, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Christine Ebersole, “War Paint” Patti LuPone, “War Paint” Bette Midler, “Hello, Dolly!” Eva Noblezada, “Miss Saigon” Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Michael Aronov, “Oslo” Danny DeVito, “Arthur Miller’s The Price” Nathan Lane, “The Front Page” Richard Thomas, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes” John Douglas Thompson, “August Wilson’s Jitney” Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Johanna Day, “Sweat” Jayne Houdyshell, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Cynthia Nixon, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes” Condola Rashad, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Michelle Wilson, “Sweat” Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Gavin Creel, “Hello, Dolly!” Mike Faist, “Dear Evan Hansen” Andrew Rannells, “Falsettos” Lucas Steele, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Brandon Uranowitz, “Falsettos” Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Kate Baldwin, “Hello, Dolly!” Stephanie J. Block, “Falsettos” Jenn Colella, “Come From Away” Rachel Bay Jones, “Dear Evan Hansen” Mary Beth Peil, “Anastasia” Best Scenic Design of a Play: David Gallo, “August Wilson’s Jitney” Nigel Hook, “The Play That Goes Wrong” Douglas W. Schmidt, “The Front Page” Michael Yeargan, “Oslo” Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Rob Howell, “Groundhog Day The Musical” David Korins, “War Paint” Mimi Lien, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!” Best Costume Design of a Play: Jane Greenwood, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes” Susan Hilferty, “Present Laughter” Toni-Leslie James, “August Wilson’s Jitney” David Zinn, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Best Costume Design of a Musical: Linda Cho, “Anastasia” Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!” Paloma Young, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Catherine Zuber, “War Paint” Best Lighting Design of a Play: Christopher Akerlind, “Indecent” Jane Cox, “August Wilson’s Jitney” Donald Holder, “Oslo” Jennifer Tipton, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Howell Binkley, “Come From Away” Natasha Katz, “Hello, Dolly!” Bradley King, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Japhy Weideman, “Dear Evan Hansen” Best Direction of a Play: Sam Gold, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “August Wilson’s Jitney” Bartlett Sher, “Oslo” Daniel Sullivan, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes” Rebecca Taichman, “Indecent” Best Direction of a Musical: Christopher Ashley, “Come From Away” Rachel Chavkin, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Michael Greif, “Dear Evan Hansen” Matthew Warchus, “Groundhog Day The Musical” Jerry Zaks, “Hello, Dolly!” Best Choreography: Andy Blankenbuehler, “Bandstand” Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, “Groundhog Day The Musical” Kelly Devine, “Come From Away” Denis Jones, “Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical” Sam Pinkleton, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Best Orchestrations: Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, “Bandstand” Larry Hochman, “Hello, Dolly!” Alex Lacamoire, “Dear Evan Hansen” Dave Malloy, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre: James Earl Jones Special Tony Award: Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin, sound designers for “The Encounter” Regional Theatre Tony Award: Dallas Theater Center in Dallas, Texas Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award: Baayork Lee Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre: Nina Lannan and Alan Wasser