The 2018 Tony Award nominations have been announced, and the most recognitions have gone to Mean Girls, SpongeBob SquarePants, Angels in America, The Band’s Visit, Carousel, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and My Fair Lady.
“Mean Girls” and “SpongeBob SquarePants” Lead the Pack
On June 10, 2018, the 72nd Annual Tony Awards will take place at Radio City Music Hall, hosted by two Grammy winners who made their Broadway debuts last season: Josh Groban (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) and Sara Bareilles (Waitress). Yesterday, the nominees were announced by Leslie Odom, Jr. (Tony winner for Hamilton) and Katharine McPhee (who recently made her Broadway debut in Waitress). The most contentious race, and the one with the greatest implications for longevity at the box office, is that for Best Musical. This year, the four nominees for Best Musical are: The Band’s Visit, Frozen, Mean Girls, and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical. Two of those four nominees also hold the honor of tying for the most nominations of any show this year: both Mean Girls and SpongeBob are nominated for 12 awards. Not far behind, The Band’s Visit is nominated for 11 awards, tied with Best Revival of a Play nominee Angels in America, and Best Revival of a Musical nominee Carousel. As for Frozen, that show is nominated for only three awards: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. In addition, Best Play nominee Harry Potter and the Cursed Child brought in 10 nominations, tied with Best Revival of a Musical nominee My Fair Lady, which is also nominated for 10. In addition, Best Revival of a Play nominee The Iceman Cometh made out well with 8 nominations, tied with Best Revival of a Musical nominee Once on This Island, which is also up for 8 awards.
Best Play, Revivals, Book, Score, and Direction
In addition to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the other nominees for Best Play include The Children, Farinelli and the King, Junk, and Latin History for Morons. As previously alluded to, the three nominees for Best Revival of a Musical are My Fair Lady, Carousel, and Once on This Island. As for the award for Best Revival of a Play, in addition to the previously mentioned Angels in America and The Iceman Cometh, the other three nominees are Three Tall Women, Lobby Hero, and Travesties. As for the Best Book of a Musical category, the nominees are Itamar Moses for The Band's Visit, Jennifer Lee for Frozen, Tina Fey for Mean Girls, and Kyle Jarrow for SpongeBob SquarePants. As for Best Original Score, the nominees are Adrian Sutton for Angels in America (in an unusual nomination for a play), David Yazbek for The Band's Visit, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for Frozen, Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin for Mean Girls, and Various Artists for SpongeBob SquarePants. As for the award for Best Direction of a Play, the nominees are Marianne Elliott for Angels in America, Joe Mantello for Three Tall Women, Patrick Marber for Travesties, John Tiffany for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and George C. Wolfe for The Iceman Cometh. Finally, the nominees for Best Direction of a Musical are Michael Arden for Once on This Island, David Cromer for The Band's Visit, Tina Landau for SpongeBob SquarePants, Casey Nicholaw for Mean Girls, and Bartlett Sher for My Fair Lady.
Best Performance Nominees for Leading and Featured Roles in Plays and Musicals
The nominees for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play are Andrew Garfield for Angels in America, Tom Hollander for Travesties, Jamie Parker for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mark Rylance for Farinelli and the King, and Denzel Washington for The Iceman Cometh. Meanwhile, the nominees for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play are Glenda Jackson for Three Tall Women, Condola Rashād for Saint Joan, Lauren Ridloff for Children of a Lesser God, and Amy Schumer for Meteor Shower. The nominees for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical are Harry Hadden-Paton for My Fair Lady, Joshua Henry for Carousel, Tony Shalhoub for The Band's Visit, and Ethan Slater for SpongeBob SquarePants. The nominees for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical are Lauren Ambrose for My Fair Lady, Hailey Kilgore for Once on This Island, LaChanze for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Katrina Lenk for The Band's Visit, Taylor Louderman for Mean Girls, and Jessie Mueller for Carousel. The nominees for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play are Anthony Boyle for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Michael Cera for Lobby Hero, Brian Tyree Henry for Lobby Hero, Nathan Lane for Angels in America, and David Morse for The Iceman Cometh. As for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play, the nominees are Susan Brown for Angels in America, Noma Dumezweni for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Deborah Findlay for The Children, Denise Gough for Angels in America, and Laurie Metcalf for Three Tall Women.
The full list of nominees is below:
Best MusicalThe Band’s VisitFrozenMean GirlsSpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway MusicalBest PlayThe ChildrenFarinelli and the KingHarry Potter and the Cursed ChildJunkLatin History for MoronsBest Revival of a MusicalCarouselMy Fair LadyOnce on This IslandBest Revival of a PlayAngels in AmericaLobby HeroThree Tall WomenThe Iceman ComethTravestiesBest Book of a MusicalThe Band’s Visit, Itamar Moses
Frozen, Jennifer Lee
Mean Girls, Tina Fey
SpongeBob SquarePants, Kyle Jarrow
Best Original ScoreAngels in America, Adrian Sutton
The Band’s Visit, Music and Lyrics: David Yazbek
Frozen, Music and Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Mean Girls, Music: Jeff Richmond; Lyrics: Nell Benjamin
SpongeBob SquarePants, Various contributors
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Tom Hollander, Travesties
Jamie Parker, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Mark Rylance, Farinelli and the King
Denzel Washington, The Iceman ComethBest Leading Actress in a Play
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Condola Rashad, Saint Joan
Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God
Amy Schumer, Meteor ShowerBest Leading Actor in a Musical
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants
Tony Shalhoub, The Band’s VisitBest Leading Actress in a Musical
Lauren Ambrose, My Fair Lady
Hailey Kilgore, Once on This Island
LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Katrina Lenk, The Band’s Visit
Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls
Jessie Mueller, CarouselBest Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Michael Cera, Lobby Hero
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero
Nathan Lane, Angels in America
David Morse, The Iceman ComethBest Featured Actress in a Play
Susan Brown, Angels in America
Noma Dumezweni, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Deborah Findlay, The Children
Denise Gough, Angels in America
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall WomenBest Featured Actor in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, My Fair Lady
Alexander Gemignani, Carousel
Grey Henson, Mean Girls
Gavin Lee, SpongeBob SquarePants
Ari’el Stachel, The Band’s VisitBest Featured Actress in a Musical
Ariana DeBose, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Renée Fleming, Carousel
Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
Ashley Park, Mean Girls
Diana Rigg, My Fair LadyBest Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, Three Tall Women
Jonathan Fensom, Farinelli and the King
Santo Loquasto, The Iceman Cometh
Christine Jones, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ian MacNeil and Edward Pierce, Angels in AmericaBest Scenic Design of a Musical
Dane Laffrey, Once on this Island
Scott Pask, The Band’s Visit
Scott Pask, Finn Ross and Adam Young, Mean Girls
Michael Yeargan, My Fair Lady
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePantsBest Costume Design of a Play
Jonathan Fensom, Farinelli and the King
Nicky Gillibrand, Angels in America
Katrina Lindsay, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ann Roth, Three Tall Women
Ann Roth, The Iceman ComethBest Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Mean Girls
Clint Ramos, Once on This Island
Ann Roth, Carousel
David Zinn, SpongeBob SquarePants
Catherine Zuber, My Fair LadyBest Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Paule Constable, Angels in America
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, The Iceman Cometh
Paul Russell, Farinelli and the King
Ben Stanton, JunkBest Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, SpongeBob SquarePants
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Once on This Island
Donald Holder, My Fair Lady
Brian MacDevitt, Carousel
Tyler Micoleau, The Band’s VisitBest Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott, Angels in America
Joe Mantello, Three Tall Women
Patrick Marber, Travesties
John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
George C. Wolfe, The Iceman ComethBest Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Once on This Island
David Cromer, The Band’s Visit
Tina Landau, SpongeBob SquarePants
Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls
Bartlett Sher, My Fair LadyBest Choreography
Christopher Gattelli, My Fair Lady
Christopher Gattelli, SpongeBob SquarePants
Steven Hoggett, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls
Justin Peck, CarouselBest Orchestrations
John Clancy, Mean Girls
Tom Kitt, SpongeBob SquarePants
AnnMarie Milazzo and Michael Starobin, Once on This Island
Jamshied Sharifi, The Band’s Visit
Jonathan Tunick, CarouselSound Design in a Play
Adam Cork, Travesties
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Angels in America
Gareth Fry, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Tom Gibbons, 1984
Dan Moses Schreier, The Iceman ComethSound Design in a Musical
Kai Harada, The Band’s Visit
Peter Hylenski, Once on This Island
Scott Lehrer, Carousel
Brian Ronan, Mean Girls
Walter Trarbach and Mike Dobson, SpongeBob SquarePantsSpecial Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater
Chita Rivera
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Special Tony Award
John Leguizamo
Bruce Springsteen
Regional Theater Tony Award
La MaMa E.T.C.
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
Nick Scandalios
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater
Sara Krulwich
Bessie Nelson
Ernest Winzer Cleaners