“Mean Girls” and “SpongeBob SquarePants” Lead the Pack

On June 10, 2018, the 72^nd 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 Musical The Band’s Visit Frozen Mean Girls SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical Best Play The Children Farinelli and the King Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Junk Latin History for Morons Best Revival of a Musical Carousel My Fair Lady Once on This Island Best Revival of a Play Angels in America Lobby Hero Three Tall Women The Iceman Cometh Travesties Best Book of a Musical The Band’s Visit, Itamar Moses Frozen, Jennifer Lee Mean Girls, Tina Fey SpongeBob SquarePants, Kyle Jarrow Best Original Score Angels 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 Cometh Best Leading Actress in a Play Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women Condola Rashad, Saint Joan Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God Amy Schumer, Meteor Shower Best Leading Actor in a Musical Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady Joshua Henry, Carousel Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants Tony Shalhoub, The Band’s Visit Best 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, Carousel Best 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 Cometh Best 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 Women Best 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 Visit Best 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 Lady Best 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 America Best 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 SquarePants Best 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 Cometh Best 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 Lady Best 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, Junk Best 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 Visit Best 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 Cometh Best 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 Lady Best Choreography Christopher Gattelli, My Fair Lady Christopher Gattelli, SpongeBob SquarePants Steven Hoggett, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls Justin Peck, Carousel Best 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, Carousel Sound 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 Cometh Sound 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 SquarePants Special 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