“The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” dominated the nominations for the 79th Tony Awards on Tuesday, earning 12 nods each, followed closely by the critically acclaimed revival of “Ragtime” with 11.
“Death of a Salesman,” a radical reimagining of Arthur Miller’s look at capitalism’s corrosive influence, was the top play, earning nine nominations, including nods for the performances of Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf and Christopher Abbott, as well as for Joe Mantello’s direction. The show marks the comeback of Scott Rudin, the superstar producer who retreated from Broadway following multiple allegations of bullying and abuse in 2021. Rudin not only produced “Salesman,” he also oversaw “Little Bear Ridge Road,” which earned a best play nomination.
This year’s Tony season has yet to determine a clear frontrunner. That 12-12-11 split among the top contenders is highly unusual in modern Tony history, where recent seasons have typically produced an undeniable favorite (i.e., “Hamilton” with 16 or “A Strange Loop” with 11 in their respective winning years).
“The Lost Boys” and “Schmigaddon!,” which are lavishly produced shows, will vie for best musical alongside two smaller-scale productions, the off-Broadway transfer “Titaníque” and the West End export “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).” “Ragtime” will compete for best musical revival against “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which transports the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to the world of ballroom culture, and “Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show,” a re-staging of the kinky cult favorite.
The best play category boasts several politically charged nominees. It’s a group that includes not only “Little Bear Ridge Road,” but also “The Balusters,” a comedy about a dysfunctional neighborhood organization,” as well as “Liberation,” the story of a group of feminists in the ’70s, and “Giant,” a look at children’s author Roald Dahl’s antisemitism. Along with “Salesman,” the best play revival nominees include the relationship comedy “Becky Shaw,” the Noël Coward farce “Fallen Angels,” a modern re-telling of “Oedipus” (complete with a clock counting down to the big reveal) and “Every Brilliant Thing,” a one-man show with Daniel Radcliffe as a grieving man.
June Squibb and Danny Burstein both broke Tony records for the same production — Jordan Harrison’s “Marjorie Prime.” Squibb, 96, becomes the oldest acting nominee in Tony history with her best featured actress in a play nod. The nomination is also Squibb’s first ever, arriving 67 years after her 1959 Broadway debut as Electra in the original “Gypsy” opposite Ethel Merman. The Oscar nominee, who recently led the films “Thelma” and Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut “Eleanor the Great,” will compete against Betsy Aidem (“Liberation”), Marylouise Burke (“The Balusters”), Aya Cash (“Giant”) and Metcalf (“Death of a Salesman”).
Burstein’s nod for the same play makes him the most-nominated male performer in Tony history, with nine career nominations, breaking a 47-year-old record set by Jason Robards. (Robards’ eight nominations spanned 1957-1978.) Burstein won his sole trophy in 2020 for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” His category, best featured actor in a play, expanded to six nominees this year — Burstein joins Christopher Abbott (“Death of a Salesman”), Brandon J. Dirden (“Waiting for Godot”), Alden Ehrenreich (“Becky Shaw”), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”) and Richard Thomas (“The Balusters”).
Coming off her best actress Oscar nomination earlier this year for Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Rose Byrne landed her first career Tony nomination for best actress in a play in Roundabout’s revival of Noël Coward’s “Fallen Angels.” The Australian actress becomes the 17th woman (and 33rd performer) in history to score Tony and Oscar acting nominations in the same calendar year. The last performer of any gender to do it was Adam Driver in 2019, for “BlacKkKlansman” and “Burn This.”
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety