Monday, May 1, 2023

Jeff and Mike's 2023 Tony Award Nominations Prediction

With such a rich, varied, and pretty accomplished season now behind us, it's time to crown the winners and finish the season. We can't remember a recent season with so many viable choices in every Tony Awards category. The nominating committee must have faced several difficult choices - not to fill thin categories, but rather to narrow down so many excellent candidates! I know that Mike and I both thought long and hard about our predictions. 

When the list is announced tomorrow, there are bound to be surprise inclusions, shocking omissions, and lots of debate. Why should this year be any different than the rest, right? 

Below, we predict who the Tony committee will nominate tomorrow with an "x," and indicate those who we hope will make the cut with an "o." If only there were more slots in many of the categories... At the bottom there are totals and some notes about the two plays we saw, Leopoldstadt and Life of Pi.

Jeff and Mike's
2023 Tony Awards 
Nominations Predictions



Outstanding Acting
LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICALJMLEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICALJM
Andrew Burnap - CamelotxxAnnaleigh Ashford - Sweeney Toddxx
J. Harrison Ghee - Some Like It HotxxSara Bareilles - Into the Woodsxx
Josh Groban - Sweeney ToddxxVictoria Clark - Kimberly Akimboxx
Brian D'Arcy James - Into the Woods--xLorna Courtney - & Julietx--
Casey Likes - Almost FamousxoMicaela Diamond - Paradexx
Ben Platt - ParadexxCaroline Innerbichler - Shuckedo--
Colton Ryan - New York, New Yorko--Philippa Soo - Camelot--x
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICALJMFEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICALJM
Kevin Cahoon - ShuckedxxCarolee Carmello - Bad Cinderellaxx
Justin Cooley - Kimberly AkimboxxElizabeth A. Davis - 1776--o
Kevin Del Aguila - Some Like It HotxxMelanie La Barrie - & Julieto--
Jordan Dobson - Bad CinderellaooJulia Lester - Into the Woodsxx
Andrew Durand - Shuckedo--Alli Mauzey - Kimberly Akimbox--
Joshua Henry - Into the Woods--oRuthie Ann Miles - Sweeney Toddox
Mark Jacoby - A Beautiful Noiseo--Patina Miller - Into the Woods--o
Gaten Matarazzo - Sweeney ToddxxBonnie Milligan - Kimberly Akimboxx
Alex Newell - ShuckedxxSolea Pfeiffer - Almost Famouso--
Taylor Trensch - Cameloto--Betsy Wolfe - & Julietxx
Ben Jackson Walker - & Juliet--o

Outstanding Direction
DIRECTION OF A MUSICALJMCHOREOGRAPHYJM
Michael Arden - ParadexxSteven Hoggett - A Beautiful Noiseo--
Lear DeBessonet - Into the Woods--oSteven Hoggett - Sweeney Toddox
Thomas Kail - Sweeney ToddxxJoAnn M. Hunter - Bad Cinderellax--
Casey Nicholaw - Some Like It HotxxCasey Nicholaw - Some Like It Hotxx
Jack O'Brien - ShuckedxxSarah O'Gleby - Shuckedxx
Luke Sheppard - & Julieto--Susan Stroman - New York, New Yorkxx
Bartlett Sher - Camelot--xJennifer Weber - & Julietxx
Jessica Stone - Kimberly AkimboxoJennifer Weber - KPOPo--

Outstanding Design
LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICALJMSOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICALJM
Ken Billington - New York, New YorkxxKai Harada - New York, New York--x
Jiyoun Chang - KPOPooPeter Hylenski - Almost Famousx--
Lap Chi Chu - Camelot--xS. Lehrer & A. Neumann - Into the Woods--x
Howard Hudson - & JulietxxGareth Owen - & Julietxx
Natasha Katz - Sweeney ToddxxBrian Ronan - Some Like It Hotxx
Bruno Poet - Bad Cinderellax--John Shivers - Shuckedxx
Japhy Weideman - ShuckedxxNevin Steinberg - Sweeney Toddx--
SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICALJMCOSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICALJM
Beowulf Boritt - New York, New YorkxxGregg Barnes - Some Like It Hotxx
S.Gilmour & A. Goulding - & JulietoxTilly Grimes - Shucked--x
Mimi Lien - Sweeney ToddxxAndrea Hood - Into the Woods--x
Scott Pask - ShuckedxxJennifer Moeller - Camelot--x
Scott Pask - Some Like It HotxxEmilio Sosa - Sweeney Toddxx
Gabriela Tylescova - Bad CinderellaxoGabriela Tylescova - Bad Cinderellax--
Paloma Young - & Julietxo
Donna Zakowska - New York, New Yorkx--
David Zinn - Almost Famousoo

Outstanding Writing
BOOK OF A MUSICALJMORCHESTRATIONSJM
David West Read - & JulietxxBill Sherman - & Julietxx
Cameron Crowe - Almost FamousooTom Kitt - Almost Famousox
Emerald Fennell - Bad CinderellaxoAndrew Lloyd Webber - Bad Cinderellaoo
Aaron Sorkin - Camelot--xJohn Clancy - Kimberly Akimboxx
David Lindsay-Abaire - Kimberly AkimboxxD. Waters & S. Davis - New York, New Yorkx--
Robert Horn - ShuckedxxJason Howland - Shuckedxx
M. Lopez & A. Ruffin - Some Like It HotxxC. Rosen & B. Clark - Some Like It Hotxx
SCORE FOR THE THEATERJM
M: Tom Kitt; L: C. Crowe & T.Kitt - Almost Famousoo
M: A. Lloyd Webber, L: D. Zippel - Bad Cinderellaxx
M: J. Tesori; L: D. Lindsay-Abaire: Kimberly Akimboxx
M&L: Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally - Shuckedxx
M: M. Shaiman; L: S. Wittman, M. Shaiman - Some Like It Hotxx
Andrew T. Mackay - Life of Pixx

Outstanding Production
REVIVAL OF A MUSICALJMMUSICALJM
Bob Fosse's Dancin'xo& Julietxx
Camelot--xAlmost Famousoo
Into the WoodsxxA Beautiful Noise--x
ParadexxKimberly Akimboxx
Sweeney ToddxxNew York, New Yorkx--
Shuckedxx
Some Like It Hotxx

Predicted Nomination Totals
TONY NOMINATION TOTALJMTONY NOMINATION TOTALJM
& Juliet108Kimberly Akimbo97
Almost Famous21Life of Pi11
Bad Cinderella72New York, New York64
A Beautiful Noise01Parade44
Bob Fosse's Dancin'10Shucked1012
Camelot17Some Like It Hot1111
Into the Woods36Sweeney Todd910

The two plays we saw, Leopoldstadt and Life of Pi are both superb and deserving of any and every accolade each will receive. We agree that both should get Best Play nods, and both could figure into the Best Score mix - you'll note that both of us figured that if there's a 5th nominee, we predict that Life of Pi could get it. We both agree that both should figure into the technical wards, particularly scenic, lighting and costume design. As far as the acting awards go, it will be a crime if Hiran Abeysekera is not recognized for his brilliant performance as Pi. And both productions further expose the need for a Best Ensemble Tony Award.

No matter how it all shakes out, congratulations to every single eligible person in every single production from the 2022-2023 season. Your work made us love live theater even more than ever. Thank you!  

2 comments:

  1. Natasha Yvette Williams wasn't even listed. Huh? Also, Patina Miller is entered in the category.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jeff here: We considered every possibility in each category. The lists above include only those we thought would be nominated & those we hoped would be. NYW was not chosen by either of us, and Mike hoped PM would make the cut. Thanks for commenting. We appreciate your reading!

    ReplyDelete

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