Some Thoughts on the 2025 Tony Awards

It's been a few hours. The dust has almost settled, and I've gotten my thoughts together. The good, the bad...the baffling.

Some Thoughts on the 2025 Tony Awards

The Show

The Tony Awards: Act One Preview (Pluto TV - Entertainment Tonight): 

• Delightful interview with host Cynthia Erivo. Fun ET vault interviews with nominees, like one from 2015 with Nicole Scherzinger vowing to return to the stage, where her training lies. Talk about a return! Other clips include Audra, George Clooney, Jonathan Groff and Darren Criss. Naturally, though it's definitely about the Tonys, ET lays it on thick with the Hollywood connections to the season. My favorite segment? A look back at the first awards ET covered: 1982, the year of Nine vs Dreamgirls. A snarky Tommy Tune, a humble Cher, and an excited Jennifer Holliday. 

The Tony Awards: Act One (Pluto TV): 

• It goes so smoothly when everyone is prepared, and when there isn't such a huge rush to get all the "thank yous" in. And no real surprises here, either.
• What a great speech from the MUNY. I really need to get there.
• The Educator Award is so moving every year, what a great man. His students are very fortunate, indeed.
• What a wonderful speech by Sara Bareilles, and what a wonderful human being Celia Keenan-Bolger.
• Harvey. Nothing else needs to be said. Thank you.

The Tony Awards (CBS):

The Numbers

• Opening Number: "Sometimes All You Need" - What a voice! Classy opening number! And funny, too. Love the Sunset walk around and the cameos! (Go, HwaBoon!)
• Buena Vista Social Club: "Dos Gardenias" is a powerful showcase of everything that is great about the show. Perfect use of this platform.
• Dead Outlaw: "Opening/Dead" The perfect choice to showcase this oddball really-not-made-for-television musical, both in terms of the sound of the show and the terrific ensemble cast.
• Death Becomes Her: "Do It For the Gaze" The best production number in the show seemed perfect for the Tonys. The sound, as usual, was spotty at best. Megan is a trooper.
• Floyd Collins: "The Ballad of Floyd Collins/The Call" It sounded so beautiful, and the company sounded so great. 
• Gypsy: "Rose's Turn" Wow. No more bitching about Patti's enunciation. And just like Patti, riveting anyway.
• Just In Time: "Mack the Knife, etc." Groff, as always, oozes charisma. The band sounded great. Still not interested.
• Maybe Happy Ending: "Chasing Fireflies/Never Fly Away" Not the song I'd have chosen, but it sounded beautiful, and Helen J. Shen was robbed.
• Operation Mincemeat: "Born to Lead" Still hard to believe that's only 5 people. Having seen the show, I think it was the best choice to sample the show, but I doubt it'll sell many tickets.
• Pirates!: What absolute fun! Best washboard choreo since Crazy For You in '92!
• Real Women Have Curves: "Jugglin'" Great flavor of the show! PLEASE go see it!
• Sunset Blvd.: Great intro by Glenn. "As If We Never Said Goodbye" this brilliantly performed aria tells you everything to know about this stunning revival. Chills every single time.
• Hamilton 10th Anniversary: "Mix Tape" I had chills. It was better than the actual show. (Don't bother writing...)
• In Memoriam: "Tomorrow" A gorgeous arrangement, vocalized in stunning harmony by Bareilles and Erivo. I'm sure Gavin is pleased.

The Surprises

• I don't know if it was really a surprise, but Kara Young sure seemed shocked.
• I don't know if it was really a surprise, but Sam Pinkelton sure seemed shocked.
• Personal surprise: I loved the Hamilton number.
• I was shocked at Audra's performance. I'm glad we didn't sit too close when we saw it.

The Misses

• Not really a miss, but it saddens me that the play John Proctor is the Villain was not recognized.

The Best Moments

• I thought Cynthia was a great host!
• Jake Malone's speech - fast, furious & righteous! Bravo!
• Natalie Venetia Belcon - funny and heartfelt. Brava!
• Cole Escola's dress. They looked so pretty!

How Did We Do?

• Mike and I tied this year! We each got 3 wrong.

Here's to next year!!

The 2025 Tony Awards: Our Predictions

The 2025 Tony Awards: 

Our Predictions

At last the Super Bowl of theater is upon us! As usual, Mike and I have given thought to all of the shows we've seen this season - including 2 new plays, 2 play revivals, 4 musical revivals and 9 new musicals. As such, we'll do our best to predict the winners in the musical categories at The 78th Annual Tony Awards, plus some thoughts on the play categories.

Below are our picks for "Will Win" and "Should Win," as well as notes for each. We've also included a few "Overlooked" nominees. Of course, we congratulate all of the nominees and winners. It was a great season!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Jak Malone - Operation Mincemeat	Will Win:	Jak Malone - Operation Mincemeat
Should Win:	Taylor Trensch - Floyd Collins	Should Win:	Danny Burstein - Gypsy
Overlooked:	David Thaxton - Sunset Blvd.	Overlooked:	David Thaxton - Sunset Blvd.
Jeff's Notes	Too many viable choices - I loved them all. Malone's subtlety in an ocean of craziness was perfection. Burstein broke my heart. Trensch was superb, but he's the newest kid on this block, so...
Mike's Notes	I'd also put Taylor Trensch up there with Malone and Burstein for a trio of performances that would easily win in leaner years.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Natalie Venetia Belcon - Buena Vista Social Club	Will Win:	Natalie Venetia Belcon - Buena Vista Social Club
Should Win:	Justina Machado - Real Women Have Curves	Should Win:	Justina Machado - Real Women Have Curves
Overlooked:	Lea Salonga - Old Friends & Natasha Hodgson - Operation Mincemeat	Overlooked:	Lea Salonga - Old Friends
Mike's Notes	Again, there are several Tony-worthy performers here, including Belcon and Machado.

Best Book of a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park	Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park
Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park	Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park
Overlooked:	Real Women Have Curves - Lisa Loomer and Nell Benjamin	Overlooked:	Real Women Have Curves - Lisa Loomer and Nell Benjamin
Jeff's Notes	Exactly what Mike said.
Mike's Notes	All the nominees are strong except for Buena Vista. Again, it's a shame Real Women isn't in the mix.
Best Score Written for the Theater
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park	Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park
Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park	Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson and Hue Park
Overlooked:		Overlooked:
Jeff's Notes	Again, I agree with Mike on this, though the same could be said for Death Becomes Her.
Mike's Notes	Probably the best opportunity for Dead Outlaw to pull off a mild upset.
Best Orchestrations
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson	Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson
Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson	Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Will Aronson
Overlooked:		Overlooked:
Jeff's Notes	There are really no losers in this bunch. I'd be thrilled if Floyd Collins pulled an upset, and I wouldn't be surprised if Buena Vista Social Club won.
Mike's Notes	I'm being pretty bullish on Maybe Happy Ending to have a dominant evening - not as dominant as The Band's Visit but bigger than Kimberly Akimbo. I wouldn't be disappointed if veteran David Cullen (15 credits!) won his first Tony for Sunset Blvd. (I thought he'd win a few years ago for Company).

Best Revival of a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Sunset Blvd.	Will Win:	Sunset Blvd.
Should Win:	Floyd Collins	Should Win:	Floyd Collins
Overlooked:		Overlooked:
Jeff's Notes	Gypsy has some exceptional performances, but otherwise it's pretty standard. Floyd Collins was a revelation.
Mike's Notes	Gypsy got the best reviews and seems to be doing well in the precursor awards, so I wouldn't be shocked if it won.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Dane Laffrey & George Reeve	Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Dane Laffrey & George Reeve
Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Dane Laffrey & George Reeve	Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending - Dane Laffrey & George Reeve
Overlooked:	Redwood - Jason Ardizzone-West & Hana S. Kim	Overlooked:	Redwood - Jason Ardizzone-West & Hana S. Kim
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Sunset Blvd. - Jack Knowles	Will Win:	Sunset Blvd. - Jack Knowles
Should Win:	Sunset Blvd. - Jack Knowles	Should Win:	Sunset Blvd. - Jack Knowles
Overlooked:		Overlooked:
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Death Becomes Her - Paul Tazewell	Will Win:	Death Becomes Her - Paul Tazewell
Should Win:	Death Becomes Her - Paul Tazewell	Should Win:	Death Becomes Her - Paul Tazewell
Overlooked:		Overlooked:
Jeff's Notes	It is definitely Paul Tazewell's year. A Tony to go with his Oscar.
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Sunset Blvd. - Adam Fisher	Will Win:	Sunset Blvd. - Adam Fisher
Should Win:	Floyd Collins - Dan Moses Schreier	Should Win:
Overlooked:	Death Becomes Her - Peter Hylenski	Overlooked:	Death Becomes Her - Peter Hylenski
Jeff's Notes	The yodeling echoed perfectly... and the balance in the cave that is the Vivian Beaumont was amazing!

Best Direction of a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Jamie Lloyd - Sunset Blvd.	Will Win:	Michael Arden - Maybe Happy Ending
Should Win:	Michael Arden - Maybe Happy Ending	Should Win:	Michael Arden - Maybe Happy Ending
Overlooked:	Robert Hastie - Operation Mincemeat	Overlooked:
Jeff's Notes	I really want Arden to win - he created a beautiful miracle. But I think that a perfectly executed gimmick will woo the Tony voters.
Mike's Notes	I'm going against the consensus a bit here; I won't be surprised or disappointed if Jamie Lloyd wins.
Best Choreography
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Buena Vista Social Club - Patricia Delgado & Justin Peck	Will Win:	Buena Vista Social Club - Patricia Delgado & Justin Peck
Should Win:	Buena Vista Social Club - Patricia Delgado & Justin Peck	Should Win:	Buena Vista Social Club - Patricia Delgado & Justin Peck
Overlooked:	Sunset Blvd. - Fabian Aloise	Overlooked:
Jeff's Notes	This may be the bone the voters throw Boop.

Plays and Play Revivals: Oh, Mary!, John Proctor is the Villain, Romeo + Juliet, Our Town, Yellow Face
Jeff's Notes	Well, once again, I didn't get to as many plays as I had hoped to, but by and large the ones I did see were wonderful. Oh, Mary! was sublime and perfectly executed Cole Escola's work deserves all of its accolades, and I expect he will be called to the podium at least once. Sam Pinkelton's direction allowed it to breathe and stay in control. But John Proctor is the Villain is the new high bar for excellence for me. A new generation honestly portrayed with timely themes, it still resounded with this Gen-Xer. Excellent drama is timeless. The acting was perfection - I'd be thrilled if Sink, Ebert and Strazza won, the direction even better - Danya Taymor's work is nothing short of perfect. While I didn't really care for Our Town, there were some great performances that were overlooked, namely Zoe Deutch and Ephraim Sykes, who breathed modern vitality into Emily and George. Much like Proctor, the revival of Romeo + Juliet became a vibrant reminder that this classic can appeal to Gen-Z. And I am here for it! That said, Kit Connor was robbed of a Tony nod. I did also see the PBS broadcast of Yellow Face, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Its Tony nominations were all well-deserved. If any of them win, I'd be happy.
Mike's Notes	I saw only maybe a third of the eligible nominees overall, but I can say I'd definitely pick John Proctor is the Villain over the favorite Oh, Mary! for Best Play (though Escola should absolutely win Best Actor to recognize his achievement). On the revival side, Jeff saw more than I did, but based on the PBS broadcast, I'd say Yellow Face is a plausible pick for both "will win" and "should win." Aside from that, acknowledging that I haven't seen enough to make any reliable picks, I'll just list a few performers and other artists I consider absolutely Tony-worthy: Sadie Sink, Francis Jue, Fina Strazza, Danya Taymor, Holly Pierson, Natasha Katz, and Palmer Hefferan.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Darren Criss - Maybe Happy Ending	Will Win:	Darren Criss - Maybe Happy Ending
Should Win:	Darren Criss - Maybe Happy Ending	Should Win:	Jeremy Jordan - Floyd Collins
Overlooked:		Overlooked:
Jeff's Notes	If Nicole wins, Tom Francis just might, too. Should Jeremy be named, I would be very happy, too.
Mike's Notes	Tom Francis has a shot, but I didn't see his performance (along with Groff and Iglehart) so I didn't figure him in.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Nicole Scherzinger - Sunset Blvd.	Will Win:	Audra McDonald - Gypsy
Should Win:	Nicole Scherzinger - Sunset Blvd.	Should Win:	Audra McDonald - Gypsy
Overlooked:	Helen J. Shen - Maybe Happy Ending	Overlooked:	Helen J. Shen - Maybe Happy Ending
Jeff's Notes	A definitive "Rose's Turn" does not a full performance make. Audra's brilliant, but I said what I said. And I wouldn't count out Jasmine Amy Rogers, either.
Mike's Notes	My "will win" shifted recently from Scherzinger to McDonald just based on a gut feeling; I'll be happy either way.

Best Musical
Jeff Predicts:		Mike Predicts:
Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending	Will Win:	Maybe Happy Ending
Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending	Should Win:	Maybe Happy Ending
Overlooked:	Real Women Have Curves	Overlooked:	Real Women Have Curves
Jeff's Notes	It's really disappointing that Real Women didn't make the cut.
Mike's Notes	Real Women is my second-favorite musical of the season, so it's a shame it didn't get nominated.

HOW IT STACKS UP:

Jeff predicts: 6 - Maybe Happy Ending, 5 - Sunset Blvd., 2 - Buena Vista Social Club, 1 - Death Becomes Her, 1 - Operation Mincemeat

Mike predicts: 7 - Maybe Happy Ending, 3 - Sunset Blvd., 2 - Buena Vista Social Club, 1 - Death Becomes Her, 1 - Gypsy, 1 - Operation Mincemeat