Best Choreography
– Warren Carlyle (After Midnight) – also nominated for Best Director
– Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine (Rocky) –Hogget previously nominated for Once
– Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin) – previously nominated for Book of Mormon, Spamalot, and The Drowsy Chaperone; previously won for Direction for Book of Mormon
– Susan Stroman (Bullets Over Broadway) – previously won for The Producers, Contact, Show Boat, and Crazy For You; previously nominated for The Scottsboro Boys, Oklahoma, The Music Man, Steel Pier, and Big; previously won for Direction for The Producers
Interestingly, despite a field of celebrated director/choreographers, only one of these choreographers is also nominated as director – After Midnight’s Warren Carlyle. There is almost no chance that Carlyle wins as director, but there is a good chance he will win for his choreography – by all accounts After Midnight’s choreography is excellent, and otherwise the show would walk away empty-handed. Carlyle also won the Drama Desk and OCC Awards.
Hoggett (who worked on Peter and the Starcatcher) and Divine (Memphis and Rock of Ages) stand the least chance of winning – the choreography in Rocky is pretty coo when it comes to the climactic fight scene, but otherwise is not much to write home about. Stroman was also the director/choreographer of the unappreciated Big Fish this season, and does a good job with the choreography on Bullets. However, she has been winning Tonys since I was born, and this year did not represent her best efforts.
I think that Casey Nicholaw should get the Tony for Aladdin, which would make his first Tony won for choreography. Aladdin is a surprisingly dance-heavy show, and definitely featured the best dancing and most imaginative choreography I’ve seen all season. Here’s hoping the Tony voters recognize that and give the Tony to Nicholaw.
Will Win: Warren Carlyle (After Midnight)
Might Win: Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin)
Should Win: Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin)
Best Costume Design
– Linda Cho (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder)
– William Ivey Long (Bullets Over Broadway) – previously won for Cinderella, Grey Gardens, Hairspray, The Producers, Crazy for You, and Nine; previously nominated seven other times
– Arianne Phillips (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
– Isabel Toledo (After Midnight)
All of these costume designers except Long are making their Broadway debuts, though Phillips is as Oscar-nominated designer. And there is no sense in betting against Long – he won this Tony last year for Cinderella, and will almost certainly repeat for his superb work outfitting the ‘20s gangsters in Bullets Over Broadway. Also working in his favor is that this is likely the only award Bullets Over Broadway will get, and the fact that Long’s spectacular costumes for Big Fish were overlooked by the Tonys this year. Sure enough, Long won both the Drama Desk and OCC Awards for Bullets Over Broadway.
If competition comes from anywhere, it will come from A Gentleman’s Guide, since the costumes in that show are quite imaginative. But there is no way Long won’t get it, in the process becoming one of three people to win Best Costume Tonys in back-to-back years (the others are Florence Klotz and Catherine Zuber).
Will Win: William Ivey Long (Bullets Over Broadway)
Might Win: Linda Cho (A Gentleman’s Guide)
Should Win: William Ivey Long (Bullets Over Broadway)
Best Scenic Design
– Christopher Barreca (Rocky)
– Julian Crouch (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
– Alexander Dodge (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) – previously nominated for Present Laughter
– Santo Loquasto (Bullets Over Broadway) – previously won for Café Crown; previously nominated ten times for scenic design; previously won for Costumes for The Cherry Orchard and Grand Hotel
This award really should go to Rocky – the huge boxing ring that slides into the audience is one of the coolest set pieces I’ve ever seen, and really should be rewarded. It already was rewarded by both the Drama Desk and the OCC. I’ve not heard anything about Hedwig’s set – in fact, I’m surprised Julian Crouch was not instead nominated for the set of Big Fish, which was very impressive. The set of Bullets Over Broadway was nothing special, so if any musical will challenge Rocky, it will be A Gentleman’s Guide, whose set was nothing big but quite inventive.
Will Win: Christopher Barreca (Rocky)
Might Win: Alexander Dodge (A Gentleman’s Guide)
Should Win: Christopher Barreca (Rocky)
Best Lighting Design
– Kevin Adams (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) – previously won for American Idiot, The 39 Steps, and Spring Awakening; previously nominated for Hair and Next to Normal
– Christopher Akerlind (Rocky) – previously won for The Light in the Piazza; previously nominated for Porgy and Bess, 110 in the Shade, Awake and Sing, and Seven Guitars
– Howell Binkley (After Midnight) – previously won for Jersey Boys; previously nominated for How to Succeed…, West Side Story, In the Heights, and Kiss of the Spider Woman
– Donald Holder (Bridges of Madison County) – previously won for South Pacific and Lion King; previously nominated seven other times
To be honest, I have no idea which of these shows had the best lighting. The Drama Desk went to Akerlind for Rocky, the OCC Award went to Adams for Hedwig. All of these lighting designers already have Tonys. Though I’ve not seen it, I’m going to bet on Hedwig, between the show’s momentum and Adams’s Tony track record. But Akerlind could pull off a steal for Rocky, or Holder could sneak in there for Bridges (he does pull off some spectacular sunrises in the show).
Will Win: Kevin Adams (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Might Win: Christopher Akerlind (Rocky)
Best Sound Design
– Peter Hylenski (After Midnight) – previously nominated for Motown, The Scottsboro Boys, and Rock of Ages
– Tim O’Heir (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
– Mick Potter (Les Misérables)
– Brian Ronan (Beautiful) – previously won for Book of Mormon; previously nominated for Nice Work If You Can Get It, Anything Goes, and Next to Normal
I have no understanding of sound design, and have only seen one of the nominees, so I am no help in this category. It’s an interesting field – two of the designers worked on three shows each this season. Hylenski did the sound design for After Midnight, Rocky, and Bullets Over Broadway. Ronan did the sound design for Beautiful, Cabaret, and If/Then. In contrast, O’Heir is making his Broadway debut, and Potter is also fairly new.
The Drama Desk went to Ronan for Beautiful (there is no OCC category for sound design). I am inclined to agree that Ronan will get the award, because I don’t think Beautiful will get any other awards, and it’ll be shocking to see the show go home empty-handed. If not Ronan, perhaps O’Heir will ride the wave of support for Hedwig and pick up the award.
Will Win: Brian Ronan (Beautiful)
Might Win: Tim O’Heir (Hedwig)
Recap
Best Musical: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Best Revival: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Best Director: Darko Tresnjak (A Gentleman’s Guide)
Best Actor: Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig)
Best Actress: Kelli O’Hara (Bridges of Madison County)
Best Featured Actor: James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin)
Best Featured Actress: Lauren Worsham (A Gentleman’s Guide)
Best Score: Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (If/Then)
Best Book: Robert L. Freedman (A Gentleman’s Guide)
Best Orchestrations: Jason Robert Brown (Bridges of Madison County)
Best Choreography: Warren Carlyle (After Midnight)
Best Costume Design: William Ivey Long (Bullets Over Broadway)
Best Scenic Design: Christopher Barreca (Rocky)
Best Lighting Design: Kevin Adams (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Best Sound Design: Brian Ronan (Beautiful)
Final Tally:
A Gentleman’s Guide – 4
Hedwig – 3
Bridges of Madison County – 2
Aladdin – 1
After Midnight – 1
Beautiful – 1
Bullets Over Broadway – 1
If/Then – 1
Rocky – 1
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