Here at Acceptd, we are all counting down the days for Broadway’s biggest night, the Tony Awards! So we decided to break down everything you need to know to enjoy this magical night of song and dance. And a 5-6-7-8. . .
What are the Tony Awards?: Now in its 73rd year, the Tony Awards are the highest honor in live Broadway theatre, recognizing excellence in the casts, crews, and overall production of this season’s Broadway shows. Think of them like the Oscars, but for live theatre instead of film.
When: Sunday, June 9, 8-11pm EST. Red carpet begins at 5pm EST.
Where to watch: The Tony’s will be airing live on CBS and CBS All Access.
CBS All Access offers a free one-week trial you can use to stream the awards if you’ve never signed up before, and so does YouTubeTV. If you are going with either of these options, I would set it up a couple days before to make sure everything is working ok!
If neither of those is an option for you, call around to local movie theatres, a lot of theatres stream the Tony’s live!
Who is hosting?: This year, Tony Award-Winner James Cordon will be hosting. And he set the bar high by winning an Emmy for hosting the Tony’s in 2016. How will he outdo himself this year?
Who is performing?: Performers have not been announced yet, but typically the casts of best musical and best musical revival nominees will perform.
Here is the full list of Tony Awards 2019 nominees, along with some synopses!
MUSICALS
Best Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud” is a jukebox musical based on the music of The Temptations, telling the story of their journey from Detroit to the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame. (Number of nominations: 12)
“Beetlejuice” is based on the 1988 movie of the same name. Same story, just a little song and dance thrown in. And don’t worry, “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”, made the cut. (Number of Nominations: 8)
“Hadestown” takes a unique spin on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in a Great Depression era inspired backdrop. (Number of Nominations: 14)
“The Prom” tells the heartfelt story of four washed up Broadway stars traveling to a small town in Indiana after they hear the story of a local high school canceling prom because a lesbian student plans to bring her girlfriend. While they originally go for good press and to soak in the spotlight, they end up getting involved in more ways than they thought. (Number of Nominations: 6)
“Tootsie” is based on the 1982 film of the same name. In case you aren’t familiar (first of all, you should be, it’s great), it tells the story of an actor who can’t land a role because of his bad reputation in the industry, so he begins auditioning as a female instead, and beyond all odds becomes a Broadway sensation . . . (Number of Nominations: 11)
Best Musical Revival
“Kiss Me, Kate” is a revival of the 1948 classic by Cole Porter. The revival stars Will Chase and Tony-decorated Kelli O'Hara. To critics delight, the show made a few changes to alter some of the gender stereotypes of the original production, which is an issue many revivals have been facing in recent years. (Number of Nominations: 4)
“Oklahoma!” is a revival of the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein hit show. This reimagined revival stars Rebecca Naomi Jones and Damon Daunno, and features new arrangements and orchestrations by Daniel Kluger. (Number of Nominations: 8)
Best Actor (Musical)
Brooks Ashmanskas, “The Prom”
Derrick Baskin, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Alex Brightman, “Beetlejuice”
Damon Daunno, “Oklahoma!”
Santino Fontana, “Tootsie”
Best Actress (Musical)
Stephanie J. Block, “The Cher Show”
Caitlin Kinnunen, “The Prom”
Beth Leavel, “The Prom”
Eva Noblezada, “Hadestown”
Kelli O’Hara, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Best Featured Actor (Musical)
Andre De Shields, “Hadestown”
Andy Grotelueschen, “Tootsie”
Patrick Page, “Hadestown”
Jeremy Pope, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Ephraim Sykes, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Featured Actress (Musical)
Lilli Cooper, “Tootsie”
Amber Gray, “Hadestown”
Sarah Stiles, “Tootsie”
Ali Stroker, “Oklahoma!”
Mary Testa, “Oklahoma!”
Best Director (Musical)
Rachel Chavkin, “Hadestown”
Scott Ellis, “Tootsie”
Daniel Fish, “Oklahoma!”
Des McAnuff, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Casey Nicholaw, “The Prom”
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, “Choir Boy”
Warren Carlyle, “Kiss Me, Kate”
Denis Jones, “Tootsie”
David Neumann, “Hadestown”
Sergio Trujillo, “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Book of a Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud”
“Beetlejuice”
“Hadestown”
“The Prom”
“Tootsie”
Best Original Score
“Be More Chill” is Broadway meets comedy meets sci-fi. The main character, Jeremy, is a shy outcast who discovers a pill that will instantly make him more popular and confident. Unfortunately for Jeremy, there are no side-effects written on the bottle . . .(Number of Nominations: 1)
“Beetlejuice”
“Hadestown”
“The Prom”
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
“Tootsie”
Best Orchestrations
“Ain’t Too Proud”
“Hadestown”
“Kiss Me, Kate”
“Oklahoma!”
“Tootsie”
Best Costume Design (Musical)
“Ain’t Too Proud”
“Beetlejuice”
“The Cher Show” is a jukebox musical featuring music from (YOU GUESSED IT), Cher. It unravels the story of three phases of Cher’s life—Babe, Lady, and Star— including her relationships with Bob Mackie and Sonny Bono. (Number of Nominations: 3)
“Hadestown”
“Tootsie”
Best Lighting Design (Musical)
“Ain’t Too Proud”
“Beetlejuice”
“The Cher Show”
“Hadestown”
“King Kong” is based on the 1932 novel and 1933 film of the same name, following two young men who voyage to an uncharted island in search of the “monster” known as King Kong. A highlight of this show is the 20-foot-tall, 2,000-pound animatronic silverback gorilla.(Number of Nominations: 3)
Best Scenic Design (Musical)
“Ain’t Too Proud”
“Beetlejuice”
“Hadestown”
“King Kong”
“Oklahoma!”
Best Sound Design (Musical)
“Ain’t Too Proud”
“Beetlejuice”
“Hadestown”
“King Kong”
“Oklahoma!”
PLAYS
Best Play
“Choir Boy” was written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the man who wrote the play that inspired Oscar-winning “Moonlight”. In a similar theme, “Choir Boy” explores the life of a young black man and his battle between identity and community as he vies for the spot of leader of his school’s gospel choir. (Number of Nominations: 4)
“The Ferryman” tells the story of a family farm in Northern Ireland, where the family has a haunting past that may come back to bite them. (Number of Nominations: 9)
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” breathes comedy into the play category this year, telling a comedic story of the two servants in charge of cleaning up the bodies after the fall of the Roman Empire. (Number of Nominations: 7)
“Ink” is based on the true story of Rupert Murdoch who buys a failing newspaper in 1969 London, and creates a team of underdog reporters to shock the competition. (Number of Nominations: 6)
“What the Constitution Means to Me” is an autobiographical play about Heidi Schreck, who earned her college tuition by winning constitutional debates. In this play, she tells the story of four generations of women from her own family, and how their rights were dictated by that founding document. (Number of Nominations: 2)
Best Play Revival
“All My Sons” is a revival of the 1947 play, telling the story of the Keller family, who are hoping and praying for the return of their son who had gone missing during WWII. During this time of turmoil, family secrets start to surface. (Number of Nominations: 3)
“The Boys in the Band” is a revival based on the groundbreaking 1968 play, telling the story of a group of gay men in NYC hitting the town for a birthday party. The play explores each of their stories and the fault-lines in their friendships. (Number of Nominations: 2)
“Burn This” first premiered in 1987. It tells a story of grief and finding yourself. Act I begins with the funeral of a young dancer named Robbie. Now forced to face this tragedy and grief head on, his friends must navigate these emotions, and make sense of their new lives without him. (Number of Nominations: 3)
“Torch Song” is equal parts funny and heartwrenching, telling the story of a Jewish, homosexual, drag queen and singer who lives in New York City in the 70s and 80s. Groundbreaking for a play that first premiered in 1982! It tackles important themes like sexuality, self-esteem, and betrayal. (Number of Nominations: 2)
“The Waverly Gallery” proves sometimes tragedy can be a little funny. It tells the story of a feisty grandmother named Gladys, and her battle with Alzheimer's, trying to hold onto her independence. The play first premiered in 1999 making it the most modern play to be revived in this year's nominees. (Number of Nominations: 2)
Best Actor (Play)
Paddy Considine, “The Ferryman”
Bryan Cranston, “Network”
Jeff Daniels, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Adam Driver, “Burn This”
Jeremy Pope, “Choir Boy”
Best Actress (Play)
Annette Bening, “All My Sons”
Laura Donnelly, “The Ferryman”
Elaine May, “The Waverly Gallery”
Janet McTeer, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
Laurie Metcalf, “Hillary and Clinton” is set in an alternate universe during the 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign, exploring butting heads of her husband and her campaign manager, and facing gender roles in politics and the political status quo. (Number of Nominations: 1)
Heidi Schreck, “What the Constitution Means to Me”
Best Featured Actor (Play)
Bertie Carvel, “Ink”
Robin De Jesús, “The Boys in the Band”
Gideon Glick, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Burn This”
Benjamin Walker, “All My Sons”
Best Featured Actress (Play)
Fionnula Flanagan, “The Ferryman”
Celia Keenan-Bolger, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Kristine Nielsen, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Julie White, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Ruth Wilson, “King Lear”
Best Director (Play)
Rupert Goold, “Ink”
Sam Mendes, “The Ferryman”
Bartlett Sher, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Ivo van Hove, “Network”
George C. Wolfe, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Best Costume Design (Play)
“Bernhardt/Hamlet” tackles the incredible story of Sarah Bernhardt, who was the first woman to portray Hamlet in 1899 (a crazy-cool feminist move in 1899). Bernhardt/Hamlet explores her story of how she landed this iconic role. And to make it even better? It’s a comedy. (Number of Nominations: 2)
“The Ferryman”
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
“Torch Song”
Best Lighting Design (Play)
“The Ferryman”
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
“Ink”
“Network” is based on the 1976 film of the same name, telling the story of Howard Beale, a television news anchor, who worked hard all his life to do his job well. Despite his best efforts, ratings were plummeting and the station announces they will be letting him go. Instead of going out gracefully, he uses his remaining minutes on air to rant about the industry claiming everything is “bullshit”, leading to an unexpected spike in viewers, which makes the station rethink their decision. . . (Number of Nominations: 5)
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
Best Scenic Design (Play)
“The Ferryman”
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
“Ink”
“Network”
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is based on the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, telling the story of a lawyer defending an innocent black man of rape charges in the depression era south. (Number of Nominations: 9)
Best Sound Design (Play)
“Choir Boy”
“The Ferryman”
“Ink”
“Network”
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
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