And so ends the feel-good Return of Broadway Season — with snubs and virtue signaling!
Monday morning’s 2022 Tony Award nominations announcement notably shunned many of the Great White Way’s most famous and bankable names.
Daniel Craig, star of the critically loathed, but lucrative “Macbeth,” Debra Messing in “Birthday Candles” and husband-and-wife team of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick (their old-fashioned “Plaza Suite” is printing money, but was sneered at by the out-of-touch New York Times) were all told “we’re just not that into you” by the nominating committee.
If I were SJP, I’d add an evening performance on Sunday, June 12 — and livestream it.
No luck for the People’s Princess, either. A moment of silence for poor “Diana the Musical” (just one nom for William Ivey Long’s terrific costumes). The “Thrilla in Manila, but with Diana and Camilla” brought us so much joy… for all the wrong reasons.
Over at the August Wilson Theatre, Beanie Feldstein and her revival of “Funny Girl” were almost totally shut out save for a single nod for Jared Grimes as Eddie.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Mathew Broderick in “Plaza Suite.” Joan MarcusIf someone took a spill, it was her and not Hugh.
Hugh Jackman marched into the Best Actor category for playing Harold Hill in “The Music Man.” The revival — which got a Best Revival of a Musical nomination and a Best Actress nod for Sutton Foster, among others — has picked up admirers and momentum since the lethargic opening night, when cranky critics and friendly invited audience members alike got 76 winks. He’s joined by Billy Crystal in “Mr. Saturday Night,” Myles Frost as Michael Jackson in “MJ: The Musical,” Rob McClure in “Mrs. Doubtfire” and Jaquel Spivey in “A Strange Loop.” Likable newcomer Spivey will take it.
As for Best Actress in a Musical, that one goes to Sharon D Clarke in “Caroline, Or Change.”
For a season in which there were arguably not enough good new musicals to fill the required five Best Musical slots, the wacko Tonys somehow nominated six.
They are “Girl From the North Country” (snore), “A Strange Loop” (admirable, overrated), “Six” (fun! short!), “Mr. Saturday Night” (funny book. Songs? What songs?), “MJ: The Musical” (decent, evasive)…
And — hold your applause indefinitely — “Paradise Square”!
Today, the happiest man who once wore an orange jumpsuit is Canadian ex-con Garth Drabinsky. The producer of “Paradise Square,” who served jail time up north for defrauding investors of his old Broadway company Livent out of millions of dollars, scooped up a shocking number of nominations for his bombastic new musical that unenlighteningly and indecisively contends with racism. (The ticket price is so low it’s practically pay-what-you-can). A tip of the hat to Drabinsky: He shrewdly made his comeback by going broke with woke, and now the convicted felon is up for 10 Tonys, including Best Musical.
Jaquel Spivey stars in “A Strange Loop” on Broadway, which is nominated for 11 Tony Awards. Marc J. FranklinHe’ll be back having donuts at Tim Horton’s soon enough, though. “A Strange Loop” (11 nods total) is the favored winner of the most important prize of the night, although some of its X-rated material might freak out older Tony voters. “MJ,” which has the most flash and familiar structure of any nominee, also has a shot. And wanting to do some beheading of its own is “Six,” the pop show about Henry VIII’s spurned and sometimes executed ex-wives.
However, “Six” needs a Tony about as much as the wives needed a Henry. While other shows are desperate for the probably minor bump in ticket sales that would come with a Best Musical win in 2022 (putting “Best Musical” on a marquee, like “Best Picture” on a cinema poster, used to matter a whole lot more), “Six” is already a huge box office success without any accolades. Win or lose, it runs longer than every single show on the list.
“The Lehman Trilogy,” starring (left to right) Tony nominees Adam Godley and Simon Russell Beale as well as Adrian Lester, will likely take home Best Play. Julieta CervantesThe plays and play revivals are a far better crop. “The Lehman Trilogy” will emerge more successful than its fallen subjects, Lehman Bros., and win Best Play. (I’ve got a soft spot for Martin McDonagh’s excellent “Hangmen.”)
And, while Revival of a Play will likely be handed to Richard Greenberg’s “Take Me Out,” fellow nominees “American Buffalo” and “Trouble in Mind” were also top notch.
The revival of “Company,” starring Patti LuPone, is nominated for nine Tonys, including Best Musical Revival.Brinkhoff/MoegenburgThe best musical production of the season, hands down, was the revival of “Company,” which scored nine nods, including Best Musical Revival. Its legendary composer, Stephen Sondheim, died days before the show opened, and at a ceremony that’s sure to be filled with tributes to him, voters will see a “Company” win as the ultimate way to honor one of the greatest of all time. Its stars Patti LuPone and Matt Doyle will also win Featured Actress and Actor (nominee Jennifer Simard is wonderful in it, too), and their director Marianne Elliott has a strong chance to hoist a trophy as well.
Let’s now enjoy the next five weeks, when a lot of shows that are struggling to gain a foothold at the box office will do whatever it takes to win and get some p.r. Watching noble Broadway become so cutthroat and vicious (show people are a lot meaner at the bar than in Arts & Leisure) is always the best show of the year.
