2010 Tony Awards: Nominations & Reactions

Well, here they are folks. And just like Christmas morning, we’re excited about some things, and disappointed about others. Check out the list of the 2010 Tony Award nominees below, where you’ll also find what predictions of mine were incorrect (not too many!) and my take on the categories.

Best Play
In The Next Room (or the vibrator play) by Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts
Red by John Logan
Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies

Predictable category. Tonys got it right. Note though how few nominations Next Fall received, including getting shut out of the acting categories.

Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet 

My wrong guess: Everyday Rapture 

Surprised Million Dollar Quartet made it in here, particularly with so few nominations. At least it wasn’t The Addams Family.

Best Revival of a Play
Fences by August Wilson
Lend Me A Tenor by Ken Ludwig
The Royal Family by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber
A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller

Best Revival of a Musical
Finian’s Rainbow
La Cage aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Ragtime


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law, Hamlet
Alfred Molina, Red
Liev Schreiber, A View From The Bridge
Denzel Washington, Fences
Christopher Walken, A Behanding In Spokane

My wrong guess: Daniel Craig, A Steady Rain

Predictable category, and the addition of Jude Law makes sense. I thought the Tonys would give some recognition to the massive success of A Steady Rain, and I expected it to be in this category. Alas, no love in any category for Rain. 

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis, Fences
Valerie Harper, Looped
Linda Lavin, Collected Stories
Laura Linney, Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family 

My wrong guess: Abigail Breslin, The Miracle Worker 

Predictable category. Not surprised Breslin wasn’t recognized, as Miracle Worker didn’t manage to receive any nominations, and the play wasn’t regarded well during its run. Maxwell’s inclusion makes sense, as Royal Family received numerous nominations. 

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Sahr Ngauja, Fela! 

My wrong guesses:
John Gallagher Jr., American Idiot
Nathan Lane, The Addams Family 

This is probably the most surprising category (which isn’t saying a lot). I expected Grammer might push in, but I still think his merely capable performance in La Cage is unfortunately edging out more fierce performances in other musicals. I felt sure that the Tonys would show allegiance to Lane and his heavy lifting in Addams. In light of the poor reception Promises is receiving, Hayes’ nomination is a shock. 

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Finian’s Rainbow
Montego Glover, Memphis
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music 

Called this category shot for shot. It’s interesting to see Zeta-Jones stick out like a sore thumb in this group, among mainstream no-names. Very happy for Kate Baldwin. 

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier, Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences
Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts
Stephen Kunken, Enron
Eddie Redmayne, Red 

My wrong guesses:
Eric Bogosian, Time Stands Still
Russell Hornsby, Fences 

This is a category filled with second guesses for me. I considered David Alan Grier, but thought better of it since I didn’t think Race would receive any other love (and it didn’t). I also considered Stephen Kunken and Gregory Itzin from Enron, thinking another Fences actor would get it. In the end, it ended up being Kunken. 

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia, In The Next Room (or the vibrator play)
Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family
Jessica Hecht, A View From The Bridge
Scarlett Johansson, A View From The Bridge
Jan Maxwell, Lend Me A Tenor 

My wrong guesses:
Marin Ireland, After Miss Julie
Alicia Silverstone, Time Stands Still 

Got two wrong here, but not really surprised. I know there’s a lot of love for Royal Family and Rosemary Harris. I’m half surprised and half not by Scarlett Johansson’s nomination. She was great in the role, but I sometimes sense that big-name stars that come to Broadway are greeted with snarkiness by the critics, so I figured Johansson might be left out. This is a very strong category. 

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesus, La Cage aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian’s Rainbow
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime 

My wrong guesses:
Hunter Foster, Million Dollar Quartet
Tony Vincent, American Idiot 

This ended up being probably the most exciting category with shockers and strong contenders. All these nominees are fantastic choices, but I am excited and saddened by the surprises. I loved Robin De Jesus’s performance in La Cage, but didn’t think the role was big enough to get him nominated. Levi Kreis was the only actor of Quartet’s quartet to warrant a nomination, and he got it (I so wish Hunter Foster had been included). And I am absolutely heartbroken that Tony Vincent from American Idiot didn’t make it in. I felt sure that had he been nominated, he actually would have won. 

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook, Sondheim On Sondheim
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Lillias White, Fela!
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away 

My wrong guesses:
Rebecca Naomi Jones, American Idiot
Terri White, Finain’s Rainbow 

This turned out disappointing. I haven’t yet seen Sondheim On Sondheim, but from what I’ve heard, Barbara Cook uses a Teleprompter, which to me doesn’t warrant a Tony nomination. I also always like to see new talent being included, and instead of nominating the theater vet, the likes of Rebecca Naomi Jones and Terri White could have been given a first shot at the Tony. Because while she’s great, Angela Lansbury doesn’t do all that much in A Little Night Music. 

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Red
Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall
Kenny Leon, Fences
Gregory Mosher, A View From The Bridge 

My wrong guess: Daniel Sullivan, Time Stands Still 

I’m shocked that Daniel Sullivan didn’t get nominated for Time Stands Still, as it’s nominated for Best Play, and Next Fall did get recognized. It seems clear though that the Tonys were trying to spread some love in this category, by giving it to Fall. Still, this seems like a “they got it wrong” instance. 

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Bill T. Jones, Fela! 

My wrong guesses:
Michael Mayer, American Idiot
Trevor Nunn, A Little Night Music 

Am I really seeing this? Am I? Michael Mayer did not get nominated for American Idiot? I must have fallen into a parallel universe where absolutely nothing makes sense. Almost every nomination for Memphis (besides Kimball’s Best Actor nod) is a case of ‘Well, we needed a fourth nominee.’ Why nominate a tepid, unoriginal musical, as well as one that completely failed at the box office (Ragtime)? This is the biggest oversight of the Tony nominations this year. This is a shame. 

Best Choreography
La Cage aux Folles
Come Fly Away
Fela!
Promises, Promises 

My wrong guess: American Idiot 

No real surprises. I thought Idiot had a choreography style unlike any other show this season and should have been included, but I’m not surprised it wasn’t. 

Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet 

My wrong guess: Sondheim On Sondheim 

I think Quartet is lucky to be in this category. The book was weak as can be. 

Best Original Score Music and/or Lyrics Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family
Enron
Fences
Memphis 

Not surprised at all, and this remains one of the most interesting categories of the bunch this season, by its default. In a stronger year, none of these pieces would have been nominated. Yet they’re all up for Tonys. Way to think outside the box, Tony Awards! No one should have been nominated this year. 

Best Orchestrations
La Cage aux Folles
Fela!
Memphis
Promises, Promises 

My wrong guesses:
American Idiot
Sondheim On Sondheim 

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Red
Fences
Present Laughter
The Royal Family 

My wrong guesses:
Collected Stories
Enron
In The Next Room (or the vibrator play) 

I clearly didn’t do well predicting this category. Excluding Enron is a mistake. The production elements of the show were perfect and innovative in every way. 

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
The Addams Family
American Idiot
Fela!
La Cage aux Folles 

Best Costume Design of a Play
Fences
In The Next Room (or the vibrator play)
The Royal Family
Lend Me A Tenor 

My wrong guess: A View From The Bridge 

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Fela!
Memphis
Ragtime
La Cage aux Folles 

My wrong guesses:
The Addams Family
A Little Night Music 

No argument here besides Addams. The New York Times had a fantastic audio slideshow with co-director Julian Crouch, in which he described the avoidance of the obvious black in the show, using other darker colors to match the Addams’ traditional styles. This production element of Addams seemed worth nominating. 

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Hamlet
Enron
Fences
Red 

My wrong guess: A Steady Rain 

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ragtime
American Idiot
Fela!
La Cage aux Folles 

My wrong guess: The Addams Family 

Best Sound Design of a Play
Enron
Fences
A View From The Bridge
Red 

My wrong guess: In The Next Room (or the vibrator play) 

Best Sound Design of a Musical
La Cage aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Sondheim On Sondheim
Fela! 

My wrong guesses:
The Addams Family
American Idiot
Come Fly Away 

Again, not my best category. 

What do you think, Rushers? Did your favorites get nominated? Are you outraged about Michael Mayer’s snub like I am? Did any of the acting categories take you by surprise? Did you think it was adorable when Lea Michele said during the webcast, “"I'm standing on an apple box. I might fall off!”? Leave your Tony-frenzied thoughts in the comments!