NEW YORK (AP) — Two Broadway shows celebrating the spark of sonic creativity — The semi-autobiographical Alicia Keys musical “Hell's Kitchen,” and drama “Stereophonic” The '70s rock band recorded a star-making album – each scoring a top 13 hit Tony Award Tuesday's nominations list saw a record number of women nominated for Best Director.
“It was absolutely crazy. It took me an hour to put it together. I couldn't form the words,” Keys said after a morning where the show based on her life won best new music and four acting awards, as well as best scenic design, costumes, lighting, sound design, The direction, the choreography and the orchestrations. “I am completely at a loss for words. Don't ask me to write a song.
Total 28 shows received Tony or higher recognition, “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of the beloved SE Hinton novel and Francis Ford Coppola film with music, received 12 nominations; A stellar revival of “Cabaret,” starring Eddie Redmayne, nabbing nine; And “Appropriate,” Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins' searing drama about a family in Arkansas again where everyone's competing motivations and grievances, eight watts.
The nominations broke the Tony Award's record for most female directors nominated in a single season. The 2022 Tony Awards had a total of four awards in two races, musical and drama. Only 10 women have won the directing crown.
This year, seven women have taken 10 direct slots. Three women were nominated for best direction of a play – Lila Neugebauer (“Appropriate”), Anne Kaufman (“Mary Jane”) and Whitney White (“Jaja's African Hair Braiding”) – four were nominated for music – Maria Friedman (“Merrily We Roll Along” ), Lee Silverman (“Chuffs”) Jessica Stone (“Water for Elephants”) and Tanya Deimer (“The Outsiders”).
“One thing I feel is that it's starting to feel less significant, which is great news,” Stone said after his nomination. “We are directors, not women directors. I'm noticing it more and more, it's a wonderful thing to think about. It is an amazing place.
“Stereophonic” became the most-nominated play in Tony history, nominated for songs by playwright David Adzmi and Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire. It's the story of a life-changing year for a band like Fleetwood Mac, with personal rifts opening and closing and reopening. Butler says it's about the “horror and its beauty” of art.
An album of rock-roots music heard during the play will be available next month and Butler has high hopes: “We wanted it to stand up against Tom Petty and 'Rumours' and the new Beyoncé country record,” he said. “Making it is its own reward.”
Rachel McAdams, who made her Broadway debut in “Mary Jane,” earned a best actress in a play nomination, while “Heir” star Jeremy Strong earned his first nod for the revival of “An Enemy of the People” and Liev Schreiber. “Ray Donovan” fame is one of the pioneers of “Doubt”. Jessica Lange in “Mother Play,” Sarah Paulson in “Appropriate,” and Amy Ryan, who stepped in for a last-minute revival. “doubt” She also received nominations for Best Actress in a Drama category.
“The Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons received a nod for “Mother Play,” and Daniel Radcliffe won his first nomination in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's “Merrily We Roll Along” in his fifth Broadway show.
Radcliffe, who took care of her infant son the morning of the Tony nomination, said she was incredibly lucky and that being on a musical with Jonathan Graf and Lindsey Mendes — both nominated — was “one of the most special experiences of my career.”
This image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown shows, from left, Alison Luff, Olive Rose-Kline and Adam Jacobs during a performance of “The Who's Tommy.” (via Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman/Bono/Bryan-Brown AP)
“I've always felt like acting on stage, especially doing it here, has been a big part of my career and kind of figuring out who I am as an actor outside of Harry Potter,” he said. “I think it made me.”
In his second show on Broadway, Redmayne earned a nod for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, as did Brian D'Arcy James for “Days of Wine and Roses,” Brady Grant for “The Outsiders,” and Jonathan Graf for “Merrily We Roll Along.” ” and 73-year-old Dorian Harewood “The Notebook” adaptation Nicholas Sparks Tears of love. Harewood, in her first Broadway show in 46 years, earned her first Tony nomination.
It was one of three nominations for “The Notebook,” but composer Ingrid Michelson was neither nominated nor received. Barry Manilow A revival of “The Wiz” for his show “Harmony” also failed to garner any nominations, and Hugh Lewis' jukebox “The Heart of Rock and Roll” didn't.
Redmayne's “Cabaret” co-star Gayle Rankin earned a nomination for best actress in a musical, along with Eden Espinosa in “Lempica,” Malaya Joy Moon in “Hell's Kitchen,” Kelly O'Hara in “Days of Wine and Roses” and Marion Plunkett, 71, in “The Notebook.” ” plays an elderly wife at the center of
Steve Carell's revival of the classic play “Uncle Vanya” and “An Enemy of the People” by “Sopranos” star Michael Imperioli failed in his Broadway debut, but star producers including Keyes, Angelina Jolie (“The Outsiders”) and Hillary Rodham Clinton ( for “suffs”).
The best new musical crown will be a battle between “Hell's Kitchen,” “The Outsiders,” the dance-heavy, dialogue-less stage adaptation of Sufjan Stevens' 2005 album “Illinois.” “Chuffs” based on early 20th-century American suffragettes, and “Water for Elephants,” which combines Sarah Greene's 2006 bestseller with circus elements.
Best New Play Tony “Stereophonic” vs. “Mother Play,” Paula Vogel's 1964 take on a mother and her children in the 21st century; “Mary Jane,” Amy Herzog's humane film about the divorced mother of a disabled boy; “A Prayer for the French Republic,” Joshua Harmon's sprawling family comedy-drama, which deals with Zionism, religious fanaticism and anti-Semitism; and “Zaja's African Hair Braid,” Jocelyn Bio's comedy about the lives of West African women working in a salon.
Actor-turned-producer Lamar Richardson had plenty of reasons to smile Tuesday. He helped create three new revivals: “The Wiz,” “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Appropriate.”
“I think it's Broadway at its best,” he said. “There's really something for everyone. There's a great big jukebox musical. There's a place where three-act plays move. I think it's really a smorgasbord of what Broadway can offer, and it's still a major player in the arts scene, of course. And it's here to stay. has
A spring barrage of new shows — 14 shows opened in an 11-day span this year — isn't unusual these days, as producers hope to stay fresh on voters' minds ahead of the June 16 Tony Awards ceremony.
There were some firsts this season “Here's Love” With Broadway's first all-Filipino cast, it received four nominations, including Best Original Score for David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim. And seven were openly autistic actors “How to Dance in Ohio” First to Broadway, but didn't get Tony's love.
Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose, He, who hosted both the 2023 and 2022 ceremonies, will return this year to produce and dance the opening number.
Like last year, the three-hour primetime telecast will air on CBS and Paramount+ from 8-11 pm EDT/5 pm-8 pm PDT with a preshow on Pluto TV, and some of the Tony Awards will be presented there.
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