2012 Tony Award Nominations Wish List

Below is what I would want to see nominated for Tony Awards in a few of the 26 categories. This is not my prediction of what the Tony nominating committee will actually announce Tuesday morning, May 1st.
Update: For the actual 2012 Tony Award nominations, click here.

(Scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all those eligible in eight major Tony categories)

MY SELECTIONS

Best Play:

Chinglish
Clybourne Park

The Lyons
Other Desert Cities

New plays were especially strong this year, and there were really good productions of some scripts that were not the best work of individual playwrights, such as David Auburn’s The Columnist, or of playwrights in general, such as Peter and the Starcatcher.

Best Musical:
Ghost
Newsies
Once

There are supposed to be four nominees in this category but I can’t in good conscience pick any of the remaining new musicals that qualify. There are only eight shows in total that qualify in this category this year, and most ranged from disappointments to disasters. I know many critics think of Ghost that way; I don’t. Almost everybody thinks of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark that way; I do too.

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
A Streetcar Named Desire
Wit

Best Revival of a Musical:
Follies
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

There are actually only six eligible choices in this category, so I could look smart by picking the four that are likely to be nominated, but I refuse.

Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors
Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park
Joe Mantello, Other Desert Cities
Mike Nichols, Death of a Salesman

I wish there were a fifth slot so I could fit in Leigh Silverman for Chinglish

Best Direction of a Musical
Jeff Calhoun, Newsies
Eric Schaeffer, Follies
John Tiffany, Once
Matthew Warchus, Ghost

Best Choreography
Warren Carlyle, Follies
Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Dan Knechtges, Lysistrata Jones

They didn’t list a choreographer for Once, but rather a “movement” director, Steven Hoggett. He deserves a nomination.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
Linda Lavin, The Lyons

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
Stacy Keach, Other Desert Cities
John Lithgow, The Columnist

I’ll stop while I’m behind. There is a deep well of outstanding performers during the 2012 season, as there always is. It’s a shame any have to be excluded.
Let’s talk again Tuesday!

For a list of all the shows on Broadway still running or about to open, see What’s On Broadway 2012

ELIGIBLE
Below is a list of all those eligible for a 2012 Tony nomination in select categories:

Best Play

Chinglish
Clybourne Park
The Columnist
End of the Rainbow
The Lyons
Magic/Bird
The Mountaintop
One Man, Two Guvnors
Other Desert Cities
Peter and the Starcatcher
Relatively Speaking
Seminar
Stick Fly
Venus in Fur

Best Musical

Bonnie & Clyde
Ghost the Musical
Leap of Faith
Lysistrata Jones
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once
Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark

Best Revival of a Play

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Don’t Dress for Dinner
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Man and Boy
Master Class
Private Lives
The Road to Mecca
A Streetcar Named Desire
Wit

Best Revival of a Musical

Evita
Follies
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Godspell
Jesus Christ Superstar
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play*

Tug Coker – Magic/Bird
James Corden – One Man, Two Guvnors
Hugh Dancy – Venus in Fur
Kevin Daniels – Magic/Bird
Paul Gross – Private Lives
Dulé Hill – Stick Fly
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Samuel L. Jackson – The Mountaintop
James Earl Jones – Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Stacy Keach – Other Desert Cities
Frank Langella – Man and Boy
John Larroquette – Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
John Lithgow – The Columnist
Eric McCormack – Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Mekhi Phifer – Stick Fly
Alan Rickman – Seminar
Blair Underwood – A Streetcar Named Desire
Gary Wilmes – Chinglish

*All other eligible performers will be considered in the Featured Role category.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play*

Nina Arianda – Venus in Fur
Angela Bassett – The Mountaintop
Tracie Bennett – End of the Rainbow
Kim Cattrall – Private Lives
Stockard Channing – Other Desert Cities
Tyne Daly – Master Class
Rachel Griffiths – Other Desert Cities
Rosemary Harris – The Road to Mecca
Linda Lavin – The Lyons
Jennifer Lim – Chinglish
Cynthia Nixon – Wit
Nicole Ari Parker – A Streetcar Named Desire
Tracie Thoms – Stick Fly

*All other eligible performers will be considered in the Featured Role category.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical*

Matthew Broderick – Nice Work If You Can Get It
Danny Burstein – Follies
Reeve Carney – Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark
Harry Connick,, Jr. – On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Raúl Esparza – Leap of Faith
Ben Fankhauser – Newsies
Richard Fleeshman – Ghost the Musical
Jeremy Jordan – Bonnie & Clyde
Jeremy Jordan – Newsies
Steve Kazee – Once
Norm Lewis – The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Paul Nolan – Jesus Christ Superstar
Hunter Parrish – Godspell
Ron Raines – Follies
Josh Segarra – Lysistrata Jones

*All other eligible performers will be considered in the Featured Role category.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical*

Jennifer Damiano – Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark
Caissie Levy – Ghost the Musical
Kara Lindsay – Newsies
Jan Maxwell – Follies
Audra McDonald – The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Cristin Milioti – Once
Patti Murin – Lysistrata Jones
Kelli O’Hara – Nice Work If You Can Get It
Laura Osnes – Bonnie & Clyde
Bernadette Peters – Follies
Elena Roger – Evita

*All other eligible performers will be considered in the Featured Role category.

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