2010 Tony Award Nominees & Predicitions

Hard to believe it's that time of year again. Next week, the most important awards ceremony of the year will be broadcast once again.

"Umm, wait. You're wrong. The MTV Movie Awards are tonight, not next week."

...OK, get the hell off my blog! In fact, anyone out there reading this that considers the MTV Movie Awards to be important or meaningful, leave this page and never return.

Now that we've taken care of that, we can move on. I am of course talking about the 2010 Tony Awards. For those who might not know, the Tony Awards are presented annually to the best that Broadway theatre has to offer. And being the theatre devotee that I am, I'm going to run down the nominees and give my picks for who I think should win.

But first, I'll be perfectly honest with you. Much like last year, I haven't seen any of the nominated shows and for most of them, I know little to nothing about them.

"What?!? What kind of a theatre devotee are you then?"

A poor one who doesn't have the time or money to travel to New York and see these shows. And I thought I told you to leave!

Anyway, I've decided to consult Wikipedia to learn about the shows I'm unfamiliar with. Based on my readings, I'll choose which nominee the award should go to. Everybody OK with that? Than we shall begin.

Best Play

In the Next Room or the vibrator play

Author: Sarah Ruhl

Next Fall

Author: Geoffrey Nauffts

Red

Author: John Logan

Time Stands Still

Author: Donald Margulies 

And the Tony should go to: In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play). Because let's be honest, how can you not love a name like that?

Best Musical

American Idiot

Fela!



Memphis

Million Dollar Quartet

And the Tony should go to: American Idiot. It's about damn time another great rock concept album was fleshed out into a full-scale Broadway musical. I still think that The Who's Quadrophenia needs to go this route.

Best Book of a Musical

Everyday Rapture

Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott

Fela!

Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones

Memphis

Joe DiPietro

Million Dollar Quartet

Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

And the Tony should go to: Memphis. Truth be told, the plots of these musicals don't really hold my interest very much. Though out of all of them, I think Memphis sounded the least dull.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

The Addams Family

Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

Enron

Music: Adam Cork
Lyrics: Lucy Prebble

Fences

Music: Branford Marsalis

Memphis

Music: David Bryan
Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan 

And the Tony should go to: The Addams Family.

Best Revival of a Play

Fences

Lend Me a Tenor

The Royal Family

A View from the Bridge

And the Tony should go to: Lend Me a Tenor. Sounds like a very entertaining play from reading the synopsis. I love a good farce.

Best Revival of a Musical

Finian's Rainbow

La Cage aux Folles

A Little Night Music

Ragtime

And the Tony should go to: La Cage aux Folles.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Jude Law, Hamlet
 
Alfred Molina, Red
 
Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge
 
Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane
 
Denzel Washington, Fences

 

And the Tony should go to: Christopher Walken, A Beheanding in Spokane. Why? Hello, it's Christopher Freakin' Walken!

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

And the Tony should go to: Laura Linney, Time Stands Still

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 Ngaujah, Fela!

And the Tony should go to: Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles

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

And the Tony should go to: Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture

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

And the Tony should go to: David Alan Grier, Race

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

And the Tony should go to: Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
 
Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
 
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow
 
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
 
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

And the Tony should go to: Kevin Chamberlin,  The Addams Family

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
 
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
 
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
 
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
 
Lillias White, Fela!

And the Tony should go to: Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music

What follows now is a list of the artistic and design Tonys. Since it would be hard for me to pick a winner without having been able to see or hear all the nominees, I abstain from making any choices in the following categories. 

Best Scenic Design of a Play

John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family
 
Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter
 
Santo Loquasto, Fences
 
Christopher Oram, Red

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Marina Draghici, Fela!
 
Christine Jones, American Idiot
 
Derek McLane, Ragtime
 
Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

Best Costume Design of a Play

Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me a Tenor
 
Constanza Romero, Fences
 
David Zinn, In the Next Room or the vibrator play
 
Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Marina Draghici, Fela!
 
Paul Tazewell, Memphis
 
Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin, Hamlet
 
Neil Austin, Red
 
Mark Henderson, Enron
 
Brian MacDevitt, Fences

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, American Idiot
 
Donald Holder, Ragtime
 
Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles
 
Robert Wierzel, Fela!

Best Sound Design of a Play

Acme Sound Partners, Fences
 
Adam Cork, Enron
 
Adam Cork, Red
 
Scott Lehrer, A View from the Bridge

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles
 
Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
 
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music
 
Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

Best Direction of a Play

Michael Grandage, Red
 
Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall
 
Kenny Leon, Fences
 
Gregory Mosher, A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical

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

Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
 
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
 
Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
 
Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away

Best Orchestrations

Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles
 
Aaron Johnson, Fela!
 
Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises

Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis

Well, that will do it for my 2010 Tony Awards preview. Be sure to watch the Tonys next Sunday at 8 PM EST on CBS. I know I'll be watching it. Very likely live Tweeting the event much like I did last year so keep an eye out for details pertaining to that.

Last year I fell absolutely in love in the show Next To Normal thanks to the Tony Awards. Will that happen again with another show this year? We shall see.