TONY PREDICTIONS, also known as the year of Ballet Boy!
Okay, because you were hounding me Nick, here are my Tony predicutions.
BEST MUSICAL
Billy Elliot*
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek the Musical
--How did [title of show] not get a nomination? Seriously?! Rock of Ages?!?! That was TOS's slot!
BEST PLAY
33 Variations
Dividing the Estate
God of Carnage*
reasons to be pretty
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Guys and Dolls
Hair*
Pal Joey
West Side Story
--This was hard, because I love the 'reinvention' of West Side Story, but there is something special about a musical about change happening on Broadway during a time of political change.
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests*
Waiting for Godot
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Lee Hall, Billy Elliot
Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal
David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek the Musical
Hunter Bell, [title of show]*
--Yes, I recognize this is a long shot, but there is a part of me that wonders if the sentimentality gets them the TOny.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATER
Billy Elliot; Music: Elton John, Lyrics: Lee Hall*
Next to Normal; Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
9 to 5; Music and lyrics: Dolly Parton
Shrek the Musical; Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King*
Thomas Sadoski, reasons to be pretty
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations*
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot
Gavin Creel, Hair*
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek the Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
--Some would say Brian d’Arcy has put in his time (lest we forget him startin way back in Titanic) or that the three boys from Billy Elliot deserve it, but I’m always a dark horse fan, so I’m putting it out there.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek the Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5*
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
--Some people say it’s going to Alice Ripley and while she’s a diva and divine, I’ll always back up my CJ Cregg.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone*
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, reasons to be pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit*
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David Bologna, Billy Elliot
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot*
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5
Christopher Sieber, Shrek the Musical
Will Swenson, Hair
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot*
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests*
--Matthew’s been a busy boy, my concern would be his votes getting split and him then loosing to Bartlett Sher.
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot*
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot*
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Larry Blank, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot*
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek the Musical
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests*
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot*
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark Wendland, Next to Normal
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart*
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot
Tim Hatley, Shrek the Musical*
Michael McDonald, Hair
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
David Hersey, Equus*
David Lander, 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side Story
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot*
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke, Equus*
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Acme Sound Partners, Hair
Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot*
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal
SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT
Liza's at the Palace*
Slava's Snowshow
Soul of Shaolin
You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush