The 2022 Tony Awards nominations are out, and so are most of the big stars bringing people to Broadway.
There is ONE nomination for the revival of “Funny Girl” — just one, for Jared Grimes, who tap dances his way into our hearts. No Beanie Feldstein or Ramin Karimloo or the show. Ditto “Plaza Suite” with Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker. (The latter show got one nod, for costume design.)
The Tony committee really rained on a lot of parades.
The god awful “Diana: The Musical” got one nomination, for costumes, for William Ivey Long. Nothing else.
The Tonys liked “Company” and Patti Lupone but only one of its other performers, Matt Doyle. That’s a shame.
They liked “MJ: The Musical” and star Myles Frost, but none of the other terrific actors.
There is also no nomination for “Macbeth” or its star, Daniel Craig. Ruth Negga did merit a nomination for Best Actress in a Play.
The big winners: “Strange Loop” and “MJ The Musical” meaning it’s Michael R. Jackson vs. Michael Jackson the King of Pop, which is very strange indeed.
Also a big winner: Billy Crystal and “Mr. Saturday Night.” He was nominated, so was the show, co-star Shoshanna Bean, and the score. Not bad!
The most deserving musical, “Girl from the North Country,” had nods for Mare Winningham, the show itself as Best Musical, as well.
All three actors from “The Lehman Trilogy” were nominated for Best Actor in a Play. That’s half the category. The other three include Sam Rockwell from “American Buffalo,” and David Morse, from “How I learned to Drive.”
Here’s the thing: it would have cost the Tonys nothing to include “Funny Girl” in the musical revivals and “Plaza Suite” in the revivals, plays. Nothing. And it would have guaranteed big stars and a TV performance the TV audience would have tuned in for. And it would have been an act of good will for the stars who helped bring Broadway back after the pandemic.
Nominations for the 2022 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing
Best Play
Clyde’s
Hangmen
The Lehman Trilogy
The Minutes
Skeleton Crew
Best Musical
Girl from the North Country
MJ
Six
Paradise Square
A Strange Loop
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Caroline, or Change
The Music Man
Company
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
American Buffalo
For Colored Girls…
How I Learned to Drive
Take Me Out
Trouble in Mind
Best Book of a Musical
Girl From The North Country
Conor McPherson
MJ
Lynn Nottage
Mr. Saturday Night
Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
Paradise Square
Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan
A Strange Loop
Michael R. Jackson
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Flying Over Sunset
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Michael Korie
Mr. Saturday Night
Music: Jason Robert Brown
Lyrics: Amanda Green
Paradise Square
Music: Jason Howland
Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare
SIX: The Musical
Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
A Strange Loop
Music & Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy
Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy
Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy
David Morse, How I Learned to Drive
Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues
David Threlfall, Hangmen
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Gabby Beans, The Skin of Our Teeth
LaChanze, Trouble in Mind
Ruth Negga, Macbeth
Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H.
Mary-Louise Parker, How I Learned to Drive
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Billy Crystal, Mr. Saturday Night
Myles Frost, MJ
Hugh Jackman, The Music Man
Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire
Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change
Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset
Sutton Foster, The Music Man
Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square
Mare Winningham, Girl From The North Country
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Alfie Allen, Hangmen
Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out
Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s
Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out
Jesse Williams, Take Me Out
