Stage Door: Tony Predictions
Thursday, June 9, 2016 at 2:00PM 
We've already talked Tony Presenters & Performances so let's delve into predictions for the show this Sunday night on CBS.
Best Musical
Bright Star (REVIEWED)
Hamilton
School of Rock
Shuffle Along
Waitress
Will Win: Hamilton in a cakewalk though Shuffle Along has ardent fans so it probably would have won in a year without a juggernaut like Hamilton.
Best Play
Eclipsed by Danai Gurira -- closes June 19th
King Charles III by Mike Bartlett - already closed
The Father by Florian Zeller (REVIEWED)
The Humans by Stephen Karam
Will Win: The Humans has been nabbing all the precursor prizes so it's got the momentum.
Possible Spoiler: ...if there's a surprise look to Eclipsed
more after the jump...
Best Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple (REVIEWED)
She Loves Me (REVIEWED) -extended to July 10th
Fiddler on the Roof
Spring Awakening - already closed
Will Win: The Color Purple won raves but...
Possible Spoiler: ...the people who love She Loves Me, loooooooove it.
Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller's The Crucible (REVIEWED) - closes July 17th
Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge - already closed
Blackbird - closes June 11th
Long Day's Journey Into Night - closes June 26th
Noises Off - already closed
Will Win: A View From the Bridge probably has this but...
Possible Spoiler: ... if it bothers them that's it's already closed they could always go Long Day's Journey.
Frank Langella headed for his fourth statueBest Leading Actor in a Play
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge
Will Win: Frank Langella is headed to his 4th Tony Award. With 7 nominations he's won twice in Featured and once in lead for Frost/Nixon for which he also received an Oscar nomination when the play transferred to screen. His last performance in The Father is the day of the Tonys, too.
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Laurie Metcalf, Misery
Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed
Sophie Okonedo, The Crucible
Michelle Williams, Blackbird
Will Win: Jessica Lange. Never doubt Jessica Lange who has magnetic pull for statues of every sort. If Jessica wins here she joins the ranks of the Triple Crown (and she's only a Grammy away from an EGOT). This is her first Tony nomination and third Broadway show.
Possible Spoiler: Lupita Nyong'o is the only other possibility, really, since the others don't have the buzz or have small roles in comparison (Hi Sophie)
Danny Burstein is on his sixth nomination!
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton
Will Win: Going out on a limb here to predict that six time nominee Danny Burstein, who has never won the Tony, comes up between the Hamilton men to take it in a surprise. Burstein is such a dynamic performer.
Possible Spoiler: ... either Leslie Odom Jr (who's been pushing hard for the win) or Lin-Manuel Miranda if they just want to shower the man behind the mania with prizes (which is possible)
Should've Been Here and I'm Still Mad About It: Benjamin Walker who was superb superb superb in American Psycho. This is the second time Tony voters have snubbed him for an awesome performance in a musical, too. What's the deal?
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Will Win: Cynthia Erivo has all the buzz for her powerhouse work in The Color Purple
Best Score
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater, School of Rock
Sara Bareilles, Waitress
Will Win: Hamilton. This will be Lin-Manuel Miranda's second Tony in this category since he also won for his first musical In the Heights (2008)
Best Orchestrations
August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
Larry Hochman, She Loves Me
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along
Will Win: Hamilton
Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
Savion Glover, Shuffle Along
Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!
Will Win: Going out on a limb here to predict that Shuffle Along gets a consolation prize with this lone Tony... and also because it's reportedly great choreography
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Es Devlin and Finn Ross, American Psycho (REVIEWED)
David Korins, Hamilton
Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along
David Rockwell, She Loves Me
Will Win: I'm guessing She Loves Me gets its one Tony consolation prize here. People are obsessed with that "jewel box" set... but I'd vote for American Psycho if I had a ballot
Possible Spoiler... Hamilton
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowul Boritt, Therese Raquin
Christopher Oram, Hughie
Jan Verweyveld, A View From the Bridge
David Zim, The Humans
Will Win: The Humans
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Michael Krass, Noises Off
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
Tom Scutt, King Charles III
Will Win: Long Day's Journey
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting
Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
Ann Roth, Shuffle Along
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton
Will Win: Hamilton
Possible Spoiler: Shuffle Along - from Oscar winner Ann Roth. whooooo
Best Book
Julian Fellowes, School of Rock
Steve Martin, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along
Will Win: Hamilton
Hamilton. Photo by: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Hamilton
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along
Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
Justin Townsend, American Psycho
Will Win: Hamilton, though I'd explode with joy if American Psycho somehow took this
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Natasha Katz, Long Day's Journey
Justin Townsend, The Humans
Jan Verseweyveld, The Crucible
Jan Verseweyveld, A View From the Bridge
Will Win: The Humans
Possible Spoiler: Jan Verseweyveld for something. I loved his work on The Crucible
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along
Will Win: Hamilton
Jayne Houdyshell (3 Tony nominations) and Reed Birney (2 Tony nominations) got their caricatures at Sardis last week
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed
Will Win: Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans. Just a guess. And also because she's always a delight on stage.
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans
Bill Camp, The Crucible
David Furr, Noises Off
Richard Goulding, King Charles III
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Will Win: Reed Birney in The Humans. That show has the heat
Possible Spoiler: Michael Shannon, if Broadway really wants to welcome him since he's been doing lots of stage work
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along
Will Win: Renée Elise Goldberry but, damn, Danielle Brooks was great as Sophia.
Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson in "Hamilton"
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton
Will Win: Daveed Diggs has the buzz.
Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo van Hove, A View From the Bridge
Will Win: Ivo van Hove had quite a year.
Reader Comments (18)
Can't they give an award to Jessica AND Lupita? I hate these kinds of sacrificial choices.
I think Hamilton is wonderful, but it disappoints me that because it is such a juggernaut that many shows could go home empty handed. This might be blasphemy to some, but my favorite music from this season of new shows was actually Waitress. The music is gorgeous. Other shows got snubbed in nominations. Spring Awakening's choreography should have been considered as it beautifully incorporated sign language into the dance movements. I agree that Benjamin Walker should have been nominated. I can't come up with too many right now, but I could probably have come up with a few other people I would have loved to see in the acting categories.
Oh well. It was a fairly strong year in theatre and I have to give Hamilton credit for turning so many people's attention to live theatre. Hopefully it just gets even more people into it. It only really takes one show that really grabs someone to get them into theatre. in high school I was introduced to RENT and then Spring Awakening. After that I was in love with the art. I've been involved in my local acting community for the last 8 years because of it.
I can't wait to watch the Tonys on Sunday.
I'm sharing a stage with one of the acting nominees in September and since I'm very superstitious I'm keeping my mouth shut about who it is until after Sunday, but I haven't been this invested in the outcome of the Tonys since the '90s.
Hilary Swank returns to the movies in Soderbergh pic.
http://theplaylist.net/hilary-swank-joins-gang-steven-soderberghs-logan-lucky-20160609/
I think they will give the Best Choreography to Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet! as a way of making up for their snub of Ana Villafane in the Best Actress in a Muscial field
Wow you don't like She Loves Me huh? I think it will take best musical revival easily, and Jane Krakowski can upset in best musical featured actress.
Best play is such a powerhouse, it can go every way. I think it'll be The Humans, with King Charles III as a possibility.
Um MARK STRONG for the win baby!
I'm praying for a Jennifer Simard upset.
Ms. Jessica. Lange. Queen.
The curse of the Leading Lady continues. We can predict the winner even before the show opens (Tyson, Audra, Mirren, Lange)
I wish Mark Strong was the frontrunner.
I'm obsessed with the scenic design of A View from the Bridge. It's so ballsy.
I usually root against sweeps, but man I'm wishing praying for a Hamilton sweep. It's just that good. Not saying others haven't been great, but yeah.
I personally thought Spring Awakening should've been nominated in A LOT more categories and CERTAINLY in Best Choreography.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Cynthia Erivo's Celie is the best vocal performance I've ever heard live. Her voice wafts through the theater and punctures you right in the heart. I pray that she wins on Sunday and that The Powers That Be immediately cast her in the film adaptation of the musical. Girl deserves it.
I've been in NY for a few days and I saw both Michelle Williams & Jessica Lange & I love both performances. But Lange should get this, she is AMAZING! I wanted to hug her after it & ask her: Are you alright? Beautiful, beautiful performance
Jessica Lange for the Tony! Would love to see Mark Strong take it too! But I also think that Nicola Walker should have been one of the nominees.
I enter the Hamilton lottery every day, and try to determine how I'll actually make it to NYC in four hours if I win. ;)
Paul Outlaw--looking forward to hearing about your secret stage colleague!
Laurie Metcalf was so great in Misery, especially acting against Bruce Willis. She deserves it for that alone!
I enjoyed American Psycho but actually didn't love Benjamin Walker in it... I found his acting weirdly under-committed throughout much of it, and I thought his bright musical theater tenor was sort of wrong for the role... These were directorial choices and casting decisions and were not his fault, but I get the snub. The choices he and the director made didn't always work for me. What did you love about him, other than the body obviously?
I'm hoping and praying that Hamilton takes home a sweep...it deserves all that and more for making live theatre popular amongst those totally unfamiliar to Broadway.
Based on what I've seen and heard, the Featured Actress in a Musical category is the most ridiculous this year. Each nominee really deserves it. Simard is the only nomination for her show, Warren's reviews among the best I have ever read, Brooks is a popular "TV" star in a great role, and Goldsberry is just superb (and voters have had time to study her performance on the cast album). However, although it isn't my prediction, my wish is for Krakowski to get her second Tony. She was beyond adorable in She Loves Me and she made "A Trip to the Library" into a five-minute musical comedy master class.
Adam K -- i saw it twice and he was different each time. The first time through he was like the calm at the center of the storm and that minimalism was a great counterpoint to the chaos around him and made his increasing madness in act 2 feel more supercharged by its animalism... the second time I saw him he had upped the comedy so he was playing it far more like the ensemble does and he was really funny. Plus it's just an aggressive uninhibited performance (and I don't mean just the body). I thought he was superb both times whichever way he went with it.
Neither time did it feel like an imitation of Christian Bale which is a feat in and of itself.