14 years have passed since that wonderful show (Red a play by John Logan, Michael Grandage director). Today Ken and Rothko meet at the Drama League Awards!!
I saw 10 of the new shows this year (3 Revivals and 7 New Musicals). So I decided to rate and rank them:
1 - Suffs 10/10 - What an incredible show! Such a talented cast and I want the soundtrack immediately! I had tears streaming down my face at the end of both acts. Shaina Taub and Hannah Cruz are particularly great. And Grace McLean as Pres Wilson is hilarious. The set is excellently done to evoke the locales and move things along. Strong direction all the way. My pick for Best Musical.
2 - Water For Elephants 9.5/10 - amazing cast; should get an award for ensemble; nice use of puppets - Rosie reveal was perfect. Grant was incredible as was August. Went up in rank as the week went on because the music really stuck with me and I wanted to hear it again.
3 - Outsiders 9//10 - loved the choreo. Ponyboy is great. The gravel stage and flashlights were particularly effective. Best lighting design and use of rain
4 - Merrily We Roll Along 8.5/10 - was slightly concerned by Groff’s flat affect in first scene until it became clear it was a choice as he became more vibrant as time moved back. Daniel was perfect and the friendship between the 3 leads really came through. His Franklin Shepherd Inc is worth the Tony on its own. I can only assume I was supposed to hate Gussie because I totally did.
5 - Cabaret 8/10 - confession: I had never seen Cabaret in any form and I didn’t research the plot so I had no idea what was happening between the KitKat numbers. Really good production- excellent staging, never felt left out in the round. Eddie Redmayne was creepily intriguing. Sally seemed more broken than I would have thought from hearing songs from previous productions. Dark and moody; not a huge fan of the immersive preshow. No program pic bc they covered all phone cameras with stickers on the way in (before giving us a shot of really bad schnapps)
6 - The Wiz 8/10 - bright and fun! Excellent performances especially the 4 leads. LOVE the Lion. Costumes are gorgeous and the dancing is fabulous. Does Wayne Brady have to be there the whole show since he’s not on til Act 2?
7 - Gatsby 8/10 - bubbly and fun; loved the opulence of set & costumes; great dancing and some really good songs; loved Jeremy Jordan’s Gatsby - the insecurities coming through the glam
8 - Notebook 7.5/10 - Heartbreaking performance by Old Allie especially. What is with that water on stage this year?
9 - Hells Kitchen 7/10 - great dancing. Lead actress was great but maybe im too old to identify with her instead of her mother. Again with death of a supporting character.
10 - Back To The Future 7/10 - Roger Bart is hilarious - definitely the reason to see the show. Set was actually a little underwhelming - too much reliance on projections. Some fun numbers but no real standouts.
Overall: no shows I disliked this time. VERY strong season. Some really creative use/resuses of minimalistic elements this season. Other season trends: full size cars and actual rain. And death - so much death
Bebe Neuwirth has two Tony Awards and just received her third nomination for her role in Broadway's new deconstructed "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club." The stage is in the round with no sets and few props, which she says brings the audience closer to its rich material." - Associated Press, May 30, 2024
The nominees let their personalities shine at the annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press junket.
BY PLAYBILL STAFF MAY 10, 2024
Here they are boys! Here they are world!
The 2024 Tony nominees filled the Sofitel Hotel with glamour and excitement during the annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press junket May 2. See these Broadway stars shine in their first appearance to the media after being dubbed a nominee in these exclusive portraits taken by Playbill's Heather Gershnowitz.
Winners will announced at the 77th Annual Tony Award on June 16 at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, starting with The Tony Awards: Act One. The show can be found on streaming for free on Pluto TV. Details are to be announced.
The 77th Annual Tony Awards will follow Act One at 8 PM ET, broadcasting live on CBS (check local listings) and streaming live (for premium-level subscribers) via Paramount+. All Paramount+ subscribers will have on demand access to the broadcast beginning June 17. Stage and screen star Ariana DeBose will be back for her third consecutive year hosting.
2024 NOMINEES: Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical - Bebe Neuwirth (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club)
Past nominations:
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Sweet Charity (1986)
Best Actress in a Musical - Chicago (1997)
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Cabaret (2024)
With Allison Williams in Sweet Charity (📸: Martha Swope) / With Ann Reinking in Chicago (📸: Dan Chavkin) / With Steven Skybell in Cabaret (📸: Marc Brenner)