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My annotated Tony ballot:
Best Play
- Dividing the Estate - Author: Horton Foote
- God of Carnage - Author: Yasmina Reza
- Reasons to Be Pretty - Author: Neil LaBute
* 33 Variations - Author: Moisés Kaufman
- I would've voted for AMERICAN PLAN by Richard Greenberg, but it was not nominated. I think GOD OF CARNAGE is going to win.
Best Musical
- Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Rock of Ages
- Shrek The Musical
* Next to Normal - Music: Tom Kitt / Book & Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
- this was a tough call, since i really liked BILLY ELLIOT and SHREK, too. All else being relatively equal, this show needs my vote more. But BILLY ELLIOT is likely to win. I would have preferred to see TITLE OF SHOW nominated over the stupid ROCK OF AGES, but it wouldn't have won anyway.
Best Book of a Musical
- Billy Elliot, The Musical - Lee Hall
- Next to Normal - Brian Yorkey
- Shrek The Musical - David Lindsay-Abaire
* [Title of Show] - Hunter Bell
- my favorite show this season. But BILLY ELLIOT is likely to win.
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
- Billy Elliot, The Musical - Music: Elton John / Lyrics: Lee Hall
- Next to Normal - Music: Tom Kitt / Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
- 9 to 5: The Musical - Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton
* Shrek The Musical - Music: Jeanine Tesori / Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire
- my kids have been listening to this incessently, and it has definitely grown on me. NEXT TO NORMAL has higher highs, but lower lows, too. BILLY ELLIOT is warmed over LES MIZ. The less said about 9 TO 5 the better.
Best Revival of a Play
- Joe Turner’s Come and Gone - August Wilson
- Mary Stuart - F.Schiller / New Version: Peter Oswald
- The Norman Conquests - Alan Aykeborn
* Waiting for Godot - Samuel Beckett
- i'm amazed the whole cast wasn't nominated. NORMAN CONQUESTS is likely to win, and, while entertaining, they are not a very interesting trilogy of plays. JOE TURNER is a close 2nd for me. Actually, my favorite revival this season was probably EQUUS but, oddly, it was overlooked.
Best Revival of a Musical
- Guys and Dolls - Burrows/Loesser
- Pal Joey - Rodgers & Hart
- West Side Story - Bernstein/sondheim/Laurents
* Hair - Ragne & Rado / McDermot
- in a close call over WEST SIDE STORY, its a slightly superior production of a slightly inferior show.
Best 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
- i'm not voting in this category, since i've only seen 2 of the 4 nominees. The likely winner is the Will Farrell show.
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
- Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
- Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
- James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
- Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty
* Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
- Raoul Esparza was great in SPEED THE PLOW, but nothing compares to Rush this season. Frank Langella deserved a nomination for MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, as did Lane & Irwin for GODOT, especially over Gandolfini and Sadoski.
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
- Hope Davis, God of Carnage
- Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
- Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
- Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
* Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
- in a tight race between her and Marcia Gay Harden for GOD OF CARNAGE, i went with the Brit. I would have voted for Mary Louise Parker in HEDDA GABLER, Diane Wiest in ALL MY SONS, Tovah Feldshuh in IRENA’S VOW, or Elizabeth Ashley in DIVIDING THE ESTATE, had any of them gotten the nomination they all deserved.
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
- David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Gavin Creel, Hair
- Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
- Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
* J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
- Spencer gives a heartbreaking performance. Brian d'Arcy James also manages to be moving under a lot of makeup as SHREK. The kids in BILLY ELLIOT will likely win, but while they were great dancers, they were only so-so singers and okay actors.
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical - Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
- Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
- Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
- Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
* Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
- “Princess Fiona” and “Maria” were both delightful, and Janney did yeoman work, considering she can’t sing or dance, and the old pro, Channing, almost kept PAL JOEY afloat all by herself. But Alice Ripley is likely to, and deserves to, win.
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
- John Glover, Waiting for Godot
- Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
- Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
- Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
* Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
- His portrayal of Beethoven made this uneven play more interesting than it otherwise deserved to be. Roger Robinson was great in JOE TURNER, but he had more to work with. And why Glover over Goodman? The guys from CONQUEST cancel each other out. And sorry, Richard Griffiths. No nomination for you, despite your knockout turn in EQUUS.
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
- Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
* Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
- sentiment aside, she was the best this year. But I’m sorry Mercedes Ruehl was overlooked in the also overlooked AMERICAN PLAN. If Hallie Foote wins for her cartoonish performance, I'll be shocked. Well, maybe not shocked. But extremely irritated.
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
- David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
- Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
- Will Swenson, Hair
* Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- terrific performance. Kudisch and Sieber give solid performances as cartoon villains in their respective musicals, but Swenson's overly mannered Berger in HAIR was annoying, and the other kid in BILLY ELLIOT was extremely annoying, in a "child actor" kind of way.
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
- Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
- Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
- Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical
* Karen Olivo, West Side Story
- her "Anita" was the best thing in the revival. But the dance teacher from BILLY ELLIOT was fabulous, too.
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
- beautiful, simple, magical.
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
* Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
* Scott Pask, Pal Joey
* Mark Wendland, Next to Normal
* Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
- great use of projection
Best Costume Design of a Play
* Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
* Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
* Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
* Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart
- with the 2 queens in elaborate period dress, and everyone else in a form of modern dress, the costumes make a strong narrative statement.
Best Costume Design of a Musical
* Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
* Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical
* Michael McDonald, Hair
* Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
- Great job of bringing the cartoon to life
Best Lighting Design of a Play
* David Lander, 33 Variations
* Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
* Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
* David Hersey, Equus
- this play was grossly overlooked in all categories, and was my favorite revival this season. The lighting was startling.
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
* Kevin Adams, Hair
* Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
* Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical
* Howell Binkley, West Side Story
- Tony and Maria seem to float in a heavenly glow throughout.
Best Sound Design of a Play
* Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
* Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
* Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
* Gregory Clarke, Equus
- haunting use of sound
Best Sound Design of a Musical
* Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
* Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
* Brian Ronan, Next to Normal
* Acme Sound Partners, Hair
- i'm not usually aware of sound design in a musical, but there is an amazing effect at the end of the show that is worthy of recognition.
Best Direction of a Play
* Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
* Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
* Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests
* Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
- tremendous vision and execution of this difficult play
Best Direction of a Musical
* Michael Greif, Next to Normal
* Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
* Diane Paulus, Hair
* Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- deserves recognition for the totality of the show
Best Choreography
* Karole Armitage, Hair
* Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
* Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
* Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
- the strongest element of a very strong production
Best Orchestrations
* Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical
* Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
* Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical
* Larry Blank, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
- making these Irving Berlin standards sound fresh is no easy feat.
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