History had its eye on “Hamilton” and showered the Broadway musical with a record 16 Tony nominations Tuesday.
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The Hollywood Reporter noted that the dominance of actors of colour being nominated across eight performance categories for plays and musicals is “more about the unplanned convergence of productions with strong roles for non-Caucasian actors this year” rather than a well-timed rebuke to the Academy, which spawned the #OscarsSoWhite movement.
“Hamilton” is nominated for awards under all the segment of theatre-making including writing, directing, music, acting, dance, and design.
Lin-Manuel Miranda could have a busy night at the Tony Awards next month. Miranda, 36, was nominated for three awards for his book, music and his performance. (The deposed champs, “The Producers” and “Billy Elliot”, had 15 each.) It received at least one nomination in every category in which a new musical was eligible. Hamilton breaks the record of previous nominations held by The Producers, the 2001 musical written by Mel Brooks.
The 70th Annual Tony Awards ceremony will be held June 12 at the Beacon Theatre in uptown NY with host James Corden of “The Late Late Show”.
Best Actress in a Play features a particularly stacked lineup: Jessica Lange (Long Day’s Journey Into Night), Laurie Metcalf (Misery), Lupita Nyong’o (Eclipsed), Sophie Okonedo (The Crucible) and Michelle Williams (Blackbird). “Miranda’s co-star, Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr, also was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical”.
Any surprises with this year’s Tony nods?
Collin College graduates are represented in the Best Musical Revival category, too, with Akron Watson in The Color Purple, and Cory Boulieris in She Loves Me. “Hamilton” is the rare show that lives up to the hype.
The Crucible, A View From the Bridge, Blackbird, Long Day’s Journey into Night, and Noises Off are all shortlisted for Best Revival of a Play, while the musical equivalent is between The Color Purple, Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, and Spring Awakening.
Up against “Hamilton, ‘ which is considered a shoo-in for best musical, are ‘Shuffle Along, ‘ ‘Waitress, ‘ ‘Bright Star” and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘School of Rock’.
Tuck Everlasting’s newcomer, 11-year-old Sarah Charles Lewis, might have gotten a Best Actress nod if the voters were feeling generous, while its lavish set and musical arrangements could have sneaked into the Best Scenic Design and Best Orchestration categories.
On the play side, frontrunners Eclipsed and The Humans are duking it out with The Father and King Charles III, which closed in January.
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The 2016 Tony Awards will take place on June 12th 2016.
