“Hamilton”, that speeding bullet of Broadway musicals, got 16 Tony nominations Tuesday – the most of this or any year.
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Spring Awakening, nominated for musical revival, had a cast that included many deaf actors, and their sign language was so beautifully incorporated it felt like its own kind of gorgeous music.
The directing categories, which combine new shows and revivals, offer some clues about what’s ahead in each race.
“School of Rock”, the adaptation by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Julian Fellowes of the Jack Black movie about a wannabe rocker who enlists fifth-graders to form a rock group, earned four nominations, including best musical, book, original score and best leading man in Alex Brightman.
“Hamilton” achieving a new record for most Tony nominations demonstrates its cultural dominance.
But rather than merely overshadow other nominees, Hamilton’s predictably strong showing drove home a point emphasized throughout the 2015-16 season: that musical theater is a vehicle not just for escapist entertainment, but for stories that inform and move us.
Unfortunately for “Hamilton”, the one category in which it is unfancied to win is Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.
The popularity of “Hamilton”, intensified by social media, late-night television, music downloads and now a fast-selling behind-the-scenes book, is so great that it is expected to boost viewership of this year’s Tony Awards, which are to be broadcast from the Beacon Theater on June 12.
Best Play: “Eclipsed” by Danai Gurira; “The Father” by Florian Zeller; “The Humans” by Stephan Karam; “King Charles III” by Mike Bartlett.
“Hamilton” will compete in the best musical category with “BrightStar”, “School of Rock”, “Shuffle Along” and “Waitress”. Meanwhile, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, and Christopher Jackson-the Marquis De Lafayette, King George III, and George Washington, respectively-are battling it out for Best Featured Actor, Phillipa Soo was nominated for her leading role as Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, and Renée Elise Goldsberry was tapped for a featured role as her sister, Angelica. Both actors and the play received Tony nominations. It has since received a Grammy Award and a Pulitzer Prize.
The success of “Hamilton” has one downside – all scheduled shows are sold out through January 29, 2017, with tickets going for as much as $8,278 on the secondary market.
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Two-time Oscar victor Jessica Lange was nominated for her acclaimed portrayal of morphine addicted Mary Tyrone in ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night, ‘ which also won nominations for co-stars Gabriel Byrne and Michael Shannon, as well as for best revival of a play.
