NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – Broadway stars Adrienne Warren, who won a Tony for her performance as Tina Turner in Tina and three-time Tony nominee Joshua Henry announced the Tony Award nominations on Monday (May 9). A Pulitzer-winning musical and a play re-creating the 2008 financial crisis led the noms for the 75th annual Tony Awards, which honor the best of the Great White Way.
Leading the nominations is A Strange Loop with 11 noms, including best musical. The show follows a playwright and his thoughts – which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for drama.
The controversial pop-musical MJ, which takes place during a Michael Jackson tour, has moonwalked its way into ten nominations. Also scoring ten is Paradise Square, a musical that breaks down the relationship between Black New Yorkers and Irish immigrants in the 19th century.
This year, Hollywood also had a strong showing, with stars like Patti LuPone (Company), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Take Me Out), Billy Crystal (Mr. Saturday Night), SNL alum Rachel Dratch (POTUS), and Uzo Aduba (Clyde’s) receiving nods. Previous Tony winner Hugh Jackman (The Music Man) and Oscar winner Sam Rockwell (American Buffalo) were also nominated for their performances.
On the flip side, the nominations were also full of snubs for Hollywood’s elite. Debra Messing (Birthday Candles), Daniel Craig (Macbeth), husband/wife team Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick (Plaza Suite), and Beanie Feldstein (Funny Girl and sister of actor Jonah Hill) were collectively shut out.
Some reactions have been coming in from the nominated stars:
Rachel Dratch, Best Featured Actress in a Play, POTUS – “My initial response to this news was Hammaflabbbagggahhhtthhththtpthththappaddooooaaahhh! (Repeat for 5 hours.) But upon further reflection, I will say I’m already having the time of my life up on the stage every night with our ensemble of mega-talented lady superstars —so to receive news of a Tony nomination on top of that? To borrow a line from the play (said in extremely different circumstances)… ‘Are my feet on the ground?!'”
Uzo Aduba, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, Clyde’s – “What a gift. I am so grateful to see our entire company of Clyde’s recognized in so many ways, and humbled to also be nominated as well. I love theatre. I love this community, and it has brought me great joy to see the neon lights back on, on Broadway. Congratulations to my castmates, Kara and Ron on their beautiful work. To our playwright, the incomparable Lynn Nottage. To Jen Moeller, our costume designer, for her brilliance, and to all of today’s nominees. My heart is full.”
Patti LuPone, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Company – “I’m thrilled for Marianne, Chris, Matt, Jen, the entire cast and creators of Company. We are led every night by the beautiful, soulful, and extremely talented Katrina Lenk.”
