Even in a New York theater season cut short by COVID-19, Jagged Little Pill and Moulin Rouge! The Musical both shone brightly.
The Broadway League and American Theatre Wing unveiled a scaled-down list of nominations for the 2020 Tony Awards this week. Just 18 productions, or roughly half the normal number of contenders, were eligible this year due to Broadways unexpected shuttering in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jagged Little Pill, a jukebox musical comprising music from Alanis Morissettes seminal 1995 album, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a staged reimagining of Baz Luhrmanns 2001 film, led the pack with 15 and 14 nominations, respectively.
Jeremy O. Harriss Slave Play , a timely and provocative drama about race and sexuality, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical , which dramatizes the life of the rock legend, were tied for 12 nominations each.
Honors for individual performers were noticeably slim, with Moulin Rouge! star Aaron Tveit landing the sole nomination for best actor in a leading role in a musical. The best revival of a musical category was eliminated entirely.
Actor James Monroe Inglehart , a 2014 Tony winner for Aladdin, announced the nominations Thursday, adding some much-needed levity to the proceedings by sharing anecdotes about his early theatergoing experiences.
This years ceremony comes at a bleak time for the New York theater industry. All 41 Broadway theaters have been closed since March 12 due to the COVID-19 crisis. Last week, the Broadway League announced that live performances will not resume until at least June 1, 2021.
Originally slated to take place on June 7, the 2020 Tony Awards will instead be held virtually, though no air date has been announced.
Check out the list of nominations below.
Best Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina The Tina Turner Musical
Best Play
Grand Horizons
The Inheritance
Sea Wall/A Life
Slave Play
The Sound Inside
Best Revival of a Play
Betrayal
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
A Soldiers Play
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldiers Play
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge!
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Daniel J. Watts, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldiers Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tou, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista
Best Direction of a Musical
Phyllida Lloyd, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill
Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Direction of a Play
David Cromer, The Sound Inside
Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
Kenny Leon, A Soldiers Play
Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal
Robert OHara, Slave Play
Best Book of a Musical
Jagged Little Pill, Diablo Cody
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, John Logan
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
A Christmas Carol, music by Christopher Nightingale
The Inheritance, music by Paul Englishby
The Rose Tattoo, music by Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb
Slave Play, music by Lindsay Jones
The Sound Inside, music by Daniel Kluger
Best Choreography
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jagged Little Pill
Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Anthony Van Laast, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Orchestrations
Tom Kitt for Jagged Little Pill
Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine for Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Ethan Popp for Tina - The Tina Turner Musical
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Riccardo Hernndez and Lucy Mackinnon for Jagged Little Pill
Derek McLane for Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Soutra Gilmour, Betrayal
Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Derek McLane, A Soldiers Play
Clint Ramos, Slave Play
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dede Ayite for Slave Play
Dede Ayite for A Soldiers Play
Bob Crowley for The Inheritance
Rob Howell for A Christmas Carol
Clint Ramos for The Rose Tattoo
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Emily Rebholz, Jagged Little Pill
Mark Thompson, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical
Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti & Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol
Lindsay Jones, Slave Play
Daniel Kluger, Sea Wall/A Life
Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, Jagged Little Pill
Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
Jon Clark, The Inheritance
Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
Allen Lee Hughes, A Soldiers Play
Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Bruno Poet, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Justin Townsend, Jagged Little Pill
Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
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