Tony Watch 2016: New Shows

Since the Tony awards released their first of four lists deciding the eligibility of this season's Broadway shows, The Broadway Beat is doing a Tony Watch segment for the major awards covering the first quarter of the season.

The two new show categories haven't seen many eligible contenders yet, with each only having two shows so far. However one of the categories already has a clear front-runner a rare development this early.

Best New Play:

The only two new plays so far have been Therese Raquin and An Act of God. Neither got amazing reviews, but Therese Raquin gets the slight advantage in this race. This is far from finished though, with many shows left to open.

Current Predictions:

1. Therese Raquin

2. An Act of God

Other Potential Nominees:

King Charles III

The Father

Blackbird

Eclipsed

Our Mother's Brief Affair

Misery

China Doll

Therese Raquin

Best New Musical:

Only two new musicals opened in the first quarter of the season. However one of them has become a national sensation, with some of the best reviews in recent memory. Even in a season full of new musicals, it will be next to impossible to beat Hamilton this year.

Current Predictions: 

1. Hamilton

2. Amazing Grace

Other Potential Nominees:

Waitress

American Psycho

Tuck Everlasting

School of Rock

Shuffle Along

On Your Feet!

Bright Star

Allegiance

Disaster!

Hamilton

Tony Watch 2016: Lead Performers in a Musical

Since the Tony awards released their first of four lists deciding the eligibility of this season's Broadway shows, The Broadway Beat is doing a Tony Watch segment for the major awards covering the first quarter of the season.

Like with the featured categories, Hamilton is the dominant presence from the first quarter of the year, and is likely to have some strong Tony contenders come awards season.

Lead Actor in a Musical:
Only 4 musicals happened in the first quarter of the season, but already two of the nomination slots might be filled. Lin Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. are both likely nominees from Hamilton. As long as they don't split the vote, Odom seems to be the favorite to take home the award at this point.

Current Predictions:
1. Leslie Odom Jr.: Hamilton
2. Lin Manuel Miranda: Hamilton
3. Austin P. McKenzie: Spring Awakening
4. Cary Tedder: Dames at Sea
5. Josh Young: Amazing Grace

A few upcoming performances to look out for:
Danny Burnstein: Fiddler on the Roof
Benjamin Walker: American Psycho
Zachary Levi: She Loves Me
Alex Brightman: School of Rock
Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Tuck Everlasting
Paul Alexander Nolan: Bright Star
Telly Leung: Allegiance
Josh Segarra: On Your Feet

Leslie Odom Jr. in Hamilton

Lead Actress in a Musical:
For the last couple years the lead actress in a musical category has been one of the most competitive Tony races, and that doesn't look like it will change this year. Already Phillipa Soo has thrown her hat in the ring, and other contenders (including 4 Tony winners) are coming up this season.

Current Predictions:
1. Phillipa Soo: Hamilton
2. Eloise Kropp: Dames at Sea
3. Sandra Mae Frank: Spring Awakening
4. Erin Mackey: Amazing Grace

A few upcoming performances to look out for:
Cynthia Erivo: The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller: Waitress
Laura Benanti: She Loves Me
Audra McDonald: Shuffle Along
Lea Salonga: Allegiance
Ana Villafane:On Your Feet!
Carmen Cusack: Bright Star

Phillipa Soo and Lin-Manuel Miranda in Hamilton

Tony Watch 2016: Lead Performers in a Play

Since the Tony awards released their first of four lists deciding the eligibility of this season's Broadway shows, The Broadway Beat is doing a Tony Watch segment for the major awards covering the first quarter of the season.

Many of the eligible performers for lead actor and lead actress in a play opened in the first quarter. However, not so many of them are likely to be in Tony contention.

Lead Actor in a Play:
We've seen a couple big names already this season. James Earl Jones, Jim Parsons, Sam Rockwell, Clive Owen and Matthew Broderick all filled leading roles, along with newcomer Matt Ryan. However, Broderick, Ryan, Rockwell and Owen don't appear to be in the thick of the race.

Parsons's performance went over well, but a limited run summer show like An Act of God will likely be all but forgotten by Tony time. That leaves James Earl Jones at the head of this quarter's back.

Current Prediction:
1. James Earl Jones: The Gin Game
2. Jim Parsons: An Act of God
3. Sam Rockwell: Fool for Love
4. Matt Ryan: Therese Raquin
5. Matthew Broderick: Sylvia

A few upcoming performances to look out for:
Mark Strong: A View from the Bridge
Frank Langella: The Father
Tim Pigott Smith: King Charles III
Jeff Daniels: Blackbird
Forest Whitaker: Hughie
Gabriel Byrne: Long Days Journey Into Night
Al Pacino: China Doll

James Earl Jones with Cicely Tyson in The Gin Game

Lead Actress in a Play
Some of the ladies who have led plays in the first quarter of the season will have a much better chance at a nomination. Kiera Knightly, Annaleigh Ashford and Cicely Tyson are all very much in the conversation for a Tony nomination, with Nina Arianda as a potential spoiler. Right now we're giving the edge to Ashford, though its close between the three of them.

Current Prediction:
1. Annaleigh Ashford: Sylvia
2. Kiera Knightly: Therese Raquin
3. Cicely Tyson: The Gin Game
4. Nina Arianda: Fool for Love
5. Eve Best: Old Times

A few upcoming performances to look out for:
Laurie Metcalf: Misery
Jessica Lange: Long Days Journey Into Night
Lupita Nyong'o: Eclipsed
Michelle Williams: Blackbird
Sophie Okonedo: The Crucible
Linda Lavin: Our Mother's Brief Affair

Annaleigh Ashford and Matthew Broderick in Sylvia

Tony Watch 2016: Revivals

Since the Tony awards released their first of four lists deciding the eligibility of this season's Broadway shows, The Broadway Beat is doing a Tony Watch segment for the major awards covering the first quarter of the season.

This is one of the most exciting Broadway seasons in recent memory, and both revival categories have a lot of strong contenders this year. With no clear front runner, its still anybody's race.

Best Revival of a Musical:
As of this meeting 2 of the projected 5 best musical revival candidates have opened, so we can already get a good idea of the race. Right now the idea is Spring Awakening has a shot. Dames at Sea, not so much.

Current Prediction:
1. Spring Awakening
2. Dames at Sea

Other potential nominees:
The Color Purple
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me

Spring Awakening

Best Revival of a Play:
Most of the big revivals are coming later this season, but we've seen a few potential contenders open in the first quarter. The main theme critics brought up in their reviews was that many of this quarter's revivals didn't seem like they really called for a revival. Old Times, the Gin Game and Fool for Love don't look to be strong contenders. Sylvia might sneak in, but there are a lot of shows to come. Only time will tell.

Current Predictions:
1. Sylvia
2. Fool for love
3. Old Times
4. The Gin Game

Other Potential Nominees:
A View From the Bridge
Long Days Journey Into Night
Noises Off
Hughie
The Crucible

The Broadway revival of Sylvia

Tony Watch 2016: Featured Performers in a Musical

Since the Tony awards released their first of four lists deciding the eligibility of this season's Broadway shows, The Broadway Beat is doing a Tony Watch segment for the major awards covering the first quarter of the season.

While the first quarter was low on featured performers in plays, it has had a plethora of featured performers in musicals. a few of the season front runners for the award have already performed, thanks to the new musical Hamilton. But does anyone else from this first quarter even stand a chance?

Featured Actor in a Musical:

While the first quarter has seen a decent amount of featured actor in a musical candidates, only one is a real Tony threat, and that's Daveed Diggs. After getting raves in Hamilton, Diggs is all but a lock for the nomination, and the front runner for the Tony.

Current Prediction:

1. Daveed Diggs - Hamilton

2. Christopher Jackson - Hamilton

3. Jonathan Groff - Hamilton

4. Chuck Cooper - Amazing Grace

5. Tom Hewitt - Amazing Grace

A few upcoming performances to look out for:

Billy Porter - Shuffle Along

Gavin Creel - She Loves Me

Terrence Mann- Tuck Everlasting

Brian Stokes Mitchell - Shuffle Along

Roger Bart - Disaster!

Brandon Victor Dixon - Shuffle Along

Michael K. Lee - Allegiance

George Takei - Allegiance

Joshua Henry - Shuffle Along

Adam Pascal - Disaster!

Daveed Diggs and the Hamilton ensemble

Featured Actress in a Musical:

Similar to the actor category, we may have already seen the Tony winner for featured actress in a musical. Renee Elise Goldsberry is the likely frontrunner for the award. However unlike the other categories, we've seen another performance already this season that might earn a nomination. Lesli Margherita is the one lifesaver in the current revival of Dames at Sea, and her performance might just nab her a Tony nod.

Current Prediction:

1. Renee Elise Goldsberry - Hamilton

2. Lesli Margherita - Dames at Sea

3. Andrea Burns - On Your Feet!

4. Alma Cuervo - On Your Feet!

5. Krysta Rodriguez - Spring Awakening

A few upcoming performances to look out for:

Jennifer Hudson - The Color Purple

Keala Settle - Waitress

Alice Ripley - American Psycho

Jane Krakowski - She Loves Me

Jessica Hecht - Fiddler on the Roof

Kerry Butler - Disaster!

Jennifer Damiano - American Psycho

Carolee Carmello - Tuck Everlasting

Renee Elise Goldsberry in Hamilton

Tony Watch 2016: Tony eligibility, round 1/Featured performer in a play awards

Yesterday the Tony awards released their first of four lists deciding the eligibility of this season's Broadway shows. You can find their rulings here: Tony eligibility

To go with these announcements, we have developed preliminary predictions for how the shows discussed in eligibility will do Tony-wise in the main categories, and we'll be sharing them over the next few days. The shows discussed in eligibility were: An Act of God, Amazing Grace, Hamilton, Spring Awakening, Old Times, Fool for Love, The Gin Game, Dames at Sea, Sylvia, and Therese Raquin.

We're starting with the featured performer categories. This early in the season its always hard to get a sense of these awards, but we'll give it a shot. Keep in mind some of the performers listed in upcoming have already begun performances, but the Tony awards haven't ruled on their eligibility yet.

Featured Actor in a Play:
This session of eligibility has only presented one strong Tony contender in Gabriel Ebert. Depending on how other performances go over in the remaining months, he may have a shot at the award.

Current prediction:
1. Gabriel Ebert - Therese Raquin
2. Robert Sella - Sylvia
3. Gordon Joseph Weiss - Fool for Love
4. Christopher Fitzgerald - An Act of God
5.  Tom Pelphrey - Fool for Love

A few upcoming performances to look out for:
Richard Goulding - King Charles III
John Gallagher Jr. - Long Days Journey Into Night
Frank Wood - Hughie
Ciaran Hinds - The Crucible

Gabriel Ebert and Kiera Knightley in Therese Raquin

Featured Actress in a Play
There aren't even enough featured actresses in a play to round out a full slate of performances from this session. Luckily there are a good amount coming later in the season. The won actress from this session that has a good shot at the award is Judith Light in Therese Raquin.

Current prediction:
1. Judith Light - Therese Raquin
2. Julie White - Sylvia
3. Mary Wiseman - Therese Raquin

A few upcoming performances to look out for:
Megan Hilty - Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh - Eclipsed
Phoebe Fox - A View from the Bridge
Zainab Jah- Eclipsed
Andrea Martin - Noises Off
Lydia Wilson - King Charles III

Judith Light and Kiera Knightley in Therese Raquin