Broadway
Get Ready For The 74th Tony Awards and our Predictions
CBS and The The 74th Tony Awards are scheduled for this Sunday, but the reality of this year is muted. All the parties have been cancelled, the nominees for Best Play are closed and I had to be reminded that this Sunday the show will go on.
The Tony Awards is called Present: Broadway’s Back!, live from the Winter Garden Theatre and will streamed live and on demand on the CBS app and Paramount+.
First is the live presentation of the American Theatre Wing’s 74th Annual Tony Awards® live at 7:00 PM, ET/4:00 PM, PT, streaming exclusively on Paramount+. Hosted by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning actor and singer Audra McDonald.
Then Tony and Grammy® award-winning, and two-time Academy Award nominated singer and actor Leslie Odom, Jr. will host from 9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT. A live concert featuring superstar Broadway entertainers and Tony Award winners re-uniting on stage to perform beloved classics and celebrate the joy and magic of live theatre. The re-opening of Broadway will be further celebrated with special performances from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders, followed by the live presentation of three Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical.
Annaleigh Ashford, Kerry Butler, Kristin Chenoweth, André De Shields, Jake Gyllenhaal, Christopher Jackson, Idina Menzel, Ruthie Ann Miles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O’Hara, Ben Platt, Jeremy Pope, Chita Rivera, Daphne Rubin-Vega and BD Wong are just some of the artists who are set to appear.
Now for our predictions:
Best Musical will be the splashy Moulin Rouge!, but my vote would have been for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical which left me completely satisfied thanks to the incredible Adrianne Warren.
Best Play will be Slave Play, by Jeremy O. Harris. O. Harris already announced his win and yet that didn’t seem to bother people. This is a play you either love or hate. Personally I think the brilliant two parter The Inheritance, by Matthew López was the much better play.
Best Revival of a Play will be A Soldier’s Play. It was well acted, well directed and is what theatre is about.
Best Leading Actor in a Musical: There is one nominee and the Tony voters are not cruel the winner will be Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge!.
Now this category is the reason to have this show. Best Leading Actress in a Musical hands down will go to the brilliantly talented Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
This is the one category where there is a run. I am going to say Best Leading Actor in a Play is Tom Hiddleston in Betrayal.
Best Leading Actress in a Play: The win will go to Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play but who should win is Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
Best Featured Actor in a Musical will go to Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge! for his body of work and the death of his dear wife Rebecca Luker for ALS.
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill. She brought the house down with “You Auta Know.”
Best Featured Actor in a Play: It will go to David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play who was wonderful but my vote goes to either John Benjamin Hickey, or Paul Hilton, The Inheritance.
Best Featured Actress in a PlayL Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Best Original Score Written for the Theatre: Christopher Nightingale, A Christmas Carol, but really who cares there was no musical.
Best Book of a Musical: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
John Logan, Moulin Rouge!
Best Direction of a MusicalL Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge!
Best Direction of a Play: Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
Best Choreography: Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge!
Best OrchestrationsL Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge!
Best Scenic Design of a Play: Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Best Costume Design of a Musical: Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge! and I seriously want a pair of the spectacular tights.
Best Costume Design of a PlayL Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge!
Best Lighting Design of a Play: Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
Best Sound Design of a Musical: Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge!
Best Sound Design of a Play: Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
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Here is the amazing cast of Spamalot. Christopher Fitzgerald as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as The Lady of the Lake, Ethan Slater as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin, Nik Walker as Sir Galahad andTaran Killam as Lancelot.
I was so inspired I drew the whole cast.
To read T2C’s review click here.
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Young Girl in Green painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1927). Oil on plywood.