Brutal Tony Award 2026 nominations kick Adrien…
It was a big morning for blood-sucking monsters.
No, not the teenager vampires from “The Lost Boys” — The Tony Awards nominating committee.
Oh, what a pack of ruthless killers they’re.
Tuesday’s nominations for the best of the Broadway season made it plainly clear what the group of 55 voting theater professionals completely loathed.
Lea Michele didn’t handle a best actress nomination for “Chess.” Bruce Glikas/WireImage
The flop $22.5 million musical “The Queen of Versailles,” “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz’s burning pile of rubble, scored nada. Not even for designer Dane Laffrey’s beautiful, mammoth set, or beloved diva Kristin Chenoweth. Meet the latest New York Times Critic’s Pick to goose egg.
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And — did you ever know that you bought ze-ro?! — “Beaches” was beached. Expect a swift closing discover for the bellyflopping “Wind Beneath My Wings” show at the Majestic.
In fact, the committee hated those two so a lot, they shoved a couple of performs in the best rating class instead: Those previous toe-tappers “Death of a Salesman” and “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.”
“Proof” — the mathematics play revival co-produced by the Obamas and starring acclaimed actors Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle — also succumbed to that lowliest of integers: 0.
Adrien Brody wasn’t acknowledged for his efficiency in “The Fear of 13” Oliver Rodriguez/Shutterstock
Were the nominators gained over by the $tar energy of Lea Michele in “Chess”? Nope. Instead they acknowledged her less-famous co-stars Nicholas Christopher (great), Hannah Cruz (good) and Bryce Pinkham (baffling).
“Brutalist” Oscar winner Adrien Brody also had a brutal day — he failed to snag a best actor nod for the badly-written criminal-justice play “The Fear of 13.” Timothée Chalamet must be grinning from ear to ear.
And status TV stars Jon Berthal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (both of “Dog Day Afternoon”) and Jean Smart (“Call Me Izzy”) didn’t make the cut either.
“The Lost Boys” scored 12 nods — tying with “Schmigadoon.” AP
Plenty of reveals carried out very effectively — on the play facet because of a wealth of extraordinary revivals, and on the musical end because a small quantity of worthy-ish reveals wolfed up all the slots by default.
Two productions led the pack for best musical: “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon,” with 12 nods apiece. Rounding out the class was the lovable, little “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” with 9 and the hilarious off-Broadway success story “Titanique” with 4.
The enjoying discipline is way more degree than “Maybe Happy Ending”’s season-long streamroll was last 12 months, and there may be no clear frontrunner.
That said, conversations around city counsel the battle is between “Lost Boys” and “Schmig.”
The revival of “Ragtime” scored 11 nominations, including best musical revival. Evan Zimmerman
A few slights today lead me to imagine “Lost Boys” is a little forward. “Schmigadoon” actors Max Clayton and McKenzie Kurtz had been both left off the featured actor classes, implying nominators didn’t really feel the urge to put the show that’s based on the canceled Apple TV show in every single place they probably may.
Plenty in the industry like “Lost Boys” effectively enough — few outright love something — and the other three new musicals seem to many to be misplaced causes.
One Broadway source, sounding like a Democratic Party operative at major time, conceded, “Everybody should close ranks around ‘Lost Boys.’” Other voters have privately echoed that sentiment.
But one had doubts. “Wasn’t the story predictable?,” they said. “And all the power ballads!”
A revival of the musical “Ragtime,” starring Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy and Brandon Uranowitz, on Broadway. Matthew Murphy
Speaking of energy ballads, onto “Ragtime,” which is nominated for musical revival. There are three contenders: “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” (9 nods) “Ragtime” (11) and “The Rocky Horror Show” (9). But voters gained’t do the Time Warp again — it’s down to the first two.
“Ragtime” is fantastically sung and transferring (though many voters whine about the concert-esque staging). And its stars Caissie Levy and Joshua Henry in all probability win best actress and actor. But euphoric “Jellicle Ball” completely reinvents “Cats” — a feat thought to be inconceivable — and the fab felines ought to hoist the big prize.
A deeper bench is the very good play revivals. Even with a strong slate, that race boils down to “Death of a Salesman” and “Oedipus.”
Both are glorious, but high-grossing “Salesman” is on all people’s lips proper now (it just gained the New York Drama Critics Circle’s best ensemble prize) and British “Oedipus”’ February cut-off date is miles in the rearview. I anticipate consideration will likely be paid to “Salesman.”
“Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is the favourite to take home best revival. Matthew Murphy
Tighter still is the tussle between Willy Loman and Roald Dahl — a ok a Nathan Lane and John Lithgow.
The “Salesman” and “Giant” stars up for best actor in a play have a lot going for them: veteran standing, past Tony wins and a widespread sense that they’re doing some of the best work of their long careers.
“Salesman” has more heat behind it, which ought to help Lane. But Lithgow is carrying “Giant” totally on his shoulders. He’s the rationale people are seeing it. Flip a coin.
“Death of a Salesman,” starring Nathan Lane, earned 9 Tony nominations. Emilio Madrid
His “Giant” is duking it out with Women’s Lib dramedy “Liberation,” “The Balusters” and “Little Bear Ridge Road” for best play. Long-closed, Pulitzer-winning “Liberation” will take it.
Some fast stabs: Laurie Metcalf will get best supporting actress for “Salesman” and Lesley Manville takes best actress for “Oedipus.”
I’m particularly thrilled for Alden Ehrenreich, who was nominated for best featured actor for his brilliantly acidic flip in best revival nominee “Becky Shaw.” He’s the season’s biggest discover.
Ehrenreich is an element of a stellar class (Christopher Abbott, Danny Burstein, Brandon J. Dirden, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Richard Thomas). However, the “Solo: A Star Wars Story” star is a cut above the remaining.
Alden Ehrenreich is the favourite to win best featured actor in a play. Marc J. Franklin
The Tony Awards air June 7 on CBS. And moderately in the spirit of this unusual, complicated, letdown of a season, they’ll be hosted by Pink.
So what?
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