IF WE RAN THE TONY'S P.1 - MATEO & RICKY PICK THEIR NOMS

BY MATEO MORENO

BY RICKY JONES

The official Tony Nominations have come and gone! If you missed them, check them out HERE. But if Ricky and Mateo had their say, here is what they would have nominated this year. Many are the same ones that the Tony committee did recognize, but more than not, our two writers saw gold in several other candidates as well.

BEST PLAY

MATEO

• Hand To God
• Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• The River
• Disgraced

RICKY

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Hand to God
• Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• The River
• The Audience

MATEO'S THOUGHTS: The Curious Incident is just a flat out brilliant adaptation of the novel that had me in tears with the final line of the show. Great performances and stellar stagework and direction. Wolf Hall Parts I & II are a masterwork of British history theatre. Disgraced is a disturbing, wonderfully directed ticking time bomb of a show that becomes more relevant as every day passes. The River was sadly overlooked by many but I loved the simplicity and eeriness that the unexplained show gave you. But for my money, Hand to God is the one to beat this year. It's simply the most original and thought provoking show I've seen in years.

BEST MUSICAL

MATEO

• Fun Home
• Something Rotten!
• The Last Ship
• The Visit
• An American in Paris

RICKY

• The Last Ship
• Fun Home 
• Something Rotten
• Honeymoon in Vegas
• Dr. Zhivago

RICKY'S THOUGHTS: First of all, this has been a great season! There have been so many new productions that there should be 5 nominees this year. Fun Home and Something Rotten are perfect examples of why I love musical theatre. I don't know which one I love more and it's going to be hard to pick a winner come June. I wish that the Tony voters would have remembered The Last Ship. It was such a beautiful production! Like all the other great JRB musicals, Honeymoon In Vegas got some of the best reviews of the year but just couldn't find an audience. And yes, I am including Dr. Zhivago on this list. Despite it's flaws, I enjoyed Doctor Zhivago much more than many other musicals this season (An American In Paris, It Shoulda Been You).

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

MATEO

• The Real Thing
• Skylight
• The Elephant Man
• Love Letters
• You Can’t Take it With You

RICKY

• Skylight 
• It's Only a Play
• You Cant Take it With You
• The Elephant Man

MATEO'S THOUGHTS: Great revivals this year. Love Letters was simple and eliquant. Basically a staged reading, but what a wallop of an emotional journey. You Can't Take It With You wasn't my favorite, but I have to give it props for so many great aspects of the show. The Real Thing marks another great Stoppard revival on Broadway. The cast made it soar. The Elephant Man is a very good play made brilliant by its remarkable cast and simple staging. And Skylight is so raw, so real that you often forget you're watching a piece of theatre and not just peaking into the window of a neighbors home.

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

MATEO

• The King and I
• On The Twentieth Century
• Side Show
• On The Town

RICKY

• Side Show
• On the Town
• The King and I
• On the 20th Century

RICKY'S THOUGHTS: Sorry Gigi.  I couldn't include you.  While it is a pretty good production, I just don't care for the show itself at all.

MATEO'S THOUGHTS: I'm not sorry Gigi.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play 

 MATEO

• Steven Boyer - Hand To God
• Alex Sharp - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Bradley Cooper – The Elephant Man
• Douglas Sills – Living on Love
• TIE: Hari Dhillion - Disgraced // Hugh Jackman - The River

RICKY

• Alex Sharp - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Steven Boyer - Hand To God
• Bradley Cooper - The Elephant Man
• Ben Miles - Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• Hugh Jackman - The River

RICKY'S THOUGHTS: In a lesser year, Sharp, Boyer, Cooper, & Miles would win easily. I was torn with the fifth slot. Douglas Sills and Jake Gyllenhaal both gave such wonderful performances. But what I loved about Jackman's performance was how subtle it was. It was very different from what he usually does and deserves a spot on this list.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

MATEO

• Geneva Carr - Hand To God
• Maggie Gyllenhaal - The Real Thing
• Helen Mirren – The Audience
• Ruth Wilson - Constellations
• Carrie Mulligan - Skylight

RICKY

• Helen Mirren - The Audience
• Carey Mullengan - Skylight
• Blythe Danner - The Country House
• Ruth Wilson - Constellations
• Geneva Carr - Hand To God

MATEO'S THOUGHTS: What a great year for women in theatre! These five women were all incredible, from the powerhouse that is Helen Mirren to the heartbreaking Carrie Mulligan, the morphing of Ruth Wilson, the ferocity of Geneva Carr, to the sweetness and longing of Maggie Gyllenhaal.

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

 MATEO 

• Michael Ceveris – Fun Home
• Brian D’Arcy James – Something Rotten!
• Rob McClure – Honeymoon in Vegas
• Ryan Silverman - Side Show
• Michael Esper - The Last Ship

RICKY

• Rob McClure - Honeymoon in Vegas
• Brian D'Arcy James - Something Rotten!
• Michael Esper - The Last Ship
• Ken Watanabe - The King & I
• Michael Cerveris - Fun Home

RICKY'S THOUGHTS - Rob McClure's work is always so inspiring! Brian D'Arcy James can do no wrong. Michael Esper was deeply moving in The Last Ship.  I haven't seen King and I yet but am rooting for Ken Watanabe. It's a great role for a great actor. But all of them will eventually lose to Michael Cerveris who gives the best performance of his career.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

MATEO

• Rachel Tucker - The Last Ship
• Kristen Chenowith - On The Twentieth Century
• Kelli O' Hara - The King & I
•  Beth Malone - Fun Home
• Laura Michelle Kelly - Finding Neverland

RICKY

• Chita Rivera - The Visit
• Kelli O'Hara - The King & I
• Kristen Chenoweth - On The Twentieth Century
• Rachel Tucker - The Last Ship
• Leanne Cope - An American in Paris

MATEO'S THOUGHTS: Kristen is a comic marvel this year. Her physicality is pure brilliance. Kelli is always wonderful but sadly is starting to become the Susan Lucci of nominated Broadway performances. Beth Malone sears in her understated Fun Home role and Laura Michelle Kelly is the heart of an uneven Finding Neverland. But the criminally overlooked Rachel Tucker was the truly inspiring performance, knocking the socks off the large male cast night after night in the gone too soon The Last Ship. Had the show opened later in the season and lasted longer, I do feel she would have been recognized.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

 MATEO

• Alessandro Nivola - The Elephant Man
• Kieran Culkin – This Is Our Youth
• Bryce Pinkham - The Heidi Chronicles
• Josh Radnor - Disgraced
• Micah Stock - It’s Only a Play

 RICKY

• Micah Stock - It's Only a Play
• Ian Barford - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Josh Radnor - Disgraced
• Eric Lange - The Country House
• Bryce Pinkham - The Heidi Chronicles

RICKY'S THOUGHTS: This was a great year for supporting actors. I do wish Josh Radnor would have sneaked in there. Micah Stocke stole all the scenes he was in. Bryce was the best part of The Heidi Chronicles while Ian Barford was heartbreaking in Curious Incident. And while he had no real shot of actually get nominated this year, I loved Eric Lange's performance in The Country House.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

MATEO

• Sarah Stiles - Hand To God
• Cush Kimbo  – The River
• Lydia Leonard - Wolf Hall
• Laura Donnelly - The River
• Annaleigh Ashford - You Can’t Take It With You

RICKY

• Cush Jumbo - The River
• Laura Donnelly - The River
• Julie White - Airline Highway
• Lydia Leonard - Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• Julie Halston - You Can't Take It With You

MATEO'S THOUGHTS: The two girls in The River really cast a strong and lasting spell on me. Lydia Leonard was wonderful in Wolf Hall. But my two favorites delivered yet again: Sarah Stiles and Annaleigh Ashford seem to not be able to do any wrong. They're truly hilarious.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

MATEO

• Fred Applegate - The Last Ship
• Christian Borle - Something Rotten!
  
• Brad Oscar - Something Rotten!
  
• Andy Karl - On The Twentieth Century
  
• Jimmy Nail - The Last Ship
  

RICKY

• Christian Bolre - Something Rotten!
• Fred Applegate - The Last Ship
• Tony Danza - Honeymoon in Vegas
• Brooks Ashmankas - Something Rotten!
• Andy Karl - On the Twentieth Century

RICKY'S THOUGHTS - It is a true shame that Fred Applegate didn't get nominated. He is broadway veteran that never fails to deliver. Tony Danza was having the time of this life on stage in Honeymoon In Vegas. Plus, his passion for the process itself was admirable.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

MATEO

• Alysha Umphress - On The Town
• Sydney Lucas - Fun Home
• Emily Skeggs - Fun Home
• Judy Kuhn - Fun Home
• Megan Fairchild - On The Town

RICKY

• Sydney Lucas - Fun Home
• Judy Kuhn - Fun Home
• Harriet Harris - It Shoulda Been You
• Megan Fairchild - On The Town
• Ruth Ann Mile - The King and I

MATEO'S THOUGHTS: You HAVE to nominate the entire female cast of Fun Home. They're all just so damn good. And although Alysha Umphress has the showier comic role, I was also just as entrances by the Prima Ballerina Megan Fairchild. Her comic timing was just as strong as her incredible dance numbers.

And the Rest...

Best Direction of a Play

MATEO

• Moritz Von Stuelpnagel - Hand To God
• Marianne Elliott - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Kathleen Marshall - Living on Love
• Ian Rickson - The River

RICKY

• Marianne Elliott - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Moritz Von Stuelpnagel - Hand to God 
• Jeremy Herrin - Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• Ian Rickson - The River 

Best Direction of a Musical

MATEO 

• Sam Gold - Fun Home
• Casey Nicholas - Something Rotten!
• Joe Mantello - The Last Ship
• Scott Ellis - On The Twentieth Century

RICKY

• Sam Gold - Fun Home
• Casey Nicholas - Something Rotten!
• Joe Mantello - The Last Ship
• Bartlett Sher - The King & I

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

MATEO

• Lisa Kron - Fun Home
• Terrence McNally - The Visit
• John Logan - The Last Ship
• Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell - Something Rotten!

RICKY

• Lisa Kron - Fun Home
• Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell - Something Rotten!
• John Logan - The Last Ship 
• Michael Weller - Doctor Zhivago 

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

MATEO

• Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron - Fun Home
• Sting - The Last Ship
• Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick - Something Rotten!
• John Kander & Fred Ebb - The Visit

RICKY

• Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron - Fun Home 
• Sting - The Last Ship
• Jason Robert Brown - Honeymoon in Vegas
• Wawyne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick - Something Rotten!

Best Scenic Design of a Play

MATEO

• David Rockwell - You Can’t Take It With You
• Ults - The River
• Beowulf Boritt - Hand To God
• Bunny Christie & Finn Ross - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

RICKY

• David Rockwell - You Can't Take it With You
• Beowulf Boritt - Hand to God 
• Bunny Christie & Finn Ross - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Scott Pask - Airline Highway 

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

MATEO

• Michael Scott-Mitchell - Doctor Zhivago
• David Zinn - The Last Ship
• David Rockwell - Side Show
• David Rockwell - On The Twentieth Century

RICKY

• Scott Pask - The Visit 
• Michael Scott-Mitchell- Doctor Zhivago 
• Michael Yeargan - The King and I 
• David Rockwell - On the 20th Century 

Best Costume Design of a Play

MATEO

• Christopher Oram - Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• Jane Greenwood - You Can’t Take It With You
• Derek McLane - Living on Love
• Bob Crowley - The Audience

RICKY

• Bob Crowley - The Audience 
• Christopher Oram - Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• Timothy R Mackabee - The Elephant Man
• David Zinn - Airline Highway

Best Costume Design of a Musical

MATEO

• Paul Tazewell - Side Show
• Catherine Zuber - The King and I
• Finding Neverland
• Something Rotten!

RICKY

• Something Rotten
• The King and I 
• Dr Zhivago
• Side Show 

Best Lighting Design of a Play

MATEO

• Curious Incident
• Hand To God
• The River
• Skylight

RICKY

• Curious Incident 
• Wolf Hall 
• The River 
• Constellations 

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

MATEO

• The Last Ship
• Side Show
• Finding Neverland
• Doctor Zhivago

RICKY

• The King and I  
• The Last Ship 
• Dr. Zhivago 
• The Visit  

Best Sound Design of a Play

MATEO

• The River
• Hand To God
• Wolf Hall Parts I & II
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

MATEO

• Constellations 
• The River 
• Wolf Hall 
• Curious Incident

Best Sound Design of a Musical

MATEO

• The Last Ship
• Something Rotten!
• On The Twentieth Century
• Finding Neverland

RICKY

• Dr Zhivago 
• The Last Ship
• Something Rotten
• Fun Home

Best Choreography

MATEO

• Something Rotten!
• Finding Neverland
• An American in Paris
• On The Town

RICKY

• On the Town
• Something Rotten
• American In Paris
• Curious Incident of the Dog    

Best Orchestrations

MATEO

• The Last Ship
• An American in Paris
• Fun Home
• Side Show

RICKY

• Fun Home
• Something Rotten
• The Last Ship
• Honeymoon in Vegas