Josh Rittberg
Arts and Culture Editor
This year’s Tony Awards ceremony, which is showing on CBS this Sunday, is sure to be one of great fun and celebration as the current Broadway season comes to a close. The ceremony is being cohosted by Sarah Bareilles and Josh Groban. With recognizable blockbusters, like SpongeBob Squarepants, and innovative new works, like The Band’s Visit, this year’s ceremony promises to offer something for everyone. The competition for this year’s ceremony is as tight as ever but here are some predictions for Sunday’s exciting ceremony.
Best Musical:
The Band’s Visit
Mean Girls
Frozen
SpongeBob Squarepants
Prediction: With three blockbusters in its competition, voters are likely to choose the intimate yet powerful The Band’s Visit. It received stellar reviews on and off Broadway and is expected to be rewarded on Sunday with the evening’s most coveted award.
Best Revival of a Musical:
Carousel
Once on this island
My Fair Lady
Prediction: Although all the revivals received generally strong reviews this season, voters have awarded all three past Lincoln Center musicals with the Best Revival of a Musical title and My Fair Lady seems to be no exception.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Katrina Lenk, The Band’s Visit
Hailey Kilgore, Once on this island
Lachanze, Summer
Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls
Jessie Mueller, Carousel
Prediction: This category is highly competitive but the competition is squarely between Lauren Ambrose and Katrina Lenk. Lenk is expected to win for her graceful and nuanced portrayal of the café owner, Dina, in The Band’s Visit but Lauren Ambrose is certainly a dark horse for her lovely performance as Eliza Doolittle.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Tony Shalhoub, The Band’s Visit
Ethan Slater, SpongeBob Squarepants
Prediction: This category is really anyone’s game but it seems that, as of now, newcomer Ethan Slater might have a slight edge for his impressively energetic performance as SpongeBob.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Norbert Leo Butz, My Fair Lady
Alexander Gemigiani, Carousel
Gavin Lee, Spongebob Squarepants
Ari’el Stachel, The Band’s Visit
Prediction: Like the Best Actor in a Musical category, this one could really go to any of these very talented actors. Gavin Lee won the Drama Desk award, which may give him a slight edge. Norbert Leo Butz is a favorite with Tony voters and Ari’el Stachel stunned in his Broadway debut in The Band’s Visit.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Ariana Debose, Summer
Renée Fleming, Carousel
Lindsay Mendez, Carousel
Ashley Park, Mean Girls
Diana Rigg, My Fair Lady
Prediction: Lindsay Mendez is expected to win for her humorous performance in Carousel but if the two actresses from Carousel end up cancelling each other out, Broadway favorite Ashley Park from Mean Girls could take the Tony.
Best Book of a Musical:
Itamar Moses, The Band’s Visit
Jennifer Lee, Frozen
Tina Fey, Mean Girls
Kyle Jarrow, Spongebob Squarepants
Prediction: While Itamar Moses’s book for The Band’s Visit is exquisite, expect to see comedy legend Tina Fey take this award for her witty book on Mean Girls.
Best Score:
Adrian Sutton, Angels in America
David Yazbek, The Band’s Visit
Kristen-Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez, Frozen
Various contributors, Spongebob Squarepants
Prediction: This category is a lock for David Yazbek’s exquisite middle eastern influenced score for The Band’s Visit.
Best Play:
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
The Children
Fairinelli and The King
Junk
Latin History for Morons
Prediction: This award is a lock for the acclaimed blockbuster Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.
Best Revival of a Play:
Angels in America
Three Tall Women
Eugene O Neil’s The Iceman Cometh
Travesties
Prediction: While Three Tall Women is highly acclaimed, expect to see Angels in America take home the big prize for its timely and downright inspiring production.
Best Performance by an Actor in Leading Role in a Play:
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Tom Hollander, Travesties
Jamie Parker, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
Mark Rylance, Fairinelli and The King
Denzel Washington, The Iceman Cometh
Prediction: This is a crowded category but Andrew Garfield is sure to win for his vulnerable and humorous performance as the AIDS stricken Prior Walter.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play:
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
Michael Cera, Lobby Hero
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero
Nathan Lane, Angels in America
David Morse, The Iceman Cometh
Prediction: Nathan Lane is the clear frontrunner for his towering performance as Roy Cohn in Angels in America but Anthony Boyle could also win for his standout performance in this blockbuster of a play.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play:
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Condola Rashad, Saint Joan
Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God
Amy Schumer, Meteor Shower
Prediction: Glenda Jackson is a lock for her highly celebrated return to the Broadway stage in Three Tall Women.
Additional Categories:
Best Direction of a Musical: David Cromer, The Band’s Visit
Best Direction of a Play: John Tiffany, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
Best Choreography: Justin Peck, Carousel
Best Orchestrations: Jamshied Sharifi, The Band’s Visit
Best Costume Design of a Musical: Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady
Best Costume Design of a Play: Katrina Lindsay, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: David Zinn, Spongebob Squarepants
Best Scenic Design of a Play: Christine Jones, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Tyler Micoleau, The Band’s Visit
Best Lighting Design of a Play: Neil Austin, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
Best Sound Design of a Musical: Walter Trarbach & Mike Dobson, Spongebob Squarepants
Best Sound Design of a Play: Gareth Fry, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child