Broadway entered the 2021-2022 season in a strange new world, returning to stages darkened for a year-and-a-half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with COVID testing, vaccine checks, mask mandates and attempting to lure back jittery audiences amid virus spikes that forced extended closures of many productions and led to the demise of more than a few.
It capped off the season, however, in familiar territory for most theater fans — Tony Awards nominations that brought a good deal of controversy playing out online.
The season was composed of 34 productions (13 musicals including four revivals and 21 plays including nine revivals), revivals of beloved musicals, plays that made us think, productions that made us uncomfortable and others that helped us drift back to the familiar, comfortable and easy-to-digest. Issues of race, identity and gender were examined, many serving as a call to action.
It was a season filled with highs and lows, setbacks and disappointments, frustrations, triumphs and touching artistry in the face of incredible hurdles. It truly exemplified the meaning of community and illustrated by example the power of theater.
The 75th annual Tony Award nominations were announced Monday by Adrienne Warren and Joshua Henry on the Tony Awards YouTube channel.
Tony Award 2022 nominees
BestPlay:
“Clyde’s,” Lynn Nottage
“Hangmen,” Martin McDonagh
“The Lehman Trilogy,” Stefano Massini, Ben Power
“The Minutes,” Tracy Letts
“Skeleton Crew,” Dominique Morisseau
Best Music:
“Girl From the North Country”
“MJ”
“Mr. Saturday Night”
“Paradise Square”
“six”
“A Strange Loop”
Best Revival of a Play:
“American Buffalo”
“for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
“How I Learned to Drive,” Paula Vogel
“Take Me Out”
“Trouble in Mind”
Best Revival of a Musical:
“Caroline, Or Change”
“company”
“The Musicman”
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play:
Simon Russell Beale, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adam Godley, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adrian Lester, “The Lehman Trilogy”
David Morse, “How I Learned to Drive”
Sam Rockwell, “American Buffalo”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues”
David Threlfall, “Hangmen”
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play:
Gabby Beans, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
LaChanze, “Trouble in Mind”
Ruth Negga, “Macbeth”
Deirdre O’Connell, “Dana H.”
Mary-Louise Parker, “How I Learned to Drive”
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical:
Billy Crystal, “Mr. Saturday Night”
Myles Frost, “MJ”
Hugh Jackman, “The Music Man”
Rob McClure, “Mrs Doubtfire”
Jaquel Spivey, “A Strange Loop”
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:
Sharon D Clarke, “Caroline, or Change”
Carmen Cusack, “Flying Over Sunset”
Sutton Foster, “The Music Man”
Joaquina Kalukango, “Paradise Square”
Mare Winningham, “Girl From The North Country”
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play:
Alfie Allen, “Hangmen”
Chuck Cooper, “Trouble in Mind”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Take Me Out”
Ron Cephas Jones, “Clyde’s”
Michael Oberholtzer, “Take Me Out”
Jesse Williams, “Take Me Out”
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play:
Uzo Aduba, “Clyde’s”
Rachel Dratch, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”
Kenita R. Miller, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Phylicia Rashad, “Skeleton Crew”
Julie White, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”
Kara Young, “Clyde’s”
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical:
Matt Doyle, “Company”
Sidney DuPont, “Paradise Square”
Jared Grimes, “Funny Girl”
John-Andrew Morrison, “A Strange Loop”
AJ Shively, “Paradise Square”
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical:
Jeannette Bayardelle, “Girl From The North Country”
Shoshana Bean, “Mr. Saturday Night”
Jayne Houdyshell, “The Music Man”
L Morgan Lee, “A Strange Loop”
Patti LuPone, “Company”
Jennifer Simard, “Company”
Best Book of a Musical:
“Girl From The North Country” – Conor McPherson
“MJ” – Lynn Nottage
“Mr. Saturday Night” – Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
“Paradise Square” – Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan
“A Strange Loop” – Michael R. Jackson
Best Original Score:
“Flying Over Sunset” – Music: Tom Kitt; Lyrics: Michael Korie
“Mr. Saturday Night” – Music: Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics: Amanda Green
“Paradise Square” – Music: Jason Howland; Lyrics: Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare
“SIX: The Musical” – Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
“A Strange Loop” – Music and Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson
Best Choreography:
Camille A. Brown, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Warren Carlyle, “The Music Man”
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, “SIX: The Musical”
Bill T. Jones, “Paradise Square”
Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”
Best Scenic Design of a Play:
Beowulf Boritt, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”
Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, “Skeleton Crew”
It’s Devlin, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Anna Fleischle, “Hangmen”
Scott Pask, “American Buffalo”
Adam Rigg, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical:
Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, “Flying Over Sunset”
Bunny Christie, “Company”
Arnulfo Maldonado, “A Strange Loop”
Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, “MJ”
Allen Moyer, “Paradise Square”
Best Costume Design of a Play:
Montana Levi Blanco, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Sarafina Bush, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Emilio Sosa, “Trouble in Mind”
Jane Greenwood, “Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite”
Jennifer Moeller, “Clyde’s”
Best Costume Design of a Musical:
Fly Davis, “Caroline, or Change”
Toni-Leslie James, “Paradise Square”
William Ivey Long, “Diana, The Musical”
Santo Loquasto, “The Music Man”
Gabriella Slade, “SIX: The Musical”
Paul Tazewell, “MJ”
Best Lighting Design of a Play:
Joshua Carr, “Hangmen”
Jiyoun Chang, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Jon Clark, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Jane Cox, Macbeth Yi Zhao, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical:
Neil Austin, “Company”
Tim Deiling, “SIX: The Musical”
Donald Holder, “Paradise Square”
Natasha Katz, “MJ”
Bradley King, “Flying Over Sunset”
Jen Schriever, “A Strange Loop”
Best Sound Design of a Play:
Justin Ellington, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Mikhail Fiksel, “Dana H.”
Palmer Hefferan, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Michael Sulaiman, “Macbeth”
Best Sound Design of a Musical:
Simon Baker, “Girl From The North Country”
Paul Gatehouse, “SIX: The Musical”
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Company”
Drew Levy, “A Strange Loop”
Gareth Owen, “MJ”
Best Director of a Play:
Lileana Blain-Cruz, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Camille A. Brown, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”
Sam Mendes, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Neil Pepe, “American Buffalo”
Les Waters, “Dana H.”
Best Director of a Musical:
Stephen Brackett, “A Strange Loop”
Marianne Elliott, “Company”
Conor McPherson, “Girl From The North Country”
Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, “SIX: The Musical”
Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”
Best Orchestrations:
David Cullen, “Company”
Tom Curran, “SIX: The Musical”
Simon Hale, “Girl From The North Country”
Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, “MJ”
Charlie Rosen, “A Strange Loop”
Special Tony Awards
2022 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater will be presented to the Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC); Broadway For All; music copyist Emily Grishman; Feinstein’s/54 Below and United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE.
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater were established in 1990 and are awarded to institutions, individuals and organizations that have “demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theater” but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories.
“All five of this year’s honorees have made outstanding contributions to our Broadway community,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theater Wing, said in a news release.
“Their dedication, commitment and support to the arts is now more important than ever, and we are thrilled to shine a light on these organizations at this year’s Tony Honors.”
The 2022 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award will be awarded to Robert E. Wankel, the chair and chief executive officer of the Shubert Organization, for is work with multiple organizations including The Actors Fund, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, American Academy of the Dramatic Arts and many others.
“Bob’s outstanding contributions and dedication to the theater is remarkable,” St. Martin and Hitchens said. “His generosity and service from him to the welfare of our Broadway community, over the past four decades; and especially in the face of a global crisis, is immeasurable.”
How to watch the 2022 Tony Awards
The 75th Annual Tony Awards will be hosted by Ariana DeBose and take place from 8 to 11 pm Eastern on Sunday, June 12, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. They will air live across the country for the first time on CBS, and stream live and on demand on Paramount+. The celebration will kick off at 7 pm Eastern on Paramount+ with exclusive content ahead of the awards ceremony.
Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. She highlights arts advocacy and education, theater fundraisers and more through her column, “Sightlines.” Reach out on Twitter: @ilanakeller; [email protected]
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism