This year’s Tony Awards – here’s who SHOULD win, and who DID win!

Update:  Tony voters sided with Jonathan Mandell in 17 of the 24 categories.  Compare the winners (in red) with Jonathan’s judgements.

– Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming host the 2015 Tony Awards Sunday, June 7 from Radio City Music Hall. If, we asked our New York critic Jonathan Mandell, choosing the winners was completely up to you, whose names would be read out Sunday night following the words  ‘and the winner is…’? –

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For years, a website called Stage Grade, now defunct, would ask New York drama critics two questions before the Tony Awards: Who will win? Who should win?

I always answered my preferences, but refused to make predictions. How can I guess the votes of 844 people, and why should I? We’ll learn the answers soon enough (on June 7^th this year.)

I now continue the tradition, choosing among the 2015 Tony nominations, with brief comments, mostly drawn from my reviews (to which I provide links.)

Best Play

Nominated: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Disgraced, Hand to God, Wolf Hall, Parts 1 and 2

My preference: Disgraced
And the winner is: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Ayad Akhtar’s play, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama when it played Off-Broadway, is not only a needed exploration of an urgent clash of world views, but a deeply satisfying dramatic experience. Framed largely as a civilized dinner party, the play focuses on a Muslim immigrant who has become a Westernized attorney living with his American wife on the Upper East Side, who is confronted with external pressures and must finally face his own internal contradictions.

This is the first of several categories that tests one’s philosophy about what makes a work award winning. How much should one value the craftsmanship of the particular production – the design elements, the acting —  against the worth and substance, timeliness and timelessness, of the script?

I should also say here that I loved three of the nominees in this category, all but Wolf Hall.

Best Musical

Nominated: An American in Paris, Fun Home, Something Rotten!, The Visit

My preference: Fun Home
And the winner is:  Fun Home

Fun Home is, yes, a musical about a lesbian cartoonist whose closeted father killed himself, but it is also about how we try to figure out the puzzle of our parents. It is an expert theatrical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s erudite graphic memoir, with a well-integrated score, and stagecraft that improved in its transfer from Off-Broadway to Broadway’s in-the-round Circle in the Square theatre , a rare occurrence. The musical manages to be innovative, exhilarating, and a times heartbreaking.

Best Revival of a Play

Nominated: The Elephant Man, Skylight, This Is Our Youth, You Can’t Take It With You

My preference: Skylight
And the winner is: Skylight

The three actors in the play, especially Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan as ex-lovers with very different takes on the world, perform with an unusual combination of subtlety and intensity, in a play that is itself a rare combination of comedy and drama, love story and political commentary.

Best Revival of a Musical

Nominated: The King and I, On The Town, On The Twentieth Century

My preference: The King and I
And the winner is:  The King and I

What an impossible category this year! All three productions deserve a Tony, spot-on stagecraft of wonderful American musicals. This is one of the categories that point to the fundamental flaw (and travesty) in awards shows — that there is one show that is better than the others. I would prefer a tie here. Forced to choose just one, I have picked the one that offered the extra frisson of hearing music familiar to me before I could even speak.

Who are you cheering for? Grab your ballot and keep score here.

Best Lead Actor in a Play

Nominated: Steven Boyer, Hand to God; Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man; Ben Miles, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two; Bill Nighy, Skylight; Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

My preference: Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
And the winner is: Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Sharp, a recent graduate of Juilliard, gives an astonishing performance as  Christopher, a 15-year-old student of a special ed school who’s too literal-minded to understand jokes or metaphors, and screams whenever anybody touches him, but can explain the Milky Way galaxy and prime numbers…and solve a murder. His is a physically demanding role: He is lifted through the air, and literally climbs the walls.  But the role requires balancing of a different sort as well, offering a convincing portrait without condescension. Sharp nails the gestures, the lack of eye contact, the matter-of-fact tone.

Best Lead Actress in a Play

Nominated: Geneva Carr, Hand to God; Helen Mirren, The Audience; Elisabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles; Carey Mulligan, Skylight; Ruth Wilson, Constellations

My preference: Helen Mirren, The Audience
And the winner is: Helen Mirren, The Audience

Helen Mirren, returning to Broadway after an absence of 14 years, is the main (if not the only) reason to see this odd play imagining  Queen Elizabeth’s private meetings with the prime ministers of the United Kingdom over the years.   With generous assist from costume designer Bob Crowley (who is also the set designer) and hair and makeup designer Ivana Primorac, Mirren makes lightning-quick transformations, from 25-year-old yet-to-be-crowned sovereign still in mourning clothes meeting with Winston Churchill, to frail but impeccably appointed  88-year-old grandmother apt to snooze while current prime minister David Cameron prattles on – some dozen different Elizabeths in all.

Best Lead Actor in a Musical

Nominated: Michael Cerveris, Fun Home; Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris; Brian d’Arcy James, Something Rotten!; Ken Watanabe, The King and I; Tony Yazbeck, On the Town

My preference: Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
And the winner is:  Michael Cerveris, Fun Home

Cerveris does wonders with the difficult role of Alison Bechdel’s father Bruce, a small town high school English teacher, as well as a funeral director, who was passionate about his hobbies, closeted about his sexuality, and indifferent to his children.  In fine voice, Cerveris also is able to show us the many sides of his character, some unflattering, without losing our sympathy for him.

Best Lead Actress in a Musical

Nominated: Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century; Leanne Cope, An American in Paris; Beth Malone, Fun Home; Kelli O’Hara, The King and I; Chita Rivera, The Visit

My preference: Kelli O’Hara, The King and I
And the winner is:  Kelli O’Hara, The King and I

This is the exact contest that could encourage any sane theater lover to turn against the whole concept of awards competition. How dare they pit such national treasures against one another?

Kelli O’Hara manages to be simultaneously no-nonsense and romantic, confident and vulnerable. And her singing is stunning.  But to be honest, I’m also taking into consideration the fact that both Rivera and Chenoweth have won Tony Awards previously, while O’Hara has been nominated five times previously for a Tony Award, including for the other splendid Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration with Barlett Sher, South Pacific, without ever winning.

Best Featured Actor in a Play

Nominated: Matthew Beard, Skylight; K. Todd Freeman, Airline Highway; Richard McCabe, The Audience; Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man; Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two; Micah Stock, It’s Only a Play

My preference: K. Todd Freeman, Airline Highway
And the winner is:  Richard McCabe, The Audience

Again, every one of the nominees in this category gives a memorable performance. While Airline Highway is the very definition of an ensemble piece, Freeman somehow seems at the center of the play, holding it together. He portrays Sissy Na Na, a middle-aged trans bartender and karaoke wrangler at the Cat’s Meow on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Best Featured Actress in a Play

Nominated: Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You; Patricia Clarkson, The Elephant Man; Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two; Sarah Stiles, Hand to God
Julie White, Airline Highway

My preference: Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You
And the winner is:  Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You

This one killed me, since I was so touched by both Patricia Clarkson’s and Julie White’s performances. A shout-out to all the nominees in this category. Ashford managed to make her few scenes as a pretend-ballerina so hilarious that her performance magically looms larger in memory than the many other entertaining turns in the revival of the reliable chestnut.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Nominees: Christian Borle, Something Rotten!; Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century; Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!; Brandon Uranowitz, An American in Paris;
Max von Essen, An American in Paris

My preference: Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!
And the winner is:  Christian Borle, Something Rotten!

This is another category in which every nominee is a clear stand-out, but Oscar so completely transforms himself as to be unrecognizable, and is largely responsible for the parts that work best in this musical.

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Nominees: Victoria Clark, Gigi; Judy Kuhn, Fun Home; Sydney Lucas, Fun Home; Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I; Emily Skeggs, Fun Home

My preference: Sydney Lucas, Fun Home
And the winner is:  Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I

Three actresses here are all in the same show, Fun Home; it seems almost churlish to have to choose among them. Sydney Lucas at 11 years old is an impressive professional taking on a substantial role, but she is also – and it’s strange that I have to say this – a credible regular kid.

Best Choreography

Nominees: Joshua Bergasse, On the Town; Christopher Gattelli, The King and I; Scott Graham & Steven Hoggett for Frantic Assembly, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!; Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

My preference: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
And the winner is:  Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

This was the year when dancing took over Broadway. You’ll notice that one of the nominees in this category is a play!  But Wheeldon was most effective in breaking out of the standard Broadway mold, reflecting his experience as an innovative modern ballet dancer and choreographer. Both Wheeldon and Bergasse made extraordinary debuts as Broadway choreographers; my hope is that they are encouraged to continue to raise the barre.

Best Direction of a Play

Nominees: Stephen Daldry, Skylight; Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Scott Ellis, You Can’t Take It with You; Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two; Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to God

My preference: Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
And the winner is:  Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Elliott, the British director who last brought to Broadway the spectacular National Theatre production of War Horse, works her magic again. The stagecraft of Curious Incident is breathtaking, with scenic designer Bunny Christie, video designer Finn Ross and lighting designer Paule Constable using geometric patterns and a bombardment of well-integrated projections to bring us inside Christopher’s head to understand how overwhelmed he feels. But Elliott is also effective to guiding the ensemble through vigorous physical theater that requires exquisite precision.

Best Direction of a Musical

Nominees: Sam Gold, Fun Home; Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!; John Rando, On the Town; Bartlett Sher, The King and I; Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

My preference: Sam Gold, Fun Home
And the winner is:  Sam Gold, Fun Home

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Nominees: Bunny Christie and Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Bob Crowley, Skylight; Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two; David Rockwell, You Can’t Take It with You

My preference:  Bunny Christie and Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
And the winner is:  Bunny Christie and Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Nominees: Bob Crowley and 59 Productions, An American in Paris; David Rockwell, On the Twentieth Century; Michael Yeargan, The King and I; David Zinn, Fun Home

My preference:  David Rockwell, On the Twentieth Century
And the winner is:  Bob Crowley and 59 Productions, An American in Paris

Best Costume Design of a Play

Nominees:  Bob Crowley, The Audience; Jane Greenwood, You Can’t Take It with You; Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two; David Zinn, Airline Highway

My Preference:  Bob Crowley, The Audience
And the winner is:  Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Nominees:  Gregg Barnes, Something Rotten!; Bob Crowley, An American in Paris; William Ivey Long, On the Twentieth Century; Catherine Zuber, The King and I

My preference:  Catherine Zuber, The King and I
And the winner is:  Catherine Zuber, The King and I

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Nominees:  Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Paule Constable and David Plater, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two; Natasha Katz, Skylight; Japhy Weideman, Airline Highway

My preference: Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
And the winner is:  Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Nominees:  Donald Holder, The King and I; Natasha Katz, An American in Paris; Ben Stanton, Fun Home; Japhy Weideman, The Visit

My preference: Japhy Weideman, The Visit
And the winner is:  Natasha Katz, An American in Paris

Best Book of a Musical

Nominees: An American in Paris, Craig Lucas; Fun Home, Lisa Kron; Something Rotten!, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell; The Visit, Terrence McNally

My preference: Fun Home, Lisa Kron
And the winner is:  Fun Home, Lisa Kron

Best Original Score

Nominees: Fun Home: Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: Lisa Kron; The Last Ship, Music & Lyrics: Sting; Something Rotten!, Music & Lyrics: Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick; The Visit: Music: John Kander
Lyrics, Fred Ebb

My preference: Fun Home: Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: Lisa Kron
And the winner is:  Fun Home: Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: Lisa Kron

Best Orchestrations

Nominees: Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris; John Clancy, Fun Home; Larry Hochman, Something Rotten!; Rob Mathes, The Last Ship

My preference: Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris
And the winner is:  Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris

My choices in the last 10 categories reflect my views of these shows as I expressed in earlier categories – for example, my enthusiasm for Fun Home is in part my appreciation of its direction, book and score.

A few further comments:

David Rockwell, who was also nominated for best scenic design of a play for You Can’t Take It With You, outdoes himself in On The Twentieth Century, with trains of many sizes incorporated not just into the scenery but the action.

Japhy Weideman, who was also nominated for lighting design of Airline Highway, is in an unusually noticeable collaboration in The Visit with set designer Scott Pask and costume designer Ann Hould-Wald to create not just an acid mood but a merciless world.

I loved An American in Paris largely for the dancing, but its orchestrators faced – and mastered — a challenge that those from the other nominated shows did not have to confront. The 19-piece orchestra plays not just some of George and Ira Gershwin’s most beloved songs – among them, “I Got Rhythm,” “The Man I Love,” “S’Wonderful,” “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise”– but also some of George Gershwin’s wordless classical pieces – “Concerto in F,” Second Prelude, ““Second Rhapsody” combined with “Cuban Overture” and of course “An American in Paris,” the symphonic poem that Gershwin wrote in 1928.

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Who do you think should win?