2026 Tony Awards Nominations! — Page 8

Lea Michele can't catch a break with the Tony nominators. In 2007, she was the female star of the Tony-winning ''Spring Awakening'' and her co-stars Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher Jr. were Tony-nominated, but she wasn't. Nearly two decades later, she's the female star of ''Chess'' and her co-stars Nicholas Christopher, Hannah Cruz and Bryce Pinkham are Tony-nominated, but she isn't, again. When Michele returned to Broadway in ''Funny Girl'' in 2022 to rapturous reviews, she turned that struggling revival into a hit. But since she was replacing as Fanny Brice, she wasn't eligible for a Tony. Why she wasn't chosen to open that revival still puzzles me, but if she had, I'm pretty sure she would've won that season. Meantime, it's her popularity with audiences that drives ''Chess''' box office; during her week of vacation, its grosses dropped in half. Even though Michele grew up on Broadway, awards-wise, she's been far better appreciated for her TV work on ''Glee'': a SAG Award, an Emmy nomination, two Golden Globe nominations and 4 People's Choice Awards. I imagine Michele will be thrilled for her Tony-nominated co-stars when she arrives at the Imperial tonight, but at least she can commisserate with Aaron Tveit, who also wasn't Tony-nominated today. Of course, Tveit has his own history of being passed over by the Tonys (''Next to Normal,'' ''Catch Me If You Can''), but finally got his first Tony nomination in 2021 for ''Moulin Rouge!'' and won. His tale of eventual Tony redemption might be ''Someone Else's Story,'' but I hope someday it's Michele's as well.

theatrekid3302 said: "
The amount of people that think theCats Revival is anything close to the brilliance of Ragtime amazes me. If Cats wins over ragtime it would be an utter disgrace. Very Happy The Lost Boys got 12 Nominations the hate for that also amazes me it was clearly the best musical of the season and should 100% win the Best Musical Tony."

Didn't you say a couple weeks ago that you hadn't seen Cats and have no plans to? 

theatrekid3302 said: The amount of people that think theCats Revival is anything close to the brilliance of Ragtime amazes me. If Cats wins over ragtime it would be an utter disgrace. Very Happy The Lost Boys got 12 Nominations the hate for that also amazes me it was clearly the best musical of the season and should 100% win the Best Musical Tony."

You also said this tho:

I haven’t seen Cats: The Jellicle Ball yet, so I can’t fully judge it, but I’ve never really liked Cats to begin with and don’t plan on seeing it because I’ve just never liked Cats. There really is no story and lacks the emotional depth that Ragtime has. Ragtime was simply breathtaking with the soaring vocals, full orchestrations. It had a level of sophistication and class that you rarely see on Broadway today. I really hope it takes the Tony.

Here's the thing: Unless you have seen both shows, slamming Cats: The Jellicle Ball and saying it would be an "utter disgrace" if it won is pretty ridiculous.

 

theatrekid3302 said: "kidmanboy said: "getatme said: "everythingtaboo said: "Maybe I'm in the minority, but I would've preferred anyone else besides Nichelle or Hannah in Featured. Nichelle didn't really register for me at all, and Hannah was lovely singing but maybe it was the role itself, but it didn't do much for me.

Otherwise, all the other nominees were pretty spot on."

I continue to be baffled by the praise given to Nichelle's performance. I found her easy to ignore at City Center, and actively bad on Broadway. Her nomination along with Dratch's simply baffle me.

It was an uphill climb for featured performers in Cats to be nominated, but it would have been lovely to see Sydney Harcourt, Junior LaBeija, and/or Tempress nominated. For my money, Tempress is giving the best featured actress performance on Broadway this season. But I'm not a nominator. Still, it would have been very moving to see her get recognition for the most deeply felt version of Memory I've ever seen or heard.

Thrilled for Alden Ehrenreich who I hope has an easy walk to the win."

While I found Nichelle's work worth of a nomination, I walked away from Cats on Sunday evening convinced Tempress was going to get the trophy! I'm rather shocked by her lack of a nomination."

The amount of people that think theCats Revival is anything close to the brilliance of Ragtime amazes me. If Cats wins over ragtime it would be an utter disgrace. Very Happy The Lost Boys got 12 Nominations the hate for that also amazes me it was clearly the best musical of the season and should 100% win the Best Musical Tony."

Yes, the best reviewed show of the season winning would be a disgrace   *eye roll*

JESSICA VOSK ROBBED!!!!!

Jessica Vosk robbed!!!!!!!

Kad said: "Ragtime and Jellicle are both acclaimed and have devoted fans. One winning does not diminish the other."

I wish I could up-vote this more than once. They are both so wonderfully affecting in their own way. This would be a very tough choice if I were a Tony voter. 

TheatreFan4 said: "I think that's you misreading Grizabella's role in this production. It's very much not them accepting her, they do that almost immediately after her first appearance after Bomb and Demeter sing her song. So much so that when she appears during Jellicle Ball that the other performers are asking for her to come perform with them that SHE rejects. It's Sillabub (who is coded as a young Transwoman pre-transition styled after Marsha P Johnson)pulling her back into the community where SHE felt she didn't belong. Sillabub left her the dress. It's about her coming home, not them accepting her. Her accepting herself and her place."

This is exactly how I read the situation when I saw it. Grizabella isn't being rejected; she is just afraid that she's too old to be accepted in the community that used to treasure her. I honestly have no trouble connecting to that fear.

TheatreFan4 said: "Kind of crazy how you can reinterpret a show like this without changing even a single word of it."

I remain confused by people saying this. Surely they did, right? the original doesn't feature someone going "The category is: hands!" Unless I've really forgotten it.

If I was picking amongst these nominees, I would give the Tony to Shoshana Bean, who nails her cheesy poorly written role and sings her face off (again). With such a crowded season its an odd category, because while Schmigadoon has the very funny Gasteyer and Kurtz, there werent a whole lot of outstanding female supporting performances now that we are all thinking about it. I agree Nischelle Lewis and Temptress were sub par, though Lewis at least sings beautifully.  And for what its worth, I loved Hannah Cruz in the Connector and in Suffs (and loved both shows!), and agree shes insanely talented with the brightest future ahead of her. The idea that THIS role would garner a Tony nom is baffling. CHESS was a horrible slog, and I genuinely dont remember Cruz's character doing anything at all. 

 

the one thing i did like about chess were the big dance numbers so snubbing it in choreo is wild. And for what? Ragtime is not dance heavy and the Lost Boys? Im hard to pressed to remember ANY dancing? 

I lied- i also liked Bryce Pinkham (at least some humor in that show!), but that award surely must go to Bourzgui or Layton Williams--the latter for stopping the show, and the former for building such an interesting portrait with such haunting vocals.

I guess I can actually see The Lost Boys picking up Supporting Actor and Actress, plus a buncha technical stuff, though musical must go to Two Strangers (and i can see a universe where it picks up just that one award). 

Finally, I agree that the biggest most pointed snub is to Queen of Versailles' score. Ouch.

PipingHotPiccolo said: "If I was picking amongst these nominees, I would give the Tony to Shoshana Bean, who nails her cheesy poorly written role and sings her face off (again). With such a crowded season its an odd category, because while Schmigadoon has the very funny Gasteyer and Kurtz, there werent a whole lot of outstanding female supporting performances now that we are all thinking about it. I agree Nischelle Lewis and Temptress were sub par, though Lewis at least sings beautifully. And for what its worth, I loved Hannah Cruz in the Connector and in Suffs (and loved both shows!), and agree shes insanely talented with the brightest future ahead of her. The idea that THIS role would garner a Tony nom is baffling. CHESS was a horrible slog, and I genuinely dont remember Cruz's character doing anything at all.



the one thing i did like about chess were the big dance numbers so snubbing it in choreo is wild. And for what? Ragtime is not dance heavy and the Lost Boys? Im hard to pressed to remember ANY dancing?

I lied- i also liked Bryce Pinkham (at least some humor in that show!), but that award surely must go to Bourzgui or Layton Williams--the latter for stopping the show, and the former for building such an interesting portrait with such haunting vocals.

I guess I can actually see The Lost Boys picking up Supporting Actor and Actress, plus a buncha technical stuff, though musical must go to Two Strangers (and i can see a universe where it picks up just that one award).

Finally, I agree that the biggest most pointed snub is to Queen of Versailles' score. Ouch."

I just saw Two Strangers tonight and feel it most certainly does not deserve that best musical award. There were some cute moments some funny bits I will admit that but it just wasn’t engaging enough I was bored most of the show. The plot is barely existent. Not having appearances from outside characters in the story like the bride and groom I think do affect the storytelling negatively. I think the set design was poor while it worked for some scenes for others it was hard to tell where they were. I thought the song “If I Believed” was brilliantly staged and a great song I just wish it was either the Act 1 Finale or somewhere more in the middle of the show. They should have had more moments like that. Lost Boys blew this out of the water the hate for that show on this thread baffles me. It was simply breathtaking the vocals, the spectacle. Already have tickets to see Schmigadoon and I am planning to see Titanique shortly. Loved the TV Show for Schmigadoon and Titanic is my favorite movie of all time. Expecting to like both but not expecting it will come anywhere close to Lost Boys. Best New Musical I have seen in years. I saw Beaches I thought that was very meh but enjoyed that more than Two Strangers. I actually loved Queen of Versailles saw it twice once with Kristen and once with Sherie. They were snubbed. Chess was phenomenal Lea Michele was snubbed. Ragtime is breathtaking and am hoping it gets a well deserved TONY SWEEP.