Alex Sharp vs. Steven Boyer

I think it's between these two for Best Leading Actor in a Play. They both gave stunning performances but my gut is telling me it will go to Boyer for Hand to God and Curious Incident will take best Play.

Thoughts?

I've been routing for Alex Sharp this whole time..

I thought Alex Sharp's performance was stunning, and it's such a physical, demanding role. I liked Boyer enough and it's a very good performance but nowhere near Sharp's.

If I had my way, Alex Sharp, Steven Boyer and Bradley Cooper would win in a 3-way tie. Sharp will probably win though, and I'll be very happy for him.

I vote for Bradley Cooper. Alex Sharp was amazing too though. I did enjoy Steven Boyer but thought Bradley Cooper and Alex Sharp have him beat.

Boyer gave one of the most genius performances I've ever seen in my life, but I do agree that the momentum seems to be behind Sharp and Curious Incident. Still, either (or Cooper) could win and I wouldn't be surprised.

Sharp was incredible, but what Boyer is doing up there, playing two completely different characters at literally the exact same moment, is even more impressive from a technical acting standpoint. Still, I agree Sharp is the clear frontrunner and it certainly won't be undeserved if he wins, even though my vote would go to Boyer. I also wouldn't rule out Bill Nighy as a potential spoiler though--long respected actor giving a spectacular performance in a very acclaimed production.

Much as I enjoyed Sharp's work (and hard work it is, too), it's basically an actor's trick - and one that impresses the groundlings far out of proportion to its worth (like the famous Rain Man performance of Dustin Hoffman). Many people are in enormous awe of visible effort in performance, loving watching actors play an extreme condition.

No one would say it's "easy" to play such an extreme condition, but it's somewhat like donning an elaborate mask and letting the mask do a lot of the work for you.

For me, Boyer's performance is the greater achievement; he's playing a very subtle young man in trouble AND an over-the-top, id-driven puppet monster. And he makes it look like less effort than Sharp's 6-shows a week, sweaty, superficially showier performance (which also relies heavily on truckloads of tech).

I've angered people, stating that as much as I admire Sharp's performance, I see its design, calculation and machinery (hard) at work. It's a stunning feat of technical wizardry, and deserves kudos. Yes, a Tony. Yet I find myself slightly distanced from the achievement, as watching it I was aware of the acting every single moment. Perhaps that's my issue with any such character, and what it takes to put them across. Ian Barford's performance as his father was the one that moved me to tears. Subjective, all of this stuff.

This is a tough one. One theory would be that Curious Incident will win in so many categories that it will just carry (the very deserving) Sharp with it. Or might the voters feel Hand to God deserves something and make it Boyer? I'm predicting Sharp. I think Boyer's age may work against him. Wonderful as his performance is, I didn't for a moment buy him as a teenager.

Alex is much cuter, he should win.

I have not seen Hand to God yet, so I can't comment on Steven Boyer, but what I loved so much about Alex Sharp's performance was the way his performance felt not only genuine, but held it's own in the large spectacle that is Curious Incident. I love performances that transcend and I absolutely believe that is what Alex Sharp is doing as Christopher.

I actually think that Bradley Cooper is the one who DESERVES the award, but it's not going to happen at this point. I'm pulling for Boyer over Sharp, but really only because I saw Luke Treadaway in Curious Incident in London, and I don't think Sharp did enough with that performance to make me forget Luke while I was watching him.