Drama League Nominations Reaction

[neil30043]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 10:31am

Being announced in 1/2 hour....who will most likely win for Distinguished Performance this year?  Which productions won't make the list?

[neil30043]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 10:51am

I'm thinking the frontrunners for Performance might be Bryan Cranston, Laurie Metcalf, Jeff Daniels or Elaine May?

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 10:53am

Not as familiar with drama league and their operations, however I expect what you just said. Elaine May for sure in my opinion. 

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:04am

The nominations really don't mean anything, but the winner of the Distinguished Performance Award has gone on to win a Tony 13 times in the 23 years that it's existed.

If your show doesn't get nominated, that's a pretty bad sign because there are so many nominees per category.

I think Elaine May is a good bet for a win.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:25am

Great list for the Performance Award! Too many amazing performances to fit in the category though. Here are some notable omitions:

Sophia Ann Caruso
Will Chase
Paul Dano
Laura Donnelly - a travesty!
Patrick Page

Plus tons of incredible Off-Broadway performances that weren’t recognized, but I’m glad to see that off-Broadway is still well-represented on this list!

[BritCrit]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:26am

So the nominations have been announced...

If anything highlights the division between plays and musicals, it is putting all the actors and actresses from both in a single category. 

The actor - musical category looks especially thin. The Prom, Oklahoma and Hadestown are being represented by their supporting casts and actresses 

[treblemakerz]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:27am

Thrilled to see Ordinary Days snagging a nom! One of my favorite off-Broadway productions from this season.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:28am

BritCrit said: "So the nominations have been announced...

If anything highlights the division between plays and musicals, it is putting all the actors and actresses from both in a single category.

The actor - musical category looks especially thin. The Prom, Oklahoma and Hadestown are being represented by their supporting casts and actresses"

Brooks Ashmanskas is considered a leading actor for The Prom at the Tonys.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:32am

Notable omissions, at first glance:

Choir Boy (play)

Ink (play)

Bertie Carvel, Johnny Lee Miller

Laura Donnelly

Will Chase

Michael Urie

Patrick Page

Damon Daunno, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Mary Testa

(there can only be up to 2 performance noms per show; in the case of Hadestown and Oklahoma, DeShields, Gray, and Stroker were nominated)

 

NOTE: THE BOYS IN THE BAND was not eligible for the Drama League Awards nominations because it could not accommodate the nominators, due to the limited ticket availability and limited run of the show.

Updated On: 4/17/19 at 11:32 AM

[jbp1232]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:32am

I'm shocked Michael Urie and Laura Donnelly weren't nominated for the Performance Award but I was happy to see that Ali Stroker, Amber Grey and Bonnie Milligan made it in!

[veronicamae]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:38am

SomethingPeculiar said: "Notable omissions, at first glance:

Choir Boy (play)"

Choir Boy was indeed nominated for Revival of a Play, just FYI. :) 

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:44am

I'm not sure how these awards work re: off-Broadway to Broadway transfers across seasons, but Michael Urie was nominated for the Distinguished Performance award for Torch Song last year. So perhaps he simply was ineligible for that performance this year.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:44am

Also surprised Laura Donnelly didn't get nominated but Paddy Considine did (both gave strong performances in The Ferryman I felt hers was stronger.)

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:46am

BroadwayGuy12 said: "I'm not sure how these awards work re: off-Broadway to Broadway transfers across seasons, but Michael Urie was nominated for the Distinguished Performance award forTorch Songlast year. So perhaps he simply was ineligible for that performance this year."

 

Unlike with the Drama Desks, performers ARE eligible for repeat nominations. And it does happen sometimes. 

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:49am

How on earth is there only one Distinguished Performance nominee from The Ferryman? SMH

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 11:53am

So excited that two disabled actors got nominated!! Gregg was great in Teenage Dick and I’m planning on seeing Oklahoma next month.

Also happy for Bonnie, Stephanie, Amber, Anika, Santino and Brooke!

And no one from BMC got in. Is that the only musical that didn’t get a actor nom?

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:00pm

How woeful for Pretty Woman and Gettin' the Band Back Together. The only Broadway musicals not nominated. But King Kong was! Oof.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:02pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "So excited that two disabled actors got nominated!! Gregg was great in Teenage Dick and I’m planning on seeing Oklahoma next month.

Also happy for Bonnie, Stephanie, Amber, Anika, Santino and Brooke!

And no one from BMC got in. Is that the only musical that didn’t get a actor nom?"

King Kong didn't either

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:02pm

Very surprised that Jonny Lee Miller and Laura Donnelly didn't get recognized.

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:05pm

No Salazar for Be More Chill, Stiles for Tootsie, or Styles for Kate. Thrilled for Bonnie. Her chances of being nominated for a tony for featured just went up by a lot

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:05pm

JBroadway said: "Unlike with the Drama Desks, performers ARE eligible for repeat nominations. And it does happen sometimes."

Good to know! In that case, I'm a bit surprised to see Urie left out, given the love that production and his performance seemed to receive from the community.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:06pm

Too bad about Pretty Woman. I loved Samantha Barks in it and I really liked the show too. I guess it opened way too early in the season.

And I just read Leslie Kritzer’s name!!! She was so great in Beetlejuice!

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:14pm

Oof. How bad did a musical need to be to not get nominated this year? I'm perfectly okay with Pretty Woman and Gettin the Band Back Together (both wretched) to not be nominated. But seeing anyone choose to honor King Kong or Beetlejuice...woof. 

 

Meanwhile, my hunch is that the Distinguished Performance award is Metcalf's to win this year with Schreck missing out as she's playing herself. I wouldn't be shocked to see it go to Cranston or Daniels either, but neither is my top choice or feels AS overdue as Metcalf.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:18pm

I'm betting on Elaine May to win.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 12:19pm

But Metcalf is in a play that is arguably the weakest of her recent forays on Broadway. I think that will be an obstacle for her to win this year. If she’s overdue and can only win once, why not just wait till Virginia Woolf next season.