Final Tony Eligibility Rulings?

With nominations happening next week, is there a date when we should expect the final rulings for the shows that wrapped up the season?

Assuming Thursday, since the eligibility cutoff is Wednesday.

And then the nominating committee would meet to vote on Friday.

1) Do we assume the committee has already seen everything by this point? The cutoff for the nominating & administration committee to see everything is tomorrow, which is technically the last day of the season. It's a bit different this year because of Covid. Nominators typically see shows during press nights (the final previews before opening, or the first few performances post-opening).

2) Is there anyway to find out who is actually on the committee? Ive always been curious if there was a list online anywhere. And does it change from year to year? The lists of the various committees are all here, and yes, they change year to year. The voter list is not public. That's a group of about 800 people in the theatre industry. The voters will not have seen everything yet; many will do so over the coming weeks after nominations are announced.

Wondering what special awards will be given by the Administration Committee this year. Perhaps the puppet design from SKIN OF OUR TEETH? A special non-award citation to swings/understudies and Covid safety teams? An award for Chuck Schumer, which might have been part of the lobbying agreement for the Save Our Stages funding?

There's also:
– Regional Theatre Award (perhaps to New York Theatre Workshop, with Jim Nicola retiring)
– Lifetime Achievement Award (Jack Viertel, who recently retired from Jujamcyn and Encores, is a possibility, along with many other luminaries)
– Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre (special awards for people who are not eligible to compete in any of the established Tony categories –– press agents, GMs, shops, etc)
– Isabelle Stevenson Award (already announced for Bob Wankel of the Shubert Org)

Updated On: 5/3/22 at 11:28 AM

Who is Tony? Should I know him?

*Tony

*Tonys

As a sidenote:

Sometimes when these announcements come out, it’s hard to process all the information right away because of the way they’re structured. You’re looking for what’s NOT there, as much as you’re looking for what IS there. So I made myself a little cheat-sheet so I can scan the announcement and interpret them immediately. Happy to share with others if anyone finds it helpful!

I didn’t include every show because I assume most of them are pretty cut-and-dry, but let me know fi I missed any of the ones that are in question at all!

Some rulings to be on the lookout for:
--AMERICAN BUFFALO – actor placements – everyone above the title
Actors NOT mentioned = leading

--FUNNY GIRL – actor placements – Feldstein, Grimes, Lynch, and Karimloo above the title
Karimloo NOT mentioned = leading

--THE MINUTES actor placements – no one above the title
Actors NOT mentioned = supporting

--POTUS actor placements – no one above the title
Actors NOT mentioned = supporting

--SKIN OF OUR TEETH actor placements – no one above the title
Actors NOT mentioned = supporting

--TAKE ME OUT actor placements – no one above the title
Actors NOT mentioned = supporting

--PARADISE SQUARE – which/how many of the choreographers will be jointly eligible?



EDIT: Fixed a typo from a copy/paste that I forgot to change. Thanks Dramamama!

Updated On: 5/3/22 at 12:35 PM

I know for a fact Ann Harada will be casting votes for the nominees. I've run into her at several recent press performances, she's seen everything

Great thread! Thanks for all these wonderful comments. I'm learning a lot.

Just looked at the nominating committee and am proud at how diverse it is! I'm Emilio Sosa, Kamilah Forbes, Martyna Majok, Jonathan McCrory, Daphne Ruben-Vega etc.... This is AMAZING! it is always like this?!

Has anyone now put together a comprehensive list of everyone eligible in the 4 categories of Lead Actor/Actress in a Play/Musical??

I think the two big "reveals" here are that Noah Reid and Jesse Williams will both be considered supporting.



MrJNLong said: "Has anyone now put together a comprehensive list of everyone eligible in the 4 categories of Lead Actor/Actress in a Play/Musical??"

Yes, I've been keeping a running list all season long. Here it is:

Lead/Musical/Actor
--Jay O. Sanders - Girl from the North Country
--Rob McClure - Mrs. Doubtfire
--Hugh Jackman - Music Man
--Tony Yazbeck - Flying Over Sunset
--Harry Hadden-Paton - Flying Over Sunset
--Myles Frost - MJ
--Billy Crystal - Mr. Saturday Night
--Jaquel Spivey - A Strange Loop
--Ramin Karimloo - Funny Girl

Lead/Musical/Actress:
--Sharon D. Clarke
--Beanie Feldstien
--Katrina Lenk
--Sutton Foster
--Jeanna de Waal
--Mare Winningham
--Carmen Cusack
--Joaquina Kulakango
--Jenn Gambatese
--All SIX Actors

Lead/Play/Actor
--Laurence Fishburne - American Buffalo
--Sam Rockwell - American Buffalo
–David Threlfall - Hangmen
--David Morse - How I Learned to Drive
--Ruben Santiago-Hudson - Lackawanna Blues
--Simon Russell Beale - Lehman
--Adrian Lester - Lehman
--Adam Godley - Lehman
--Daniel Craig - Macbeth
--Jon Michael Hill - Pass Over
--Namir Smallwood - Pass Over
--Matthew Broderick - Plaza Suite
--James Vincent Meredith - Skin of Our Teeth

Lead/Play/Actress
--Debora Messing - Birthday Candles
–Ebony Marshall-Oliver - Chicken & Biscuits
--Diedre O’Connell - Dana H
--Cleo King - Chicken and Biscuits
--Mary-Louise Parker - How I Learned to Drive
--Emily Davis - Is This a Room
--Ruth Negga - Macbeth
--Sarah Jessica Parker - Plaza Suite
--Gaby Beans - Skin of Our Teeth
--Roslyn Ruff - Skin of Our Teeth
--LaChanze - Trouble in Mind

Updated On: 5/5/22 at 02:40 PM

ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure said: "Looks like the only real surprise is Jesse Williams going featured. For those who know the show, how appropriate is that placement? I know he’s supposed to be the main guy, but it is enough of an ensemble effort that this placement is valid? I know when Daniel Sunjata did the role he was nominated at the Tonys as a featured actor while Drama Desk and Outer Critics had him up as a lead. Muddying up my view is Patrick J. Adams was also talked about as potentially going lead for this production and was nominated in that category by Outer Critics Circle."



I could've seen it go either way, personally. His character is at the heart of the play; the main focal point around which every happens. And he gets quite a lot of stage time on top of that. But I think the reason he could be seen as supporting is because there's a sense that it's a group storytelling effort, and his is not the lens through which the story is being told. We have several other people narrating ABOUT him, acting and reacting to the events that surround him.

I think personally, I would've put him in lead. But I'm not surprised that it was on the border between the two categories.

So Billy Crystal's performance is eligible for Mr. Saturday Night even though he did the same role in the film? Has this happened before with a film to musical adaptation?

Also, that Best Actor in a Play list is fire. I would be fine with any of those making the final list with the exception of Matthew Broderick. And probably Daniel Craig.

jacobsnchz14 said: "So Billy Crystal's performance is eligible for Mr. Saturday Night even though he did the same role in the film? Has this happened before with a film to musical adaptation?"

Of course he's eligible. It's a different medium. Anthony Quinn in ZORBA, Lainie Kazan in MY FAVORITE YEAR, and Topol in FIDDLER come to mind.