Leading Actor Tony nominees... Cheyenne?

Cheyenne's incredibly talented, and if he doesn't get a nomination, I don't think it's going to be by any fault of his own. There's a huge number of talented leading men this year who could be up for the nomination, and someone perfectly deserving is going to get screwed out. Also, the kind of show he's in may also hurt him; I'm not betting on the Tony nominations to look too fondly upon the jukebox material.

---

i'm fairly sure denis o'hare will be featured, as all previous oscars have been. i think cheyenne obviously has a chance, but will probably lose out to norbert leo butz, john lithgow, raul esparza, daniel davis, gary beach, tim curry... any of them i think would/should come before cheyenne. we'll see i'm sure.

My predictions:

Cheyenne Jackson
John Lithgow
Norbert Leo Butz (who will win)
Tim Curry
Gary Beach (despite the mixed reviews)

Tim Curry is the only one from Spamalot who has any chance of being considered a lead. He is definitely the show's lead, and I think he'll probably get that nomination.

---

He always seems to be forgotten when we have this discussion. I think he's got a fair chance.

---

Just a guess, but I kind of figured King Arthur was the definite lead. Azaria's and Pierce's characters are kind of... sidekicks. Plus, they play more than one part each - I'm not sure what that means in terms of leading roles versus supporting ones.

---

When shows have ensemble casts like Spelling Bee or Spamalot, most of the performers will be considered as supporting.

---

Whose name is above the title? Unless the producers try to submit someone else, that's who counts as leading, I'm pretty sure.

I thought Curry was leading. I saw it three weeks ago and loved all three but I think the producers or whoever decides will put Curry in lead and the other two as supporting. Gives 'em a great chance for more awards. B/c is Azaria were in leading he'd be beaten out by Butz. But supporting he's very forceful. Who knows tho.

---

I dont remember looking at the marquee, but on the website they have the three names on an even plane.

"starring
david hyde pierce, tim curry, hank azaria"

I thought they were all leads, they could certainly try to get Azaria and Pierce into supporting but I dont know if it would work. They might do something completely strange like push two of them as lead and one as supporting and youd all be wrong!

also when you go to bios on the website, they have the three names and FEATURED CAST as a button below it, but thats just being nitpicky...

First of all, it IS all about billing. If your name is above the title, you are automatically considered for the leading categories, unless the producers petition within two weeks of opening night to have you considered for a featured slot (witness the Joel Grey debacle with CHICAGO. The best supporting performance of the year and he gets no nomination because the producers didn't petition for him to be in supporting).

Secondly, I would't be surprised to see the wonderfully talented Cheyenne Jackson be nominated.

---

When I wrote that Cheyenne Jackson gives 'a Tony-worthy performance,' that's my opinion. To me, he commands the stage and the show (he's in about 17 of the numbers); he acts, sings and dances up a storm. And without being an Elvis clone, Jackson has created his own comic creation. Even if the reviews were mixed for 'All Shook Up,' he got his share of raves.

Whether or not, Jackson will get a Tony nomination is trickier to predict. As it's been pointed out, he is a newcomer and he's in a 'jukebox musical.' Best Actor is a VERY competitive category with loads of terrific veterans, and since there are only 5 slots, it'll depend on factors like Tony eligibility. 'Spamalot' lists Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and David Hyde-Pierce all BELOW the title; will all of them be bumped up to Best Actor? Or will just Curry be eligible for Best Actor, thereby leaving Azaria and Hyde-Pierce up for Featured Actor?

For the record, the month before, I also wrote that Norbert Leo Butz gives a 'Tony-worthy tour de force.' That's the tough thing about awards; there are a number of extraordinary performances, but there are only so many slots. Getting any nomination is a mix of talent, name recognition, competition and luck. 'Tony-worthy tour de force' is not a phrase I toss around lightly; the last time I used it was for Hugh Jackman.