NYTimes Tony Award Predictions — Page 2

CoffeeBreak said: "Ptero2 said: "Both shows are re-inventing the material - they finally found out how to make Ragtime profitable and how to make Cats lose money!"

Ragtime is hardly re-inventing the material. It's cast has help reinvent its finances for Lincoln Center."

Nothing goes over your head, CoffeeBreak. 

At least both productions are great and deserving.

Ensemble1698878795 said: "Ptero2 said: "Both shows are re-inventing the material - they finally found out how to make Ragtime profitable and how to make Cats lose money!"

Re-inventing Ragtime is not. Its message has finally caught up with the social-political climate, but it coddles a very specific theater audience. This production is what the show is. This revival just has great performances to really land the plane. But nothing about this production is special beyond those actors and they will be rewarded on Sunday as they should.

The downplayingof ballroom boils down to Cats not appealing to Broadway’s typical white audience. Let’s call a spade a spade. Two things can be true. But let’s not call Ragtime a re-invention of anything. That’s an outright lie. I hope everyone wins what they deserve. Honestly the trophies need to spread the love. All box offices need it.


"

Guys let me help you out... I was making a joke. Please no more Ragtime hate thinkpieces in response to my silly little joke. Please jot them down in your diaries and bury them instead.

 

The challenge for Jellicle Ball is that it appeals to people who hated Cats.  Another challenge is that Jellicle Ball assumes a knowledge of drag ball culture that most people don’t have.  Perhaps “assumes” is the wrong word but my point is that it is not interested in explaining drag ball culture to those that don’t know it. I love that this is the case but it inherently limits its appeal.   

it is clearly the more transformative revival but while that should be the criteria for best revival that hasn’t always been the case. 

i don’t get how anyone could say there is no direction in Ragtime. Fantastic performances don’t magically appear without a good director. Lear’s work is definitely subtler but her Ragtime is my favorite version I have seen (as was her into the Woods and I’ve seen every Broadway production.)

 

The challenge for Jellicle Ball is that it appeals to people who hated Cats.  Another challenge is that Jellicle Ball assumes a knowledge of drag ball culture that most people don’t have.  Perhaps “assumes” is the wrong word but my point is that it is not interested in explaining drag ball culture to those that don’t know it. I love that this is the case but it inherently limits its appeal.   

it is clearly the more transformative revival but while that should be the criteria for best revival that hasn’t always been the case. 

i don’t get how anyone could say there is no direction in Ragtime. Fantastic performances don’t magically appear without a good director. Lear’s work is definitely subtler but her Ragtime is my favorite version I have seen (as was her into the Woods and I’ve seen every Broadway production.)

 

I’m afraid my Tony predictions may have gone off the rails. Bad for me, good for you. 1 Minute Critic participated in Broadway Scorecard’s Beat the Critics content, where participants have a chance to win a $200 gift card from TodayTix. Pick the Tonys, beat a critic, win a prize — one winner will be drawn randomly from all entries that outscore at least one of our featured critics. (Full rules here.)



I have one of the best jobs in the world: seeing theater. I caught nearly every Broadway show of the season. I didn’t review them all, and I don’t believe in a “chief critic” position. 1 Minute Critic was founded on celebration rather than gatekeeping, and the more diverse voices, the better. Certain kinds of work resonate with me, personally, but the one constant I always keep in mind is “why?”



Why does a show resonate? What is it about a performance that makes my stomach all squeamish in a good way? What’s the point in investing millions of dollars to tell a story at a particular moment in time? 

But here's the hitch: I'm not a Tony voter—yet. Each May, the Broadway League hosts its Spring Road Conference, where producers schmooze over which productions will tour. Broadway is a for-profit business, and an 11 o'clock number only matters if it sells tickets in Cleveland.



After locking my votes for GALECA’s (the Society of LGBTQ+ Entertainment Critics) Dorian Theater Awards, I realized I had completely shut out one of the major contenders. And when I submitted my picks for Broadway Scorecard’s contest, I similarly followed my gut instinct. But as a theater patron, not as a producer. 



Now, I’m second-guessing my pick, but I hope I’m wrong. No discredit to any of the nominees, but The Lost Boys was the one new musical that made my blood pump. A score by The Rescues, a Broadway-caliber scenic design with all the bells and whistles you’d hope for given the ticket price, and Michael Arden’s direction, which creates a mesmerizing world filled with camp, heart, and suspense. 



But Schmigagoon!, based on the short-lived Apple TV series, is a confection, and easier to take out on the road. Will Tony voters cave in to their sweet tooth, or opt for a new musical with more meat on its bones? 



My heart says The Lost Boys. The Tony voters' sweet tooth may say otherwise. I'll be watching and dancing around my apartment either way.

Dreamboy3 said: "

i don’t get how anyone could say there is no direction in Ragtime. Fantastic performances don’t magically appear without a good director. Lear’s work is definitely subtler but her Ragtime is my favorite version I have seen (as was her into the Woods and I’ve seen every Broadway production.)

Because the actors FEEL on their own when they work with her.  She's a "get up there and do it" director because she has little to no actual directing experience (outside of having a choreographer move lots of people in community & church shows).  

Into the Woods was one of the least directed shows ever.  Both examples have had great casts who wanted to do these. shows.   Working with whatever director did not matter.  They are pros.

They got to do a great show (post pandemic) or Ragtime in NYC.  Debesonett was not the reason, be assured. 

 

Updated On: 6/6/26 at 12:23 PM

Cats will not win, a musical about ballroom is always destined to epic fail, as it jogs voters’ memories of the White House and that blithering orange idiot.

I'm happy Schmigadoon is actually the favorite, and apparently by a considerable margin!

Timon3 said: "Cats will not win, a musical about ballroom is always destined to epic fail, as it jogs voters’ memories of the White House and that blithering orange idiot."


You okay?

I’m here with my predictions for each of the marquee categories.