Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:41am
His role is almost the heart of the show, having seen it twice. He’s been working for a while as well and probably a bit of welcome to the club. He’s terrific in it.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:42am
HeyMrMusic said: "Slightly surprised that Thom Sesma had all the momentum for the nomination for a year but was beat out by his castmate Jeb Brown."
I adore Sesma and he's great in Dead Outlaw, but I never quite understood why he had more momentum than Jeb Brown, whose featured role is significantly more substantial.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:43am
I’ve listened to the Death Becomes Her cast recording several times, and found most of the songs to be weak, to see the least. Barely a discernible melody in there. How it’s been nominated for Best Score, I have no idea. I’ve found the songs from Boop which have been released are far better…
Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:47am
I’m very surprised Jinx didn’t get nominated.
And also surprised Kara got nominated over Alana. I saw an understudy for Kara but Alana had by far the better role.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:51am
Alana is really wonderful and I would have been thrilled to see her recognized. But Kara is doing great work, as she always does. She took charge of every scene she was in.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:52am
Stranger Things did pretty well with 5 nominations and a special award for illusions, given it was "the worst thing on Broadway" some critiques have ever seen (eyeroll). Good for them for not pretending to be a dramaturgical masterpiece, but instead giving people what they want - a high tech spectacle based on the beloved show.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:53am
It seems that opening too late in a crowded season might’ve hurt RWHC. I’m not sure what they were thinking opening so late like that—unless it was a scheduling thing internally.
Dead Outlaw did okay because people already knew about it.
But for RWHC, by the time it started building up word of mouth that it was actually quite good, most people had already likely worked out their potential nominations from what they’ve seen earlier. These things need time to settle in people’s minds.
Sad for the show.
Updated On: 5/1/25 at 09:53 AM
Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:57am
They should’ve given a special Tony award to Mary Todd Lincoln’s bratty curls.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:03am
Most of the major categories seem like locks at this point. MHE and SB are clear frontrunners for Best Musical and Best Musical Revival. Yellow Face will win Best Play Revival by default. The fact it's airing on PBS later this month will help.
Best Play is shaping up to be the most competitive of the night. I can see an argument for each nominee. The cultural and financial domination of Oh, Mary! probably gives it an edge, but it underperformed relative to the other new plays.
Best Actress in a Musical is legendary this year. 5/5. No notes. Rooting for Audra, but everyone in this category is doing the work and worthy of recognition.
Not surprised the big celebrity driven productions were mostly shut out. This happens every year and people always act shocked. Celebrity doesn't mean squat to the nominators.
[Edit: Just remembered that Lincoln Center canceled on Eureka Day. Their campaign could leverage that into a win for revival, though I'm still betting on Yellow Face. Both productions are strong contenders in the supporting categories.]
Updated On: 5/1/25 at 10:03 AM
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:04am
43% of this year's acting nominees are people of color. I think that's the most in Tony history but we have to do better next year.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:09am
HeyMrMusic said: "Slightly surprised that Thom Sesma had all the momentum for a nomination for a whole year but was beat out by his castmate Jeb Brown."
I thought Sesma was a likely nominee, too, but the ruling that Brown would be eligible in Featured really knocked him out, considering how much more sizable his role. I predicted they'd both be nominated, but obviously they were lukewarm on Dead Outlaw overall since it missed all the design categories, etc.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:09am
''Congrats to Kim, but boy is it depressing that he is the first in Tonys history.''
History is made ever so slowly. This is how rarely Asian-American men get a leading role in a Broadway play. Heck, an Asian-American man has yet to WIN Leading Actor in a Musical, too.
And an Asian-American woman has YET to be nominated for Leading Actress in a Play. You can't win, let alone get nominated, for roles that don't exist. The only possible contender that I can recall was Jennifer Lim for David Henry Hwang's ''Chinglish'' (2011 ).
As for Thom Sesma in ''Dead Outlaw,'' he was nominated for Outer Critics and Lortel Awards, but here, I think he was bumped out, ironically, by his castmate, Jeb Brown.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:11am
Othello just announced recoupment, so it's laughing all the way to the bank
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:11am
I don’t know that nominators were lukewarm on Dead Outlaw based on its lack of tech nominations- it was never really competitive against the nominated productions which simply had a lot more going for them. DO is a fairly small, practical show from a design standpoint.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:15am
Thom won the Outer Critics Circle Award last year (was nominated for Drama Desk also). Jeb Brown was nominated in the leading category at the Lortels and OCCs.
"43% of this year's acting nominees are people of color. I think that's the most in Tony history but we have to do better next year."
That's a high percentage considering a much smaller percentage of roles went to people of color. For us to "do better," more roles have to be available and given to people of color. This only proves that people of color succeed when given the opportunity.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:20am
Phil B said: "I’ve listened to the Death Becomes Her cast recording several times, and found most of the songs to beweak, to see the least. Barely a discernible melody in there. How it’s been nominated for Best Score, I have no idea. I’ve found the songs from Boop which have been released are far better…"
Yet you have listened to it several times.
I love DBH . I am thrilled . Love how some of the songs have become parodies on social media . Great show.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:21am
Yeah, Sesma's problem is that he had an acutally featured role, unlike his co-star, who is really more of a co-lead.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:23am
HeyMrMusic said: "Sad for Helen J Shen but thrilled for Jasmine Amy Rogers.
I'm so glad Daniel Dae Kim got in. Crossing my fingers for Francis Jue!"
Also disappointed about Shen, yet impressed that Foster didn't get a default nomination, as well as Menzel's and her dreadful pseudomusical.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:24am
theatergoer3 said: "They mostly lovedPurposeand John Proctor. Some big celeb snubs. Glad to see the featured actress dualnominations for English."
Also happy for English scoring both Ashe and Neshat after thinking there would only be room for one. Though as great as that category is, I feel sorry for Amalia Yoo missing out. I had thought she and Fina Strazza were sure things, to the point where I considered Morgan Scott scoring a third nod in the category alongside them before one of them missing. I actually thought Strazza would be the stronger contender of the two for awhile, but with all the talk of Yoo having a baitier role and her getting the DD nod, I switched to her winning just yesterday. On the show though, I’m happy to see Gabriel Ebert back in the Tony race for a character that I think could’ve turned a lot of voters off, but was incredibly well played. Which makes it a bit more unfortunate to see a great newcomer with a plum part miss, though I’m sure Yoo will be back in the race before too long.
While I’m sad to see a great Jake Gyllenhaal dragged down by a lacking production, I’m glad to see a general lack of undeserving A-lister namechecks, aside from George Clooney. As a Better Call Saul fan sick is seeing him lose, it’s refreshing to see Bob Odenkirk score GGR’s only acting nod over a miscast Kieran Culkin, who I think has been way over-rewarded at this point for continually doing the same shtick.
On the topic of costars missing to costars, poor Thom Sesma. I stuck with predicting Sesma because he did so well at the Off Broadway awards, but I knew when Reb Brown moved from Lead to Featured that may have cost him the nomination. And for someone else who must feel a bit left out, poor Helen J. Shen. She missed to a fine lineup, but she still shouldn’t have missed. I’m rooting for Maybe Happy Ending, but if it wins big like I think and hope it will, it’ll be a bittersweet feeling seeing that happen when the leading lady’s been totally left out.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:24am
Phil B said: "I’ve listened to the Death Becomes Her cast recording several times, and found most of the songs to beweak, to see the least. Barely a discernible melody in there. How it’s been nominated for Best Score, I have no idea. I’ve found the songs from Boop which have been released are far better…"
And some of us have been listening to the songs quite a bit in the last 8+ months, and the cast recording on repeat since it came out a few weeks ago, having no trouble discerning the melodies. Different strokes.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:26am
"43% of this year's acting nominees are people of color. I think that's the most in Tony history but we have to do better next year."
That's a high percentage considering a much smaller percentage of roles went to people of color. For us to "do better," more roles have to be available and given to people of color. This only proves that people of color succeed when given the opportunity.
Yes exactly. This kind of thinking is so misguided. That this conversation comes up when award nominations come out is so silly. We need more folks of color working on Broadway. Nominations might be seen as a symptom but they are not the problem. Unless we're talking about a significant snub of an actor of color, nominations are just a diagnostic tool about the real problem and should not be how we measure if we're successful.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:27am
I am disappointed Chris Seiber was overlooked. But not surprised . He has always done such beautiful and effortless work.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:33am
HeyMrMusic said: "Thom wonthe Outer Critics Circle Award last year (was nominated for Drama Desk also). Jeb Brown was nominated in the leading category at the Lortels and OCCs.
"43% of this year's acting nominees are people of color. I think that's the most in Tony history but we have to do better next year."
That's a high percentage considering a much smaller percentage of roles went to people of color. For us to "do better," more roles have to be available and given to people of color. This only proves that people of color succeed when given the opportunity."
Sadly, the majority of Americans assume it's "DEI".
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:33am
Thrilled to see Death Becomes Her have such a strong showing after many were writing it off.
Posted: 5/1/25 at 10:34am
FLarnhill said: "Wayman_Wong said: "Congrats to Daniel Dae Kim on making Tony history! First Asian-American to be EVER nominated for Leading Actor in a Play in Tonys' 78-year history.”
Not only that. Nearly half the lead nominees are people of color!"
It's a beautiful thing, I'm so happy for James, he worked so hard on What a Wonderful World. Unfortunate about Helen Shen who is a luminous human. Othello sucked so I get it. And Redwood and Once Upon a Mattress never existed apparently. All a dream 😉
Looking forward to the show!
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