Tony Awards Decides Eligibility for Billy Elliot Boys, Dividing the Estate, The American Plan, Liza, Shrek & More

[Rob]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:13pm

Click Here to Read Tony Awards Decides Eligibility for Billy Elliot Boys, Dividing the Estate, The American Plan, Liza, Shrek & More

[BenKaye]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:15pm

So, I guess White Christmas is officially a "New Musical"?

[nlm]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:15pm

Glad to hear officially that Martha is considered eligible for Featured, I was fearing she'd be thrown into Lead.
Updated On: 2/12/09 at 06:15 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:18pm

Wow, I'm really surprised THE AMERICAN PLAN is being considered for Best Play, when a few seasons ago TRANSLATIONS, which started out Off-Broadway at MTC several years earlier just like AMERICAN PLAN did, was considered for Best Revival of a Play.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:20pm

Could "9 to 5" be nominated? By the time the show opens will be the deadline for new shows to be eligible. If remember correctly, the deadline is THE DAY 9 to 5 opens.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:21pm

Yes 9 TO 5 will be eligible.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:29pm

Wow, I guess this also means Elizabeth Ashley, Penny Fuller, and Hallie Foote will ALL be considered for Featured Actress in a Play for DIVIDING THE ESTATE.

It also means both Mercedes Ruehl and Lily Rabe will both be considered for Featured Actress in a Play.

It looks like MTC screwed up again, as with last season when they didn't bother to petition Elizabeth Marvel for Leading Actress, where she belonged, so she lost her chance at a nomination for TOP GIRLS all together.

Ruehl and Rabe could have been strong contenders in separate cateogories (Rabe's role really is the lead), but up against each other in Featured, they might cancel each other out.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:43pm

I think Lily Rabe has a better chance at an AMERICAN PLAN nod than Mercedes Ruhl: Ruhl got very nice reviews, but she was sort-of taken for granted, shoved aside for the across-the-board raves Ms. Rabe got.

Hallie Foote seems the most likely to get that Featured Actress nom: Elizabeth Ashley might get in there.

Well, I guess the Billy Boys are secured for a nom now, aren't they? They must be so happy.

And AMERICAN PLAN for Best Play? Huh. On the plus side, with the fact that Best Play doesn't have as many productions this year as Best Revival of a Play (Best Play has eight productions; Best Revival has fifteen), that gets much more attention for PLAN, and, therefore, much more attention for its actors.

But AMERICAN PLAN itself being nominated? I don't know. If we have an unfortunate amount of bad plays this season, maybe.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:49pm

Now we just have to see where they place Allison, Stephanie, and Megan.

[nealb1]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 6:51pm

I'm sure Liza will win a Special Tony Award - Theatrical Event, like Dame Edna did a few years back. She's just got to. Liza was amazing!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 7:09pm

When was the last time a revival's revised book was eligible for a Tony nomination?

I thought a production being nominated in the Best Revival category automatically made it ineligible for nominations in the Best Book and Best Score categories.

Otherwise, when ASSASSINS was ruled a revival a few years ago, Sondheim should have been eligible for Best Score, but he was deemed ineligible, because the Administration Committee deemed the show a revival.

It looks like they're changing the rules around. Wouldn't be the first time this has happened. But it's interesting to note.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 7:10pm

Liza Minnelli- Best Special Theatrical Event!

Not sure if I like the way that sounds.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 7:15pm

When was the last time a revival's revised book was eligible for a Tony nomination?

Hugh Wheeler won the Tony for his revised book of CANDIDE.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 7:16pm

Ahh. I didn't realize that.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 7:16pm

I see 9 TO 5 getting nominated for:

Best Musical
Best Performance by a Leading Actor (Marc Kudisch)
Best Performance by a Leading Actress (Megan Hilty, Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress (Kathy Fitzgerald)
Best Book of a Musical (Patricia Resnick)
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) (Dolly Parton)
Best Direction of a Musical (Joe Mantello)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Scott Pask)
Best Costume Design of a Musical (William Ivey Long)
Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer)
Best Sound Design of a Musical (John H. Shivers)

IDK how it works, but I like these categories for them.
Updated On: 2/12/09 at 07:16 PM

[Sauja]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 7:25pm

Interesting. I just saw The American Plan last night and was actually wondering which way it would go. I feel like Ruehl and Rabe had roughly equal amounts of stage time, so it fits that they're in the same category, but I would have put them both in Lead. But what do I know?

I adored the production, though, and hope that at least the two of them get nominations. But will be a tight year, so I suspect only Rabe will.

[rjjn]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 8:11pm

So, do you think Marc Kudisch is going to get a leading actor nomination? If people are saying that Megan Hilty might be considered featured, I don't think he would. Though I guess they do consider all four in White Christmas to be leading...

[yankees1253]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 8:19pm

glad to read the nominations and they look good.
happy to see that all three billys get the nomination for leading actor together, i am pulling for them.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 8:26pm

>When was the last time a revival's revised book was eligible for a Tony nomination?<

David Henry Hwang's new book for Flower Drum Song was nominated.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 8:35pm

yankee: these don't mean they WILL get nominated...just that this is how they are eligible. No nominees are decided until after the deadline, in April.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 8:56pm

"So, do you think Marc Kudisch is going to get a leading actor nomination? If people are saying that Megan Hilty might be considered featured, I don't think he would."

But then who would be considered a leading actor from 9 to 5?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 9:00pm

I don't think the show is required to have a leading actor.

[Mamie]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 9:25pm

You seriously believe 9 to 5 is going to get all those nominations? THREE leading actress noms? Never.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 9:37pm

I see 9 TO 5 getting nominated for:

Best Musical
Best Performance by a Leading Actor (Marc Kudisch)
Best Performance by a Leading Actress (Megan Hilty, Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block)
Best Performance by a Featured Actress (Kathy Fitzgerald)
Best Book of a Musical (Patricia Resnick)
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) (Dolly Parton)
Best Direction of a Musical (Joe Mantello)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Scott Pask)
Best Costume Design of a Musical (William Ivey Long)
Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer)
Best Sound Design of a Musical (John H. Shivers)

So, pretty much you want them to cancel the Tonys and just hand them a huge package with all the awards?

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 2/12/09 at 9:43pm

It's obvious that they won't get that many nominations. But I'm very positive they will get nominated for Best Musical and Best Score.