Very Early 2026 Tony Winner Predictions- Page 3

[Voter]

Posted: 5/9/26 at 1:34am

Ragtime winning revival would be nuts. You can find the original on youtube - it's filled with brilliant directorial flourishes and design elements, the acting is naturalistic, complex and emotionally grounded. As a revival, the new production does absolutely nothing and is very cold and poorly paced. I didn't like Cats much better, though, because it is inarguably a worse piece of writing than Ragtime and I didn't feel like any changes helped overcome that. The chaotic aesthetic of the production made its meandering feel even more aimless to me. But the award isn't for the best show, it's for the best revival, and the new Cats is inventive, bold, looks fantastic, and is beautifully performed.

[broadfan327]

Posted: 5/9/26 at 2:12am

Wayman_Wong said: "''I just thought they wouldn't give BM to Schmigadoon! which is a limited run,''

''Schmigadoon!,''set to run through Sept. 6, 2026, has now been extended through Jan. 3, 2027."

I wasn't aware.  If the voters get passed it was pretty similar to the TV series, then it probably will win.

[bear882]

Posted: 5/9/26 at 3:36am

I have been assuming all along that the conceptual brilliance of Cats: The Jellicle Ball would carry the day in Best Revival, and I still think it will.

But…

While I don’t like the book of Ragtime at all, I can’t ignore the admiration it gets from almost everyone but me. The revival doesn’t make anyone the slightest bit uncomfortable, even though it should, but maybe that partially explains its popularity. And it has some standout performances, even if they at times veer dangerously close to a concert instead of a musical.

Ragtime comforts the audience with its dignity and familiarity. Cats: The Jellice Ball mocks the rules of theater even before the show begins. It is deliberately messy and wild, and has its ups and downs along the way. I thought it worked marvelously overall, but I can imagine it feeling off-putting to some Tony voters.

And then there are the individual awards. It is expected to win Best Actor and Best Actress, and might even win in one of the featured categories. That’s a lot of big wins.

I still expect Cats: The Jellicle Ball to prevail, but I can  imagine a situation where the show’s directors win but the ‘important’ and ‘timely’ Ragtime pulls off an upset.

Updated On: 5/9/26 at 03:36 AM

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 5/9/26 at 9:32am

They are very different aspects what art celebrates. “Ragtime” is social, political, extremely now, and I think many people resonate with that especially because the Acting is superb (can it win 4 Acting Tonys?), but “Cats” is such a queer celebration, something is so close to the theater community that I also find hard to ignore, and unlikely “Ragtime”, This production put “Cats” upside down and we know thats the way voters are going.

[BdwyFan]

Posted: 5/9/26 at 12:10pm

Lost Boys = Best Musical

Ragtime  = Best Musical Revival

Thats all. 


(remember so many of the voters are American Theatre Wing)

[Voter]

Posted: 5/9/26 at 3:16pm

MadsonMelo said: "They are very different aspects what art celebrates. “Ragtime” is social, political, extremely now, and I think many people resonate with that especially because the Acting is superb (can it win 4 Acting Tonys?), but “Cats” is such a queer celebration, something is so close to the theater community that I also find hard to ignore, and unlikely “Ragtime”, This production put “Cats” upside down and we know thats the way voters are going."

I would dare to say that the singing is superb, not the acting, which mostly feels hammy and surface level. I also don't think Ragtime is "extremely now," it's been that way every time it's run on Broadway because the themes are timeless. Nothing about the choices in this production have made it more "of the moment," though it would lend itself quite well to reinterpretation in that way.