Snubbed but not forgotten - Tony Awards appreciation for unsung cast & creatives

[1 Minute Critic]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 5:57pm

No shade to any of this year's nominees - it was a great year. But there's always a handful of incredible performances and contributions that slip through the cracks. Here are five ... do you agree? What's missing? 

[The8re phan]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 6:22pm

agree...........

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 6:28pm

David from Sunset 

[broadway86]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 6:51pm

I agree with those performances. Those folks - along with Helen J Shen, Bill Burr, Tatianna Cordoba, Michael Urie, Peter Friedman, Amalia Yoo, Michelle Pawk, David Thaxton, and Thom Sensa  - all got passed over in favor of (imho) some less impressive work.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 7:41pm

Congrats to Doug Besterman for orchestrating BOOP!, Death Becomes Her, and Smash. What an incredible feat and incredible work he pulled off.

[Markie27]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 8:07pm

So proud of Filipino American nominees Nicole Schezinger, Darren Criss, Conrad Ricamora (and of course Tony winner Clint Ramos for costumes) but sad for Tatiana Cordova for RWHC and Clair Marie Hall for Operation Mincemeat.  The legendary Lea Salonga, thought did not get a nomination this year, paved a way for these performers and creatives of mixed/full Philippine descent be recognized for their talent and excellence all over the theatre world!  

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 9:02pm

David Hyde Pierce, Chris Sieber and Michael Urie should have been nominated for three of my favorite comedic performances this season, but I don't know there's anyone in their categories I'd take out as not being worthy to be up there. Maybe Brooks Ashmankas, but he was the best thing about SMASH by a mile so it feels churlish to slight him. Julio Mongue also would have received my vote - he did some incredible work in BVSC in a really stealthy way.  I think the right five leading actresses were nominated, but would have loved to have seen Helen J. Shen as a sixth nominee.

Featured Actress in a musical should have included Ana Gastayer in place of Gracie Lawrence, and I personally would have nominated Claire-Marie Hall or Lizzy McAlpine in place of Joy Woods. But I can't say I'm that upset about the noms. I wish there could have been seven or eight people in each category. It's just that good a season. 

Updated On: 5/1/25 at 09:02 PM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 11:12pm

I enjoyed JOB infinitely more than any of the other play nominees, except maybe Purpose, and Oh Mary in its own way, so would have liked to see it recognized somewhere (though granted, I only saw it downtown).

Both Real Women Have Curves and BOOP were infinitely funnier than Death Becomes Her, and with really great scores, too. Truly surprised at the love thrown at the music/book of that show, even though I appreciate the special effects and acting. 

I haven't seen Penzance, but the idea that James Monroe Inglehart snuck in over him feels like a glitch in the matrix. I would have bet that Grey Henson would make it if DHP did not.

Not recognizing Sutton Foster's wildly fun performance in Mattress makes sense given the competition, but I'd have bumped Simard for her. 

Brooks Ashmankas was the funniest part of SMASH but he was still just playing the same role, with little singing or dancing, that we have seen before. Team Sesma (or Sieber for being such a good sport). Also, Bianca Leigh shoutout.

Finally, I saw an early preview so maybe Im being unfair, but I was so underwhelmed by Joy Woods in Gypsy that I'd have given that final spot to many many others- Bella Coppola, Khaila Wilcoxon, any of the Mincemeat women...

Actually, no- finally: you know who gave a master class but underappreciated performance? Bill Irwin. That Scene is hard to do, and he did it quite literally like no one else could. 

[bear88]

Posted: 5/1/25 at 11:54pm

I was bummed that Thom Sesma wasn’t nominated for Dead Outlaw, a true featured role. And it wasn’t just his big, 11 o’clock number as Los Angeles County Coroner Thomas Noguchi. It was also the way he played Noguchi in the book scenes - less cartoonish, more savvy, and the unlikely ‘hero’ of the story in the end.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 5/2/25 at 6:48am

I was really hoping Fabian Aloise would be recognized for his choreography for Sunset Blvd. The dancing and movement is stunning and I think it's a major element that helps us see the show in a very new way.

I also feel like Shayna McPherson needed a special award. She is quite literally filming a movie (live) every night. 

Updated On: 5/2/25 at 06:48 AM

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/2/25 at 6:51am

Since they don’t publish the voting results, for all we know the person you listed here may have gotten a few votes but just not enough to make the cut. If they did get 0 votes then yes I’d consider that a snub.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/2/25 at 6:54am

The three people left out that, while it didn’t surprise me does make me a bit sad, are Sutton Foster, Michael Urie and (I know, I know) Jake Gyllenhaal.

[tomwsjr]

Posted: 5/2/25 at 7:40am

In my opinion, the biggest snub was not nominating David Thaxton for his outstanding performance in Sunset Blvd. (best supporting actor in a musical).

[Gertrude McFuzz2]

Posted: 5/2/25 at 9:21am

Adrian Blake Enscoe gave a star-making performance in Swept Away. Hope to see him in something soon.

[Nolan LuPone]

Posted: 5/2/25 at 10:38am

All of these were disappointing, however the only real shock for me was David Thaxton being snubbed for his work in Sunset Boulevard. His ability to convey one of the most visceral performances of the season while retaining a certain level of camp was truly remarkable. Also, not a surprise but still a disappointment: I really wanted to see Lesli Margherita get nominated. 12 years later, it still baffles me that she didn't get recognized for Matilda, so it would have been nice to see her innovative and hysterical  rendition of Tessie Tura get a nod. Again, wasn't expecting it, but still a little bit of a let-down.