2014 Tony Awards Nominations – Predicting the Winners

Nora Dominick ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
As of this morning, the nominees for the 68^th Annual Tony Awards have been announced. From categories such as Best Musical to Best Leading Actor in a Play to Best Score this Tony Awards season is sure to be an interesting one.
Emertainment Monthly predicts for the winners and discuss which category is hardest to predict and, of course, who got snubbed.
Best Musical
After Midnight
Aladdin
Beautiful
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
This one could either go to Beautiful or A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Both are seen as front-runners for the award and the Tony committee could swing either way. Beautiful has already been praised by the Broadway community for its ability to bring the classic music of Carole King to the stage. Jessie Mueller is perfection in this role and could steer the show to a Best Musical win. Then again, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder has the most Tony nomination this year with 10 and that normally signifies a favorite with the Tony committee.
The snubs in this category? The Bridges of Madison County, Rocky and If/Then. All three have brought something new and inventive to the Broadway stage. I was a little shocked one of these didn’t fill the empty fifth slot.
Best Revival of a Musical
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Les Miserables
Violet
With five slots for each category it was a little surprising that only 3 revival musicals were nominated. The front-runner for this category? Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This revival has turned Broadway upside down and is the perfect example of an incredible revival. With the incomparable Neil Patrick Harris and the riveting Lena Hall taking the leads its no wonder this show is a Broadway hit.
The snub in this category? Cabaret. The Roundabout Theatre Company’s production has brought back the incredibly talented Alan Cumming as the Emcee, which won him a Tony Award in 1998, and has transformed Studio 54 into the Kit Kat Club. This one was a bit of a shock.
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ramin Karimloo, Les Miserables
Andy Karl, Rocky
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Bryce Pinkham, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
The year of Neil Patrick Harris. Coming off an incredible nine year run on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, NPH has completely transformed himself into Hedwig, a female singer following a more successful singer, Tommy Gnosis. For the role NPH has lost close to 20 pounds, wears red-hot nail polish, makeup, glitter, and high heels. He is a favorite to win this award.
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Mary Bridget Davis, A Night with Janis Joplin
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful
Kelli O’Hara, The Bridges of Madison County
This has to be the hardest category to call this Tony Awards season. With so many musical veterans returning to the stage this award could go to anyone. That being said there are 3 front-runners to watch out for: Kelli O’Hara, Sutton Foster and Jessie Mueller. This is O’Hara’s fifth Tony Nomination and it might be her time to shine. Her memorable performance as Francesca in The Bridges of Madison County has transformed her into an Italian farm wife. Her operatic voice gives audience members chills night after night. On the other hand, theatre royalty Sutton Foster has stripped her Anything Goes Tony Award winning performance away and now stands on stage wearing no makeup singing about God in Violet. The character of Violet seems to have been written for Foster and the Tony committee recognizes this. Then there is the dark horse: Jessie Mueller. She has transformed herself into Carole King (she even got a complement from King herself) in Beautiful. Her voice booms through the Stephen Sondheim Theatre night after night and leaves audiences wanting more. This is one category that will be tough to call.
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Cabaret
Nick Cordero, Bullets Over Broadway
Joshua Henry, Violet
James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin
Jarrod Spector, Beautiful
I may be biased based on my utter love for Violet but I am pulling hard for Joshua Henry. His portrayal of Flick, the African American soldier Violet (Sutton Foster) meets along her journey, is magnificent. His song “Let it Sing” brings audience members to their feet night after night. The other front-runner for this category is James Monroe Iglehart for his portrayal of the Genie in Aladdin. Iglehart steals the show and brings the same comedic humor Robin Williams brought to the animated version of Aladdin.
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Linda Emond, Cabaret
Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Anika Larsen, Beautiful
Adriane Lenox, After Midnight
Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Hedwig and the Angry Inch seems like a shoe in for their awards. The re-imagination of the off-Broadway musical has taken Broadway by storm and Lena Hall is one of the reasons. Her portrayal of Yitzhak has transformed her into a male rocker and from sitting in the audience you would never be able to tell it’s Hall up onstage. She has brought something new to the role and I think the Tony committee will commend her work in such a demanding show.
Best Original Score (Music and /or Lyrics)
Jason Robert Brown (music & lyrics), The Bridges of Madison County
Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (lyrics), If/Then
Steven Lutvak (music) and Robert L. Freedman (lyrics), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Alan Menken (music), Howard Ashman, Chad Beguelin & Tim Rice (lyrics), Aladdin
Jason Robert Brown. This visionary composer and writer has created a score that manages to combine folk music with Italian opera. JRB is no stranger to Broadway. His Off-Broadway hit, The Last 5-Years has become a “cult classic” to musical theatre buffs and boasts an unbelievable soundtrack and score. His 1998 Broadway hit, Parade earned him a Tony Award for Best Score. Brown is considered one of the best composers of our generation and The Bridges of Madison County is another amazing score he can add to his list of accomplishments. Hopefully it will be recognized with a Tony Award.
Best Play
Act One
All the Way
Casa Valentina
Mothers and Sons
Outside Mullingar
My two choices are All the Way and Act One. All the Way was a transfer from the American Repertory Theatre in Boston, MA. The production headed by the talented Bryan Cranston has caused a commotion on Broadway and is a clear front-runner. Act One could also give All the Way a run for its money. Act One is about Broadway and has an incredible cast that includes Tony Shalhoub, Santino Fontana and Andrea Martin. With its incredible set design and performers this show could be a dark horse.  Although it isn’t a clear front-runner Outside Mullingar was an incredible piece of theatre that made me laugh and cry all in one scene. It deserves this nomination.
Best Revival of a Play
The Cripple of Inishmaan
The Glass Menagerie
A Raisin in the Sun
Twelfth Night
This one could honestly go to any way. All four revivals have brought something new to the classic productions and have caused talk throughout the Broadway community. I would be dine with any of these winning Best Revival because they all managed to re-invent old work and make it their own. They also brought these classic works to a new audience with the star-studded casts. The Cripple of Inishmaan has Daniel Radcliffe, The Glass Menagerie had Zachary Quinto, A Raisin in the Sun has Denzel Washington and Twelfth Night had Stephen Fry. Each of these plays deserves the nomination and would deserve the win.
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Samuel Barnett, Twelfth Night
Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Chris O’Dowd, Of Mice and Men
Mark Rylance, Richard III
Tony Shalhoub, Act One
How can you say no to Bryan Cranston? This powerhouse has dominated everything from TV to movies. The recent ending of his Emmy Award winning performance as Walter White in Breaking Bad has caused people to fall in love with him. He now takes his charm to Broadway as President Lyndon B. Johnson in All the Way. Cranston is now dominating theatre with his performance as Johnson. He completely sheds Walter White and turns into the President of the US. He deserves this win.
The biggest snub in this category? Daniel Radcliffe. Weeks leading up to the nominations being released, Radcliffe seemed like a shoe-in for a nomination. He has successful shed his Harry Potter role and has become an incredible theatre performer. I was shocked when his leading role in The Cripple of Inishmaan did not receive a nod.
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn
Audra McDonald. No questions asked. This 5 time Tony Award Winning Actress could make Tony Award history if she wins this category. If McDonald wins this award she will be the first person in history to win an acting Tony Award in each possible category. This seems quite possible based on her performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill. When you close your eyes in the Circle in the Square Theatre you thoroughly believe you are listening the Holiday and not McDonald.  Here’s hoping McDonald can make history on June 8^th.
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Paul Chahidi, Twelfth Night
Stephen Fry, Twelfth Night
Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night
Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie
Twelfth Night rules. This production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night did something spectacular; it was an all male cast. The production received praise from audience members as well as critics for the re-imagination of this classic play. I think anyone of the featured actors from the show could take home this award.
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Sarah Greene, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun
Anika Noni Rose, A Raisin in the Sun
Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina
I have a soft spot for Celia Keenan-Bolger in my heart. I have met her twice and she is the sweetest. Based on that I will be pulling hard for Keenan-Bolger to win this Tony Award. Her portrayal of Laura in The Glass Menagerie was incredible and she could snag a win. This being said, Anika Noni Rose in A Raisin in the Sun steals the show and claims her spot amongst Broadway royalty. This award could go to either of them.
For a complete list of the nominees visit www.tonyawards.com. The 68^th Annual Tony Awards will be broadcasted on CBS on June 8, 2014. Hugh Jackman will host this year’s award show.