Broadway In Chicago is beyond excited for the 2016 Tony Awards on Sunday June 12th 7-10PM CT! We’ll be highlighting the nominees in each category and filling you in on some fun facts each week leading up to the award ceremony.

Here are the 4 writers nominated for Best Book of a Musical:

 

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

“Bright Star” – Steve Martin

“Hamilton” – Lin-Manuel Miranda

“School of Rock – The Musical” – Julian Fellowes

“Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” – George C. Wolfe

Here are some fun facts:

-Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the book for “Hamilton” after reading Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton.  Miranda then read Hamilton’s letters and works and visited sites important to the American Revolution in New York City to add further factual information into the core of the show’s book.

-Julian Fellows who wrote the book for “School of Rock – The Musical” is also famously well known for being the creator, writer and executive producer of the multiple award-winning British television series “Downton Abbey” from 2010 – 2015.

 

These are the individuals nominated for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre:

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATER

“Bright Star” – Music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Lyrics: Edie Brickell

“Hamilton” – Music and lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

“School of Rock – The Musical” – Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics: Glenn Slater

“Waitress” – Music and lyrics: Sara Bareilles

Some more fun facts:

-In 2014, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell won a Grammy for the title track to their Bluegrass album Love Has Come for You. It was that album that inspired them to write the music together for “Bright Star.”

-The first song Sara Bareilles wrote for “Waitress” was She Used to Be Mine being inspired by the main character Jenna and her character arc after viewing the film.  That song then served as her portal into the world of writing the rest of the music for the show.

 

Here are the musicians and composers nominated for this year’s Best Orchestrations Tony Award:

 

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

August Eriksmoen – “Bright Star”

Larry Hochman – “She Loves Me”

Alex Lacamoire – “Hamilton”

Daryl Waters – “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

Here are some more fun facts:

-Larry Hochman provided orchestrations for “The Addams Family” which last played Chicago November 13, 2009 – January 10, 2010 at the Oriental Theatre.  He also is known for his Tony Award winning orchestrations for “The Book of Mormon.”

-Daryl Waters won the 2010 Best Orchestrations Tony Award for “Memphis” which played at the Cadillac Palace Theatre November 22 – December 4, 2011.