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 actors and actresses in musicals and plays nominated for Best Performance in a Featured Role:
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Daveed Diggs – “Hamilton”
Brandon Victor Dixon – “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
Christopher Fitzgerald – “Waitress”
Jonathan Groff – “Hamilton”
Christopher Jackson – “Hamilton”
Fun facts:
-Brandon Victor Dixon was the “Harpo” replacement in The Color Purple touring production which came through Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre April 17 – September 30, 2007.
-Christopher Fitzgerald is the only actor who has played both “Billy Flynn” AND “Amos Hart” in the Broadway production of Chicago.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Danielle Brooks – “The Color Purple”
Renee Elise Goldsberry – “Hamilton”
Jane Krakowski – “She Loves Me”
Jennifer Simard – “Disaster!”
Adrienne Warren – “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
Fun Facts:
-Jennifer Simard played “Rona Lisa Peretti” in the touring production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which played at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place March 28, 2006 – September 2, 2007.
-Adrienne Warren played “Danielle” in Bring It On: The Musical also at the Cadillac Palace Theatre March 6 – 25, 2012 and also “Lorrell” in Dreamgirls which also played at the Cadillac Palace January 19 – 31, 2010.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Reed Birney – “The Humans”
Bill Camp – “The Crucible”
David Furr – “Noises Off”
Richard Goulding – “King Charles III”
Michael Shannon – “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
Fun facts:
-You might recognize Reed Birney from the acclaimed political thriller House of Cards as the major recurring character, “Donald Blythe.”
-Michael Shannon was awarded the 2013 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Principal Actor in a Play for Simpatico at the “A Red Orchid Theater” here in Chicago.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Pascale Armand – “Eclipsed”
Megan Hilty – “Noises Off”
Jayne Houdyshell – “The Humans”
Andrea Martin – “Noises Off”
Saycon Sengbloh – “Eclipsed”
Fun Facts:
-Megan Hilty is well known for being the first “Glinda” replacement after Kristin Chenoweth in the Broadway production of Wicked.
-Andrea Martin won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of “Berthe” in the recent Pippin revival that played at the Cadillac Palace Theatre July 29 – August 9, 2015.