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2016 Tony Award Nominations – Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical/Play

Posted on: June 7th, 2016 by B.I. C. No Comments

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 Leading Role:

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Alex Brightman – “School of Rock – The Musical”

Danny Burstein – “Fiddler on the Roof”

Zachary Levi – “She Loves Me”

Lin-Manuel Miranda – “Hamilton”

Leslie Odom, Jr. – “Hamilton”

Fun Facts:

-Alex Brightman played “Zacky Price” in the original cast of Big Fish which originated here in Chicago at the Oriental Theatre April 2 – May 5, 2013.

-Although Lin-Manuel Miranda has gained so much recognition for his creation of Hamilton, he was well known before that as well for writing the music and lyrics for both In the Heights and Bring It On: The Musical, both which have toured through Chicago.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Laura Benanti – “She Loves Me”

Carmen Cusack – “Bright Star”

Cynthia Erivo – “The Color Purple”

Jessie Mueller – “Waitress”

Phillipa Soo – “Hamilton”

Fun Facts:

-Carmen Cusack was just recently in Chicago premiering the First Wives Club musical at the Oriental Theatre February 17 – March 29, 2015.

-Jessie Mueller won the 2014 Tony Award for her portrayal of Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical which was last seen at the Oriental Theatre December 1, 2015 – February 21, 2016 and will be returning to Chicago in the upcoming 2017 holiday season.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

Gabriel Byrne – “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

Jeff Daniels – “Blackbird”

Frank Langella – “The Father”

Tim Pigott-Smith – “King Charles III”

Mark Strong – “A View from the Bridge”

Fun facts:

-You may recognize Jeff Daniels from movies such as The Martian, Steve Jobs and also the classic 1994 comedy, Dumb and Dumber.

-Both Frank Langella and Anthony Hopkins received Oscar nominations for portraying Richard Nixon: Hopkins for Nixon in 1995 and Langella for Frost/Nixon in 2008.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

Jessica Lange – “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

Laurie Metcalf – “Misery”

Lupita Nyong’o – “Eclipsed”

Sophie Okonedo – “The Crucible”

Michelle Williams – “Blackbird”

Fun Facts:

-You’ll recognize Jessica Lange from movies such as Big Fish, Tootsie or Cape Fear, but most recently because of her work in the hit TV show American Horror Story.

-Lupita Nyong’o won an Oscar in 2014 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in the movie 12 Years a Slave.

-Michelle Williams starred as Sally Bowles in the Cabaret revival on Broadway, which then toured through Chicago recently at The PrivateBank Theatre February 9 – 21, 2016 with Andrea Goss in the leading role.

 

2016 Tony Award Nominations – Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical/Play

Posted on: June 2nd, 2016 by B.I. C. No Comments

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.

 

2016 Tony Award Nominations – Best Direction of a Play / Musical

Posted on: May 13th, 2016 by B.I. C. No Comments

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 10 phenomenal directors nominated for Best Direction of a Play and Best Direction of a Musical:

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Rupert Goold – “King Charles III”

Jonathan Kent – “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

Joe Mantello – “The Humans”

Liesl Tommy – “Eclipsed”

Ivo van Hove – “A View from the Bridge”

Here are some fun facts:

-Jonathan Kent directed the revival of “Man of La Mancha” in 2002. Flashback to when “Man of La Mancha” first premiered in Chicago at the old Shubert Theatre June 2 – June 28, 1969!

-“Eclipsed”, led by the direction of Liesl Tommy, is making history as the first all black and all female Broadway show!

-Joe Mantello is well known for his direction of “Wicked” which was last at the Oriental Theatre October 30 – December 21, 2013.

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Michael Arden – “Spring Awakening”

John Doyle – “The Color Purple”

Scott Ellis – “She Loves Me”

Thomas Kail – “Hamilton”

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

Here are a few more fun facts:

-John Doyle’s “Sweeney Todd” toured through Chicago April 23 – May 4, 2008 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

-Thomas Kail directed “In The Heights” which last played here in Chicago January 10 – 15, 2012 at the Oriental Theatre.

 

2016 Tony Award Nominations – Best Costume Design of a Play / Musical

Posted on: May 13th, 2016 by B.I. C. No Comments

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.

Costumes set the tone and time period of a play or musical as soon as an actor walks out on stage.  They’re also able to make an immediate time lapse believable when actors have costume quick changes.  Here are the brilliant designers nominated for this year’s Best Costume Design Tony Awards:

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

Jane Greenwood – “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

Michael Krass – “Noises Off”

Clint Ramos – “Eclipsed”

Tom Scutt – “King Charles III”

Here are a few fun facts:

-Jane Greenwood, whose first Broadway credit was 1963’s “The Ballad of the Sad Cafe,” received a lifetime achievement trophy during the 2014 Tony Awards ceremony after being nominated for Best Costume Design a total of 15 times.

-In an interview with Ted Sod, Michael Krass told him, “I went to school at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, which meant that I did a bit of everything—when I got out, I had designed a lot of scenery, I thought acting was not for me and that I wasn’t smart enough to be a director, so I came to New York and talked my way into a job at a costume company. I actually had never designed costumes before, and I never had a costume class.” Many works later and he’s a Tony nominated costume designer!

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Gregg Barnes – “Tuck Everlasting”

Jeff Mahshie – “She Loves Me”

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

Paul Tazewell – “Hamilton”

Here are a few more fun facts:

-Gregg Barnes is well known for his costume design in “Kinky Boots” which was last in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre July 7 – 26, 2015.  He also designed the costumes for Disney’s “Aladdin” which will be here at the Cadillac Palace Theatre as well April 11 – July 2, 2017.

-Ann Roth is certainly beloved for her costume design in “The Book of Mormon” which will be returning to Chicago June 29 – August 14th this summer at The PrivateBank Theatre!

 

2016 Tony Award Nominations – Chicago Connections!

Posted on: May 3rd, 2016 by B.I. C. No Comments

Broadway In Chicago couldn’t be more thrilled for the announcement of this year’s Tony Award nominations!  Here are a few of the amazing local ties this year:

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” received a record-setting 16 nominations including Best Musical, which makes us even more thrilled that it will be premiering at The Private Bank Theatre this coming September!  Phillipa Soo, an Illinois native herself from Libertyville, was nominated in Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Eliza Hamilton. For more information about the upcoming Chicago production visit: http://broadwayinchicago.com/show/hamilton/

Sara Bareilles’ “Waitress” has been nominated for Best Original Score. She is one of the many artists whose music will be featured in the upcoming world premiere of “The SpongeBob Musical” beginning performances at the Oriental Theatre June 7th!  For more information visit: http://broadwayinchicago.com/show/the-spongebob-musical/

Sergio Trujillo was nominated for Best Choreography in “On Your Feet!” which had its start here in Chicago at the Oriental Theatre on June 2nd – July 5th, 2015 before transferring to Broadway.

David Zinn was nominated for Best Scenic Design for “The Humans,” and is currently working on the design for the world premiere of “The SpongeBob Musical.”  He was also nominated last year for his design of the musical, “Fun Home,” which will also play the Oriental Theatre this fall starting November 2nd.

Chicago native Jessie Mueller was nominated for the second time in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her spectacular work in “Waitress.”  She won this category’s Tony Award in 2014 for her performance as Carole King in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” which was last seen at the Oriental Theatre December 1, 2015 – February 21, 2016 and will be returning to Chicago in the 2017 holiday season.

You may remember Carmen Cusack from her performance in “First Wives Club” which premiered here February 17th – March 29th, 2015 at the Oriental Theatre.  She was just nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in “Bright Star.”

Michael Shannon, whom you might recognize as an ensemble member from A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago’s Old Town area, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”

Stephen Karam’s “The Humans,” which was nominated for Best Play originated at the American Theater Company and played November 14, 2014 – February 1, 2015 before moving to Broadway.

“Eclipsed” by Danai Gurira, which is also nominated for Best Play, was first seen in Chicago as well at the Northlight Theatre January 13 – February 20, 2011.

Laurie Metcalf who was nominated in the category Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for “Misery,” is remembered well in Chicago as a Steppenwolf ensemble member.

Be sure to check out Chris Jones’ Chicago Tribune article for the full list of nominations! – See more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-tony-award-nominations-hamilton-2016-20160502-story.html