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Tony Awards nominees include multiple Chicago connections!

Posted on: May 8th, 2018 by B.I. C. No Comments

Another Tony Awards season is upon us! We are looking forward to celebrating another exciting season of theatre and equally thrilled to highlight all the Chicago connections to this year’s nominees.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated shows this season is The Band’s Visit, which garnered a total of 11 nominations, including best direction of a musical by David Cromer. Before his work on Broadway, Cromer spent a large portion of his career in Chicago helming acclaimed productions of Angels in America Parts I and II at The Journeymen Theatre, The Price at Writers’ Theatre and Rent at American Theater Company.

SpongeBob SquarePants, which made its Pre-Broadway World Premiere in summer of 2016 at the Oriental Theatre, soaked up 12 nominations and is directed by Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Tina Landau. Also hailing from the Steppenwolf stage is Laurie Metcalf, nominated for her performance in Three Tall Women.

Additionally, David Zinn received two nominations for his dual role as both scenic and costume designer for the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom in SpongeBob SquarePants. And of course, a special shout out to the variety of artists who took home a best original score nomination for SpongeBob SquarePants including: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles (a previous Best Score nominee for the upcoming Waitress the Musical), Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper (a previous Best Score Tony Award winner for Kinky Boots, which also originated in Chicago) & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil’C.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cast its spell over the Tony Awards and earned a total of 10 nominations including Best Play. This production features several Chicago actors including Alex Weisman, Jessie Fisher, Nathan Salstone and James Romney. Weisman, a Northwestern graduate, and Romney, a graduate of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College for Performing Arts, and Salstone, the 2012 IHSMTA Best Actor winner, all made their Broadway debuts, while Fisher previously appeared on Broadway in Once and is a native of Highland Park.

Tina Fey, who got her start at Second City in Chicago, was nominated for best book of a musical for Mean Girls and Fey’s husband, former Second City musician Jeff Richmond, was nominated for best score with his co-writer Nell Benjamin. Two-time Tony winner Gregg Barnes is also nominated for his costume design work in Mean Girls. Gregg’s costume creations have been seen by Chicagoans in Disney’s Aladdin and most recently on stage at the Oriental Theatre in Pretty Woman: The Musical.

Jessie Mueller, an Evanston native and a veteran to the Chicago stage, was nominated for her leading performance as Julie in Carousel, alongside Joshua Henry, who played opposite her as Billy Bigelow. Henry appeared most recently with Broadway In Chicago as Aaron Burr in the original Chicago cast of Hamilton.

On the design front; Academy and Tony Award-winner Ann Roth is nominated for her costume design in Three Tall Women. Ann’s designs brought Mormon to the minds of Chicagoans in 2012 and will sure do the same when The Book of Mormon says “Hello” again in November.

We are also thrilled that members of the creative team for the upcoming The Cher Show have rounded up several nominations as well. Kevin Adams (Nominated for lighting design of a musical – SpongeBob SquarePants), Christopher Gattelli (Nominated for choreography – SpongeBob SquarePants) and Christine Jones (Nominated for scenic design – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) all come together this June when The Cher Show has its Pre-Broadway Premiere at the Oriental Theatre June 12 – July 15.

Tune in to the 72nd annual Tony Awards hosted by CBS on Sunday, June 10, 2018 beginning at 7 p.m. CT!

 

2016 Tony Award Nominations – Best Book of a Musical / Best Original Score / Best Orchestrations

Posted on: May 20th, 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 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.

 

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 Choreography

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 this year’s nominees for Best Choreography:

 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Andy Blankenbuehler – “Hamilton”

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

Hofesh Shechter – “Fiddler on the Roof”

Randy Skinner – “Dames at Sea”

Sergio Trujillo – “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan”

Here are a few fun facts:

-Sergio Trujillo’s nomination for “On Your Feet” is quite exciting since it recently premiered here at the Oriental Theatre June 2 – July 5, 2015 before moving to Broadway.

-Randy Skinner choreographed the 42nd St tour that recently came through Chicago this year at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from March 8 – 20.

-A bit of an off topic but fact about Savion Glover was that his grandmother, Anna Lundy Lewis, was the minister of music at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ and she played for Whitney Houston when she was sang in the gospel choir there as a child.

-Andy Blankenbuehler’s first touring production choreography credit was for “In The Heights” which played the Cadillac Palace Theatre December 15, 2009 – January 3, 2010.  He also directed the revival of Joseph starring Ace Young & Diana de Garmo also at the Cadillac Palace Theatre March 18 – 30, 2014.

 

2016 Tony Award Nominations – Best Scenic 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.

Here are the incredible designers nominated this year for Best Scenic Design:

 

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

Beowulf Boritt – “Therese Raquin”

Christopher Oram – “Hughie”

Jan Versweyveld – “A View from the Bridge”

David Zinn – “The Humans”

Here are a few fun facts:

-Beowulf Boritt was the scenic designer for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” which was extremely popular here in Chicago from March 28, 2006 – September 2, 2007.

-As noted again, David Zinn is the scenic designer for “The SpongeBob Musical” which will be making its Pre-Broadway World Premiere at the Oriental Theatre June 7 – July 10 this summer!

 

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Es Devlin and Finn Ross – “American Psycho”

David Korins – “Hamilton”

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

David Rockwell – “She Loves Me”

Here are a few more fun facts:

-David Korins also designed “Motown The Musical” which played the Oriental Theatre April 22 – August 9, 2014.

-David Rockwell is a Chicago native and has designed many Broadway In Chicago favorites such as Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Kinky Boots and Legally Blonde!