NEW YORK - An epic tale of Tudor-era England and a modern story of an English boy with social challenges dominated the Tony nominations for plays Tuesday, as “Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” drew eight and six nominations respectively.
Among new musicals, the sexual coming-of-age story “Fun Home” and the metamusical comedy “Something Rotten!” were among the notable nominees.
Meanwhile, “Finding Neverland,” the J.M. Barrie musical produced by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and directed by Diane Paulus, was shut out, as was Larry David’s Broadway effort “Fish in the Dark” and actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who had garnered accolades for his performance as a beekeeper in the new drama “Constellations.”
“Curious” and “Wolf” each scored nominations in best play, direction of a play and lead actor in a play, while “Wolf” added nominations for featured actor and actress.
“Hand to God,” a subversive religious-themed show featuring a young man and his satanic puppet, was thought divisive by some, but the production picked up nominations for best play and leading actor and actress on Tuesday.
“Fun Home” and “Something Rotten!” landed nominations for best musical, best direction of a musical and a host of acting categories.
Perhaps the most competitive category will be leading actress in a musical, with veterans Kelli O’Hara (“The King and I”), Kristin Chenoweth (“On The Twentieth Century”) and Chita Rivera (“The Visit”) all landing nominations, along with Leanne Cope (“An American in Paris”) and Beth Malone (“Fun Home”). The choices leave Lisa Howard (“It Shoulda Been You”) and both conjoined twins from “Side Show” out of the equation.
Best actress in a play is considered the most starry of categories, with screen presences Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, Ruth Wilson and Elisabeth Moss all landing nominations, joined by “God’s” Geneva Carr.
Of the play revivals, the big winner was “The Elephant Man,” as its three principal actors - Bradley Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Allesandro Nivola - all scored nominations, and the production scored a slot in best revival of a play, a category in which it will be a favorite to win.
The Tonys will be hosted by Chenoweth and Alan Cumming, organizers said Tuesday. They will be broadcast June 7 from Radio City Musical Hall on CBS.
About the Author