By: Ellis Nassour

October 15, 2020: For the first time in years, the Tony Awards Nominating Committee has expanded several of the acting categories. In another rare occurance, the Committee chose to only nominate one actor in the Leading Actor, Musical category. This might have taken Sean Allan Krill, who plays the father in Jagged Little Pill, a bit by surprise as it sure seems he’s in a Lead Actor Role and not a Featured Role.

PLAY
Grand Horizons, Bess Wohl
The Inheritance, Matthew Lopez
Sea Wall/A Life, Simon Stephens and Nick Payne
Slave Play, Jeremy O. Harris
The Sound Inside, Adam Rapp

ACTOR, PLAY
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldier’s Play

ACTRESS, PLAY
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside

ACTOR, FEATURED ROLE, PLAY
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance

ACTRESS, FEATURED ROLE, PLAY
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tour, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
Lois Smith,  The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista

DIRECTOR, PLAY
David Cromer, The Sound Inside
Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
Kenny Leon, A Soldier’s Play
Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal
Robert O’Hara, Slave Play

MUSICAL
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

ACTOR, MUSICAL
Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge!

ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge!
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

ACTOR, FEATURED ROLE, MUSICAL
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge!
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge!
Daniel J. Watts, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

ACTRESS, FEATURED ROLE, MUSICAL
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge!
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

DIRECTOR, MUSICAL
Phyllida Lloyd, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill
Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge!

BOOK, MUSICAL
Jagged Little Pill, Diablo Cody
Moulin Rouge!, John Logan
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins

The three nominated musicals do not have original scores as they are considered “juke box musicals.” Other musicals had just opened or were in early previews. However, not all members of the Tony Awards Nominating Committee of the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League, co-presenters of the Tonys, were able to attend by March 11 when theatre closures were mandated due to the pandemic. The Wing and League has chosen to drop the Original Score, Musical category. 

ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN
FOR THE THEATRE
A Christmas Carol, Christopher Nightingale
The Inheritance, Paul Englishby
The Rose Tattoo, Fitz Patton
Slave Play, Lindsay Jones
The Sound Inside, Daniel Kluger

REVIVAL, PLAY
Betrayal, Harold Pinter
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Terrence McNally A Soldier’s Play, Charles Fuller

CHOREOGRAPHY
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jagged Little Pill
Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge!
Anthony van Laast, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

ORCHESTRATIONS
Tom Kitt,  Jagged Little Pill
Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine, and Justin Levine, Moulin Rouge!
Ethan Popp, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

SCENIC DESIGN, PLAY
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Soutra Gilmour, Betrayal
Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Derek McLane, A Soldier’s Play
Clint Ramos, Slave Play

SCENIC DESIGN, MUSICAL
Riccardo Hernández and Lucy Mackinnon, Jagged Little Pill
Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge!
Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

COSTUME DESIGN, PLAY
Dede Ayite, Slave Play
Dede Ayite, A Soldier’s Play
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Clint Ramos, The Rose Tattoo

COSTUME DESIGN, MUSICAL
 Emily Rebholz, Jagged Little Pill
Mark Thompson, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge!

LIGHTING DESIGN, PLAY
Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
Jon Clark, The Inheritance
Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
Allen Lee Hughes, A Soldier’s Play
Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol

LIGHTING DESIGN, MUSICAL
Justin Townsend, Jagged Little Pill
Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge!
Bruno Poet, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

SOUND DESIGN, PLAY
Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol
Lindsay Jones, Slave Play
Daniel Kluger, Sea Wall/A Life
Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside

SOUND DESIGN, MUSICAL
Jonathan Deans, Jagged Little Pill
Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical   

Click Here to see James Monroe Iglehart Announce the Tony Nominees  

Jagged Little Pill – 15 
Moulin Rouge! – 14 
Slave Play – 12 
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – 12 
The Inheritance – 11 
A Soldier’s Play – 7 
The Sound Inside – 6 
A Christmas Carol – 5 
Betrayal – 4 
Sea Wall/A Life – 4 
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune – 2 
Grand Horizons – 2 
Linda Vista – 2 
The Rose Tattoo – 2