Big brands lead the Tony parade
NEW YORK — And now, the races begin.
“The Band’s Visit,” a delicate Broadway musical that has been doing solid but not sold-out business at the box office, will face strong challenges from “Mean Girls” and “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical” in the highest-stakes race in this year’s Tony Awards.
In something of a surprise, “Mean Girls,” Tina Fey’s musical adaptation of her 2004 film about high school social dynamics, and the eyepopping “SpongeBob,” based on the animated television series about underwater sea creatures, led the nominations on Tuesday, each earning 12 nods. Both are spearheaded by cultural powerhouses: Fey is one of the nation’s most well-liked comedic writers and performers, and “SpongeBob” is the first Broadway venture led by Nickelodeon, the children’s cable network.
“The Band’s Visit,” by contrast, is adapted from a fictional 2007 Israeli film about what happens when an Egyptian police band becomes stranded for a night in an Israeli desert town. It is a bit of an oddity on Broadway — more subtle than showy.
The fourth contender for best musical is Disney’s “Frozen,” based on the hit animated film. The stage adaptation, which was not embraced by critics, didn’t receive nominations for its performers or much of its creative team, although it did garner nods for its book and score.
“SpongeBob,” “Mean Girls” and “Frozen” are among numerous big brands that have dominated a season whose new shows have also included “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Escape to Margaritaville” and “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.” There were also solo shows by Bruce Springsteen, Michael Moore, John Lithgow and John Leguizamo.
In addition to “Mean Girls” and “SpongeBob,” the nominators also showered affection on five critically acclaimed productions: revivals of “Angels in America” and “Carousel,” as well as “The Band’s Visit,” got 11 nominations apiece, while the new play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and a revival of “My Fair Lady” each got 10.
Among the boldface names who scored nominations: Denzel Washington, Andrew Garfield, Amy Schumer, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Cera, Renée Fleming, Diana Rigg and Fey.
Winners will be announced June 10 at Radio City Music Hall in a ceremony televised by CBS.