SAY ‘HELLO’ TO TONYS!
‘Natasha,’ Midler’s ‘Dolly’ lead
“NATASHA, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” a new musical based on Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” led the Tony Awards nominations pack with 12 nods, including best musical. The revival of the classic musical “Hello, Dolly!” followed with 10 — including one for leading lady Bette Midler. Bragging rights for the most nominations can certainly move lots of tickets, but “Natasha” will face tough competition for the Tony in Broadway’s all-important best musical category, which includes the 9/11-themed “Come From Away,” teenangst rocker “Dear Evan Hansen” and film-turned-musical “Groundhog Day.” Steven Levenson, who’s nominated for his book for “Evan Hansen,” expressed thanks for his nod and took stock of the variety of the Broadway seasons. “I’m shocked and delighted that there’s an appetite for so many shows.” Nominees for best new play include “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” “Indecent,” “Oslo” and “Sweat.” Broadway newcomer Cate Blanchett will vie for best actress in a play for her star turn in “The Present” against Jennifer Ehle for “Oslo,” Sally Field for “The Glass Menagerie,” Laura Linney for “The Little Foxes” and Laurie Metcalf for “Doll’s House.”
“I am so very proud to be a part of ‘The Little Foxes’ and this magnificent company,” Linney said in a statement. “What a terrific year for new plays and revivals. Hooray for all of us!!”
The best actor in a play race includes Denis Arndt for “Heisenberg,” Chris Cooper for “Doll’s House,” Corey Hawkins for “Six Degrees of Separation,” Kevin Kline for “Present Laughter” and Jefferson Mays for “Oslo.” The three shows vying for best musical revival are “Falsettos,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “Miss Saigon.”
Best play revival nods went to “Jitney,” “Little Foxes,” “Present Laughter” and “Six Degrees of Separation.”
The best actress in a musical race includes Denee Benton for “Natasha,” Christine Ebersole for “War Paint,” Patti LuPone for “War Paint,” Bette Midler for “Hello, Dolly!” and Eva Noblezada for “Miss Saigon.”
The best actor in a musical field includes Christian Borle for “Falsettos,” Josh Groban for “Natasha,” Andy Karl for “Groundhog,” David Hyde Pierce for “Hello, Dolly!” and Ben Platt for “Evan Hansen.”
Other nominees are Cynthia Nixon for “Little Foxes” and Danny DeVito for “The Price.” In a Tony surprise, Allison Janney didn’t earn a nomination for her strong performance in “Six Degrees.”
Kevin Spacey will host the 71st Tony Awards from Radio City Musical Hall on June 11. The show airs on CBS at 8 p.m. For a complete list of nominees, go to TonyAwards.com.