The contenders in the 77th annual Tony Awards were unveiled Tuesday, with Alicia Keys’ Manhattan-set musical “Hell’s Kitchen” and the play-about-music “Stereophonic” leading the way with 13 nominations each.
The announcement arrived after the ceremony’s 44-member nominating committee scoured Broadway’s third season since COVID to pluck out the strongest performances and sharpest productions.
The packed season has brought back familiar shows, including “The Wiz,” (which was not nominated for any Tonys Tuesday) and surfaced popular arrivals such as “Suffs,” a musical about suffragists fighting for the vote, which picked up six nods.
Tuesday’s nominations were headlined by some household names, largely appearing in star-studded revivals. Those nominees included the velvet-voiced Leslie Odom Jr. in a non-singing role in “Purlie Victorious;” the intense Jeremy Strong in a revival of Henrik Ibsen’ “An Enemy of the People;” Liev Schriber in “Doubt;” and Rachel McAdams in “Mary Jane,” a new play that hauled in four nominations.
Also scoring nods were Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff for their starring roles in a hugely popular revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.” Eddie Redmayne picked up a nomination for “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” which picked up a strong nine nominations despite checkered critical reviews.
Tuesday was also a bright day for a musical interpretation of the Oklahoma coming-of-age story “The Outsiders,” which scored 12 nominations, and a revival of the side-splitting, boundary-pushing “Appropriate,” led by an impressively gruff Sarah Paulson.
The five nominees for the best new musical honor were “Suffs;” “The Outsiders;” “Hell’s Kitchen;” “Illinoise,” which is inspired by the 2005 Sufjan Stevens album and received four nominations; and “Water for Elephants,” about life in a traveling circus (seven nominations).
“Every year, new shows burst onto the scene, captivating audiences with their brilliant work,” Renée Elise Goldsberry, who won a Tony for “Hamilton,” said as she announced the nominees with Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
He added that a nominations represent a “circle of distinction and a testament to the creativity within the theater community”
This year’s ceremony will be held June 16 at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater. The Tonys, which have often been held at Radio City Music Hall, have never been held at the Koch Theater, the home of City Ballet.
The relocation represents continuation of the Tonys’ broadening geographic horizons. A year ago, the awards show was held at the United Palace in Washington Heights. Ariana DeBose is set to host for the third straight year.
A team of 836 voters has been tapped to select the winners, according to the Tonys. CBS broadcasts the Tonys.
