2025 TONY Nominations Pre-Show
A Brief Survey of My Favorite Contenders from the 2024/25 Broadway Season
It’s been a minute. But this will be quick. And off-template. And I doubt that anyone cares. But because I’ve seen most1 of this year’s Broadway offerings and can’t help but obsess about my favorites from this quite remarkable year… I hereby offer — for the record — and in immediate anticipation of this morning’s Tony nominations…
My Two Favorites in Each Tony Category This Season
Favorite (New) Musical: Dead Outlaw • Real Women Have Curves
Favorite Musical Revival: Sunset Blvd. • Gypsy
Favorite (New) Play: Oh Mary! • John Proctor Is the Villain
Favorite Play Revival: Yellowface • Eureka Day
Favorite Leading Actress in a Musical:
• Helen J. Shen, Maybe Happy Ending
• Audra McDonald, Gypsy
Favorite Leading Actress in a Play:
• Sarah Snook, Portrait of Dorian Gray
• Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain
Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical:
• Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club
• Lea Salonga, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends
Favorite Featured Actress in a Play:
• Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day
• Fina Strazza, John Proctor Is the Villain
Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical:
• Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw
• Grey Henson, Elf
Favorite Leading Actor in a Play:
• Cole Escola, Oh Mary!
• Kit Connor, Romeo + Juliet
Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical:
• Adrian Blake Escoe, Swept Away
• Jason Gotay &/or Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins
Favorite Featured Actor in a Play:
• Francis Jue, Yellowface
• Tony Macht, Oh Mary!
Favorite Direction of a Musical:
• David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
• Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Blvd.
Favorite Direction of a Play:
• Sam Pinkleton, Oh Mary!
• Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain
Favorite Choreography:
• Patricia Delgado & Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club
• Fabian Aloise, Sunset Blvd.
Favorite Book of a Musical:
• Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw
• Lisa Loomer & Nell Benjamin, Real Women Have Curves
Favorite Score of a Musical:
• David Yazbek & Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw
• The Avett Brothers, Swept Away.
Favorite Orchestrations:
• Buena Vista Social Club
• Dead Outlaw
Favorite Scenic Design of a Musical:
• Rachel Hauck, Swept Away
• Dane Laffrey & George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending
Favorite Scenic Design of a Play:
• Marsha Ginsburg, English
• dots, Oh Mary!
Favorite Costume Design of a Musical:
• Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her
• Soutra Gilmour, Sunset Blvd.
Favorite Costume Design of a Play:
• Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Enver Chakartash, English
Favorite Lighting Design of a Musical:
• Scott Zielinski, Floyd Collins
• Jack Knowles, Sunset Blvd.
Favorite Lighting Design of a Play:
• Natasha Katz, John Proctor Is the Villain
• Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Favorite Sound Design of a Musical:
• Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins
• Mike Walker, Operation Mincemeat
Favorite Sound Design of a Play:
• Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
And finally the category I wish they’d award, but since they won’t, I’ll name three…
Favorite Ensemble Work in a Musical:
• Real Women Have Curves
• Operation Mincemeat
• Swept Away
Favorite Ensemble Work in a Play:
• English
• John Proctor Is the Villain
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (noting the astonishing collaboration between Snook and the camera operators and onstage crew)
So there’s that. Thanks for scrolling.
And if you’re interested, here are the actual nominations…
Apologies to Just in Time, which I’m set to see in two weeks and which will give me a “perfect season” for musicals. Apologies also to a number of the plays — some of which I simply missed (Home, Job, The Roommate) and others which were simply too far beyond my price range (Goodnight & Good Luck, All In, Othello, Glengarry)…