Tony Awards are enjoying increased viewership
In the face of Broadway’s ongoing post-pandemic challenges, the awards show itself appears to have experienced a ratings upswing. This spring, Broadway welcomed 18 new productions, including 15 musicals, setting the stage for the 77th annual Tony Awards.
Watch NBC News’ Frank DiLella share more ahead of the awards show.
Who are this year’s front-runners? Our predictions
This Broadway season saw a slew of original musicals opening within a few weeks of one another, but no clear front-runner for best musical has emerged. “Hell’s Kitchen,” a semiautobiographical Alicia Keys jukebox musical, and “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel and the 1983 Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name, have slight edges on the other nominees.
In the musical revival category, “Merrily We Roll Along” is favored to win over the Eddie Redmayne-led revival of “Cabaret,” which was lauded by U.K. critics upon its West End debut but has received comparatively tepid reviews on this side of the Atlantic. The all-star trio leading “Merrily,” Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe, are front-runners in their respective categories. Groff, who was previously nominated for roles he originated in “Hamilton” and “Spring Awakening,” is likely to come out on top in the race for best leading actor in a musical, and Mendez and Radcliffe face good odds in the supporting actress and actor categories, respectively.
“Succession” star Jeremy Strong could be the “No. 1 boy” in the category for best leading actor in a play but faces competition from Leslie Odom Jr., who won his first Tony in 2016 for “Hamilton.” Sarah Paulson (“Appropriate”) and Jessica Lange (“Mother Play”) will face off for best leading actress in a play, one of the closest races of the night.
Is there a Tonys pre-show?
Some technical awards will be presented during the pre-show ceremony, “The Tony Awards: Act One.”
The event will be hosted by Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar and will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ET on Pluto TV.
Daniel Radcliffe, Rachel McAdams among the Hollywood screen actors nominated
It’s not unusual for actors to jump back and forth between filmed entertainment and live theater, but this year’s roster of nominated performers is especially stacked with folks who are arguably better known for their movie and television roles.
Jeremy Strong, the Emmy-winning star of HBO’s “Succession,” earned a nomination for best actor in a play for his role in a revival of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People.” Daniel Radcliffe, the internationally famous face of the “Harry Potter” film franchise, nabbed a nomination for best featured actor in a musical for his part in a revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Merrily We Roll Along.” Strong and Radcliffe are both first-time Tony nominees.
The list of Hollywood notables up for awards tonight also features Rachel McAdams (“Mary Jane,” her Broadway debut), Jim Parsons (“Mother Play”), Eddie Redmayne (“Cabaret”) and Liev Schreiber (“Doubt”). McAdams and Parsons are first-time Tony contenders. Redmayne won the award for best featured actor in a play in 2010 for “Red,” and Schreiber won the same trophy in 2005 for his work in a revival of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.”
Tony Awards 2024: Full list of nominees
Here’s a full list of who is nominated tonight.
Best Play
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
“Mary Jane”
“Mother Play”
“Prayer for the French Republic”
“Stereophonic”
Best Musical
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“The Outsiders”
“Suffs”
“Water for Elephants”
Best Revival of a Play
“Appropriate”
“An Enemy of the People”
“Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Best Revival of a Musical
“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
“Gutenberg! The Musical!”
“Merrily We Roll Along”
“The Who’s Tommy”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
William Jackson Harper, “Uncle Vanya”
Leslie Odom Jr., “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Liev Schreiber, “Doubt: A Parable”
Jeremy Strong, “An Enemy of the People”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “Patriots”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Betsy Aidem, “Prayer for the French Republic”
Jessica Lange, “Mother Play”
Rachel McAdams, “Mary Jane”
Sarah Paulson, “Appropriate”
Amy Ryan, “Doubt: A Parable”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brody Grant, “The Outsiders”
Jonathan Groff, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Dorian Harewood, “The Notebook”
Brian d’Arcy James, “Days of Wine and Roses”
Eddie Redmayne, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Eden Espinosa, “Lempicka”
Maleah Joi Moon, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Kelli O’Hara, “Days of Wine and Roses”
Maryann Plunkett, “The Notebook”
Gayle Rankin, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Will Brill, “Stereophonic”
Eli Gelb, “Stereophonic”
Jim Parsons, “Mother Play”
Tom Pecinka, “Stereophonic”
Corey Stoll, “Appropriate”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, “Doubt: A Parable”
Juliana Canfield, “Stereophonic”
Celia Keenan-Bolger, “Mother Play”
Sarah Pidgeon, “Stereophonic”
Kara Young, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Roger Bart, “Back to the Future: The Musical”
Joshua Boone, “The Outsiders”
Brandon Victor Dixon, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Sky Lakota-Lynch, “The Outsiders”
Daniel Radcliffe, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Steven Skybell, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Amber Iman, “Lempicka”
Nikki M. James, “Suffs”
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, “Monty Python’s Spamalot”
Kecia Lewis, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Lindsay Mendez, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Bebe Neuwirth, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Book of a Musical
“Hell’s Kitchen,” Kristoffer Diaz
“The Notebook,” Bekah Brunstetter
“The Outsiders,” Adam Rapp and Justin Levine
“Suffs,” Shaina Taub
“Water for Elephants,” Rick Elice
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
“Days of Wine and Roses.” Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel
“Here Lies Love.” Music: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. Lyrics: David Byrne
“The Outsiders.” Music & Lyrics: Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine
“Stereophonic.” Music & Lyrics: Will Butler
“Suffs.” Music & Lyrics: Shaina Taub
Best Scenic Design of a Play
dots, “Appropriate”
dots, “An Enemy of the People”
Derek McLane, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
David Zinn, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
David Zinn, “Stereophonic”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, “The Outsiders”
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Takeshi Kata, “Water for Elephants”
David Korins, “Here Lies Love”
Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini, “Lempicka”
Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, “Back to the Future: The Musical”
Tom Scutt, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dede Ayite, “Appropriate”
Dede Ayite, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Enver Chakartash, “Stereophonic”
Emilio Sosa, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
David Zinn, “An Enemy of the People”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Linda Cho, “The Great Gatsby”
David Israel Reynoso, “Water for Elephants”
Tom Scutt, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Paul Tazewell, “Suffs”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd, “An Enemy of the People”
Amith Chandrashaker, “Prayer for the French Republic”
Jiyoun Chang, “Stereophonic”
Jane Cox, “Appropriate”
Natasha Katz, “Grey House”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Brandon Stirling Baker, “Illinoise”
Isabella Byrd, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Natasha Katz, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Bradley King and David Bengali, “Water for Elephants”
Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, “The Outsiders”
Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Leah Gelpe, “Mary Jane”
Tom Gibbons, “Grey House”
Bray Poor and Will Pickens, “Appropriate”
Ryan Rumery, “Stereophonic”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, “Here Lies Love”
Kai Harada, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Nick Lidster for Autograph, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Gareth Owen, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Cody Spencer, “The Outsiders”
Best Direction of a Play
Daniel Aukin, “Stereophonic”
Anne Kauffman, “Mary Jane”
Kenny Leon, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Lila Neugebauer, “Appropriate”
Whitney White, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Best Direction of a Musical
Maria Friedman, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Michael Greif, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Leigh Silverman, “Suffs”
Jessica Stone, “Water for Elephants”
Danya Taymor, “The Outsiders”
Best Choreography
Annie-B Parson, “Here Lies Love”
Camille A. Brown, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, “The Outsiders”
Justin Peck, “Illinoise”
Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, “Water for Elephants”
Best Orchestrations
Timo Andres, “Illinoise”
Will Butler and Justin Craig, “Stereophonic”
Justin Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), “The Outsiders”
Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Jonathan Tunick, “Merrily We Roll Along”
Where are the Tonys being held?
For the first time, the Tony Awards will be held at Lincoln Center in New York City. The telecast will take place in the David H. Koch Theater, which is home to the New York City Ballet. For many years, the Tonys were held at Radio City Music Hall. Last year, they moved uptown to the United Palace in Washington Heights.
Lincoln Center is also home to the Metropolitan Opera House and the Vivian Beaumont Theater, where the Broadway revival of “Uncle Vanya” starring Steve Carell is playing. The other shows nominated this year are playing in various Broadway theaters about 15 blocks downtown.
‘Stereophonic’ actors and composer react to 13 Tony nominations
The Broadway play “Stereophonic” received 13 Tony Award nominations, making it the most nominated play in Tonys history.
NBC News’ Joe Fryer spoke with composer Will Butler and actors Juliana Canfield and Eli Gelb about the show’s success.
Tony Awards have a star-studded list of presenters
Presenters include Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sean Hayes, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel, Ben Platt, Pete Townshend, Tamara Tunie, Adrienne Warren and Jeffrey Wright.
Angelina Jolie, Nick Jonas and Anthony Ramos are also scheduled to present.
Who is hosting the Tonys?
For the third year in a row, Ariana DeBose will host the prime-time ceremony. The Academy Award winner and Broadway veteran put her live performance chops to the tests during last year’s unscripted ceremony, which was held during the WGA strike.
This year’s ceremony will return to its usual scripted format, but DeBose has been known to “do the thing” or two on an award show stage, so the night could be full of surprises nonetheless. DeBose is also producing this year and co-choreographed the opening number.
How to watch the Tonys
The 77th annual Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.
The show will also be streamed live on Paramount+ and CBS.com.