“The Lost Boys” and “Schmgadoon!” each earned a major nomination for 12 Tony Awards on Tuesday, as nominators also made June Squibb the oldest Tony-nominated actress in history at 96. Danny Burstein is now the most nominated male actor in Tony history.“The Lost Boys,” an adaptation of a 1987 teen vampire thriller, and “Schmgadoon!”, an Apple TV series mocking Broadway musicals, were revivals of “Ragtime” in the 20th century. The great, booming musical celebrating early 20th century America with 11 nominations for Arthur Millsman and the maestro “Sale.” It looks at the unraveling of the American Dream starring Nathan Lane, which received nine nods.Twenty-four shows earned at least one nomination in 26 Tony categories, including a revival of “Chess,” a Cold War love triangle between two chess grandmasters and the woman who loved them both, and “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s feline classic in a celebration of queer ballroom culture.“I’m over the Jellicle moon about this!” said Bill Rauch, who earned his first Tony nomination for co-directing the reimagined “Cats.” “I’ve spent my entire career trying to connect the dots between the classics and the place and time we live in, so for ‘Cats’ to have this life on Broadway right now feels like an affirmation of everything I’ve been trying to do for decades.”
Nominees for Best New Musical and Play
The best new musical crown is up for grabs between “The Lost Boys,” “Schmigadoon!”, “Titanique,” a campy musical reimagining of the 1997 hit “Titanic,” and “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” a gripping rom-com set on a weekend in New York.Ali Louis Bourzgui, nominated for best role in a musical for his portrayal of an attractive vampire in “The Lost Boys,” took a bite out of why his show was so well received: “I think people, including me, love a villain they can take care of,” he said. “Some of my favorite performances are technically villains in the role, but they actively make the person playing them into full 3D people that you can root for. I think that’s the most interesting character.“The best new plays are “Giant,” directed by John Lithgow, which examines allegations of anti-Semitism against children’s author Roald Dahl; “Liberation,” about a group of Ohio women in the 1970s, won the Pulitzer Prize for drama on Monday; “The Balusters,” a raunchy comedy about a small-town neighborhood association descending into chaos over whether to run a stop sign; and “Little Bear Ridge Road,” about a struggling writer who returns to his rural town to settle his dead father’s estate.Playwright Mark Rosenblatt created “Giant” in 2018 and began writing in 2020, and it seems very relevant in 2026, in the wake of the war in Gaza and the focus on anti-Semitism in America.“The ideas in the play, the worries in the plays, the pain in the play, they’re timeless,” he said. “But I never could have imagined that, when it was finally produced, it would play out against the backdrop of what’s happening now.”“The Fear of 13,” the true story of a man who spent more than two decades on death row, didn’t get a nod from actors, despite starring Adrien Brody. Tessa Thompson In their Broadway debuts. Former “Glee” star Lea Michele will continue her pursuit of her first Tony nomination after missing out for “Chess.”Squibb is now the oldest actress in history to be nominated for a Tony, surpassing the record set by Lois Smith, who was nominated in 2020 for “The Inheritance” at the age of 89. Squibb’s Broadway resume dates back to the original 1960 production of “Gypsy” with Ethel Merman, and she recalls rehearsing a musical by dancing on a concrete floor. It’s his first Tony nomination.In Jordan Harrison’s play “Marjorie Prime,” a widow played by Squibb is brought an artificial friend who actually looks like her dead husband. Launched in 2014, the work in 2026 capitalizes on the recent frenzy surrounding technological advances such as ChatGPT. Squibb said he’s seen the original, but only now fully understands the implications of things like AI.Regarding his age, he said that he doesn’t really think about it: “I can’t ignore that my body is different from when I was young. And now when I read a script, I have to think that I can physically do what they ask of me. And that’s it,” he said. “As long as you don’t dance on concrete floors.”Burstein has become the most nominated male actor in Tony history with nine nods after “Marjorie Prime,” surpassing Jason Robards’ record. Kelli O’Hara earned her ninth career nomination for her revival of the comedy “Fallen Angels,” tying her with Rosemary Harris for third on the actress nominations list.
Who lost?
A trio of actors from the hit TV series “The Bear” were featured in Broadway premieres this season – Ayo Edebiri in a revival of “Proof” and Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach both appeared in “Dog Day Afternoon,” an adaptation of Sidney Lumet’s 1975 bank robbery drama.Among others, they lost this year to Bobby Cannavale, who was rejected by the nominees for a revival of “Art” with Neil Patrick Harris and James Corden. “Bill & Ted” actors Keanu Reeves and Alex Winters reunited for the “Waiting for Godot” revival, though Brandon J. Dirden was nominated for a major role. Laurie Metcalf was in position to win two, but will have to settle for a major nod in “Death of a Salesman.”“
Nominations include returns
The Best Revival of a Play category is stacked with well-received entries: “Every Brilliant Thing”; “Death of a Salesman”; “Oedipus,” a modern remake of Sophocles’ classic tragedy set on election night in a modern campaign office; “Becky Shaw,” Gina Gionfriddo’s dark comedy about a newlywed couple who decide to play partner; and “Fallen Angels,” Noel Coward’s alcohol-fueled competition between two upper-crust ladies for the attention of a former lover.Daniel Radcliffe earned a nomination for “Every Brilliant Thing,” a one-man show that explores antidotes to depression.“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” star Rose Byrne, who plays one of these upper-earth ladies in “Fallen Angels,” earned a nomination for best actress in a play, becoming the 22nd actress in history to be nominated for both an Oscar and a Tony in the same year. In addition to Byrne and O’Hara, Lesley Manville earned a nod for “Oedipus,” Susannah Flood for “Liberation” and Carrie Coon for her portrayal of her husband Tracy Letts in “Bug.”O’Hara – the winner of the 2015 revival of “The King and I” – said there will be no chill between her and her co-star: “I move with great courage for someone who is brave next to me. And if she were to take home that award, it would mean we both win.”Lithgow, who already has two Tonys, will get his third if he beats out Lane, Radcliffe, Mark Strong and lead actor in a play in “Oedipus.” Will Harrison From “Punch,” which looks at restorative justice after a man is killed by a physical punch.Best actor in a musical nominees include Joshua Henry and Brandon Uranowitz, both for “Ragtime,” Sam Tutty for “Two Strangers,” Nicholas Christopher for “Chess” and Luke Evans for “The Rocky Horror Show.”On the female side, the candidates are: Caissie Levy from “Ragtime”, Marla Mindelle from “Titanique”, Christiani Pitts from “Two Strangers”, Sara Chase from “Schmigadoon!” and Stephanie Hsu in “The Rocky Horror Show.”The nominations also seemed to be an official welcome to producer Scott Rudin, who earned nods for “Death of a Salesman” and “Little Bear Ridge Road.” In 2021, Rudin said he was backing down after allegations of harassment.The Tony Awards will be presented on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall in a telecast hosted by Pink. The awards will air live on CBS and live on Paramount+.Last year’s show, hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo, drew 4.85 million viewers to CBS, its biggest audience in six years, according to Nielsen.
