Caroline, or Change

One of the themes of the gorgeous and heart-breaking Caroline, or Change, the story of an African-American maid working for a Jewish family in the 1960s South, is that "change come fast, change come slow, but change come." Caroline, written by Tony Kushner with music by Jeanine Tesori, premiered in 2003. Unfortunately, in 2019, in the superb production currently playing at APAC in Queens, another one of its themes is that change is still terribly needed.

Lauren Singerman, LaDonna Burns
Photo: Michael R. Dekker

Caroline's life is tediously difficult. She spends far too much of it cleaning and doing the Gellmans' laundry in a hot room in the hot South. She has four kids, and she would do anything for them--such as continuing to do the Gellmans' laundry in that purgatory of a laundry room. Larry, her oldest, is in Vietnam, "wherever that is." Her next oldest, Emmie, has a mind of her own, which terrifies Caroline but also makes her proud.

Noah, the 8-year-old son of the Gellman family, is always sad, but he is comforted by what he perceives as his friendship with Caroline. Noah's mother died a few years back, and his father married her best friend Rose. Noah's father is wraith-like nonpresence, and Noah hates Rose, mostly for not being his dead mother. But he adores Caroline despite her anger and unwillingness to be nice to him. Rose, whose good-heartedness is unfortunately dwarfed by her cluelessness, also tries to befriend Caroline.

Noah tends to leave change in his pockets when he puts his pants in the hamper. Rose decides to teach him a lesson, and to "help" Caroline, by telling Caroline to keep whatever money she finds. In Kushner's brilliant hands, this small, weird decision turns that awful laundry room into a crucible in which Caroline's heart and soul are tested.

Caroline combines theatrical magic realism (the washer and dryer are personified) with hard-hitting reality (Caroline's ex-husband being refused employment after the war because he's black; bills that can't be paid; buses that never come). It has humor and warmth amid the heartbreak, and its deep sadness is mitigated for the audience by its deep beauty. Tesori's thrilling score utilizes the sounds of Motown, spirituals, blues, Motown, and klezmer, with perfectly chosen quotes from well-known songs (e.g., "America, the Beautiful"). Kushner's book and lyrics work on many levels, with wit, compassion, and great humanity.

Caroline is not an easy show to do. It requires a first-class cast and a director with a sure hand. In the APAC production, it has both, along with a small but excellent band and solid production values.

The role of Caroline demands a tour de force performance that ranges from subtlety to raw power. LaDonna Burns' performance is frighteningly good. Even while keeping Caroline as closed-off and angry as she needs to be, Burns provides a three-dimensional portrait of a complex woman who is a hero with a horribly limited battlefield and no parades or medals. (To further attest to Burns' outstanding talent, she was an amazing Stella in APAC's Follies, funny and likeable.)

The rest of the cast is also top-notch, really as good as you could ask for. My only complaint was that a couple of people didn't project that well, but all in all it was an extreme pleasure to hear the casts' glorious voices unmiked.

Caroline is directed by Dev Bondarin, of whom I am a great fan. Bondarin goes to the heart of a show, understands it on all levels, and honors the work by presenting it in its best light. I saw Caroline, or Change both Off-Broadway and on, and thanks to Bondarin and everyone else involved, this production is every bit as amazing.

Wendy Caster
(first row, press ticket)
Show-Score: 98

Quick Takes

Some quick thoughts on shows I didn't review:

Gruesome Playground Injuries: Known theatrical truism: If you get a chance to see Kara Young, see Kara Young.

Gruesome Playground Injuries
Nicholas Braun, Kara Young
Photo: Emilio Madrid

Caroline: Estranged daughter in her mid-20s goes home with her own daughter, Caroline, seeking money, a place to stay, and maybe even some support and affection. After many years with no contact, the mother/grandmother isn't exactly thrilled to see them. This elegantly written three-hander is subtle and moving, with no villains and no heroes. Amy Landecker as the grandmother, Chloë Grace Moretz as the mother, and River Lipe-Smith as the daughter were all excellent. Written by Preston Max Allen and directed by David Cromer. (Closed.)

Caroline
Chloë Grace Moretz, River Lipe-Smith
Photo: Emilio Madrid

Let's Love: This fun series of short plays about sex by Ethan Coen featured Aubrey Plaza (raising emotional meanness to an art form), Nellie McKay (bringing her unique ineffable fabulousness), and other wonderful performers. Fluff, but really good fluff. (Closed.)

Let's Love
From Second Stage Website

The Long Christmas Dinner: For Thornton Wilder, life and death aren't two sides of the same coin; they're mixed together in the very atoms of the coin. The Long Christmas Dinner is an odd, charming one-act that takes place over the course of 90 years, with characters dying left and right. Done as a one-night reading at Symphony Space, it featured a fascinating array of performers including actors Becky Ann Baker, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jim Parsons, and Roslyn Ruff; award–winning playwrights James Ijames and Sarah Ruhl; writer and poet Jacqueline Woodson; commentator Chris Hayes; and Wilder’s nephew Tappan Wilder, who had some fascinating insights in the discussion after the reading.

Rodeo: Rodeo, choreographed by Agnes DeMille, is a pure delight (if you can ignore some sexual assumptions that are, uh, "of their time.") It's full-out theatre, with a beginning, a middle, and an end and character arcs and such. At a recent performance at ABT, it was well-acted and beautifully danced, with great colorful costumes. It's just so satisfying. 

Queen of Versailles: A waste of time, money, and Kristin Chenoweth. 

Queen of Versailles
Kristin Chenoweth, F. Murray Abraham
Photo: Emilio Madrid

A New Brain: A New Brain has never quite worked for me. I end up seeing it every few years, and I tend to go through the same experience. In the first hour or so, I think, what is my problem with this show? It's excellent, with beautiful music, unique rhymes, interesting characters, a strong story. And then it goes on. And on. And on. Unimportant characters get solos, and it's hard to care. By the end, parts are actually boring, which I hate to say about a Finn work. The St. Bart's Players did a nice job all and all, with Jordan Cooke terrific as Schwinn. (Closed)

Triplicity: This lovely play with music focuses on three New Yorkers, with glimpses into their lives and hearts. It's quirky and warm and witty and very much its own thing. Written and composed by Ellen Maddow, directed by Paul Zimet, and starring El Beh, Amara Granderson, Lizzie Olesker, and Steven Rattazzi. Presented by Talking Band in association with Mabou Mines. Choreography by Sean Donovan and Brandon Washington; Set Design by Anna Kiraly; Lighting Design by Mary Ellen Stebbins; Costume Design by Olivera Gajic. (Closed.)

Meet the Cartozians: I don't know what other people saw in this well-received play. It's described on the website as follows: 

Talene Monahon’s Meet the Cartozians pulls back the curtain on a startling chapter of American history you may never have heard. This ... new play follows two sets of Armenian Americans: one man fighting for legal recognition in the 1920s, while a century later, his descendant fights for followers and a competent glam team. ... Meet the Cartozians asks who gets to belong — and at what cost?

The Times calls it "captivating, wildly funny, pure entertainment." Word of mouth is positive. 

For me, the show wobbles between exposition and essay without ever quite achieving theatre. It tries to be Stoppardian; it isn't. (Through December 14.)

Wendy Caster

2019-2020: Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Glories of Off- and Off-Off-Broadway

I was going to do a "best-of" for 2019 plus a "looking forward" for 2020, when I realized that their focus would be much the same: the treasure that is non-Broadway theatre.

I'm not denying the treasure that is on-Broadway theatre. There's something undeniably magical about those buildings, with their plush seats, ornate ceilings, and theatrical history. And there are always incredible shows running. But the prices are truly insane.

Once, when I was a kid, my parents were complaining about the price of something. I said, "But that's what it costs now." And my dad said, "Someday you'll be faced with a 'that's what it costs now' that you just refuse to pay. You just can't." I recently decided to bite the bullet and spend a small fortune to see American Utopia. But a small fortune wasn't enough. Could I have afforded the actual price? Yes, as a special treat. But I just couldn't do it. My dad was right.

Maybe it's because I'm old enough to have spent $9 on a "special treat" ticket--Debbie Reynolds in Irene, first row center. I was making $1.95/hr, minimum wage. Now minimum wage is ~$15/hr, and tickets are hundreds of dollars. Something is wrong on Broadway.

But Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, something is right. You can see fabulous shows with brilliant casts from great seats, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Not even a finger.

Here are ten of the theatre companies that I have found to provide reliably top-notch work at accessible, even cheap, prices. (All are linked to their websites; they're in alphabetical order.)

APAC. It's a pleasure to start with APAC (Astoria Performing Arts Center), which is high on my list of favorite theatre companies, mostly because the artistic director--Dev Bondarin--is one of the most reliably excellent directors in New York. In fact, when Roundabout announced their production of Caroline, or Change, my first thought was that I hoped it would be as good as APAC's!

And here's the thing: APAC's tickets for Caroline were only $25 for adults and $20 for students and senior citizens--an insane bargain. (I don't know if they will go up in the future, but even so, APAC will remain a bargain. Their Caroline was every bit as meaningful, beautiful, and heart-breaking as the original Broadway production!)

APAC has given us brilliant productions of Follies (amazing) and Merry We Roll Along (my favorite of all the productions I have seen, including the original), to mention only a couple. The rest of the 2019-2020 season includes the New York premiere of Jump by Charly Evon Simpson and a revival of Man of La Mancha. And who knows what 2020-2021 will bring?

Bedlam. I'm new to Bedlam, but after seeing their excellent revival of The Crucible (and also on the recommendation of a friend whose opinion I respect), I don't plan to miss any of their shows going forward. They don't seem to have announced their 2020 season, and I wasn't able to track down their ticket prices. (I bought my Crucible tickets on tdf.) But click here for their Facebook page, which may provide more up-to-date info than their website.

Elmwood Playhouse (Nyack, NY). I've only seen one show at the Elmwood, and to be honest I've heard some non-raves about their earlier work. But their production of The Little Foxes was solid, entertaining, and moving. Currently running is the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and tickets are only $27 ($24 for seniors and students). The rest of the season includes Born Yesterday, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Calendar Girls.

Flux Theatre Ensemble. I have been a huge Flux fan since 2009 when I saw the wonderful Lesser Seductions of History, a lovely and deeply humane play by Corinna Schulenburg, beautifully directed by Heather Cohn. In the intervening years, I've seen another 15 or so Flux productions, and an insanely large percentage of them have been amazing, incredible, thought-provoking, funny, and all the other things one hopes plays to be.

And talk about inexpensive! Flux doesn't even ask you to lay out money to get a ticket. They do ask you to support Flux in any way you can, but they don't want the price of a ticket to keep people from seeing their shows. (For more info, click here.) I donate to Flux every year.

Next at Flux: the world premiere of Rage Play by Nandita Shenoy, directed by Lori Elizabeth Parquet. Runs March 28 through April 11.

Mint Theater Company. The Mint's tag line is "lost plays found here." And what treasures these lost plays are! Also, the Mint has a truly astonishing batting average, providing excellent production after excellent production after excellent production. There was one show I hated, but about a dozen that I liked, liked a lot, or loved. And Mint productions are often eye-opening. Who knew that plays in the early 20th century were grappling so honestly with sexuality and class?

Currently at the Mint is Chekhov/Tolstoy: Love Stories. While I prefer it when the Mint focuses on more obscure writers, I am sure that this production will be worthwhile. After all, it's the Mint! (Ticket prices: $35.00 - $65.00.)

PTP/NYC. The PTP/NYC is yet another theatre company that provides excellent production after excellent production. Here's how they describe themselves on their website:

PTP/NYC is an Off-Broadway powerhouse of veteran and emerging talent creating socially and politically acute theatre for the 21st century. In its 27 seasons [actually, it's 33 now], the voices of PTP/NYC’s writers have addressed the necessity and difficulty of art, homelessness, censorship, pornography, AIDS, totalitarianism, apartheid and gender wars—always in passionate, deeply human terms. Playwrights whose work is often seen on the company’s stages include Howard Barker, Caryl Churchill, Harold Pinter and Neal Bell. 

I have been blown away again and again by PTP/NYC, particularly by plays directed by co-artistic director Cheryl Faraone. Faraone's productions are lucid and smart; she lets the plays tell their stories with a subtle and smooth hand.

I don't know what PTP/NYC has up their sleeve; unfortunately, their website is terrible. But I do know that, whatever they produce, I'll be there.

Red Bull Theater. The Red Bull focuses on past centuries--often far past. For example, their next (one-night) event is a January 27 reading of Women Beware Women, Thomas Middleton's 17th century social satire. (There are $47 tickets left, and the reading has a very classy cast. For more info, click here). Sometimes I wish Red Bull productions were clearer; sometimes I wish they were truer to the original plays. But I'm always grateful to have seen their productions, feeling entertained and/or educated. And sometimes I'm blown away.

Signature Theatre. The Signature has a unique role in NY theatre, focusing largely on living playwrights but often including revivals of their earlier works. Signature used to pick one playwright per season; now they combine "legacy" and "residency" playwrights. The 2019-2020 season includes plays by Anna Deavere Smith, Horton Foote, Katori Hall, and Lauren Yee. And tickets are $35. Thirty-five dollars! (And ticket packages eliminate any fees, while providing a generous exchange policy.)

Voyage Theater Company. The VTC is brand-new to me, but I'm putting them on this list based on their production of The Hope Hypothesis. There's no way to know if their future productions will be as good, but I do know I'll give them a try.

York Theatre Company. The York is devoted to musicals, old and new, with main stage productions (such as the wonderful Desperate Measures and Unexpected Joy), concert readings (the fabulous Mufti series, recently including the very entertaining The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen Through the Eyes of Cole Porter), and a developmental series of over 30 readings a year. (Shows developed or partially developed at the York include Avenue Q and the brilliant, insanely funny Musical of Musicals: The Musical.) Some York shows are flat-out wonderful; minimally, the Muftis are of of historical interest; the casts are often top-notch; and the voices are unmiked. Main stage tickets are $67.50 - $72.50; Muftis are $45 - $50. Plus you can get a York membership, which reduces the ticket prices significantly, and there are various forms of rush tickets.

***

Strange to think that, for a price of a pair of tickets to a Broadway show, you could see a show or two at all ten of these theatre companies! And I hope you do.

Wendy Caster

Fun Home

Joan Marcus

The composer Jeanine Tesori has a knack for capturing, in her scores, the ebbs and flows of complex, imbalanced relationships. Through recurring motifs, overlapping melodic lines, and a flow of orchestral support that frequently allows characters to segue imperceptibly between aria and recitative, she deftly mimics the voices of people who love one another deeply, fight with one another viciously, try desperately to understand one another, erupt in frustration when they fail. Her ensemble harmonies clash with heartbreaking dissonance when crises occur, and melt luxuriously when there is consolation. Her particular talent for capturing the endless nuances of complicated families--which means all families, I guess--struck me during the first few minutes of Fun Home. Like the brilliant Caroline, or Change, Fun Home focuses largely on the strained domestic life of a child. As far as I'm concerned, Caroline was a landmark work--one that took the musical theater genre in new directions and raised its aesthetic stakes. And damn if Fun Home isn't just as beautiful, moving, and nuanced. Since seeing it, I have come to believe that Tesori is not just a wonderful composer, but one of monumental importance. People who dismiss the musical theater outright with a roll of the eyes and a terse "I HATE musicals"--as if the entire genre can be easily boiled down to a late-run performance by a second-rate touring company of Cats--have clearly never encountered the work of Jeanine Tesori.

Yet in raving as blatheringly as I do about Tesori, I hope not to imply that she is on some kind of creative pedestal, towering above the people with whom she has collaborated. Part of brilliance is knowing how to listen to and work with other brilliant people. Tony Kushner's no slouch, after all, and neither is George Wolfe. And like Caroline, or Change, Fun Home doesn't really have any weak links. I've read a few reviews arguing that Michael Cerveris was miscast, which I think is bullshit. And I've read others that place Judy Kuhn in the "thankless" role of the mother, which I think is a slightly smaller bunch of bullshit, but bullshit nonetheless. Sure, the musical explores, even more intensely than the graphic novel does, the relationship between a father and a daughter, and this kind of gives the mother figure short shrift in some respects--and this is the case even more in the musical than it was in the book. That being said, Kuhn's final number brings the whole show home; it (and, in the role, she) is a carefully controlled masterpiece of sorrow, fury, and frustration.

2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations

The 2021-2022 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations

Outstanding New Broadway Musical
MJ the Musical
Mr. Saturday Night
Mrs. Doubtfire
Paradise Square
Six

Outstanding New Broadway Play
Birthday Candles
Clyde's
Skeleton Crew
The Lehman Trilogy
The Minutes

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Black No More
Harmony
Intimate Apparel
Kimberly Akimbo
Little Girl Blue

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
Morning Sun
On Sugarland
Prayer for the French Republic
Sanctuary City
The Chinese Lady

John Gassner Award (presented to a new American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Cullud Wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza
English by Sanaz Toossi
Selling Kabul by Sylvia Khoury
Tambo and Bones by Dave Harris
Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II

Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Assassins
Caroline, or Change
Company
The Music Man
The Streets of New York

Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
How I Learned to Drive
Take Me Out
A Touch of the Poet
Trouble in Mind

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Myles Frost, MJ the Musical
Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire
Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop
Chip Zien, Harmony

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel
Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change
Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset
Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Quentin Earl Darrington, MJ the Musical
Matt Doyle, Company
Steven Pasquale, Assassins
A.J. Shively, Paradise Square
Will Swenson, Assassins

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, Mr. Saturday Night
Jenn Colella, Suffs
Judy Kuhn, Assassins
Patti LuPone, Company
Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Patrick J. Adams, Take Me Out
Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy
Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy
Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy
Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic
Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland
Edie Falco, Morning Sun
LaChanze, Trouble in Mind
Debra Messing, Birthday Candles

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind
Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out
Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out
Austin Pendleton, The Minutes

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Chanté Adams, Skeleton Crew
Uzo Aduba, Clyde's
Francis Benhamou, Prayer for the French Republic
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Nancy Robinette, Prayer for the French Republic

Outstanding Solo Performance
Alex Edelman, Just For Us
Jenn Murray, A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing
Arturo Luís Soria, Ni Mi Madre
Kristina Wong, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord

Outstanding Director of a Play
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Scott Ellis, Take Me Out
Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew
Anna D. Shapiro, The Minutes

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Warren Carlyle, Harmony
Moisés Kaufman, Paradise Square
Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo
Christopher Wheeldon, MJ the Musical
Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire

Outstanding Choreography
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Warren Carlyle, Harmony
Warren Carlyle, The Music Man
Bill T. Jones, Alex Sanchez, Garrett Coleman, and Jason Oremus, Paradise Square
Christopher Wheeldon and Rich + Tone Talauega, MJ the Musical

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, Mr. Saturday Night
Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell, Mrs. Doubtfire
David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo
Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel
Bruce Sussman, Harmony

Outstanding Score
Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Masi Asare, Paradise Square
Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Doubtfire
Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, Harmony
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six
Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo

Outstanding Orchestrations
John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
David Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb, MJ the Musical
Greg Jarrett, Assassins
Jason Howland, Paradise Square
Doug Walter, Harmony

Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical)
Beowulf Boritt, Flying Over Sunset
Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy
Scott Pask, American Buffalo
Adam Rigg, The Skin of Our Teeth
David Zinn, The Minutes

Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
Jane Greenwood, Plaza Suite
Santo Loquasto, The Music Man
Gabriella Slade, Six
Emilio Sosa, Trouble in Mind
Catherine Zuber, Mrs. Doubtfire

Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy
Natasha Katz, MJ the Musical
Bradley King, Flying Over Sunset
Brian MacDevitt, The Minutes
Jen Schreiver, Lackawanna Blues

Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical)
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, The Lehman Trilogy
André Pluess, The Minutes
Ben and Max Ringham, Blindness
Dan Moses Schreier, Harmony
Matt Stine, Assassins

Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical)
59 Productions and Benjamin Pearcy, Flying Over Sunset
Stefania Bulbarella and Alex Basco Koch, Space Dogs
Shawn Duan, Letters of Suresh
Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy
Jeff Sugg, Mr. Saturday Night

Special Achievement Awards 
Johanna Day, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson for reprising their outstanding performances in How I Learned to Drive and Lackawanna Blues two decades later. All were eligible in previous seasons.

Show Business: The Road To Broadway

It took a good two years to get the catchy "Popular" from Wicked out of my head. It's back. I finally caught Show Business: The Road To Broadway , the enthralling documentary chronicling the 2003-2004 race to the Tony Award for Best Musical. Tons of footage has been compiled from the rehearsals, the producer's meetings, the composer jam sessions, the gypsy robe ceremonies, to the opening nights and beyond to give us all an insiders view of what a hand-wringing ordeal it is to birth a successful Broadway musical. I am a mite jealous of the 2 or 3 of you Showdown readers who do not know the outcome 2004 Tony race for Best Musical as you will no doubt get all wrapped up in the cutthroat competition to secure the big one. For the rest of us who pored over every Riedel column, read every Playbill press release, saw every show and planned our Tony parties months in advance, the joy of this movie lies in the insights provided by the smug pundits, the harried directors, the stressed creators, and the sweaty actors. Favorite scene: A visibly drained Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner struggle to find the right lyrics for Caroline's eleven o'clock number for Caroline Or Change. The creative process is under the microscope and the eclectic crowd of creators this doc follows is a brilliant lot. So yes, this is a ripping good flick! And it's 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes (please note that Rush Hour 3 only got 20% so if you're torn between the two, Show Business... is probably the one to go with). Show Business... will be released on DVD on October 16th. Trailer here. On a more personal note, I seriously want to hook up with Raul Esparza. Seriously.

Tony Predictions 2026

Broadway keeps chugging along, and so do we. Yes, awards are silly. Yes, the choice of Pink as the host is bizarre. But predicting winners is fun, and a yearly review of Broadway is always worthwhile.  

As for the famous cliché that it's an honor just to be nominated—that's absolutely true. It's an honor to write, direct, design, and act on Broadway. Hell, it can be an honor just to be in the audience!

Don't forget Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway, which frequently offer brilliance and often have  reasonable prices. They can be every bit as magical as Broadway,

But, this is the season of the Tonys, so, hail Broadway! Long may you thrive.

Best Play

The Balusters, David Lindsay-Abaire
Giant, Mark Rosenblatt
Liberation, Bess Wohl
Little Bear Ridge Road, Samuel D. Hunter

Wendy: This is a hearteningly strong category. I predict Liberation will win, partially because I really hope it does.

Liz: Liberation won the Pulitzer and I’m assuming the members of the Tony committee took notice. Then again, women are clearly second-class citizens in this country, and all the other plays are by dudes, so it’s possible that the Tony won’t go to the best of the bunch.

Sandra: I want to say Liberation—I loved the interviews it incorporated and how Wohl managed to create such vivid and disparate characters. It did win the Pulitzer, but as Liz said, these days it’s a man’s world. Mark Roseblatt’s play won the Olivier and I think Giant will also nab the Tony.

 

Best Musical
The Lost Boys
Schmigadoon!
Titaníque
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Wendy: There used to be all sorts of “logic” in predicting best musical. It would be big, fun, and able to tour. I’m not sure how useful that logic ever was, but it’s certainly useless this century, going back to Avenue Q beating Wicked, when Caroline, or Change was the best of the three! So, Schmigadoon! or Two Strangers? Could the Lost Boys take it? The prediction I have the most faith in is that Titanique won’t win. Okay, here goes: Schmigadoon!

Liz: Schmigadoon! Titaníque is a hoot, but it’s too loose and offbeat to win. Schmigadoon was hilarious when I saw it on TV. The Lost Boys was fun when I saw it at the Monroeville Cineplex Odeon in 1987. I haven’t seen the strangers carrying cake, but don't think it will take the award. May the best recycled property in a bum season win.

Sandra: I’m with Liz on this one—Schmigadoon! managed to stay faithful to the Apple TV+ series while streamlining plot points and characters, and swapping in songs that made the show a better vehicle for the stage.

 

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Becky Shaw, Gina Gionfriddo
Every Brilliant Thing, Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe
Fallen Angels, Noël Coward, additional material by Claudia Shear
Oedipus, Robert Icke

Wendy: Another strong category. I’m going with Death of a Salesman, though it wouldn’t surprise me if Oedipus won.

Liz: Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Come now, it’s fucking Death of a fucking Salesman–one that all the critics seem to have decided is perfect for this particular moment of hell–oops, history–that we’re moored in. The other productions don’t have a chance.

Sandra: Three for Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. It won in 1984, 1999 and 2012 as Best Revival and Best Play in 1949. Five times is a charm.

 

Best Revival of a Musical
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ragtime
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Wendy: It certainly could go to Cats, but I’m predicting Ragtime.

Liz: Cats: The Jellicle Ball took the tiredest property and gave it depth and soul. This is clearly the work of geniuses who deserve a big prize.

Sandra: In 1996, Ragtime generated mixed feelings for me. The cast of Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Mark Jacoby, Judy Kaye, et. al.—well, sublime barely expresses the performances. But I felt lackluster about the overall production. This Ragtime seemed exciting, faster paced and absorbing, so I’m rooting for Ragtime.

Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner, Giant
Robert Icke, Oedipus
Kenny Leon, The Balusters
Joe Mantello, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Whitney White, Liberation

Wendy: Joe Mantello, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Most likely, but certainly not a shoo-in.

Liz: Joe Mantello, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Liberation was such a triumph that I’m secretly rooting for a major upset, but I doubt that’ll happen.

Sandra: If I was a betting gal, I’d stake my kids' college funds on Joe Mantello, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

 

Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, The Lost Boys
Lear deBessonet, Ragtime
Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!
Tim Jackson, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Wendy: It’s deBessonet versus Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch. I’m predicting Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, but I sure wouldn’t bet on it.

Liz: Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball. See what I said about The Jellicle Ball above. This could go to deBessonet, whose Ragtime is wonderful–if not the bold reimagining Jellicle is.

Sandra: Hmmm… I’m with my blog colleagues; this is a toss-up between deBessonet and Levingston and Rauch. I dispute their Jellicle favoritism and choose Ragtime.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels
Carrie Coon, Bug
Susannah Flood, Liberation
Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels

Wendy: In the Times, Helen Shaw makes a good case for giving this award to the wonderful Kelli O’Hara. But this is one I would bet on: Lesley Manville, Oedipus.

Liz: Lesley Manville, Oedipus. Tough one, especially since I can’t afford to see Fallen Angels. Coon was terrific in Bug, as was Flood in Liberation. But Manville was such a self-actualized, sane, take-no-shit Jocasta that I was fully convinced she’d breeze right past the big reveal. Oops.

Sandra: Lesley Manville, Oedipus. How about that? Three in agreement.

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Will Harrison, Punch
Nathan Lane, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
John Lithgow, Giant
Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing
Mark Strong, Oedipus

Wendy: Yet another strong category. I think Nathan Lane could win. I think John Lithgow will win. But if I had a vote, it would go to the extraordinary Will Harrison, whose performance in Punch was one of the best I’ve seen in decades of theatre-going.

Liz: Nathan Lane, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. I wouldn’t mind seeing Lithgow take this for his slippery, manipulative, smugly bigoted Dahl. But attention must be paid, so I suspect this is Lane’s.

Sandra: John Lithgow, Giant. In some ways, I think Lane has the edge—after all, he’s playing the revered Willy Loman everyman character. That has natural cache. Still, Lithgow makes Roald Dahl charismatic and playful amid his abrasive combativeness and prejudices.

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!
Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Caissie Levy, Ragtime
Marla Mindelle, Titaníque
Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Wendy: I’m happy for Caissie Levy to win, but it makes me so sad that the late, fabulous, terribly missed Marin Mazzie did not win for the same role in the original production.

Liz: Caissie Levy, Ragtime Much love to Mindelle, whose hilariously loopy version of Celine Dion is one for the ages. But Levy has never looked or sounded as mature or grounded as she does here.

Sandra: Caissie Levy, Ragtime. I remember her in 2009’s Hair, singing “Good Morning Starshine.” It was my favorite song in the show. I’ll be happy to see her win the Tony.

   

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Nicholas Christopher, Chess
Luke Evans, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Joshua Henry, Ragtime
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime

Wendy: Joshua Henry, of course.

Liz: Joshua Henry, Ragtime. Nicholas Christopher is the best thing about Chess, but no actor seems as deeply connected to his role as Joshua Henry is to Coalhouse Walker. Henry’s always phenomenal–but he’s especially sublime in Ragtime.

Sandra: I should bet on this one. Joshua Henry becomes Coalhouse Walker. While Sam Tutty charmed and Nicholas Christopher’s voice is spectacular, Henry embodied every emotion in Ragtime, from joy to despair to rage.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Betsy Aidem, Liberation
Marylouise Burke, The Balusters
Aya Cash, Giant
Laurie Metcalf, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
June Squibb, Marjorie Prime

Wendy: It’s highly likely that this is Laurie Metcalf’s Tony. I do wish that Betsy Aidem would win instead, but, oh, well.

Liz: Marylouise Burke, The Balusters. If I had my way, Aidem–whose Marge made a mean cheese ball–would win. I can see Squibb, the oldest Tony nominee in history, winning. Metcalf too. But I’m hoping this goes to Burke, not just for this terrific role but for her decades of stage work.

Sandra: C’mon Tony voters, go for June Squibb. She’s 96, did eight shows a week AND brought a moving combination of mischievousness and heartbreak to her dual role as a woman losing her memory and the AI companion that replaced her.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Christopher Abbott, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime
Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting for Godot
Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Richard Thomas, The Balusters

Wendy: Alden Ehrenreich seems to be the likely winner, which I regret. I found his performance one-note and uninteresting. Perhaps Christopher Abbott will slip in and win instead?

Liz: Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting for Godot. Truly, not a damn clue about this very strong category, even as I understand Ehrenreich is favored. But Dirden was dazzlingly unsettling in an otherwise largely missable Godot.

Sandra: I’m with Liz on this one: Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting for Godot. The moments he appeared on stage added swagger and energy to the time-is-passing-even-more-slower-than-usual version of Beckett’s play.

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys
Hannah Cruz, Chess
Rachel Dratch, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Ana Gasteyer, Schmigadoon!
Nichelle Lewis, Ragtime

Wendy: I’m predicting Shoshana Bean here, partially for this performance and partially for all of her past performances as well.

Liz: Ana Gasteyer, Schmigadoon! I’m going with my gut here, even as Rachel Dratch needs simply to step onto a stage to reduce me to giggles. Maybe we can hope for an SNL alumna-themed tie?

Sandra: Wendy says it all in her prediction: Shoshana Bean.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys
André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Bryce Pinkham, Chess
Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime
Layton Williams, Titaníque

Wendy: I know that Ben Levi Ross does not have a lock on this award, but I think he can edge out André De Shields and win it.

Liz: Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime. No clue at all, except that there’s no way this will go to Pinkham.

Sandra: André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Who else can rock a lion's mane wig and purple suit with such elan. I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!

 

Best Book of a Musical
The Lost Boys, David Hornsby and Chris Hoch
Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul
Titaníque; Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

Wendy: I predict Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, but I won’t be at all surprised if I’m wrong.

Liz: Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul. Spoofing musicals successfully without punching down is contingent on knowing and honoring the material. Cinco Paul nails the landing with a score that skewers golden age Broadway from a place of deep knowledge and love.

Sandra: Titaníque. I want this to win on the creation story alone. Three friends drinking martinis in 2016 create a parody musical about James Cameron’s Titanic, weaving in Celine Dion’s catalog. It’s workshopped, runs off-Broadway and transfers to Broadway. Sounds like the storyline for another show—someone should get on this.

 

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Caroline Shaw
August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Steve Bargonetti
The Lost Boys, The Rescues
Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

Wendy: I predict Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul, but I won’t be at all surprised if I’m wrong.

Liz: Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul. See what I said above. Love Shaw as I do, the Salesman sound design buried her contributions.

Sandra: Schmigadoon!, Cinco Paul. The Broadway crowd cannot resist all the IYKYK theatrical Easter eggs in the score and libretto.

 

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Hildegard Bechtler, Oedipus
Takeshi Kata, Bug
Chloe Lamford, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
David Korins, Dog Day Afternoon
David Rockwell, Fallen Angels

Wendy: Scenic design is always challenging to predict. There are so many different criteria that Tony voters may or may not be using. Here goes: Chloe Lamford, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

Liz: Takeshi Kata, Bug. Bug is best suited for a tinier, grubbier venue than the sumptuous Friedman, but Kata’s set–ever more crowded, disorderly, and reflective of the characters’ descent into drug-addled psychosis–was still enough to make a person up in the mezzanine itch.

Sandra: You had me at the red Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu. Chloe Lamford, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

 

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
dots, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Soutra Gilmour, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Rachel Hauck, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys
Scott Pask, Schmigadoon!

Wendy: Once again, design is tough to predict. I’m going with Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys.

Liz: Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys. I understand that there’s flying, many shadows, and much spookiness in this production.

Sandra: Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys. To quote NYT reviewer Helen Shaw: “I watched this first scene with my hand pressed to my mouth, as if I were swooning in a Bram Stoker novel. If I hadn’t made it, my last words would have been, faintly, set design …”

 

Best Costume Design of a Play
Brenda Abbandandolo, Dog Day Afternoon
Qween Jean, Liberation
Jeff Mahshie, Fallen Angels
Emilio Sosa, The Balusters
Paul Tazewell, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Wendy: This prediction is pretty random, though I can say that I personally loved the costumes: Jeff Mahshie, Fallen Angels.

Liz: Jeff Mahshie, Fallen Angels. It’s Noel Coward, people. He dressed to the nines; his revivals should, too.

Sandra: Yep, it’s Jeff Mahshie, Fallen Angels.

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, Ragtime
Linda Cho, Schmigadoon!
Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ryan Park, The Lost Boys
David I. Reynoso, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Wendy: I’m going with Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

Liz: Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Sumptuous, beautiful, life-affirming, eye-popping costumes that the incredibly physical, hard-dancing cast can comfortably Ballroom in? No contest.

Sandra: Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Leopard and tiger stripes? Fake fur and mesh? Athletic wear and sparkles? Just spectacular.

 

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd, Dog Day Afternoon
Natasha Chivers, Oedipus
Stacey Derosier, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Heather Gilbert, Bug
Heather Gilbert, The Fear of 13
Jack Knowles, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Wendy: Jack Knowles, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Liz: Stacey Derosier, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Throwing a dart for this one.

Sandra: Jack Knowles, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Light acted as another character in the play: the piercing headlights of Willy’s car, how incandescent the young Biff always looked, the foreboding darkness that shrouded the stage.  I could go on and on.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Chess
Jane Cox, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Donald Holder, Schmigadoon!
Adam Honoré, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Adam Honoré and Donald Holder (Lighting Design) and 59 Studio (Projection Design), Ragtime
Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys

Wendy: Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys

Liz: Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys. I understand that there’s flying, many shadows, and much spookiness in this production.

Sandra: Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys. Yeah, what Liz said.

 

Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Tom Gibbons, Oedipus
Lee Kinney, The Fear of 13
Josh Schmidt, Bug
Mikaal Sulaiman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Wendy: Mikaal Sulaiman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Liz: Josh Schmidt, Bug. Another dart, but oof, that ringing phone…

Sandra: Mikaal Sulaiman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Kai Harada, Ragtime
Adam Fisher, The Lost Boys
Brian Ronan, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Walter Trarbach, Schmigadoon!

Wendy: Kai Harada, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Liz: Kai Harada, Ragtime. And a third dart.

Sandra: Kai Harada, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

 

Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!
Ellenore Scott, Ragtime
Ani Taj, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys

Wendy: Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Liz: Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball. All the moves! All the grace! All the high heels! All the jumping up and landing in splits!

Sandra: Is this even a contest? Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

 

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, Schmigadoon!
Ethan Popp, Kyler England, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez, and Gabriel Mann; The Lost Boys
Lux Pyramid, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brian Usifer, Chess
Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder, and Doug Schadt; Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Wendy: Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder, and Doug Schadt; Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Liz: Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, Schmigadoon! One can never know, but no spoof of the golden age could reasonably succeed without solid orchestrations.

Sandra: Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder, and Doug Schadt; Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Let Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber get his eighth Tony.

 

by Wendy Caster, Sandra Mardenfeld, and Elizabeth Wollman