Tony Awards Predictions for 2017

Well folks, my favorite Awards show of the year is here: the Tonys! Unlike last year when one show in particular (cough, Hamilton, cough) dominated the Broadway season, this year there is a plethora.

Aside from the glaring absences of some really good theater from the nominations (most odious exclusion, in my opinion, is Significant Other‘s Gideon Glick; one production that took itself out of the running, but really could have garnered nominations was Sunday in the Park with George), this year’s Tony Awards should be exciting. Here’s what we think will take home the statue.

Best Musical
Come From Away
Dear Evan Hansen
Groundhog Day
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Prediction: So, I think Dear Evan Hansen will win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Come From Away did. It’s been getting so much love and buzz; plus, it is a very heartwarming show, and it wouldn’t hurt to showcase that. I personally think that Great Comet should win.

Best Play
A Doll’s House, Part 2
Indecent
Oslo
Sweat
Prediction: Oslo

Best Revival of a Musical
Falsettos
Hello, Dolly!
Miss Saigon
Prediction: Hello, Dolly!

Best Revival of a Play
August Wilson’s Jitney
Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes
Present Laughter
Six Degrees of Separation
Prediction: August Wilson’s Jitney

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christina Borle (Falsettos)
Josh Groban (The Great Comet)
Andy Karl (Groundhog Day)
David Hyde Pierce (Hello, Dolly!)
Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen)
Prediction: This is Ben Platt’s to lose thanks to his heart-wrenching pitch-perfect performance. In any other year, Andy Karl would have been a sure bet for his brilliance at keeping repeated scenes fresh and varied.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Denée Benton (Great Comet)
Christine Ebersole (War Paint)
Patti LuPone (War Paint)
Bette Midler (Hello, Dolly!)
Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon)
Prediction: Bette Midler

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Denis Arndt (Heisenberg)
Chris Cooper (A Doll’s House, Part 2)
Corey Hawkins (Six Degrees of Separation)
Kevin Kline (Present Laughter)
Jefferson Mays (Oslo)
Prediction: Kevin Kline

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Cate Blanchett (The Present)
Jennifer Ehle (Oslo)
Sally Field (The Glass Menagerie)
Laura Linney (The Little Foxes)
Laurie Metcalf (A Doll’s House, Part 2)
Prediction: Laurie Metcalf

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!)
Mike Faist (Dear Evan Hansen)
Andrew Rannells (Falsettos)
Lucas Steele (The Great Comet)
Brandon Uranowitz (Falsettos)
Prediction: Gavin Creel

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!)
Stephanie J. Block (Falsettos)
Jenn Colella (Come From Away)
Rachel Bay Jones (Dear Evan Hansen)
Mary Beth Peil (Anastasia)
Prediction: Jen Colella will win this (not only is her solo song touching, but people really loved Come From Away. Since it probably won’t win Best Musical, it will win in some other categories, like this one.); I do think Rachel Bay Jones could have a chance at this, too, since her performance is quite moving as well. BUT I honestly think Stephanie J. Block should win this one. Her performance in Falsettos—and especially her solo song, “I’m Breaking Down”—was incredible.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Michael Aronov (Oslo)
Danny DeVito (The Price)
Nathan Lane (The Front Page)
Richard Thomas (The Little Foxes)
John Douglas Thompson (Jitney)
Prediction: Danny DeVito

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Johanna Day (Sweat)
Jayne Houdyshell (A Doll’s House, Part 2)
Cynthia Nixon (The Little Foxes)
Condola Rashad (A Doll’s House, Part 2)
Michelle Wilson (Sweat)
Prediction: Cynthia Nixon

Best Score
Come from Away (Irene Sankoff and David Hein)
Dear Evan Hansen (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul)
Groundhog Day The Musical (Tim Minchin)
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Dave Malloy)
Prediction: Pasek & Paul will win for Dear Evan Hansen‘s catchy, memorable songs; however, I think Dave Malloy came up with incredibly inventive stuff for Great Comet and deserves to win.

Best Orchestrations
Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand
Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!
Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Prediction: Dave Malloy

Best Book of a Musical
Come from Away (Irene Sankoff and David Hein)
Dear Evan Hansen (Steven Levenson)
Groundhog Day The Musical (Danny Rubin)
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Dave Malloy)
Prediction: Steven Levenson will win. I think Danny Rubin should win for his adaptation of his film for stage, though.

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Come from Away
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day; Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!
Prediction: So, because Dear Evan Hansen will most likely win Best Musical, Michael Greif will probably win this category. BUT Rachel Chavkin totally deserves to win this one. The evolution of Great Comet from tiny dinner theater-type show to full-blown Broadway production is great; her skill at helming the immersive show through all its iterations is awesome. 

Best Direction of a Play
Sam Gold, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Jitney
Bartlett Sher, Oslo
Daniel Sullivan, The Little Foxes
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent
Prediction: Bartlett Sher

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day
Kelly Devine, Come from Away
Denis Jones, Holiday Inn
Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Prediction: Andy Blankenbuehler (I still think about that haunting and beautiful sequence of ghostly fallen soldiers being carried by the band…)

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, Anastasia
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Catherine Zuber, War Paint
Prediction: Santo Loquasto, but I think Paloma Young‘s designs were so varied in scope that she deserves to win this one.

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, The Little Foxes
Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter
Toni-Leslie James, Jitney
David Zinn, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Prediction: David Zinn

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rob Howell, Groundhog Day
David Korins, War Paint
Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Prediction: Mimi Lien…I mean, once you step through the front doors of the theater, you’re transported!

Best Scenic Design of a Play
David Gallo, Jitney
Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong
Douglas W. Schmidt, The Front Page
Michael Yeargan, Oslo
Prediction: Nigel Hook

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Come from Away
Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!
Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen
Prediction: Bradley King

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Christopher Akerlind, Indecent
Jane Cox, Jitney
Donald Holder, Oslo
Jennifer Tipton, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Prediction: Christopher Akerlind

How do our predictions stack up against your own? And how will our predictions hold up on Sunday night when the Tony Awards are announced? Tune in to find out….