Awardsworthy: Tony Awards 2011 - Predix and Picks

Here's my predictions and personal picks for tonight's TONY AWARDS (8pm on CBS) hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. I missed seeing Baby It's You!, Elf, The People in the Picture, The Pitmen Painters, La Bete, Wonderland, Rain but I saw all the other shows that opened this season on Broadway, and to be honest, I thought it was a pretty good year. We have 4 sell out hits now (The Book of Mormon, How To Succeed, Anything Goes, War Horse), and while The Book of Mormon and War Horse will dominate in the musical and play categories (respectively), the many other competing shows would be just as deserving to win.

(I do think there a few people in the wrong categories. Brian Bedford and Norbert Leo Butz should be in featured. Ditto with Robin Williams who didn't get a nomination, but may have had a better (and deserving) chance in featured.)

UPDATED with WINNERS IN RED.


BEST MUSICAL
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me if You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Will Win: The Book of Mormon
Should Win: The Book of Mormon or The Scottsboro Boys
Should Have Been Nominated: Priscilla Queen of the Desert

My rankings: The Book of Mormon = The Scottsboro Boys > Priscilla Queen of the Desert > Catch Me If You Can > Sister Act > Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson > Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown


BEST PLAY
Good People (David Lindsay-Abaire)
Jerusalem (Jez Butterworth)
The Motherfucker With the Hat (Stephen Adly Guirgis)
War Horse (Nick Stafford)

Will Win: War Horse
Should Win/Should Have Been Nominated: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

My rankings: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo > The Motherfucker With the Hat > War Horse > Good People > Jerusalem > Lombardi > Brief Encounters


BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Will Win: Anything Goes
Should Win *Biased Opinion: How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying



BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart

Will Win: The Normal Heart
Should Win: The Normal Heart

My rankings: The Normal Heart > The Importance of Being Earnest > The Merchant of Venice > Arcadia > Born Yesterday


BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Alex Timbers)
The Book of Mormon (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone)
The Scottsboro Boys (David Thompson)
Sister Act (Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane)

Will Win: The Book of Mormon
Should Win: The Book of Mormon


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE
The Book of Mormon (music and lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone)
The Scottsboro Boys (music and lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb)
Sister Act (Music: Alan Menken; lyrics: Glenn Slater)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (music and lyrics: David Yazbek)

Will Win: The Book of Mormon
Should Win: The Book of Mormon


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Mother... With the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Will Win: Joe Mantello
Should Win: Bobby Cannavale or Mark Rylance
Should Have Been Nominated: Robin Williams, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Will Win: Frances McDormand
Should Win: Nina Arianda


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me if You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Will Win: Norbert Leo Butz
Should Win/Should Have Been Nominated *Biased Opinion: Daniel Radcliffe, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Should Win: Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells or Tony Sheldon
Should Have Been Nominated: Aaron Tveit, Catch Me If You Can, Benjamin Walker, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Will Win: Sutton Foster
Should Win: Patina Miller


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherfucker With the Hat

Will Win: John Benjamin Hickey
Should Win: Arian Moayed or John Benjamin Hickey
Should Have Been Nominated: Brad Fleischer, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURE ROLE IN A PLAY
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherfucker With the Hat

Will Win: Ellen Barkin
Should Win: Ellen Barkin or Edie Falco or Judith Light or Elizabeth Rodriguez.
Ddin't see: Joanna Lumley


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon

Will Win: John Larroquette
Should Win: Colman Domingo or John Larroquette
Should Have Been Nominated: Christian Dante White, The Scottsboro Boys


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Will Win: Laura Benanti
Should Win: Laura Benanti or Tammy Blanchard


BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherfucker With the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Will Win: War Horse
Should Win: Jerusalem
Should Have Been Nominated: Brief Encounter, The Importance of Being Earnest, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo


BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Will Win: The Book of Mormon
Should Win: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Should Have Been Nominated: Derek McLane, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying


BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday

Will Win: The Importance of Being Earnest
Should Win: The Importance of Being Earnest


BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Will WIn: Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Should Win: Priscilla Queen of the Desert


BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem

Will Win: War Horse
Should Win: War Horse


BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon

Will Win: The Book of Mormon
Should Win *Biased Opinion: How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying


BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse

Will Win: War Horse
Should Win: Brief Encounter



BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me if You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon

Will Win: The Book of Mormon


BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherfucker With the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Will Win: Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Should Win: Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Should Have Been Nominated: Moises Kaufman, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo


BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Will Win: Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Should Win: Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Will Win: Kathleen Marshall
Should Win: Rob Ashford or Susan Stroman


BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me if You Can

Will Win: The Book of Mormon
Should Win: The Scottsboro Boys

* * *

Recipients of awards and honors in non-competitive categories:

Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater
Athol Fugard
Philip J. Smith

Regional theater Tony Award
Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago)

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Eve Ensler

Special Tony Award
Handspring Puppet Company

Tony honor for excellence in the theater
William Berloni
The Drama Book Shop


Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com