NEW YORK, NY.- “A Strange Loop,” a new musical that explores the doubts and disappointments facing an aspiring theater writer, picked up 11 Tony nominations Monday, more than any other show in Broadway’s first post-shutdown season.
The musical, which had already won the Pulitzer Prize in drama, was written by Michael R. Jackson and is now a leading contender in the race for the prize with the biggest economic impact, for best new musical.
“A Strange Loop” will face off against five other musicals: “MJ,” a biographical jukebox musical about Michael Jackson; “Paradise Square,” about a turning point in race relations in 19th-century New York; “Six,” about the wives of Henry VIII; “Girl From the North Country,” about a boardinghouse in Depression-era Minnesota; and “Mr. Saturday Night,” a remake of the Billy Crystal film.
This year’s Tony Awards, the first to recognize shows that opened following the long pandemic shutdown of theaters, come as the industry is still struggling to recover from the damage that the shutdown caused.
“The Lehman Trilogy,” an ambitious look at the rise and fall of the Lehman Brothers financial empire, leaped to the lead in the race for best play, and “Company,” a gender-reversed revival of a musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, in the race for best musical revival.
A number of well-known performers also scored nominations, including Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Billy Crystal, Hugh Jackman, Uzo Aduba, Rachel Dratch, Phylicia Rashad, Ruth Negga and Patti LuPone. Among those overlooked by nominators: Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Beanie Feldstein and Daniel Craig.
There were 34 eligible shows, 29 of which scored nominations. The nominations were chosen by a group of 29 people who saw all eligible shows and voted Friday. Next a group of 650 voters have until June 10 to vote for their favorites, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony June 12.
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Full List of the 2022 Tony Award Nominees
Best New Musical
“Girl From the North Country”
“MJ”
“Mr. Saturday Night”
“Paradise Square”
“Six”
“A Strange Loop”
Best Musical Revival
“Caroline, or Change”
“Company”
“The Music Man”
Best New Play
“Clyde’s”
“Hangmen”
“Skeleton Crew”
“The Lehman Trilogy”
“The Minutes”
Best Play Revival
“American Buffalo”
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
“How I Learned to Drive”
“Take Me Out”
“The Skin of Our Teeth”
Best Original Score
“Flying Over Sunset,” music by Tom Kitt; lyrics by Michael Korie
“Mr. Saturday Night,” music by Jason Robert Brown; lyrics by Amanda Green
“Paradise Square,” music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan; lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare
“Six,” music and lyrics: Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
“A Strange Loop,” music and lyrics: Michael R. Jackson
Best Direction of a Play
Les Waters, “Dana H.”
Sam Mendes, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Neil Pepe, “American Buffalo”
Camille A. Brown, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
Lileana Blain-Cruz, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Brackett, “A Strange Loop”
Marianne Elliott, “Company”
Conor McPherson, “Girl From the North Country”
Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, “Six”
Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”
Best Leading Actor in a Play
Simon Russell Beale, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adam Godley, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adrian Lester, “The Lehman Trilogy”
David Threlfall, “Hangmen”
Sam Rockwell, “American Buffalo”
David Morse, “How I Learned to Drive”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues”
Best Leading Actress in a Play
Mary-Louise Parker, “How I Learned to Drive”
Gabby Beans, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Ruth Negga, “Macbeth”
Deirdre O’Connell, “Dana. H”
LaChanze, “Trouble in Mind”
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Billy Crystal, “Mr. Saturday Night”
Myles Frost, “MJ”
Hugh Jackman, “The Music Man”
Rob McClure, “Mrs. Doubtfire”
Jaquel Spivey, “A Strange Loop”
Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Sharon D Clarke, “Caroline, Or Change”
Carmen Cusack, “Flying Over Sunset”
Sutton Foster, “The Music Man”
Joaquina Kalukango, “Paradise Square”
Mare Winningham, “Girl From the North Country”
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Alfie Allen, “Hangmen”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Take Me Out”
Michael Oberholtzer, “Take Me Out”
Chuck Cooper, “Trouble in Mind”
Ron Cephas Jones, “Clyde’s”
Jesse Williams, “Take Me Out”
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Uzo Aduba, “Clyde’s”
Kara Young, “Clyde’s”
Phylicia Rashad, “Skeleton Crew”
Rachel Dratch, “POTUS”
Julie White, “POTUS”
Kenita R. Miller, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Matt Doyle, “Company”
Jared Grimes, “Funny Girl”
John-Andrew Morrison, “A Strange Loop”
Sidney DuPont, “Paradise Square”
A.J. Shively, “Paradise Square”
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Patti LuPone, “Company”
Jennifer Simard, “Company”
L Morgan Lee, “A Strange Loop”
Jeannette Bayardelle, “Girl From the North Country”
Jayne Houdyshell, “The Music Man”
Shoshana Bean, “Mr. Saturday Night”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Es Devlin, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, “Skeleton Crew”
Anna Fleischle, “Hangmen”
Beowulf Boritt, “POTUS”
Scott Pask, “American Buffalo”
Adam Rigg, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, “Flying Over Sunset”
Bunny Christie, “Company”
Arnulfo Maldonado, “A Strange Loop”
Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, “MJ”
Allen Moyer, “Paradise Square”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Montana Levi Blanco, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Sarafina Bush, “Pass Over”
Emilio Sosa, “Skeleton Crew”
Jane Greenwood, “Plaza Suite”
Jennifer Moeller, “Clyde’s”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Fly Davis, “Caroline, or Change”
Toni-Leslie James, “Paradise Square”
William Ivey Long, “Diana, the Musical”
Santo Loquasto, “The Music Man”
Gabriella Slade, “Six”
Paul Tazewell, “MJ”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Joshua Carr, “Hangmen”
Jiyoun Chang, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
Jon Clark, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Jane Cox, “Macbeth”
Yi Zhao, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Neil Austin, “Company”
Tim Deiling, “Six”
Donald Holder, “Paradise Square”
Natasha Katz, “MJ”
Bradley King, “Flying Over Sunset”
Jen Schriever, “A Strange Loop”
Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
Mikhail Fiksel, “Dana H.”
Palmer Hefferan, “The Skin of Our Teeth”
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Mikaal Sulaiman, “Macbeth”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Simon Baker, “Girl From the North Country”
Paul Gatehouse, “Six”
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Company”
Drew Levy, “A Strange Loop”
Gareth Owen, “MJ”
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf”
Warren Carlyle, “The Music Man”
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, “Six”
Bill T. Jones, “Paradise Square”
Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”
Best Orchestrations
David Cullen, “Company”
Tom Curran, “Six”
Simon Hale, “Girl From the North Country”
Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, “MJ”
Charlie Rosen, “A Strange Loop”
This article originally appeared in
The New York Times.
