Yahoo Lifestyle Tony Nominations 2024: Alicia Keys’ Musical ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Stereophonic’ Lead With 13 Nods Apiece
“Hell’s Kitchen,” a musical inspired by Alicia Keys’ teenage years in New York City, and “Stereophonic,” the story of a rock group in danger of splintering, dominated the 2024 Tony Awards nominations. The two shows, one focused on a pre-celebrity pop titan coming into her talent and the other examining a darker, druggier side of the music industry, picked up a leading 13 nods. They were followed closely by “The Outsiders,” a musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel and the Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name, which earned 12 nominations. “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders” will duke it out for best musical, while “Stereophonic” was nominated for best play.
Among the contenders for best play revival, “Appropriate,” a scabrous portrait of a dysfunctional family that uses a fading plantation as a backdrop, picked up eight nominations. “Merrily We Roll Along,” which revived one of Stephen Sondheim’s most notorious flops to ecstatic reviews and big box office returns, earned seven nominations, as did “Water for Elephants,” a musical re-imagining of the best-selling romantic novel and film. “Merrily” will compete in the best musical revival category, while “Water for Elephants’ is up for best musical.
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Several major Hollywood stars were included among the year’s nominees. Daniel Radcliffe earned his first Tony nomination for his supporting turn in “Merrily We Roll Along,” while Eddie Redmayne, who already has an Oscar and a Tony on his mantelpiece, was recognized for his performance as the malevolent emcee in “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.” The “Cabaret” revival was a sensation in London’s West End and has commanded sky-high ticket prices here, but American critics were more mixed. Still, the show earned an impressive nine nominations, including a nod for best musical revival and for Redmayne’s co-star Gayle Rankin.
Rachel McAdams, who broke hearts as a mother dealing with her child’s health crisis, was nominated as best actress in a play in “Mary Jane,” which marks her Broadway debut. Sarah Paulson and Jessica Lange, two film and television stars who are seen frequently on stage, were also nominated in lead actress in a play for their work in “Appropriate” and “Mother Play,” respectively. “Succession” star Jeremy Strong and Liev Schreiber of “Ray Donovan” fame received leading actor in a play nods for their work in two revivals, “Enemy of the People” and “Doubt.” And Schreiber’s co-star Amy Ryan, who was a last-minute replacement for an ailing Tyne Daly, taking the stage after a few days of rehearsal, was nominated for her courageous work in “Doubt.”
In addition to “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Water for Elephants” and “The Outsiders,” the best musical race includes “Suffs,” a historical epic about the women’s suffrage movement, and “Illinoise,” a dance review set to Sufjan Stevens’ music. “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Cabaret” are up for best musical revival, as are “Gutenberg! The Musical!” and “The Who’s Tommy.”
In the best play race, “Stereophonic,” which was written by David Adjmi, will face off against Amy Herzog’s “Mary Jane,” Paula Vogel’s “Mother Play,” Jocelyn Bioh’s “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” and Joshua Harmon’s “Prayer for the French Republic.” Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Appropriate,” widely considered the show to beat, was nominated for play revival along with Ossie Davis’ “Purlie Victorious” and Henrik Ibsen’s “Enemy of the People,” which Herzog adapted in a new translation.
It’s been a frenetic period on Broadway as shows rushed to open before April 25, the eligibility cut off for nominations. That led to the premieres of roughly a dozen shows over the course of two weeks, with the likes of “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” “Patriots,” “Uncle Vanya,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Suffs” and “Illinoise” all debuting in quick succession. But winning a major Tony Award can mark the difference between an extended engagement and a truncated run — just ask previous victors, such as last season’s “Kimberly Akimbo” or 2022’s “A Strange Loop,” both of which were able to stick around for months after winning the top prize for new musicals.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry, previous Tony winners, announced the nominations on Tuesday morning. The Tony Awards, now in their 77th year, will be hosted by Ariana DeBose, and will be held in the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on June 16. The broadcast will air on CBS and will stream on Paramount+ — both companies share a parent company in Paramount Global. It will be DeBose’s third time hosting the awards.
Best Play
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Mary Jane
Mother Play
Prayer for the French Republic
Stereophonic
Best Musical
Hell’s Kitchen
Illinoise
The Outsiders
Suffs
Water for Elephants
Best Revival of a Play
Appropriate
An Enemy of the People
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Best Revival of a Musical
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Gutenberg! The Musical!
Merrily We Roll Along
The Who’s Tommy
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
William Jackson Harper, Uncle Vanya
Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Liev Schreiber, Doubt: A Parable
Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People
Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic
Jessica Lange, Mother Play
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
Amy Ryan, Doubt: A Parable
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brody Grant, The Outsiders
Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
Dorian Harewood, The Notebook
Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses
Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Eden Espinosa, Lempicka
Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses
Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook
Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Will Brill, Stereophonic
Eli Gelb, Stereophonic
Jim Parsons, Mother Play
Tom Pecinka, Stereophonic
Corey Stoll, Appropriate
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Doubt: A Parable
Juliana Canfield, Stereophonic
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play
Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic
Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Roger Bart, Back To The Future: The Musical
Joshua Boone, The Outsiders
Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell’s Kitchen
Sky Lakota-Lynch, The Outsiders
Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
Steven Skybell, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen
Amber Iman, Lempicka
Nikki M. James, Suffs
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot
Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen
Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along
Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Book of a Musical
Hell’s Kitchen
Kristoffer Diaz
The Notebook
Bekah Brunstetter
The Outsiders
Adam Rapp and Justin Levine
Suffs
Shaina Taub
Water for Elephants
Rick Elice
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Days of Wine and Roses
Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel
Here Lies Love
Music: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim
Lyrics: David Byrne
The Outsiders
Music & Lyrics: Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine
Stereophonic
Music & Lyrics: Will Butler
Suffs
Music & Lyrics: Shaina Taub
Best Scenic Design of a Play
dots, Appropriate
dots, An Enemy of the People
Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
David Zinn, Stereophonic
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen
Takeshi Kata, Water for Elephants
David Korins, Here Lies Love
Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini, Lempicka
Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, Back To The Future: The Musical
Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dede Ayite, Appropriate
Dede Ayite, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic
Emilio Sosa, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
David Zinn, An Enemy of the People
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Dede Ayite, Hell’s Kitchen
Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby
David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants
Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Paul Tazewell, Suffs
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Isabella Byrd, An Enemy of the People
Amith Chandrashaker, Prayer for the French Republic
Jiyoun Chang, Stereophonic
Jane Cox, Appropriate
Natasha Katz, Grey House
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Brandon Stirling Baker, Illinoise
Isabella Byrd, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Natasha Katz, Hell’s Kitchen
Bradley King and David Bengali, Water for Elephants
Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, The Outsiders
Best Sound Design of a Play
Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Leah Gelpe, Mary Jane
Tom Gibbons, Grey House
Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate
Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic
Best Sound Design of a Musical
M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, Here Lies Love
Kai Harada, Merrily We Roll Along
Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Gareth Owen, Hell’s Kitchen
Cody Spencer, The Outsiders
Best Direction of a Play
Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic
Anne Kauffman, Mary Jane
Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate
Whitney White, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Best Direction of a Musical
Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along
Michael Greif, Hell’s Kitchen
Leigh Silverman, Suffs
Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants
Danya Taymor, The Outsiders
Best Choreography
Annie-B Parson, Here Lies Love
Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen
Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders
Justin Peck, Illinoise
Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants
Best Orchestrations
Timo Andres, Illinoise
Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic
Justin Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), The Outsiders
Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone, Hell’s Kitchen
Jonathan Tunick, Merrily We Roll Along
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