2023 Tony Awards nominations: 31 fascinating facts, stats and trivia
The 2023 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, May 2. Out of all the nominees spread across the 26 categories, a number of them stand out as particularly noteworthy. Read my 31 fascinating facts, stats and trivia for this year’s contenders below.
SEE 2023 Tony Awards nominations: Full List
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1. The following shows only received one Tony nomination: “Almost Famous,” “Ohio State Murders,” and “Summer, 1976.”
2. The following Broadway productions from this past season were completely snubbed: “1776,” “Bad Cinderella,” “A Beautiful Noise,” “Bob Fosse’s Dancin’,” “The Collaboration,” “The Kite Runner,” “Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool,” “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” “Pictures From Home,” “The Thanksgiving Play,” and “Walking with Ghosts.”
3. Two of this year’s nominees for Best Revival of a Musical (“Into the Woods” and “Parade”) are transfers from successful runs at New York City Center.
4. Some noteworthy names who happen to be nominated for producing at least one Broadway show this year are: five-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Mariah Carey (“Some Like It Hot”), 12-time Emmy-winning TV host/producer RuPaul Charles (“Ain’t No Mo'”), Oscar-winning producer Robert Chartoff (“New York, New York”), Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain (“A Doll’s House”), Oscar nominated filmmaker Lee Daniels (“Ain’t No Mo'”), Emmy-winning actor Colman Domingo (“Fat Ham”), Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo (“Fat Ham”), Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris (“The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”), Tony-winning director Thomas Kail (“Sweeney Todd”), Tony-winning actress LaChanze (“Kimberly Akimbo” and “Topdog/Underdog”), Tony-winning director Kenny Leon (“Some Like It Hot”), five-time Grammy-winning songwriter Max Martin (“& Juliet”), 21-time Emmy-winning writer/producer Lorne Michaels (“Leopoldstadt”), Emmy-winning writer Lena Waithe (“Ain’t No Mo'”), and Oscar-winning producer Irwin Winkler (“New York, New York”).
SEE 2023 Tony Awards nominations snubs: ‘Life of Pi,’ ‘Death of a Salesman,’ Phillippa Soo …
5. The following categories include more than five nominees this year due to close voting races: Best Actor (Musical), Best Director (Play), Best Costume Design (Musical), Best Lighting Design (Musical), and Best Lighting (Play).
6. Since her Broadway debut with the 2009 revival of “Hair,” all of Diane Paulus‘s main stem directorial outings received Tony nominations in a top production category with only two exceptions: “Finding Neverland” in 2015 and now “1776.”
7. Since “The Drowsy Chaperone” in 2006, Danny Burstein has been Tony nominated for each of his main stem appearances with only three exceptions: “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” in 2011, “The Snow Geese” in 2014, and now “Pictures From Home.”
8. Since “The Crucible” back in 2002, Laura Linney has been Tony nominated for each of her main stein appearances with only two exceptions: “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” in 2008 and now “Summer, 1976.”
SEE 2023 Tony Awards nominations: ‘Some Like It Hot’ leads with 13, three plays tie with 6
9. The following individuals earned multiple Tony nominations this year: playwright/actor Jordan E. Cooper (“Ain’t No Mo'”), set/costume designer Tim Hatley (“Life of Pi”), lighting designer Natasha Katz (“Some Like It Hot” and “Sweeney Todd”), book writer/lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire (“Kimberly Akimbo”), director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw (“Some Like It Hot”), set designer Scott Pask (“Shucked” and “Some Like It Hot”), sound designers Ben Ringham and Max Ringham (“A Doll’s House” and “Prima Facie”), costume designer Emilio Sosa (“Ain’t No Mo'” and “Good Night, Oscar”), and choreographer Jennifer Weber (“& Juliet” and “KPOP”).
10. Jennifer Weber is the seventh person to get nominated for their work on two shows in Best Choreography in the same year. The first six are Boris Runanin in 1956, Danny Daniels in 1967, Rob Marshall in 1994, Susan Stroman in 2000, John Carrafa in 2002, and Christopher Gattelli in 2018.
11. Three of this year’s acting nominees have now been nominated for both Broadway productions they’ve opened to date: Josh Groban (“Sweeney Todd”) Ben Platt (“Parade”), and Kara Young (“Cost of Living”).
12. The following acting snubs previously earned Tony nominations for each of their prior Broadway credits: Patina Miller (“Into the Woods”), Jeremy Pope (“The Collaboration”), and Zoë Wanamaker (“Pictures From Home”).
13. J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell both made history by becoming the first nonbinary-identifying performers to be nominated for Tonys. The former is contending in Best Lead Actor in a Musical for “Some Like It Hot.” The latter is contending in Best Featured Actor in a Musical for “Shucked.”
SEE Meet the 2023 Tony Awards nominating committee: Priscilla Lopez, Daphne Rubin-Vega …
14. This is the first Broadway production of “Sweeney Todd” to not receive a nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. Hal Prince won for the original staging in 1979. Susan H. Schulman was nominated for the first remount in 1990. John Doyle won for the previous revival in 2006.
15. Since the original production wrapped its run in 1950, there have been five Broadway remounts of Arthur Miller‘s “Death of a Salesman.” Each of them were at least nominated for Best Revival with two exceptions: The first starring George C. Scott in 1976 and now the most recent starring Wendell Pierce.
16. This marks the first time a Broadway staging of Lorraine Hansberry‘s “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” has been recognized in a top production category. The original wasn’t nominated for Best Play in 1965. There was no revival category back in 1972, so the previous main stem outing couldn’t contend.
17. Miriam Silverman is the third consecutive performer to have been Tony nominated for playing Mavis Parodus Bryson in “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.” Alice Ghostley won for the original production despite being the lone representation for the show. Frances Sternhagen was recognized for the previous revival.
18. With her Best Lead Actress in a Play bid for “Ohio State Murders,” Audra McDonald is now tied with Julie Harris and Chita Rivera as the most nominated performer in Tony history with 10 nominations.
SEE Tony Awards 2023 nominations: Best prediction scores by our Editors and Users
19. After having previously earned three nominations for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (for “Sister Act” in 2011, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” in 2013, and “Gigi” in 2015), Victoria Clark is nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for the first time since 2005. That year, she won for her performance in “The Light in the Piazza.” This year, she’s nominated for “Kimberly Akimbo.”
20. Best Actor (Musical) nominees Christian Borle (“Some Like It Hot”), Josh Groban and Ben Platt were all previously up against each other in this same category in 2017. That year, Platt won for “Dear Evan Hansen” over Borle in “Falsettos” and Groban in “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812.”
21. Colton Ryan (“New York, New York”) previously understudied Ben Platt in the original Broadway cast of “Dear Evan Hansen” and played opposite him in that musical’s subsequent 2021 film adaptation. Now, they’re both up against each other for Best Actor (Musical).
22. Christian Borle and Brian d’Arcy James (“Into the Woods”) previously played rivals in the 2015 Broadway musical “Something Rotten!.” Now, they’re rivals in the category of Best Actor (Musical). Ironically, Borle was originally set to play James’ character in “Into the Woods” at New York City Center (where the revival originated), but dropped out. Neil Patrick Harris ended up taking over.
SEE Tony Awards: Brian Lipton (Cititour) tops all Experts predicting nominees
23. Brian d’Arcy James is now the first actor to be Tony nominated for playing The Baker in “Into the Woods” on Broadway. Chip Zien wasn’t nominated for the original production back in 1987; neither was Stephen DeRosa for the 2002 revival.
24. After having previously contended in the category of Best Original Score for “Waitress” in 2016 and a song she wrote for “SpongeBob SquarePants” in 2018, Sara Bareilles is now Tony nominated for the very first time as a performer. She’s been recognized in the category of Best Actress (Musical) for “Into the Woods.”
25. Gavin Creel is now the first actor to have played Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf in “Into the Woods” on Broadway to have not been recognized by the Tonys. Robert Westenberg was nominated for the original production while Gregg Edelman contended for the 2002 revival.
26. Jordan Donica is now the very first actor to have ever been Tony nominated for playing Lancelot in “Camelot” on Broadway. Previous actors who weren’t recognized are Robert Goulet in 1961, Richard Muenz in 1981, and Steve Blanchard in 1994.
27. Katy Sullivan is not only the very first amputee actress to have been on Broadway, but also the first to have been Tony nominated. She’s contending in Best Featured Actress (Play) for “Cost of Living.”
28. David Zayas is nominated for Best Featured Actor (Play) for playing Katy Sullivan’s ex-husband in “Cost of Living.” The former’s character was originated by Wendell Pierce in the play’s world premiere production at Williamstown Theatre Festival back in 2016. Pierce also happens to be nominated this year for his lead performance in “Death of a Salesman.”
29. Director Jack O’Brien received his very first Tony nomination since 2007. That year, he won Best Director (Play) for “The Coast of Utopia.” This year, he’s nominated for Best Director (Musical) for “Shucked.”
30. For the second year in a row, a production received a Tony nomination for Best Director, but was snubbed for Best Play. Last year, it was Les Waters for “Dana H.” This year, it’s Max Webster for “Life of Pi.”
31. Helen Park (“KPOP”) is not only the first Asian-American woman to have composed a musical score on Broadway, but also the first to have received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score.
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