2024 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 3): ‘Uncle Vanya’ stars Steve Carell and William Jackson Harper face off as leads, ‘Mary Jane’ contends for Best Play
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The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the fourth and final time during the 2023-2024 Broadway season on April 26, to discuss eligibility of 12 productions for the 77th Annual Tony Awards in 2024.
The productions discussed were: “The Wiz,” “Suffs,” “Stereophonic,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Cabaret,” “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “Patriots,” “Mary Jane,” “Uncle Vanya,” “Illinoise,” “Mother Play,” and “The Great Gatsby.”
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The most impactful decision of this announcement is the determination that both Steve Carell and William Jackson Harper will be eligible for Lead Actor in a Play for the Lincoln Center Theatre revival of “Uncle Vanya.” Most prognosticators assumed that Harper would contend in the Featured Actor race. This category switch means that Lead Actor in a Play will have a guaranteed five nominees. Conversely, Anika Noni Rose was not bumped up to the Lead Actress in a Play category, so that race will contain just four guaranteed nominees since there are now a total of eight contenders.
Many awards-watchers also wondered if Ricky Ubeda, the star and central figure of the dance piece “Illinoise” would be petitioned for Lead Actor in a Musical. But that was not the outcome today, as that entire cast will contend in the Featured Actor/Actress races.
Though a decision was not included in the initial eligibility announcement, a Tony Awards spokesperson has confirmed with Gold Derby that “Mary Jane” will compete as a new play. The Amy Herzog drama had a previous life Off-Broadway in 2017, so the Tony Administration Committee had the potential to categorize it as a revival. But, the critically acclaimed work will vie for a Best Play nomination.
Here is a complete list of eligibility determinations:
Nichelle Lewis will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Musical category for her performance in “The Wiz.”
Hannah Beachler (scenic design) and Daniel Brodie (video design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on “The Wiz.”
Joseph Joubert will be considered eligible in the Best Orchestrations category for his work on “The Wiz.”
Shaina Taub will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Musical category for her performance in “Suffs.”
Will Butler and Justin Craig will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Orchestrations category for their work on “Stereophonic.”
Maleah Joi Moon will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Musical category for her performance in “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Robert Brill (scenic design) and Peter Nigrini (projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Corey Cott and McKenzie Kurtz will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Musical categories for their respective performances in “The Heart of Rock and Roll.”
Will Keen will be considered eligible in the Best Featured Actor in a Play category for his performance in “Patriots.”
Miriam Buether (scenic design) and Ash J. Woodward (projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on “Patriots.”
Rachel McAdams will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Play category for her performance in “Mary Jane.”
Steve Carell and William Jackson Harper will each be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actor in a Play for their performances in “Uncle Vanya.”
Jessica Lange will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Play category for her performance in “Mother Play.”
Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Musical categories for their respective performances in “The Great Gatsby.”
All other eligibility will be consistent with opening night credits.
As a reminder: Tony eligibility aligns with a performer’s opening night billing in the Playbill. Actors listed above the title are considered Lead while those below the title are considered Featured, unless otherwise stated in a determination above.
The 2024 Tony Awards will broadcast live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, June 16, 2024. It will be the first time in history that the Tonys will take place on the Lincoln Center campus. The eligibility cut-off date for the 2023-2024 season is Thursday, April 25, 2024. Broadway productions must host their opening nights by this date in order to compete. Nominations for the 2024 Tony Awards will be announced on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
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