2024 Tony Awards nominations: 24 fascinating facts, stats and trivia
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The 2024 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, April 30. Out of all the nominees spread across 26 categories, 23 fascinating facts, stats, trivia and achievements stand out as particularly noteworthy.
1. The following shows only received one Tony nomination: “The Great Gatsby,” “Gutenberg! The Musical!,” “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “Patriots” “Uncle Vanya” and “The Who’s Tommy.”
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2. The following Broadway productions from this past season were completely snubbed: “The Cottage,” “Harmony,” “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “How to Dance in Ohio,” “I Need That,” “Once Upon a One More Time,” “The Shark is Broken” and “The Wiz.”
3. The following individuals nominated last year are recognized again this year: Kai Harada (Best Sound Design of a Musical, “Merrily We Roll Along”), Tim Hatley (Best Scenic Design of a Musical, “Back to the Future”), Amy Herzog (Best Play, “Mary Jane”), Brian d’Arcy James (Best Actor in a Musical, “Days of Wine and Roses”), Natasha Katz (Best Lighting Design of a Play, “Grey House”; Best Lighting Design of a Musical, “Hell’s Kitchen”), Bradley King (Best Lighting Design of a Musical, “Water for Elephants”), Tom Kitt (Best Orchestrations, “Hell’s Kitchen”), Gareth Owen (Best Sound Design of a Musical, “Hell’s Kitchen”), Emilio Sosa (Best Costume Design of a Play, “Purlie Victorious”), Jessica Stone (Best Direction of a Musical, “Water for Elephants”), and Kara Young (Best Featured Actress in a Play, “Purlie Victorious”).
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4. Some noteworthy names who happen to be nominated for producing at least one Broadway show this year are three-time Tony-nominated actor Alan Alda (“Purlie Victorious”), politician Hillary Rodham Clinton (“Suffs”), Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”), Tony-nominated actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson (“Purlie Victorious”), Oscar and Tony-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson (“Purlie Victorious”), Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie (“The Outsiders”), Tony-winning actress LaChanze (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” and “The Outsiders”), five-time Oscar-nominated producer Frank Marshall (“Water for Elephants”), Tony-winning actor Leslie Odom Jr. (“Purlie Victorious”), two-time Tony-winning actress Phylicia Rashad (“Purlie Victorious”), Tony and Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne (“Cabaret”) three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg (“Water for Elephants”), four-time Emmy-nominated actress Kerry Washington (“Purlie Victorious”) and activist Malala Yousafzai (“Suffs”).
5. The following categories include more than five nominees this year due to close voting races: Best Actress in a Play, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.
6. The following individuals earned multiple Tony nominations this year: costume designer Dede Ayite (“Appropriate,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”), orchestrator/songwriter Will Butler (“Stereophonic”), lighting designer Isabella Byrd (“Cabaret” and “An Enemy of the People”), set designer dots (“Appropriate” and “An Enemy of the People”), playwright Amy Herzog (“An Enemy of the People” and “Mary Jane”), orchestrators/songwriters Jamestown Revival (“The Outsiders”), lighting designer Natasha Katz (“Grey House” and “Hell’s Kitchen”), book writer/orchestrater/songwriter Justin Levine (“The Outsiders”), projection designer Peter Nigrini (“Hell’s Kitchen” and “Lempicka”), costume/set designer Tom Scutt (“Cabaret”), sound designer Cody Spencer (“Here Lies Love” and “The Outsiders”), book writer/songwriter Shaina Taub (“Suffs”) and costume/set designer David Zinn (“An Enemy of the People,” “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” and “Stereophonic”).
7. Two of this year’s acting nominees have now been nominated for each Broadway production they’ve opened to date: Eddie Redmayne (“Cabaret”) and Kara Young (“Purlie Victorious”).
8. The following acting snubs previously earned Tony nominations for each of their prior Broadway credits: Alfred Molina (“Uncle Vanya”) and Eva Noblezada (“The Great Gatsby”).
9. “Water for Elephants” is the first Best Musical nominee with an original score that was snubbed since “Bring It On” back in 2013.
10. For the first time since 2017, this year’s lineup for Best Play consists of all American works.
11. “Stereophonic” has now surpassed “Slave Play” as the most nominated play in Tony history. “Slave Play” received 12 bids in 2020. “Stereophonic” now has 13.
12. This marks the third time in history where two of the Best Musical Revival contenders have no other nominations. In 1997 it was “Annie” and “Once Upon a Mattress.” In 2000 it was “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Tango Argentino.” This year it’s “Gutenberg! The Musical!” and “The Who’s Tommy.”
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13. At the 2005 Tonys, Best Musical went to “Spamalot” while Best Play went to “Doubt.” This past season both works came back to the main stem and earned Tony nominations in acting categories, yet missed out on revival noms.
14. Among the nominees for Best Actress in a Musical is Maryann Plunkett for her performance as Older Allie in “The Notebook.” Meanwhile one of the nominees for Best Actress in a Play is Rachel McAdams (“Mary Jane”), who previously played Young Allie in the 2004 film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks‘s novel.
15. Two of this year’s contenders for Best Actress in a Play are Jessica Lange (“Mother Play”) and Sarah Paulson (“Appropriate”). They previously worked together on the FX anthology series “American Horror Story,” and they also played mother and daughter in the 2005 Broadway revival of “The Glass Menagerie.”
16. When the original production of John Patrick Shanley‘s “Doubt” contended at the 2005 Tonys, Amy Ryan was nominated for her featured performance in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” but lost to Adriane Lenox for her portrayal of Mrs. Muller in the former. Meanwhile Liev Schreiber won for his featured performance in “Glengarry Glen Ross.” This year, Ryan and Schreiber are both in contention for the first Broadway revival of “Doubt” as is Quincy Tyler Bernstine for her portrayal of Mrs. Muller.
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17. Two of this year’s five nominees for Best Actress in a Musical — Maleah Joi Moon (“Hell’s Kitchen”) and Gayle Rankin (“Cabaret”) — also saw their shows nominated for Best Musical and/or Best Revival. The last time this happened was back in 2014 where the two were Sutton Foster (“Violet”) and the eventual winner Jessie Mueller (“Beautiful”).
18. Best Featured Actor in a Play consists of all first time nominees. The last time this happened was back in 2006.
19. Four of this year’s five nominees for Best Direction of a Musical — Maria Friedman (“Merrily We Roll Along”), Leigh Silverman (“Suffs”), Jessica Stone (“Water for Elephants”) and Danya Taymor (“The Outsiders”) — are women. That’s the most this category has ever included to date.
20. Three of this year’s five nominees for Best Direction of a Play — Anne Kauffman (“Mary Jane”), Lila Neugebauer (“Appropriate”), and Whitney White (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”) — are women. That’s the most this category has ever included to date.
21. For the first time since 2014, a show that didn’t make the cut for Best Musical was nominated for Best Book. That year it was “Bullets Over Broadway.” This year it’s “The Notebook.”
22. For the first time since 2020 a play score is nominated for Best Original Score. That year the lineup was full of play scores. This year “Stereophonic” made the cut alongside four musicals.
23. “Stereophonic” is the very first play to pick up a nomination for Best Orchestrations.
24. Jack O’Brien and George C. Wolfe will each receive the 2024 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
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