Tony Talk: How many of the ‘Stereophonic’ cast will be nominated?

David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann
·10 min read
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Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors Sam Eckmann and David Buchanan discuss the Tony Awards race. With less than a week to go before nominations for the 77th Tonys are announced, we discuss the recently-opened and raved-about new play “Stereophonic” and consider how many of its performers might earn nominations in those challenging Featured Actor and Actress races.

David Buchanan: Hey Sam! We are officially less than a week away from the Tony nominations, and now that we have a tiny bit more clarity on the Best Musical race as shows like “Suffs” and “Hell’s Kitchen” have opened, I’m starting to really fret those pesky featured performer categories. A lot of shows this season are large ensemble pieces; last week, for example, saw the opening of the terrific play “Stereophonic,” which has an impeccable seven member ensemble. But I don’t have many available slots in my predictions for Featured Actor and and Featured Actress in a play. The Drama League has weighed in and nominated two of the cast — Sarah Pidgeon and Eli Gelb — but how many folks do you think will get nominated, and who?

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Sam Eckmann: David, are nominations really less than a week away? I’ve lost all track of time and place as I’ve been seeing a Broadway show every night, and I’m only being sustained by copious cups of coffee and Shoshana Bean‘s riffs in “Hell’s Kitchen.” But to your question, the performances in “Stereophonic” are so incredible that I’m tempted to toss all of them in. Could we get an Ensemble category please? Both this piece and “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” make an excellent case for honoring an entire cast. But if I must choose, the most obvious “Stereophonic” choice is Sarah Pidgeon for her exquisite work as Stevie Nicks stand-in Diana. The moment where she is forced to play piano and re-orchestrate her song on the spot should seal the deal for her. It’s a perfect mix of intense emotion and vocal prowess. Pidgeon might be the one person who I can see ultimately challenging Kara Young (“Purlie Victorious”) for the win in the Featured Actress category. Of course, I put Juliana Canfield in my lineup as well, just to see how it looks. And something about it feels right that both women make the cut. The “Stereophonic” men are much harder to figure out and could all cancel each other out. Right now I have Will Brill getting in for his highly physical performance as the band’s resident alcoholic turned hippie. He is also an industry veteran, which could help. But Eli Gelb charms the pants off of everyone, and in a way acts as the audience’s entry point to the story. He could easily be nominated instead of, or in addition to, Brill. Do you have either of them in your Feature Actor predictions?

WATCH our exclusive video interview with Sarah Pidgeon, ‘Stereophonic’

David Buchanan: I agree wholeheartedly about Sarah Pidgeon! After I saw “Stereophonic” last week, she skyrocketed up to my number one for the win. Her scene at the beginning of Act III when she’s in the recording booth and struggles to hit that high note while her boyfriend Peter is condescending to her is just heart-wrenching to watch and so well performed. Speaking of Peter, I’ve been very tempted to slot in Tom Pecinka. Peter behaves awfully at times, for sure, but the way he brings that character to life is a feat, especially at the end when he’s alienated everyone and is left trembling at the sound board. But for now, I have settled on Eli Gelb myself, who, as you say, is incredibly charming, and his character Grover’s good heart shines through amidst all the tumult of the band. If I want to squeeze another performer in there, I’d have to make a cut to my lineup and I don’t know who that would be… Is there anyone you’re considering dropping for another “Stereophonic” actor?

Sam Eckmann: Right now, I have Corey Stoll, Will Keen, and Michael Imperioli sitting atop my Featured Actor in a Play lineup. And I feel pretty solid with those three. Stoll has grand, emotional scene work in one of the season’s biggest hits. Keen does a remarkable transformation into Vladmir Putin. And Imperioli plays the type of commanding villain that’s always an awards magnet. Then I have Will Brill from “Stereophonic” and Jim Parsons from “Mother Play.” I have Brill down in fourth because I’m worried that voters might select a different gentleman from that show. I’d say Parsons is the most vulnerable of my five and I’m toying with taking him out for Eli Gelb. But “Stereophonic” isn’t the only show that could land multiple nominees here. We should not underestimate the strength of “Appropriate.” The industry loves this play and it puts Michael Esper within striking distance. His part isn’t as shouty as Corey Stoll or Sarah Paulson, who play his siblings, but he has a fascinating character arc. There’s also William Jackson Harper in “Uncle Vanya,” who could be bolstered by his strong reviews for “Primary Trust” which played Off-Broadway this season. Plus, I’ve always felt like Astrov is more of a lead than Vanya in “Uncle Vanya,” so he has the benefit of being a lead-type role hiding out in the featured race. All of these folks sort of feel like they are on equal footing for that fifth place slot, which is why I haven’t pulled the trigger on moving any of them into my five yet. Who fills out your lineup?

WATCH our exclusive video interview with Eli Gelb, ‘Stereophonic’

David Buchanan: I have the exact same top three — in that order — plus Parsons and Gelb. I haven’t seen “Mother Play” yet, but I agree that based on the state of the field Parsons might be the shakiest in my lineup, too. I think you’ve also called out some really stellar performers who are angling to break through in this category. Speaking of “Mother Play,” do you have Celia Keenan-Bolger nabbing a follow-up nom to her Tony win in 2019 for “To Kill a Mockingbird”? Who fills out that Featured Actress category for you alongside Young, Pidgeon and Canfield?

Sam Eckmann: I do have Celia! Like Parsons I have her in fifth, mostly because I think there are some other plays that are provoking more passionate responses than “Mother Play.” But, she has a lot of respect in the industry and has some devastating scenes, particularly near the end of the play. She’s also the true central figure of the story. The other person filling out this category is Francis Benhamou from “Prayer For the French Republic.” She has THE monologue of the season and I feel just as secure about her as I do Young and Pidgeon. If someone was going to knock out Canfield or Keenan-Bolger, it would probably be Quincy Tyler Bernstine, who is quietly devastating in “Doubt,” or Natalie Gold, another standout in “Appropriate.” But, the Drama League nominations threw me for a loop when they included Zenzi Williams from “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” in their Distinguished Performance category. I’d be over the moon if she made the cut, but I have been emotionally preparing myself for the “Jaja’s” cast to be shut out of nominations due to the ensemble nature of the piece. I will probably end up slotting in Williams at the last second only to be heartbroken when she doesn’t get it. Are you going out on a limb for anyone in Featured Actress?

WATCH our exclusive video interview with Zenzi Williams, ‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’

David Buchanan: No limbs, really, for better or worse. I share four of the same predictions for Featured Actress – Pidgeon, Young, Keenan-Bolger, and Benhamou – which makes me a little wary of how much we overlap in such a wildly unpredictable season! I am incredibly up in the air about the fifth, though. Once upon a time I would have allocated this slot to Alison Pill from “Uncle Vanya.” She did get good notices when this revival opened recently, but the response to the production overall has been pretty muted. She was also the only “tall woman” snubbed for the revival of Edward Albee‘s “Three Tall Women” that won two acting trophies for Glenda Jackson and Laurie Metcalf… I’m debating between her, Bernstein (in a Tony-winning role) and Gold, plus perhaps Canfield if the nominators go all-out for “Stereophonic.” That doesn’t clarify much, but perhaps I’ll solidify my list by the time we record our final slugfest soon! One more question to consider before we sign off and it’s perhaps a wild one: any chance the Tony administration committee considers someone from “Stereophonic” lead? This is as true an ensemble piece as you could find on Broadway, but Pidgeon and Pecinka as Diana and Peter are really at the heart of it and have a few extended scene where they’re alone on stage together, including that barnburner right before the recording of the song “Masquerade” and the intermission. We’ve also seen a strategic decision to have Older Allie and Older Noah (Maryann Plunkett and Dorian Harewood) considered leads for the musical “The Notebook,” while their Younger and Middle selves (Jordan Tyson and John Cardoza, Joy Woods and Ryan Vasquez, respectively) are all in featured, perhaps in a move to secure at least one of them a nomination instead of dividing their support by grouping three performers in one category. I don’t think it will happen to “Stereophonic,” but to hypothesize, who would you predict in that scenario? Is it even worth considering?

Sam Eckmann: I totally see what you’re saying about Pidgeon and Pecinka, but I do feel as though “Stereophonic” is basically the textbook example for “ensemble cast.” I imagine they will all be kept in the featured races where they actually have a strong chance of winning. I’m not sure that any of the “Stereophonic” cast members would have enough material to prevail over the likes of Sarah Paulson, Rachel McAdams, Jeremy Strong, Michael Stuhlbarg, and other lead candidates who are truly the dominant force in their respective plays. Of course, there is just a small group of people deciding category placements, and they often like to surprise us! We will find out everyone’s final placement very soon, and then it’s a mad scramble to make our final predictions before the Tony nominations are announced on Tuesday, April 30!

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