Tony Tidbits, 2025 Edition

I was all excited about watching the Tony Awards tonight, and I thoroughly enjoyed the "Act 1" show, which included the presentation of a number of awards, including my beloved Costume Design categories (hooray for Paul Tazewell for Death Becomes Her and Marg Horwell for The Picture of Dorian Gray!). But when the time came to transition over to the "main" ceremony at 8pm. I discovered to my chagrin that the broadcast was NOT available on Paramount+, but only on "Paramount+ with SHO," a premium subscription which we apparently do not have. And when I attempted to use the digital antenna to watch on CBS, all I got was static and the occasional garbled phrase.  

So I will have to rely on photographs to write my red carpet blog tomorrow, and for now, I will immerse myself in theatre by finishing up this collection of tidbits about the nominated shows that you might find interesting. 

BOOP! The Musical:

A Betty Boop cartoon designed by artist Grim Natwick 

• The first time Jasmine Amy Rogers auditioned for BOOP!, she totally blew the dance portion. But when she finished touring with Mean Girls a few months later, she saw that they were still holding auditions, so she worked really hard on her dance skills (and her Betty Boop character voice), and went back for another shot. And this time, she nailed it - even the dance.
• BOOP! was one of four currently-running musicals not nominated for Best Musical or Best Revival of a Musical which were denied the opportunity to perform a number at the Tony Awards. The other three were The Last Five Years" (which had been completely shut out of any Tony nominations), Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, and Smash. Particularly insulting was the fact that the producers of both Smash and BOOP! had offered to pay the $300,000 fee (yes, the productions must pay for the privilege of performing), and also that Real Women Have Curves, which received 2 nominations to BOOP!'s 3, was invited. Despite a fan petition, there is no plan for the cast of BOOP! or Rogers herself to perform during the Tonys.

Buena Vista Social Club: 

The cover of the 1997 album

• The musical was inspired by a Grammy-award-winning album of the same name recorded in 1996 and released in 1997. The album was performed by a number of veteran musicians, many of them coming out of retirement for the recording. It was so successful that it was followed up by live performances in Amsterdam and New York in 1998, and a documentary of the same name was produced and released in 1999, receiving an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. 
• The musicians who make up the band of the musical received a Special Tony Award for their performance: Marco Paguia (Music Director, Conductor/Piano); David Oquendo (Associate Music Director, Guitar); Renesito Avich (Tres); Gustavo Schartz (Bass); Javier Días, Román Diaz, Mauricio Herrera (Percussion); Jesus Ricardo (Trumpet); Eddie Venegas (Trombone); Hery Paz (Woodwinds); and Leonardo Reyna (Piano). 

Dead Outlaw:

Elmer's actual mummified body

• The musical was inspired by the true story of inept Oklahoman outlaw Elmer McCurdy. McCurdy attempted to rob banks and trains on multiple occasions, often bungling his use of explosives, including during an attempted train robbery where his miscalculations resulting in blowing up not only the train's safe but all of the money inside. In his final attempted robbery, he and two accomplices planned to rob a train carrying $400,000 in cash but mistakenly robbed a passenger train instead, scoring less than $50, some whiskey, a revolver, a coat, and a watch. A posse of three deputy sheriffs surrounded the hay shed where McCurdy, who was ill with both tuberculosis and pneumonia, as well as dead drunk from the stolen whiskey, was holed up. At first light, there was a shoot-out, with McCurdy receiving a single fatal shot to the chest. His unclaimed, mummified body was put on display at a funeral home, then became an attraction in a traveling carnival from the 1920s until the 1960s, changing ownership multiple times, being used as a prop in the 1967 film She Freak, appearing at a wax museum, and eventually making its way to a funhouse in the Pike amusement park in Long Beach, California. It was discovered in 1976 by crew members shooting an episode of the television series The Six Million Dollar Man at The Pike, when they moved what they thought was a wax mannequin and the arm broke, revealing bone and mummified muscle tissue. The Los Angeles Coroner's Office took charge of identifying the body, using the presence of arsenic as a preservative and and the bullet jacket still in the wound to narrow down the era of death, and identifying features such as bunions, signs of tuberculosis, and even a 1924 penny and ticket stubs to the Museum of Crime (where McCurdy's body had been displayed) to determine McCurdy's identity, finally confirming it through radiographs of the skull superimposed over photographs of McCurdy. McCurdy's body was finally buried in Guthrie, Oklahoma in 1977, and several feet of cement were poured over the casket to ensure the body would not be stolen. 

Death Becomes Her:

Madeline's fall down the stairs in the film

Madeline's fall down the stairs in the musical

• Based on the 1992 film of the same name, one of the major difficulties of the stage musical was creating the live special effects of a hole through one actress' abdomen and twisting the head around backwards of another - after falling down a staircase, no less. Director/choreographer Christopher Gattelli struggled with creating the iconic fall down the stairs, experimenting unsuccessfully with puppets and dolls before discovering Warren Yang, an Olympic gymnast as well as a singer and dancer, who became Megan Hilty's "stunt double" for the fall, essentially doing a gymnastics routine of carefully choreographed slow-motion cartwheels and flips down the stairs. Some of the other effects rely on traditional illusions, such as camouflaging the "hole" in Jennifer Simard's midsection with billowing smoke and other techniques of distraction and sleight-of-hand. 
• Christopher Sieber (Ernest) and Jennifer Simard (Helen) have starred together previously on Broadway in Shrek the Musical in 2008-2010 (Sieber as Lord Farquad, for which he received a Tony nomination, and Simard as Queen Lillian/Wicked Witch/Magic Mirror Assistant) and Company in 2021-2022 (Sieber as Harry and Simard as Sarah, for which she received a Tony nomination).

English:

The cast of English

• The play, written by Iranian playwright Sanaz Toossi, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize and spent two years off-Broadway before moving to Broadway. 
• The show uses an all-English script for the benefit of the audience, but the use of language cleverly delineates when the students are speaking in their less familiar English by using a halting or stilted delivery, and using a smoother, more comfortable delivery and even slang when they are meant to be speaking their native Farsi.  

Eureka Day:

Jessica Hecht (right) and Bill Irwin (left) in Eureka Day

• Playwright Jonathan Spector was inspired to write the play, which centers around a school board trying to sensitively manage conflicting values when a mother refuses to vaccination her six children during an outbreak of mumps, when he discovered that some of his friends were anti-vaxxers. 
• Hecht (nominated for "Best Featured Actress in a Play") has 10 other Broadway credits, and received Tony nominations for A View from the Bridge and Summer, 1976. She also has extensive television and movie credits, including regular and recurring roles on series such as The Single Guy, Friends, What About Joan, Red Oaks, and The Sinner. 

Floyd Collins: 

A newspaper article about the tragedy from 1925

• The show was first produced off-Broadway in 1996, winning the Obie Award for Best Musical.
•  Composer and lyricist Adam Guettel (who also wrote the musicals The Light in the Piazza and Days of Wine and Roses), son of Mary Rodgers (who wrote Once Upon a Mattress) and grandson of Richard Rodgers (who wrote, like, everything), was mentored by Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim, who was a fan of a 1951 film called Ace in the Hole which was partially inspired by Floyd Collins' story, commented to Guettel, "That's a fun idea for a show." The idea of the show was also inspired by a 1976 film called "Dark Carnival," which also mentions the story, although it is not a major focus. 

Glengarry, Glen Ross:

The poster of the 1992 movie, featuring (bottom to top) Ed Harris, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, and Al Pacino

• The play, written by David Mamet in 1983, debuted on Broadway in 1984 (it won the Pulitzer Prize that year), and was revived in 2005, 2012, and 2025. The current cast includes Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, John Pirruccello, Donald Webber, Jr., Michael McKean, Bill Burr, and Howard W. Overshown. Other notable Broadway cast members include David Harbour, John C. McGinley, Al Pacino, Alan Alda, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambour, Gordon Clapp, Tom Wopat, Liev Schreiber, and Joe Mantegna. 
• In addition to writing and directing plays, Mamet has also written and directed television (series, specials, and TV movies) and short and feature films. 
• The title refers to two real estate properties: Glengarry Highlands, the property which the agents are currently trying to sell, and Glen Ross Farms, land that was sold in the past. It also alludes to the allure of land and wealth, while also hinting at the potential for corruption and moral compromise within the sales world. 

Good Night, and Good Luck:

Clooney as Fred Friendly in the 2005 film

Clooney as Edward R. Murrow in the 2024 Broadway play

• Star George Clooney directed and played Fred Friendly in the 2005 film version of this show, and co-wrote this adaptation with Grant Heslov. Despite his extensive film and television career, this is his Broadway debut as a performer. 
• The production was the first Broadway play to be simulcast live, having been broadcast live on CNN on Saturday, June 7, 2025. 

Gypsy:

McDonald performing the famous 11 o'clock number, "Rose's Turn"

• Audra McDonald is the first actress of color to play the role of Mama Rose on Broadway. Other famous Broadway Roses include Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Linda Lavin, Bernadette Peters, and Patti LuPone. 
• McDonald has an impressive array of awards and nominations in multiple media:
• Primetime Emmys: 1 win ("Outstanding Special Class Program" for Sweeney Todd: Live from Lincoln Center); 4 additional nominations ("Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie" for Wit and A Raisin in the Sun; "Outstanding Special Class Program" for Carousel: Live from Lincoln Center; and "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie" for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill)
• Grammys: 2 wins ("Best Classical Album" and "Best Opera Recording" for Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany); 1 additional nomination ("Best Musical Theater Album" for Porgy and Bess)
• SAGs: 2 nominations ("Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie" for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill and "Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series" for The Gilded Age)
• Tonys: 6 wins ("Best Featured Actress in a Musical" for Carousel and Ragtime; "Best Actress in a Musical" for Porgy and Bess; "Best Featured Actress in a Play" for Master Class and A Raisin in the Sun; "Best Actress in a Play" for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill); 5 additional nominations ("Best Actress in a Play" for Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune and Ohio State Murders; and "Best Actress in a Musical" for Marie Christine, 110 in the Shade, and Gypsy - which may turn into a win)
• In addition, she has won an Antonyo Award, 2 Broadway.com Audience Awards (with 9 additional nominations), 6 Drama Desk Awards (with 2 additional nominations), 1 Drama League Award (3 additional nominations), a Laurence Olivier Award nomination, 5 Outer Critics Circle Awards (with 1 additional nomination), an Ovation Award, a Sarah Siddons Award, and a Theatre World Award. 
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The Hills of California:

Butterworth and Donnelly at the 2019 Tony Awards

• English playwright Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth is married to Irish leading lady Laura Donnelly, and the production draws on both Donnelly's childhood experiences and memories and Butterworth's experiences of caring for his sister while she was dying from cancer. The two previously collaborated on the play The Ferryman, which earned a Tony Award for "Best Play" and a Tony Nomination for Donnelly as "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role", in addition to three other Tony Awards and 4 other Tony nominations. 
• The title of the play comes from a song of that name by Johnny Mercer, which is sung by the characters in the play (lyrics here). The song represents their yearning for a better life. 

John Proctor is the Villain:

Sadie Sink (left) as young Elizabeth II in The Audience, with Helen Mirren (center) as adult Elizabeth, and Elizabeth Teeter (right), who shared the role of young Elizabeth

• Sadie Sink was initially concerned about playing a high school student in this play, because she had never attended a regular high school. She starred in Annie on Broadway starting at age 10, followed by playing a young Elizabeth II in The Audience, then in the sports movie Chuck, then the television series Stranger Things, plus a stint as a runway model in Paris and several other films, which meant she was either homeschooled or had an on-set tutor from late elementary school through high school. 
• The production features a majority-female creative team, including playwright Kimberly Belflower, director Danya Taymor, Associate Director Autumn Angelettie, Scenic Designer Teresa L. Williams, Assistant Scenic Designer Erica Zhang, Costume Designer Sarah Laux, Associate Costume Designer Genevieve Beller, Assistant Costume Designer Deijah M.V., Lighting Designer Natasha Katz, Associate Lighting Designer Aja Jackson, Composer and Sound Designer Palmer Hefferan, Projection Designer Hannah Wasileski, Associate Projection Designer Katerina Vitaly, Assistant Projection Designer Elizabeth Barrett, Associate Hair and Makeup Designer Ellyn Miller, Production Stage Manager Kamra A. Jacobs, as well as multiple other production staffers and roles, plus of course a 2/3 female cast. 

Just in Time:

Bobby Darin with wife Sandra Dee

Erika Henningsen as Sandra Dee and Jonathan Groff as Bobby Darin

• Star Jonathan Groff made his Broadway debut in the musical In My Life at the age of 20, following it up with a Tony nomination for his role in Spring Awakening the following year. He then joined the cast of the television series Glee for several seasons before returning to the stage as King George III in Hamilton, for which he also received a Tony nomination (and later a Primetime Emmy nomination for the Disney+ televised live recording). He worked on several movies and television series, including voicing Kristoff and Sven for Disney's Frozen and Frozen II, returning to the stage in an off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors and the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along, for which he won a Tony Award.   
• If Groff wins the Tony Award for "Best Leading Actor in a Musical," it will be the first time someone has was the award in back-to-back years. 

Maybe Happy Ending:

The cast of the original production in Seoul

• The musical is a collaboration between American composer Will Aronson and South Korean-born lyricist Hue Park, who also co-wrote the book for the show. The show was a hit in Korea and Japan before coming to Broadway, and features a mainly Asian cast and creative team. This is the Broadway debut for both Aronson and Park. 
• It is one of the few nominated shows consisting of entirely original material, rather than being based on a film, book, play, etc. 
• Comments from critics and reviewers include such gems as, "If you love rom-coms, robots, jazz, and Studio Ghibli films—this is the musical for you," "It's like if Totoro and Wall·E had a baby," "Think of the score of Maybe Happy Ending as a firefly, a spark of brightness that seems light and airy, but then it lands on you and you realize it's full of substance and meaning," "Aronson and Park’s songs boast charm, humor, and melodies that stick in your head," and "No maybe about it — Maybe Happy Ending has theatrical magic."

Oh, Mary!:

Cole Escola in the title role

Tituss Burgess in the title role

Betty Gilpin in the title role

• Cole Escola both wrote and (in his Broadway debut) plays the title character of this production. Escola has said the script was based on "a third grade understanding" of Mary Todd Lincoln's life combined with an exaggerated version of Escola's self. Escola has said that Mary was appealing as the subject for a show because because "she's the only historical figure I can think of that has a husband who was assassinated while they were seeing a play."
• Although the character of Mary is described as a cabaret performer, the French concept of cabaret theater, with an audience seated at tables, eating and drinking during a performance, did not come to the United States until about 50 years after Lincoln's assassination, and even vaudeville was still a decade or so away. Had Mary Lincoln indeed been a performer prior to marrying Abe, she would likely have been a burlesque performer - however, at the time, "burlesque" was simply parodying serious music and performance, not the striptease that later became associated with the word.  
• In addition to Escola, who is non-binary (but opted to be included in the "Best Actor" category for Tony purposes), during the run of this production the role of Mary has also been played by Tituss Burgess and Betty Gilpin. 
• In the script, the characters are named by their connection to Mary: Mary's husband (who is, of course, Abraham Lincoln), Mary's teacher, Mary's chaperone Bill, and Mary's husband's assistant Kyle. 

Operation Mincemeat:

The cast during the West End run

• The musical is based on "Operation Mincemeat", an actual 1943 British deception operation meant to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily during the World War II. 
• The show played off-West End beginning in 2019 and playing at several theaters, before moving to the West End in 2023, then transferring to Broadway in 2024 for what was intended to be a 16-week run. The run has since been extended several times, and is currently slated to run through February 2026.
• Four of the five actors (Natasha Hodgson, David Cumming, Zoe Roberts, and Jak Malone) have played their roles in every production since the 2019 World Premiere. The role of "Jean Leslie & Others," played by Rory Furey-King during the World Premiere, has been played by Claire-Marie Hall in all subsequent productions. 
• The show has been described by critics and reviewers as "a triumphant blend of slapstick, farce, intricate plotting, deceptively simple characterizations, terrific music and deliciously energetic performances," "An irresistible musical farce that brings British boldness and belly laughs to Broadway," "comic madness and theatrical joy," and "A brilliant spy thriller, a brilliant comedy, and a brilliant musical all rolled into one."

The Picture of Dorian Gray:

The huge screens and live video used during the performance

• Sarah Snook performs as 26 different characters, undergoing 19 costume changes and wearing 26 different pairs of shoes plus multiple wigs and mustaches over the course of a 2-hour show with no intermission. 
• 15 crew members assist Snook with costume changes, in addition to managing hand-held video cameras projecting live onto multiple on-stage screens. 
• Snook does not have an understudy, standby, or cover for the role. If she is unable to perform, the show literally does not go on. 

Pirates! The Penzance Musical:

Nicholas Baraasch (left) as Frederick, Ramin Karimloo (center), as the Pirate King, and David Hyde-Pierce (right) as Major-General Stanley

• This adaptation by Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) incorporates a New Orleans setting (and scenic and musically), and adds appearances by Gilbert and Sullivan themselves. 
• Actor David Hyde-Pierce owns a score from a production of The Pirates of Penzance that he did in summer camp in the 1970s, which he also used in an episode of Frasier in which he sang with Kelsey Grammer and David Ogden Stiers. 

Purpose: 

Rashad (center) with Sanaa Lathan (left) and Audra McDonald (right), on opening night of A Raisin in the Sun in 2004

• The play is directed by Phylicia Rashad, who may be most well-known as Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, but who has earned two Tony Awards (for A Raisin in the Sun - for which she was the first Black actress to win a Tony for "Best Leading Actress in a Play" - and Skeleton Crew). This is her Broadway debut as a director, although she made her directorial debut at Seattle Repertory Theatre with a production of The Gem of the Ocean in 2007. 
• Critics and reviewers have made comments such as, "A thrilling Battle Royale… A hilarious war of all against all. The superb Steppenwolf ensemble gives Bravura performances," "Purpose channels everything from August Wilson to Tennessee Williams. It is a sparring match, crackling with sharp punchlines, pulling us into an all-out brawl," "A funny, heady, irreverent excavation into the psyche of an American family," and "Purpose is a big swing. But that’s what it takes to get a big hit."
• In addition to being a (nominated) performer, Glenn Davis serves as co-artistic director of Steppenwolf Theater, the first person of color to serve in that role. His only other Broadway credit is in the 2011 production of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. 
• Of the cast of six performers, five were nominated for the Tony Award in their acting category. Only Alana Arenas, who was making her Broadway debut in the production, was not nominated.
• Purpose won the 2025 Pulitzer Award for Drama. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' previous works had been finalists in 2016 and 2018, and his first play on Broadway, Appropriate, debuted in 2023 after running off-Broadway in 2014, earning him his first Tony Award, for Best Revival of a Play. 

Real Women Have Curves: 

The cast of the premiere production at A.R.T. in Cambridge

• Real Women Have Curves was written by Josefina Lopez as a stage play in 1990 and adapted into an HBO film in 2002. The musical adapts both sources, with a book by Lisa Loomer with Nell Benjamin and music and lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez. 
• The musical premiered at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2023, and transferred to Broadway in 2025 with a majority of the original cast members. 

Smash:

Katherine McPhee (left) and Megan Hilty (right) in the television series

Robyn Hurder in the Broadway production

• The musical is based on the 2012-2013 television series of the same name, and combines music written for the series with additional music written for the stage musical. The series cast included Megan Hilty and Jeremy Jordan, both nominated for Tonys this season for other shows. 
• The television series followed the development and backstage chaos of a fictional musical about Marilyn Monroe, called Bombshell. The series leaned more toward drama, whereas the stage musical emphasizes the comedic aspects. 

Stranger Things: The First Shadow:

The impressive opening scene, which involves thunder, a ship, snow, and a terrifying monster attack

• Louis McCartney, nominated for "Best Leading Actor in a Play," made his professional stage debut in this production during its West End run prior to moving to Broadway. A native Irishman, McCartney trained at the Bow Street Academy in Dublin. One of the most difficult parts of McCartney's performance is the need to hit his marks exactly every time, in order for the special effects to be both effective and safe. 
• The show received a Special Tony Award for "The Illusions & Technical Effects", awarded to Jamie Harrison, Chris Fisher, Gary Beestone, and Edward Pierce.
• The "Illusion Team" has said that one of the most difficult special effects was creating multiple on-demand nosebleeds, especially that could be visible from every part of the theater. Part of the solution was misdirection, namely watching for when the audience wasn't watching. In another scene, the character of Virginia levitates above the floor and suffers multiple broken bones, for which the team created a horrific-looking dummy which they hilariously dubbed "Spinny Ginny." 
• The vast number of technical elements in the show required the theater to be upgraded to have more than 32,000 electrical channels! In the original West End production, the lighting team had to assign some of the LED controls to the video department because they ran out of capacity. And the lighting at the Marquis Theater was altered so even the aisle lights could be turned off to achieve total darkness in the theater. Cree. Pee!

Sunset Boulevard:

Scherzinger (third from right) takes her curtain call still covered in stage blood, as does castmate Tom Francis (fourth from right)

• Nicole Scherzinger received a 6-minute standing ovation at the opening night performance - still wearing her black slip, with stage blood dripping down her face. 
• Despite being most well-known as a member of the Pussycat Dolls, Scherzinger attended a performing-arts high school, studying musical theatre, voice, and dance. She began performing professionally at age 14, continuing throughout high school, and going on to major in musical theater with a dance minor at Wright State University. She dropped out of college to sing with Travis Meeks' band, Days of the New, then appeared on the reality show "Pop Stars," which led to her joining the girl group Eden's Crush, and when they went defunct, she was recruited to join the Pussycat Dolls. Following the breakup of the Dolls, she attempted a solo career, but when that didn't catch on, she began a series of stints judging shows like The Sing-Off, The X-Factor, and The Masked Singer, but always with an eye out for the right Broadway role for her debut. She auditioned for Moulin Rouge! and did some early workshops of Death Becomes Her, and she played Maureen in Rent at the Hollywood Bowl and Grizabella in Cats in London, but, when Andrew Lloyd-Weber himself reached out to her about playing Norma Desmond, she was slightly offended. A part as a washed-up has-been? (She was 45 at the time.) Granted, the role had been played by Patti LuPone at 44 and Glenn Close at 47, and Gloria Swanson herself was only 50 in the original movie that the musical was based on. But Lloyd-Weber was able to talk her into taking the part, likening Norma's journey to Scherzinger's own youthful fame and later career frustration. Clearly, Scherzinger was able to channel her own experiences into the character.  

Miscellaneous Facts:

• 30 alumni/faculty of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee are involved in a nominated production [Note: "performer" refers to named roles, ensemble members, understudies, standbys, and swings]: 
• BOOP! The Musical - Lawrence Alexander, Courtney Arango, Victoria Byrd, Derek Jordan Taylor (performers); Andreas Häberlin (music transcription); Jordan Rose (pit)
• Cabaret: Matt Smallcomb (faculty; pit)
• Dead Outlaw: Andrew Durand (Best Leading Actor in a Musical nominee); Hiro Iida (electronic music designer); Peter Van Dam (casting director)
• Death Becomes Her: Jennifer Simard (Best Leading Actress in a Musical nominee); Sir Brock Warren, Bud Weber (performers); Nick Auer, Cam Moncur (pit)
• Floyd Collins: Lizzy McAlpine (performer); Eli Bishop (pit)
• Gypsy: Cedric Leiba, Jr. (Producer; also Producer of Our Town); Zach Jones, Brendan Sheehan (performers); Brandon Ilaw, Emily Pecoraro, Zac Zinger (pit)
• John Proctor is the Villain: Mike Mosallam (production team)
• Pirates! The Penzance Musical: Niani Feelings (performer)
• Real Women Have Curves: Jack Noseworthy (Producer); Tatianna Córdoba, Christopher Ramirez (performers); Matt SanGiovanni (pit)
• Romeo + Juliet: Ben Simpson (Ticketing and Revenue Director), Joe Longthorne (Associate General Manager for Broadway International Group)
• Sunset Boulevard: Rashidra Scott (performer)
• A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical: Michael Notardonato (performer)
• There are a lot of rules about Tony Memnominations and awards:
• An actor must have performed the role on opening night, unless the role is shared by multiple actors (the 2009 Best Actor Tony was shared by three young actors who shared the title role in Billy Elliot, for example). 
• The show must play at one of the (currently) 41 "Broadway" theaters, as defined by the Tony Administration Committee.
• Ties are allowed, and two awards may be given in a single category if that happens.
• The difference between a "lead" role and a "featured" one is based on the billing: Name above the title of the show = lead role. But producers can petition for a different categorization, which they did for Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen, in which no-one was billed above the title. 
• All of the shows nominated for Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical are expected to perform at the ceremony, although non-nominated shows may also perform. But that have to pay! Going rate is $300,000. Yup, you read that right. 
• If a winner wants to sell their trophy, they have to offer it to Tony Award Productions for $10 first. 
• The number of nominated shows in any category may be higher or lower, depending on how many shows are eligible for that category in a given season. If there are 9 or more shows in a category, 4 or 5 will be nominated. If there are 5 or fewer, only 3 will be nominated. 
• The categories for Best Revival of a Play and Best Revival of a Musical can be combined if there aren't enough eligible shows. 
• Members of the Nominating Committee (about 50 of them) are required to see EVERY Broadway show, and the Tony Voters (about 800 of them) are required to see EVERY nominated show. Producers are expected to provide them with free tickets. In 2017, a 2-performance production of Sunday in the Park with George removed itself from Tony consideration because the voters would have taken up half the available seats!
• Even if they don't win a Tony Award, all the nominees are given a commemorative pin and a certificate. 
• Shows may run publicity campaigns, but they are prohibited from "disparaging or casting any negative or derogatory light on a competing production, element, person, or achievement." Boast all you want, but no bad-mouthing the competition!

Stay tuned for my red carpet review - it may take a few days, but I'll get to it, never fear!