2016 Tony Award Nominations

This morning, Tuesday, May 3, Nikki M. James and Andrew Rannells announced the 2016 Tony Award Nominations live from the Paramount Hotel's Diamond Horseshoe in New York City. 

Productions that opened during the 2015 - 2016 Broadway Season on or before the April 28 cut-off date are eligible for Tony Awards this year. The 70th Annual Tony Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing,  will take place on June 12 at the Beacon Theatre.  The ceremony will be broadcast on CBS at 8/7c.  

Hamilton made history this year for most Tony nominations ever with 16, beating the previous record holders The Producers (2001) and Billy Elliot (2009) which received 15 each in their respective nomination years.. 

This year's Tony nominees are: 

Best Musical
Bright Star 
Hamilton
School of Rock - The Musical
Shuffle Along
Waitress

Best Play
Eclipsed
The Father
The Humans
King Charles III

Best Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple
Fiddler on the Roof
She Loves Me
Spring Awakening 

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller's The Crucible 
Arthur Miller's The View from the Bridge
Blackbird
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Noises Off

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Phlillipa Soo, Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock - The Musical
Danny Burnstein, Fiddler on the Roof
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Laurie Metcalf, Misery
Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed
Sophie Okonedo, Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Michelle Williams, Blackbird

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father
Tim Pigott-Smit, King Charles III
Mark Strong, Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along
Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans
Bill Camp, Arthur Miller's The Crucible
David Furr, Noises Off
Richard Goulding,King Charles III
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Journey Into Night

Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along

Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jonathan Kent, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
Ivo Van Hove, Arthur Miller's The View From the Bridge

Best Book of a Musical
Steve Martin, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Julian Fellowes, School of Rock - The Musical
George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along

Best Original Score
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater, School of Rock - The Musical
Sara Bareilles, Waitress

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Sheldon Harnick & Marshall W. Mason

Regional Theatre Award
Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Brian Stokes Mitchell

Special Tony Award
National Endowment for the Arts
Miles Wilkin

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
Seth Gelblum
Joan Lader
Sally Ann Parsons


A full list of this year's nominees can be found here. 

Behind the Curtain with Alli Mauzey

Photo courtesy of Broadway.com

Alli Mauzey was most recently seen as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway. She's also known for her roles in Cry-Baby and Hairspray.  

After finishing her show in Garner, North Carolina,  Alli answered a few fun questions we had about music and her career. 

   

What is your favorite cast album or one that inspired you greatly?

I don't tend to listen to a lot of cast albums often.  As far as contemporary singer/songwriters go, I like Sara Barellies and Ben Folds. I tend to listen to them a lot.

If you could sing a duet with anyone who would it be and why?
So many to choose from but a singer who I greatly admire is Judy Kuhn.  I love the versatility of her voice.  I was first introduced to her through a friend of mine in school who had a copy of the Tony Awards when she performed on the show as both Cosette in Les Miz and in the musical Rags.  I was so impressed with her beautiful soprano in Les Miz and her "meaty" belt in Rags. Both equally stunning. I just think she can sing anything and I was instantly hooked. I was also so impressed with her acting.

What was it like working with so many different actresses in Wicked? How difficult was it to adjust to playing with a different Elphaba?
I've gotten to work with so many fantastic women. Some of which will be my friends for life. I found that as long as the Elphaba and myself were open to what we each brought to the table and that we were both committed to telling the story every night then all was good.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given or one that you would give to aspiring actors?

Hard work was always good advice.  I had a teacher that said sometimes someone who might not have things come as natural right away can pass up someone who does.  When things come easy and you get a lot of attention it's easy to rest on your laurels and become lazy while someone behind you is doing the work and continues to grow.  And I think this doesn't just apply to actors but any field.

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

The 66th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Seth Meyers, took place Monday night.  NBC made the decision to switch to a Monday this year to avoid conflict with the MTV Video Music Awards (which Seth Meyers touched upon in his opening monologue).  The awards were presented during a live NBC telecast at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Seth Meyers made more industry targeted jokes as host, and given his comedic writing and hosting experience he was well equipped to take on the job.  Some of the best moments of the night included Billy Crystal paying tribute to his friend, the late Robin Williams, Sara Bareilles singing Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" during the In Memoriam segment, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston's "Seinfield Reunion".



Breaking Bad was the night's biggest winner taking home five trophies: Outstanding  Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Bryan Cranston, Outstanding Supporting Actress and Actor in a Drama Series for Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul, and Best Writing for a Drama Series for "Ozymandias" to Moira Walley-Beckett who beat out show runner Vince Gilligan to win the category.

Modern Family was named Outstanding Comedy Series the fifth year in a row, tying Fraiser for most consecutive wins in the category.  The show also took home awards for Ty Burrell for Lead Actor and Outstanding Direction of a Comedy Series for Gail Mancuso.

Sherlock: His Last Vow won three awards including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini Series for Benedict Cumberbatch.  Julianna Margulies winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series was a major upset, beating out Lizzy Caplan for Masters of Sex, Robin Wright for House of Cards, and Kerry Washington for Scandal.  Netflix Series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black were all but shut outs. Orange garnered 12 nominations and only took home three awards, all at the previously held Creative Arts ceremony.

Full Winners List

FASHION 

Lizzy Caplan looked gorgeous in a Donna Karan Atelier gown with a sheer organza panel paired with Brian Atwood heels.











Anna Gunn looked flawless in a one-shouldered gown with a white beaded bodice and a blue skirt by Jenny Packman.  Paired with an Edie Parker clutch.

Claire Danes looked ravishing in a red custom made Givenchy Haute Couture dress.











Orange is the New Black star Taylor Schilling dazzled in a Zuhair Murad gown with hand-embroidered beadwork and a draped back.  Jewelry by Forevermark.

Fellow OITNB star, Uzo Aduba graced the red carpet in a Christian Siriano strapless gown featuring a dramatic train.











Kate Walsh lit up the carpet in a yellow Stephanie Rollan peplum waisted gown and Stuart Weitzman heels.











Debra Messing looked stunning in a sleeveless gown by Angel Sanchez.  The dress featured sheer slivers throughout and was paired with a Judith Leiber clutch.










Images by Getty Images.

Sara Bareilles Gets Her Little Black Dress On In Raleigh

On July 22, Sara Bareilles brought her magnificent talent and tour to the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, NC.  Bareilles is a force to be reckoned with.  She brings a raw and natural talent to the stage that is rarely found in artists today.  She commanded the audience with every breath, every word.  The stage is her home. The air was electric as she sang familiar hits, intertwined with newer songs.

Her presence was magnetic, even as she briefly came out on stage before the show started to introduce the opening acts, Emily King and Lucius, and as she stood side stage to watch the bands perform.  This was our first time seeing the singer-songwriter, but it certainly won't be the last!

The opening acts, Emily King and Lucius were both excellent and brought a quality to the stage that was delightfully unexpected from the stand point of an audience who in large part wasn't planning to take notice of the openers.  Emily King is a singer-songwriter from New York City who brought such a soulful presence that the audience couldn't help but turn their attention to the stage.  It only makes sense that an artist with so much pure talent (Bareilles) would bring talented opening acts on the road with her and that is exactly what she did.  After King performed a set of soulful ballads, Lucius came out on stage and rocked.  They simply rocked. Their debut album is out now, and it is worth purchasing. The lead singers, Jess Wolfe and Holly Lessig are enormously talented and every song they played pumped a new life into the audience in preparation for Bareilles taking the stage.

Bareilles began her set with "Little Black Dress" and took the audience on a journey of love, loss, laughter and life before ending with an encore of "Satellite Call".  Words can barely describe the tremendous and transcendent experience of the concert.  She was better live than on CD, DVD or video .  She had background projections for most songs, of those I especially enjoyed the projections for "I Choose You".  Two of the most spectacular songs from the evening were her cover of Sia's "Chandelier" and a new song from the musical adaptation of Waitress that she is writing entitled "She Used to be Mine".

Sara Bareilles always brings a night full of fun, tears, cursing, and most of all joy! Everyone should see her live! Don't miss her when the Little Black Dress Tour stops in your city!