Arts & Entertainment
Tony Award nominations 2019 announced
‘Hadestown, ‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’ lead the pack
The 2019 Tony Award nominations were unveiled by Brandon Victor Dixon, Bebe Neuwirth and Gayle King on Tuesday.
“Hadestown,” the folk-opera that sets the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice during the Great Depression era, earned the most nominations with 14. “Ain’t Too Proud,” a musical based on the story of The Temptations, came in second with 12 nominations.
“The Prom,” the musical about a teenage girl whose high school refuses to let her take her girlfriend to prom, received seven nominations including Best Musical. Caitlin Kinnunen, who recently came out that she is dating a woman, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her role in “The Prom.”
Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song” and “The Boys in the Band” by Matt Crowley were both nominated for Best Revival of a Play.
Out playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, who penned the play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” which he also adapted into the Academy Award-winning “Moonlight,” also scored a nomination for Best Play for his play “Choir Boy.”
Actress Judith Light will also be honored with the 2019 Isabelle Stevenson Award for her LGBTQ rights activism and advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The 73rd annual Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden, will air from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 9 on CBS.
Best Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of The Temptations”
“Beetlejuice”
“Hadestown”
“The Prom”
“Tootsie”
Best Play
“Choir Boy” by Tarell Alvin McCraney
“The Ferryman” by Jez Butterworth
“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” by Taylor Mac
“Ink” by James Graham
“What the Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Schreck
Best Revival of a Musical
“Kiss Me, Kate”
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!”
Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons”
“The Boys in the Band” by Mart Crowley
“Burn This”
“Torch Song” by Harvey Fierstein
“The Waverly Gallery” by Kenneth Lonergan
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas- “The Prom”
Derrick Baskin- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Alex Brightman- “Beetlejuice”
Damon Daunno- “Oklahoma!”
Santino Fontana- “Tootsie”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block- “The Cher Show”
Caitlin Kinnunen- “The Prom”
Beth Leavel- “The Prom”
Eva Noblezada- “Hadestown”
Kelli O’Hara- “Kiss Me, Kate”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Paddy Considine- “The Ferryman”
Bryan Cranston- “Network”
Jeff Daniels- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Adam Driver- “Burn This”
Jeremy Pope- “Choir Boy”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Annette Bening- Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons”
Laura Donnelly- “The Ferryman”
Elaine May- “The Waverly Gallery”
Janet McTeer- “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
Laurie Metcalf- “Hillary and Clinton”
Heidi Schreck -“What the Constitution Means to Me”
Best Book of a Musical
“Ain’t Too Proud”- Dominique Morisseau
“Beetlejuice”- Scott Brown and Anthony King
“Hadestown”- Anaïs Mitchell
“The Prom” – Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
“Tootsie” -Robert Horn
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater
“Be More Chill” -Joe Iconis
“Beetlejuice” – Eddie Perfect
“Hadestown”- Anaïs Mitchell
“The Prom”- Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
“To Kill a Mockingbird”- Adam Guettel
“Tootsie” -David Yazbek
Best Direction of a Musical
Rachel Chavkin- “Hadestown”
Scott Ellis- “Tootsie”
Daniel Fish- “Oklahoma!”
Des McAnuff- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Casey Nicholaw- “The Prom”
Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold- “Ink”
Sam Mendes- “The Ferryman”
Bartlett Sher- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Ivo van Hove- “Network”
George C. Wolfe- “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Andre De Shields- “Hadestown”
Andy Grotelueschen- “Tootsie”
Patrick Page- “Hadestown”
Jeremy Pope- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Ephraim Sykes- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Lilli Cooper- “Tootsie”
Amber Gray- “Hadestown”
Sarah Stiles- “Tootsie”
Ali Stroker- “Oklahoma!”
Mary Testa- “Oklahoma!”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Bertie Carvel- “Ink”
Robin De Jesús- “The Boys in the Band”
Gideon Glick- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Brandon Uranowitz- “Burn This”
Benjamin Walker- Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Fionnula Flanagan- “The Ferryman”
Celia Keenan-Bolger- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Kristine Nielsen- “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Julie White- “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Ruth Wilson- “King Lear”
Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown- “Choir Boy”
Warren Carlyle- “Kiss Me, Kate”
Denis Jones- “Tootsie”
David Neumann- “Hadestown”
Sergio Trujillo- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose- “Hadestown”
Larry Hochman- “Kiss Me, Kate”
Daniel Kluger- “Oklahoma!”
Simon Hale- “Tootsie”
Harold Wheeler- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Peter England- “King Kong”
Rachel Hauck- “Hadestown”
Laura Jellinek- “Oklahoma!”
David Korins- “Beetlejuice”
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Bunny Christie- “Ink”
Rob Howell- “The Ferryman”
Santo Loquasto- “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Jan Versweyveld- “Network”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass- “Hadestown”
William Ivey Long- “Beetlejuice”
William Ivey Long- “Tootsie”
Bob Mackie- “The Cher Show”
Paul Tazewell- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell- “The Ferryman”
Toni-Leslie James- “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
Clint Ramos- “Torch Song”
Ann Roth- “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Ann Roth- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski- “Beetlejuice”
Peter Hylenski- “King Kong”
Steve Canyon Kennedy- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Drew Levy- “Oklahoma!”
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz- “Hadestown”
Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork- “Ink”
Scott Lehrer- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Fitz Patton- “Choir Boy”
Nick Powell- “The Ferryman”
Eric Sleichim- “Network”
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams- “The Cher Show”
Howell Binkley- “Ain’t Too Proud”
Bradley King- “Hadestown”
Peter Mumford- “King Kong”
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini- “Beetlejuice”
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin- “Ink”
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer- “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”
Peter Mumford- “The Ferryman”
Jennifer Tipton- “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden- “Network”
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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