IF WE RAN THE TONY AWARDS

BY MATEO MORENO AND RICKY JONES

IT'S TONY NOMINATION TIME!  So, before the Official Nominations are presented on Tuesday the 29th, Ricky and I decided to look through all the nominations and pick not who we necessarily think will be nominated, but who WE would nominate this season if we ran the Tony's.  This season has had a record number of shows open and Mr. Jones and I have seen just about every one of them (all will be seen within the next month).  So before we rattle off who should win, here's who we would pick on Tuesday morning if someone who friggin' just ask us...

BEST MUSICAL 

MATEO'S CHOICES

1) Soul Doctor ALL THE WAYYYYY!!!! (Just kidding... that joke made me throw up a little).

My actual choices:

1)  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

2)  After Midnight

3)  Beautiful

4)  If/Then

5)  The Bridges of Madison County

Mateo Says: Honestly, it wasn't my favorite season in the original musical category, and I haven't yet seen Aladdin or Bullets Over Broadway.  But hey, the nomination committees rarely see all the shows either, so I'm in good company.  I would definitely reward the excellence of Gentleman & Love with the originality of If/Then, the simple beauty of Bridges, & the surprise of Beautiful.

RICKY'S CHOICES

1)  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

2)  Bridges of Madison County

3)  Aladdin 

4)  Beautiful 

5)  If/Then...no Rocky....no If/Then...ok If/Then

Ricky Says: The musicals I really rooting for this season are Gentleman's Guide and Bridges.  Not only is Gentleman's Guide is shoo-in for a nomination but I would even call it a front runner to win come June.  I do hope "Bridges" gets the recognition in this category that it deserves.  It had many problems when I saw it during previews and I applaud them for the making the changes they needed to.  Now, it is a stunning and emotional musical!  Aladdin and Beautiful should get also nominations as well.  I'm torn for that final slot.  Rocky is a HUGE and impressive production but I have many issues with the show itself (sadly mainly the score).  If/Then also is problematic and but the score had a lot of great songs.  I have to give that final nomination to the only original musical and it will encourage more original work.

BEST PLAY 

MATEO'S CHOICES

1)  Casa Valentina 

2)  Act One

3)  The Realistic Joneses

4)  Outside Mullingar

5)  Mothers and Sons

Mateo Says: I'd like to nominate Velocity of Autumn because I enjoyed it more than I did Mothers and Sons but Terrance McNally's play is just a better written piece (unfortunately hampered by two terrible performances but saved by two very good ones).  Casa, for my money, has the most to say and was powerful without ever being preachy. Act One was a theatre history nerd’s dream (and how about that set!). Realistic Joneses is the kind of weird ass play that never makes it on Broadway and I LOVE that it did. Outside Mullinger was the most magical play on Broadway this season. Light, funny, whimsical... John Patrick Shanley magic.

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Casa Valentina 

2)  Act One

3)  All The Way

4)  Outside Mullingar

5)  Mothers and Sons

Ricky Says: Casa Valentina is what Harvey Fierstein does best! I found his new play completing riveting and wonderfully acted.  Act One is a wonderful and moving play about the love of theatre and deserves spot on that list.  All The Way was a perfect vehicle to let Cranston shine.  Mullingar was a delightful romantic comedy!  And last but not least, I was really moved yet again by Terrence McNally in his new play Mothers and Sons.  I am very happy with this list of plays!

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL 

MATEO'S CHOICES

1)  Hedwig and the Angry Inch

2)  Les Miserables

3)  Violet 

4)  Cabaret*

Mateo Says: This is the year of Hedwig.  It's the unstoppable best this year (sorry Violet). I would only nominate Cabaret because it is a brilliant production, but wouldn't dare vote for it winning due to it being a carbon copy of the same production that's already won.

RICKY'S CHOICES

1)  Les Miserables

2)  Hedwig and the Angry Inch 

3)  Violet 

4)  Cabaret 

BEST PLAY REVIVAL 

MATEO'S CHOICES

1)  Twelfth Night

2)  The Glass Menagerie

3)  The Cripple of Inishmaan

4)  Waiting for Godot

5)  Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill

Mateo Says: One of the strongest catagories this year, there was a lot of great stuff that I couldn't nominate (sorry No Man's Land, Richard III, Of Mice and Men, A Raisin in the Sun, & Machinal!). For me, these are the five (though I do consider Lady Day to be more of a musical, but the Tony's do not). Twelfth Night was the best I've ever seen it, Glass Menagerie was pure wonder, Cripple I had never seen or read before and it knocked my socks off, and how can you not love a Godot with Sir Ian and Sir Patrick?

RICKY'S CHOICES

1)  Machinal 

2)  Raisin in the Sun

3)  The Glass Menagerie

4)  Twelfth Night

Ricky Says: Machinal was the biggest surprise of the season for me!  I was on the edge of my seat the entire show!  Hopefully, this revival gets numerous nominations.  Raisin in the Sun is masterpiece and its newest revival is pretty close to perfect.  I hate to say it but I do not care much for The Glass Menagerie play itself but I have to give credit to the production.  I'm still not a fan of the material but everyone involved with this revival was great!  And Twelfth Night was just wonderful Shakespeare done perfectly!

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL 

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1) Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig & the Angry Inch

2) Ramin Karimloo, Les Miserables

3) Bryce Pinkham, Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

4) Steven Pasquale, The Bridges of Madison County

5) Zachary Levi, First Date

Mateo Says: I know I'm going to get shit for this one. Hey, First Date may have been pure fluff, but I enjoyed it and Levi had one hell of an assured Broadway Debut. He was utterly charming, hilarious, and the pure reason to see it, so I would award that with a nom.

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1) Neil Patrick Harris!!, Hedwig

2) Jefferson Mays, Gentleman's Guide

3) Ramin Karimloo, Les Miserables

4) Steven Pasquale, Bridges of Madison County

5) Bryce Pinkham, Gentleman's Guide

Ricky Says: The brilliant NPH will surely get a nomination and I can't see any way he doesn't win it all.  Jefferson Mays' rave reviews will surely have him on this list as well.  After that, it's pretty unpredictable.  I am really rooting for Karimloo, Pasquale, and Pinkham.  Karimloo's voice is just simply incredible.  I have to say I prefer Pinkham's performance over Mays' in Gentleman's Guide and would love to see him up there.  But the actor that I want to see nominated most of all is Pasquale.  All the love seems to be for Kelli O'Hara's amazing performance but he is equally wonderful!  It would be a real shame if he was forgotten.

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY 

MATEO'S CHOICES

1)  Bryan Cranston, All the Way

2)  Daniel Radcliffe, Cripple of Inishmaan

3)  Tony Shalhoub, Act One

4)  Ian McKellen, Waiting for Godot

5)  Brían F. O’Byrne, Outside Mullingar

Mateo Says: This was hard to leave out the amazing Santino Fontana for Act One. Denzel Washington and Chris O'Dowd were also very good, but Mullingar just kind of enchanted me, and O'Bryrne was wonderful in it.

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Bryan Cranston 

2)  Ian McKellen 

3)  Denzel Washington

4)  Chris O'Dowd

5)  Santino Fontana 

Ricky Says: Cranston, Washington, and McKellen will be nominated for sure.  I do hope Fontana will be recognized as well for his passionate portray of Moss Hart but I have feeling Tony Shalhoub may steal it from him.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL 

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Kelli O'Hara, Bridges of Madision County

2)  Idina Menzel, If/Then

3)  Michelle Williams, Cabaret

4)  Mary Bridget Davies, A Night with Janis Joplin

5)  Jessie Mueller, Beautiful

Mateo Says: Amazing performances all around makes me leave out both of the Bullets leading ladies (and Sutton Foster). My surprise inclusion is Davies, who fully embodied and captured playing Janis Joplin without it feeling like a character.

RICKY'S CHOICES

1)  Kelli O'Hara, Bridges

2)  Jessie Mueller, Beautiful

3)  Sutton Foster, Violet

4)  Michelle Williams, Cabaret

5)  Idina Menzel, If/Then

Ricky Says: Again there are three actresses that will definitely be nominated; O'Hara, Mueller, and Foster.  I was not crazy about Idina's performance at all but the Tonys love her ergo she will be as well. Here's hoping Michelle Williams will be rewarded for giving us a different Sally Bowles than we were expecting.

BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY 

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill

2)  Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie

3)  Estelle Parsons, Velocity of Autumn

4)  Tyne Daly, Mothers & Sons

5)  Toni Collette, The Realistic Joneses

Mateo Says: Great list of ladies, and this is Audra's category to lose.

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Audra McDonald, Lady Day

2)  Rebecca Hall, Machinal

3)  Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie

4)  Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons

5)  Estelle Parsons, Velocity of Autumn

Ricky Says: I think the only one in this list that I am worried about is Rebecca Hall. Machinal closed months ago and will the Tony remember her intense performance?  Let’s hope so.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL 

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Danny Burstein, Cabaret

2)  James Monroe, Aladdin

3)  Ryan Andes, Big Fish

4)  Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

5)  Will Swenson, Les Miserables

Mateo Says: Yup, I'm nominated my friend Ryan but not just because he's my friend. He was DAMN good as Karl the Giant in Big Fish.  I'm also going against Tony's official ruilings and making Mays and Swenson "Best Supporting Actor" because, well... they are.

RICKY'S CHOICE:

1)  James Monroe, Aladdin

2)  Danny Burntein, Cabaret

3)  Joshua Henry, Voilet

4)  Hunter Foster, Bridges of Madison County

5)  Brooks Ashmanskas, Bullets Over Broadway

RICKY SAYS: The lovable Monroe is shoo in here.  Burnstein will likely be on the list as well.  Joshua Henry almost steals the show from Sutton Foster and will be awarded for his performance.  Though his role may be just a tad underwritten, Hunter Foster gives us a character we really care for.  Bullet's Over Broadway's Nick Cordeo will probably get the nomination though I would prefer the always hilarious Ashmaskas.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY 

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Nick Westrate, Casa Valentina

2)  Gabriel Ebert, Casa Valentina

3)  Reed Birney, Casa Valentina

4)  Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie

5)  Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night

Mateo Says: With a ridiculous amount of people getting left off here since the enormously talented cast of Casa are all supporting, this one is a can't go wrong.  I'd nominate the above three from Harvey's wonderful play, narrowly leaving off Patrick Page since he's really more of a lead.  Briand J. Smith was wonderful in Menagerie and Rylance again murders every single scene he's in (this time as a woman!)

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Reed Birney, Casa

2)  Tom McGowan, Casa

3)  Patrick Page, Casa

4)  Brian J. Smith, Glass Menagerie

5)  Brandon J. Dirden, All The Way

Ricky Says: If it were up to me, all these five nominees would be from Casa Valentina.  It was such a wonderful ensemble show and each of them shined!  Newcomer Brian J. Smith stole the show of Glass Menagerie from stars like Zachary Quinto.  And I really enjoyed Brandon J. Dirden's portrayal of Martin Luther King in All The Way.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL 

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Lena Hall, Hedwig

2)  Marin Mazzie, Bullets Over Broadway

3)  Caissie Levy, Les Miserables

4)  Anika Larsen, Beautiful

5)  Linda Emond, Cabaret

Mateo Says: Lots of great supporting ladies, lead in my opinion by Lena Hall, who after her small role in Kinky Boots now has lots of time to shine.  And shine she does.  My buddy Levy has shown time after time that she is the new diva in the wings, and Les Miz continues to show that.  Mazzie, Larsen, and Emond all show great range, both in comic timing and, in Emond's case, heartbreak.

RICKY'S CHOICES

1)  Linda Emond, Cabaret

2)  Marin Mazzie, Bullets Over Broadway

3)  Lisa O'Hare, Bullets

4)  Lauren Worsham, Gentleman's Guide

5)  Lena Hall, Hedwig

Ricky Says: It will be such a shame if Lena Hall isn't on this list!  She is perfecting cast in the role of Yitzak and worked off NPH wonderfully. I hope at least one of the beautiful Gentleman's Guide ladies will be nominated.  Both of their voices are just goreous!  It was be a big snub if Tony favorite Mazzie is snubbed.  And Linda Emond....with that wonderful role how can she not at least get nominated?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY 

MATEO'S CHOICES

1)  Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie

2)  Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun

3)  Anika Noni Rose, A Raisin in the Sun

4)  Sarah Greene, Cripple of Inishmaan

5)  Ingrid Craigie, Cripple of Inishmaan

Mateo Says: Finally I can nominate Raisin!  The cast are all fantastic in this beautiful production adn Anika and Sophie are at the top of it!  Ceilia was quietly powerful in Glass and in Cripple, Greene was deliciously mean and Craigie was tender and whacked out.  A great list of great actresses.

RICKY'S PICKS

1)  Anika Noni Rose, Raisin in the Sun

2)  Sophie Okonedo, Raisin

3)  Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina

4)  Marisa Tomei, Realistic Joneses

5)  Charlotte Parry, The Winslow Boy

Ricky Says: I'm not sure if Marisa Tomei is up for Leading Actress or Featured, but I would say that her role is more of a supporting role.  I know I am missing Celia Keenan Bolger but I'm gonna go with Parry. Winslow Boy will probably be forgotten at the Tonys and she would be perfect way to honor that show.

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL 

MATEO & RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder 

2)  Bridges of Madison County 

3)  Rocky

4)  If/Then

BEST SCORE

MATEO & RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Jason Robert Brown, Bridges of Madison County

2)  Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder 

3)  Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt, If/Then 

4)  Andrew Lippa, Big Fish

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Alex Timbers, Rocky

2)  Michael Mayer, Hedwig

3)  Laurence Conner & James Powell, Les Miserables

4)  Michael Greif, If/Then

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Alex Timbers, Rocky

2)  Michael Mayer, Hedwig

3)  Laurence Conner & James Powell, Les Miserables

4)  Darko Tresnjak, Gentleman's Guide

BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1.)  Joe Mantello, Casa Valentina

2.)  Jame Lapine, Act One

3.)  Michael Grandage, Cripple of Inishmaan

4.)  Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night, Richard III

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1.)  Joe Mantello, Casa Valentina

2.)  Jame Lapine, Act One

3.)  Lyndsey Turner, Machinal

4.)  Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night, Richard III

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

MATEO & RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Warren Carlyle, After Midnight

2)  Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine, Rocky

3)  Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway

4)  Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Rocky

2)  Big Fish

3)  Hedwig and the Angry Inch

4)  Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Rocky

2)  Big Fish

3)  Beautiful 

4)  Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder 

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Machinal 

2)  Act One

3)  Cripple of Inishmaan

4)  Twelfth Night/Richard III

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Machinal 

2)  Act One

3)  Snow Geese

4)  Twelfth Night/Richard III

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Rocky

2)  If/Then

3)  Hedwig 

4)  Big Fish

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1.)  Rocky

2.)  Bridges of Madison County 

3.)  Hedwig 

4.)  Big Fish

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  The Cripple of Inishmaan

2)  The Glass Menagerie

3)  Act One

4)  Twelfth Night

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Machinal 

2)  The Glass Menagerie

3)  Act One

4)  Macbeth

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Hedwig 

2)  Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder 

3)  Big Fish

4)  Aladdin 

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Hedwig 

2)  Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder 

3)  After Midnight

4)  Aladdin

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

MATEO'S CHOICES

1)  Casa Valentina 

2)  Waiting for Godot

3)  Twelfth Night

4)  Act One

RICKY'S CHOICES

1)  Casa Valentina 

2)  Machinal 

3)  Twelfth Night

4)  Act One

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

MATEO'S CHOICES:

1)  Bridges of Madison County 

2)  After Midnight 

3)  Hedwig and the Angry Inch

4)  If/Then

RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Bridges of Madison County 

2)  After Midnight 

3)  Beautiful

4)  If/Then

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

MATEO & RICKY'S CHOICES:

1)  Hedwig 

2)  Rocky

3)  Beautiful 

4)  If/Then 

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY

MATEO'S PICKS

1)  The Cripple of Inishmaan

2)  Lady Day 

3)  Act One 

4)  The Glass Menagerie

RICKY'S PICKS

1)  Machinal 

2)  Lady Day 

3)  Act One 

4)  The Glass Menagerie