NewsTony Rulings: Mermaid Score Eligible for Nomination; Miranda and Gonzalez Are in Leading RolesThe Tony Awards Administration Committee assembled for the third time this season to discuss the eligibility of seven Broadway productions for the 2008 Tony Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
By
Andrew Gans
April 10, 2008
Tony-winning In the Heights creator-star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Those productions included Passing Strange, The Little Mermaid, In the Heights, Sunday in the Park with George, The 39 Steps, November and Come Back, Little Sheba. The committee's rulings follow.
On the musical front:
Passing Strange, which blends the raw energy of a rock concert with the storytelling power of the musical theatre, will be eligible for nomination in the Best Musical category. And, Stew will be the only actor in the production eligible for nomination in a Leading Actor category.
The score to The Little Mermaid will be eligible for nomination in the Best Score category because more than 50 percent of the Alan Menken-Howard Ashman-Glenn Slater score was composed for Broadway. Also, Sean Palmer and Sierra Boggess are the only actors in the musical eligible for nomination in the Leading Actor/Actress categories. Sherie Rene Scott will be eligible in the Featured Actress in a Musical category.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mandy Gonzalez will be eligible for nomination in, respectively, the Leading Actor and Actress in a Musical categories for their performances in In the Heights.
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Michael Cumpsty and Alexander Gemignani will be eligible for nomination in the Featured Actor in a Musical category for their performances in Sunday in the Park with George, and Jessica Molaskey will be eligible for nomination in the Featured Actress in a Musical category for her work in the revival of that Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical. Also, projection designer Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network and set designer David Farley will be considered jointly in the Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Sunday in the Park.On the play front:
Charles Edwards will be the only actor in The 39 Steps eligible for nomination in the Leading Actor in a Play category. And, the acclaimed production will be eligible for nomination in the Best Play category.
Dylan Baker and Laurie Metcalf will be eligible for nomination in, respectively, the Featured Actor and Actress in a Play categories for their performances in November.
Kevin Anderson and S. Epatha Merkerson will be eligible for nomination in, respectively, the Leading Actor and Actress in a Play categories for their performances in Come Back, Little Sheba. All other decisions were consistent with the opening-night credits. That is, only actors whose names appear above the title are eligible for nomination in the Leading Actor/Actress categories. Producers must petition the Administration Committee in order to change actors' eligibility status.
The Administration Committee is scheduled for one additional meeting this season.
Cut-off date for Tony eligibility is May 7, and Tony nominations will be announced May 13.
The 62nd Annual Tony Awards, celebrating the best of Broadway, will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall June 15. CBS will telecast the three-hour evening live beginning at 8 PM ET.
The Tony Awards are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. CBS has broadcast the annual event since 1978.
For more information visit www.TonyAwards.com.
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At the League, Nina Lannan is chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is executive director. At the Wing, Sondra Gilman is chairman, Doug Leeds is president and Howard Sherman is executive director.
