For obvious reasons, it’s been a weird and shortened Broadway season. Still, the 74th annual Tony Awards are soldiering on, celebrating the work of those productions that were able to put on shows before the March shutdown of New York’s theater district. That includes Jagged Little Pill, the musical based on Alanis Morissette’s iconic album of the same name, which leads the 2020 Tonys with 15 nominations.
To be fair, there was a considerably smaller field this year than is typical. Because the pandemic forced Broadway’s shutdown, the cutoff date for Tony-eligible productions was bumped to February 19th, 2020. (Jagged Little Pill officially opened on Broadway in December of last year.) That meant that only 18 plays were eligible for nominations, down from 34 in 2019. There is also one fewer category this year at 25, and many feature far fewer nominees; in fact, Best Performance for an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical only has one nominee — and thus, the instant winner — Aaron Tveit for Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
Not that any of this should diminish the accomplishments of Jagged Little Pill. The production is incredibly powerful, with stellar performances and an amazingly inventive set design. That’s why it’s up for Best Musical, Best Scenic Design, and a number of Best Performance awards. Elizabeth Stanley is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role; both Derek Klena and Sean Allan Krill are up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role; and Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, and Lauren Patten are all vying for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role. (Patten deserves it for her “You Oughta Know” performance alone.
Editors’ Picks
Jagged Little Pill also has a shot at Best Costume Design, Best Book (written by Diablo Cody), Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, Best Direction, and Best Orchestrations. In many of those categories, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Scenic Design, it’s up against Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.
Productions like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Freestyle Love Supreme and David Byrne’s American Utopia didn’t invite voters to stagings, so they are only up for special awards. The latter is also heading to HBO later this week via a Spike Lee-directed movie.
Find the full list of 2020 Tony Awards nominations below (via Deadline). This may be the last Tonys for at least a year, as The Broadway League recently confirmed it intended to keep theaters closed through at least May 2021.
Best Play:
Grand Horizons
Author: Bess Wohl
Producers: Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Mandy Greenfield
The Inheritance
Author: Matthew López
Sea Wall/A Life
Author: Simon Stephens & Nick Payne
Slave Play
Author: Jeremy O. Harris
The Sound Inside
Author: Adam Rapp
Best Musical:
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Revival of a Play
Betrayal
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Author: Terrence McNally
A Soldier’s Play
Author: Charles Fuller
Best Book of a Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Diablo Cody
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
John Logan
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre:
A Christmas Carol
Music: Christopher Nightingale
The Inheritance
Music: Paul Englishby
The Rose Tattoo
Music: Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb
Slave Play
Music: Lindsay Jones
The Sound Inside
Music: Daniel Kluger
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play:
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldier’s Play
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play:
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play:
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play:
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tour, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Daniel J. Watts, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Scenic Design of a Play:
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Soutra Gilmour, Betrayal
Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Derek McLane, A Soldier’s Play
Clint Ramos, Slave Play
Best Scenic Design of a Musical:
Riccardo Hernández and Lucy Mackinnon, Jagged Little Pill
Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Costume Design of a Play:
Dede Ayite, Slave Play
Dede Ayite, A Soldier’s Play
Bob Crowley, The Inheritance
Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol
Clint Ramos, The Rose Tattoo
Best Costume Design of a Musical:
Emily Rebholz, Jagged Little Pill
Mark Thompson, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Lighting Design of a Play:
Jiyoun Chang, Slave Play
Jon Clark, The Inheritance
Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside
Allen Lee Hughes, A Soldier’s Play
Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol
Best Lighting Design of a Musical:
Bruno Poet, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Justin Townsend, Jagged Little Pill
Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play:
Paul Arditti & Christopher Reid, The Inheritance
Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol
Lindsay Jones, Slave Play
Daniel Kluger, Sea Wall/A Life
Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside
Best Sound Design of a Musical:
Jonathan Deans, Jagged Little Pill
Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Direction of a Play:
David Cromer, The Sound Inside
Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance
Kenny Leon, A Soldier’s Play
Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal
Robert O’Hara, Slave Play
Best Direction of a Musical:
Phyllida Lloyd, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill
Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Best Choreography:
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jagged Little Pill
Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Anthony Van Laast, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Orchestrations:
Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill
Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Ethan Popp, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
