Entertainment

Hollywood stars among nominees at 2023 Tony Awards

May 3, 2023 | 5:39pm

Hollywood stars among nominees at 2023 Tony Awards

Composite image of Jessica Chastain, Samuel L. Jackson, and Josh Groban

STAR / file

MANILA, Philippines — The 2023 Tony Awards nominations were led by musical "Some Like It Hot" with 13 nods, while several Hollywood actors also grabbing nominations in the acting categories.

The Lead Actor (Play) nominees include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for his Broadway debut in "Topdog/Underdog," his co-star Corey Hawkins (having appeared onstage for the first time since 2017), and comedian Sean Hayes who is also returned to theater after six years for "Good Night, Oscar."

The three men are going up against relative theater veterans Stephen McKinley Henderson for "Between Riverside and Crazy" and Wendell Pierce for "Death of a Salesman," both of which have also dabbled in cinema.

In the actress counterpart category are Oscar winner Jessica Chastain for "A Doll's House" and Emmy winner Jodie Comer for "Prima Facie," the latter her Broadway debut; they are up against veterans Jessica Hect for "Summer, 1976" and Audra McDonald for "Ohio State Murders."

"Some Like It Hot" is represented in Lead Actor (Musical) by Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee, however they face competition in Josh Groban for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Ben Platt for "Parade," Brian d'Arcy James for "Into the Woods" and Colton Ryan for "New York, New York."

Groban, James, and Platt's female counterparts — Annaleigh Ashford, Sara Bareilles, and Micaela Diamond, respectively — are up for Lead Actress (Musical) as are Victoria Clark for "Kimberly Akimbo" and Lorna Courtney for "& Juliet."

Perhaps the biggest Hollywood name nominated for a Tony for the first time ever this year is Samuel L. Jackson in the Featured Actor (Play) category for "The Piano Lesson," his second Broadway appearance after his debut a decade ago.

Screen legend Jackson will be up against Chastain's co-star Arian Moayed, writer-actor Jordan E. Cooper for "Ain't No Mo'," Brandon Uranowitz for "Leopoldstadt" and David Zayas for "Cost of Living."

In the female counterpart of that category are Zayas' co-stars Katy Sullivan and Kara Young, Cooper's co-star "Ain't No Mo'," Nikki Crawford for "Fat Ham" and Miriam Silverman for "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window."

Finally in the Musical categories for featured artists are Kevin Del Aguila and NaTasha Yvette Williams for "Some Like It Hot," Justin Cooley and Bonnie Milligan for "Kimberly Akimbo," Kevin Cahoon and Alex Newell for "Shucked," Jordan Donica for "Camelot," Julia Lester for "Into the Woods," Betsy Wolfe for "& Juliet" and Ruthie Ann Miles for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

The aforementioned Ghee and Newell are the first non-binary performers to be nominated for a performance; last year Toby Marlow won Best Score for "Six."

Following "Some Like It Hot" — a jazz reimagination of the 1959 film of the same name— in the nominations count were fellow musicals "& Juliet," "New York, New York," and "Shucked" all at nine including Best Musical; the fifth nominee was "Kimberly Akimbo" with eight nods.

The most-nominated plays were "A Doll’s House," "Leopoldstadt" and "Ain't No Mo'," all with six nominations; the latter actually only had 28 performances before closing but still managed a Best Play nomination.

Notable snubs were "The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window" co-stars Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan, "The Piano Lesson" co-stars John David Washington and Danielle Brooks, Laura Linney for "Summer 1976," D’Arcy Carden for shut-out "The Thanksgiving Play," and Phillipa Soo for either "Into the Woods" and "Camelot."

Legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber did not get a Best Original Score for "Bad Cinderella," at the expense of mix-reviewed "Almost Famous" which is the stage adaptation of Cameron Crowe's 2000 movie of the same name.

Even several directors did not make the cut including Thomas Kail for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Susan Stroman for "New York, New York," LaTanya Richardson Jackson for "The Piano Lesson,"

The 2023 Tony Awards, with Ariana DeBose returning for hosting duties, will be on June 11, 2023.