Pundits split over close Tonys races: Denzel vs. Molina, CZJ vs. Montego
"Red" and "Memphis" are the front-runners to win best play and musical at the Tony Awards on June 13, according to the predictions of most pundits. However, the gurus are divided over some top races, including best drama actor: Denzel Washington ("Fences") versus Alfred Molina ("Red"). Also, best actress in a musical: Catherine Zeta-Jones ("A Little Night Music") versus Montego Glover ("Memphis").
Below, the views of these Tonys prophets: Melissa Bernardo (Entertainment Weekly), Lane Brown (New York Magazine Vulture), Martin Denton (NYTheatre.com), Robert Diamond (Broadway World), Thom Geier (Entertainment Weekly), Susan Haskins (Theater Talk), Harry Haun (Playbill), Andy Humm (GayUSA, Gay City News), Leonard Jacobs (Clyde Fitch Report), Brian Lipton (TheaterMania), Tom O'Neil (Gold Derby, The Envelope), Paul Sheehan (The Envelope), David Sheward (Back Stage), Matt Windman (amNY), Wayman Wong (New York Daily News).
BEST PLAY
"Red" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST MUSICAL
"American Idiot" — Jacobs
"Fela!" — Brown, Geier, Haskins, Humm
"Memphis" — Bernardo, Denton, Diamond, Haun, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
"Fences" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
"La Cage Aux Folles" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
Alfred Molina, "Red" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton
Denzel Washington, "Fences" — Geier, Haskins, Haun, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Viola Davis, "Fences" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Stephen McKinley Henderson, "Fences" — Berndardo, Haskins, Haun, Windman
Eddie Redmayne, "Red" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Wong
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Jan Maxwell, "Lend Me a Tenor" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Jacobs, O'Neil, Sheehan, Wong
Scarlett Johansson, "A View from the Bridge" — Humm, Lipton, Sheward, Windman
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Douglas Hodge, "La Cage Aux Folles" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
Sahr Ngaujah, "Fela!" — Haskins
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Montego Glover, "Memphis" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Sheward, Wong
Catherine Zeta-Jones, "A Little Night Music" — Bernardo, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Windman
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Robin de Jesus, "La Cage aux Folles" — Brown, Geier, O'Neil
Kevin Chamberlin, "The Addams Family" — Jacobs
Levi Kreis, "Million Dollar Quartet" — Bernardo, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Lipton, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Katie Finneran, "Promises, Promises" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Michael Grandage, "Red" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, Sheehan, Sheward
Kenny Leon, "Fences" — Bernardo, Geier, O'Neil, Windman, Wong
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Christopher Ashley, "Memphis" — Brown
Terry Johnson, "La Cage Aux Folles" — Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
Bill T. Jones, "Fela!" — Bernardo, Humm, Jacobs
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Bill T. Jones, "Fela!" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, Wong
Lynne Page, "La Cage aux Folles" — Bernardo
Twyla Tharp, "Come Fly Away" — Geier, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
"Everyday Rapture" — Bernardo
"Memphis" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haun, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
"Fela!" — Haskins, Humm
BEST SCORE
"Fences" — Geier
"Memphis" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
"Memphis" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Geier, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
"Fela!" — Bernardo, Humm
"Promises, Promises" — Haun
BEST SET DESIGN OF A PLAY
"Fences" — Denton
"Red" — Bernardo, Brown, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Humm, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
"The Royal Family" — Haun, Jacobs, Lipton
BEST SET DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
"Fela!" — Denton, Haskins, Lipton
"American Idiot" — Bernardo, Brown, Diamond, Geier, Humm, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
"La Cage aux Folles" — Haun
"Ragtime" — Jacobs
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
"In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play" — Bernardo, Geier
"Lend Me a Tenor" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Wong
"The Royal Family" — Jacobs, Windman
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
"Fela!" — Humm
"La Cage Aux Folles" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
"Red" — Bernardo, Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Haun, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
"American Idiot" — Bernardo, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Humm, Jacobs, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
"Fela!" — Geier
"La Cage aux Folles" — Brown, Haun
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
"Enron" — Jacobs
"Red" — Brown, Haun, Geier, Lipton
"Fences" — Bernardo, Denton, Diamond, Haskins, Humm, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
"Fela!" — Brown, Denton, Diamond, Geier, Haskins, Humm, Lipton, O'Neil, Sheehan, Sheward, Windman, Wong
"La Cage aux Folles" — Haun
"Sondheim on Sondheim" — Bernardo, Jacobs
Photos: Alfred Molina in "Red" (John Golden Theatre), Denzel Washington in "Fences" (Cort Theatre), Catherine Zeta-Jones in "A Little Night Music" (Walter Kerr Theatre), Montego Glover in "Memphis" (Shubert Theatre).
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