Welcome back to the final round of the 5th Annual Marco Awards, this time for Excellence in Theatre. This is an important category as the only one in existence that places Broadway offerings in the same category with off-Broadway, National Tours, and professional regional theatres. In a category that was virtually non-existent and considered for retirement last year, I am happy to report there were at least a handful of new free offerings of streamed musicals after only one last year, a very watered down Sutton Foster Anything Goes from London. Seems the “we need entertainment “ mentality during covid has gone back to greedy pre-covid levels where everything went straight to paid Broadway.com. I allowed Foster’s production to be nominated again this year, as it did air on PBS, but this time against other competition. Let’s hope New York finds its previous quality, the road maintains their current levels, and streaming remembers we need and deserve free entertainment from theatre. As the trend continues, Broadway takes a minimum number of awards (only one this year) and national tours and regionals are sweeping the live category, with London making the streaming categories even viable. Step it up New York, Give us the quality you claim you are next year.
And once again, as tradition would have it, a theatrical awards show should have a strong produciton number to open our show, so once again, pick your own adventure from the two best ever: one of the best Tony Award openings in this millennium (Neil Patrick Harris’ 2013 “Bigger”), or one of the biggest messes on any awards show ever since Rob Lowe danced with Snow White (a mishmash of every show from the 2010 season, resulting in not only robbing every show of their best number to feature for their nomination, but also provided shenanigans like Brett Michaels taking headbanging to another level when he concussed himself on a set change, and the most bizarre mash-up ever with Aaron Tveit screaming “I’m Alive” at a likely drunk Stockard Channing warbling “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered”). Cjoose your adventure below.
And with that, Welcome to the 3rd Annual Marco Awards for Excellence in Theatre. Let the festivities begin…
The 5th Annual MARCO AWARDS 2024: THEATRE (LIVE and STREAMING)
BEST LIVE MUSICAL
& Juliet—The newest London transport of a surprising Max Marten jukebox musical (everything Backstreet, *NSYNC, Britney, Christina, or Katey, the most celebrated songwriter of this millennium) combines to be a hilarious and energetic tale of what would happen if Juliet didn’t commit suicide for this silly boy she met 3 days earlier.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Tempations—This electrifying journey through Motown history and the many tribulations of the legendary group is jukebox musical at itls finest
Back to the Future—The show nobody thought would work is one of the most entertaining shows in New York and on the road last year, and the special effects are out of this world. The disappearing and reappearing car and the smoking fire tracks it leaves behind are straight out of the movie magic, except live and on stage
Bye Bye Birdie—The Kennedy Center outdid themselves with their show that Covid postponed. The five year wait was worth it. The cast was better and the creativity took a cute golden aged musical and restored it to all its glory
The Cher Show—The show that New York went out of their way to kill was scheduled to start a full scale tour April of 2020. Thank goodness a smaller version was preserved to go out last year and preserve the best jukebox musical—hell, the best musical period—you didn’t see. And that’s your fault.
Mamma Mia—The grandfather of all modern jukebox musicals came round for a 25th Anniversary Tour before heading back to New York, and it’s just as funny and fresh as it was a quarter century ago
The Who’s Tommy—The first revival since the show floored Broadway in 1993, the cast is stellar and the rock concert execution was even better than before.
WINNER: TIE: The Cher Show, and & Juliet. I don’t care what anyone thinks. Everyone who saw it was surprised how wonderful and insightful it was, how fantastic the leads were, and all the Bob Mackie costumes that the duo made famous recreated was visually breathtaking. Any of these shows could have won, but if the Oscars and Tonys can give make-up or career awards, I’m allowed to make amends for a show that New York went out of its way to sabotage. The others (escept maybe Tommy) all had a fair chance in New York. Not to mention Rick Elice’s (Jersey Boys) clever and funny book where Cher in three stages of her career all interacted to have conversations rather than just talk to us was passed over for a Tony nomination, yet Donimique Morriseau’s lackluster book for Ain’t Too Proud, which read like a 6th grade book report was. New York did you dirty, Cher. Marco is rectifying that.
That said, & Juliet is the best tour of recent years, charming audiences off their feet with a funny feminist revision of Shakespeare’s ultimate teen drama, told with a score full of the ultimate teen music that the entire audience can enjoy. Much finnier and smarter than it should be,
BEST LIVE PLAY
Clue—The new version of the Jonathan Landis movie script tweaked and brought to life on stage is a fun packed 75 minutes of comie whodunit played out by a game cast and an amazing elaborate game board set.
Dixie’s Tupperware Party—The Kennedy Center tour of this immersive show was half drag comedy, half history lesson about the shady past of the Tupperwear industry, and half actual Tupperwear party was one and a half times as fun as any of these events would have been separately. Hosted by creator Kris Andersson as hostess Dixie Longate, the show was an off-night blast
The Kite Runner—The Oprah book club entry becomes a riveting story of middle esaat atrocities and redemption in a hard hitting, ultimately heartwarming story
The Lehman Trilogy—In a fantastic production by DC’s Shakespeare Theatre, three actors playing all the key members of the Lehman family who immigrated here 150 years ago and transitioned the cotton business into the banking empire that was too big to fail (yet the only casualty Obama didn’t bail out) in the 2008 banking collapse. Sounds like a boring history lesson and is anything but.
Life of Pi—Amazing puppetry brings the morality tale of a boy stranded at sea with four zoo animals that play the circle of life out on a raft and revel in the intermingling of nature and humans as we struggle to coexist on one planet
WINNER: Life of Pi. The visionary artistry was the star of the piece and provided breathtaking effects that only theatre can.
BEST STREAMING PRODUCTION of a MUSICAL
Allegiance—The George Takei-driven production about the the critical events in a Japanese_American interment camp during WWII that tore a family apart was one of the most underrated musicals of the new millennium. Thank goodness it was captured for perpetuity so its important lessons are carried on to a generation that knows nothing about history
Anything Goes—The London company of the Cole Porter standard starring American theatre darling Sutton Foster was also run last year, but as the only candidate, was deemed not of quality to be handed an award (the 60% Aaron Tveit Tony rule, which somehow he passed considering their bias against him). This season, with competition, it is eligible again.
Kiss Me Kate—The Bartlet Scher interpretation of Cole Porter’s masterpiece starring two time Marco winner and Tony winner Stephanie Block was the only totally new entry, and it brought the glorious music and witty comedy to a new generation, rectifying the ridiculously woke Kelly O’Hara Broadway production a few seasons back (the only saving grace was the amazing Corbin Bleu dancing for his legacy). How do you do a take-off of The Taming of the Shrew and not have Petruccio spank Kate? Spanking is demeaning but kicking her ass around stage isn’t? Make up your mind, #MeToo.
WINNER: Allegiance. Kate is wonderful and Block is Wunderbar, but Sher misses his mark slightly, just failing to instill that typical magic he is known for in reinterpreting the classics for today (His Lincoln Center The King & I is textbook in a perfect revival). And Nothing Went in Anything Goes. Allegiance, was a show that got lost in stronger seasons and has thankfully found new life as a streaming musical, because it is an important topic that is not taught in schools and needs to be seen. Plus the stellar cast makes it a lost gem
BEST STREAMING PRODUCTION of a PLAY
Purlie Victorious—The legendary Ossie Davis’ classic play, subtitled “A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”, about a charismatic preacher who returns to claim his church for his from the hands of a dasatardly plantation owner was a welcome return to New ork. Maybe a revival of the glorious musical version, Purlie¸ next?
WINNER: I have reserved the Tony Awards’ “60% rule” when there is only one nominee, that if it doesn’t impress at least 60% of me that it should win, there is no category. I employed that rule last yeat to avoid granting the Sutton Foster’s unimpressive, lackluster Anything Goes awards for the show or her miscast performance in it. But this revival does Ossie Davis proud, and I’m happy to announce that Purlie Victorious does derserve the win on its own merits.
BEST ACTOR in a LIVE MUSICAL
Nolan Almeida (Peter Pan)—The first bonafide boy to play the role since Mary Martin hijacked it decades ago, Almeida was just the breath of boyish fresh air the show needed for a revival. Way moreso than Larissa FastHorse’s heavy-handed, politically-corrected rewrite of the book. Almeida’s fresh take and boyish energy was refreshing and made the tired piece worth another look.,
Christian Borle (Bye Bye Birdie)—One of those Broadway names who gets a lot of work, some he’s right for, some he’s marketing for. But Albert Peterson is a role that Borle was born to play, and he had a blast showing off all his song and dance skills opposite equally perfectly cast Krysta Rodriguez.
E. Clayton Cornelius (Ain’t Too Proud)—As the talented but volatile David Ruffin who lept the group together before he ultimately broke them apart was fascinating as he recreated all the rejuvenating musical segments while becoming the least sympathetic character in the show.
Adam Jacobs (The Who’s Tommy)—Broadway’s original Aladdin comes back all grown up and a perfect center to The Who’s cautionary tale of revenge and success. Trading his Disney hero voice for legitimate rock star vocals. Jacobs was a revelation for he second time in his career
Adam Lambert (Cabaret)—Tony and Olivier Award Winner Eddie Redmayne’s exceptional replacement left nothing to be desired in the morality story that he narrates. Dare I say he was musically superior. Immersed so deep in the character and the makeup and look, it was hard to even recognize pop star Lambert as he lost himself in the character and the piece
Corey Mach (& Juliet)—Sorry Christian Borle, there’s a new rock and roll Shakespeare in town wearing leather pants and Mach is magnetic, belting out boy band hits as he convinces the whole army that his Bard is “Larger Than Life”
Stephen Pasquale (Nine)—The show was only so good, but Pasquale was a solid leading man in the company of a cast of all the women in his life as Guido, a filmmaker with writer’s block as he negotiates how to incorporate their stories into his next film.
WINNER: Adam Lambert. Lambert has tested his musical theatre talents as a guest star on Glee, but he is transformative here and the reason to see the show when he was in it. Waiting to see how replacement Orville Peck does after him. And yes, the emcee is usually billed as the supporting actor, but this incarnation makes the role not only a costar but the star.
BEST ACTRESS in a LIVE MUSICAL
Britney Coleman (Company)—In the thankless job of having to sell a gender-swapped versions of Sondheim fan favorite Company, Coleman made the transposition relatively simple and much better than New York originator Katerina Link. Link was hard and unlikeable. Coleman was softer and appealing.
Alison Luff (The Who’s Tommy)—Luff stole the musical with her amazing, expansive performance of “Smash the Mirror”, leaving the audience wanting more
Katerina McCrimmon (Funny Girl)—In the thankless job of being the first touring company of Funny Girl and not Barbra Streisand. McCrimmon combined the uniqueness and difference of New York originator Beannie Feldstein with the audience appeal of her replacement Lea Michelle. McCrimmon, beautifully, made the role her own with enough nods to Streisand to appease the purists, but enough differences to be her own actress,
Krysta Rodriguez (Bye Bye Birdie)—Rodriguez was old school charming as Rosie Grant, the role that Chita Rivera originated 65 years ago. I’ve always maintained the inherent problem with Birdie is the book is so all over the place that it’s never really clear whose story is being told. Rodriguez was charming and left no question that Rosie Grant is the star of the show.
Morgan Scott (The Cher Show)—Like the touring production of Tine, in which the question lingered of who could replace dynamo Adrienne Warren as Tina Turner, who can follow fellow-Tony winner (and two time Marco winner) Stephanie J. Block in her flawless performance as Cher. But Scott carried Block’s banner strong from “If I Could Turn Back Time” to “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me”
Elizabeth Stanley (Nine)—As Pasquale’s wife, Stanley took a traditionally unlikeable role and infused her with sympathy and some of the best vocals in a talented cast.
Teal Wicks (& Juliet)—The voice of Mulan has grown up and after a thrilling stage debut last year opposite the dynamic Stephanie J. Block in Sunset Boulevard, Cravalho impressed as the iconic Sally Bowles opposite a stellar Adam Lambert.
WINNER: Teal Wicks. Wicks caught my eye in New York as glam 70s TV era Cher in The Cher Show, one of three co-leads, but she walks off with a large and very strong touring cast of &Juliet as Shalespeare’s forward thinking wife Anne Hathaway. Scott was almost as good as Stephanie Block as present day Cher, but Wicks owned her show this time out.
BEST ACTOR in a LIVE PLAY
Kris Andersson (Dixie’s Tupperware Party)—Andersson executes his immersive comedy as his drag creaton Dixie Longate and hosts the ultimate Tupperware party while instilling the checkered history of the organization and some darker comic history of his alter egos equally checkered past. Funny and educative, Andersson was a fun diversion who actually made some sales
Savidu Geevaratne (Life of Pi)—In essentially a one man show where he narrates the story while acting it out opposite the amazing puppetry, Geevaratne is exemplary
Edward Gero (The Lehman Trilogy)—Changing characters throughout the centuries, Gero is starts the narrative as pioneer immigrant Henry Lehman who established the family in America as well as many ancestors
Ramzi Khalaf (The Kite Runner)—Khalaf is a wonderful narrator to take us on the volatile and scary journey of the protagonlusts of Khaled Hosseini’s thrilling tale of violence, loss, and redemption
Mark Nelson (The Lehman Trilogy)—As youngest brother.Mayer Lehnam (the reason the drygoods company was changed from Lehman and Brother to the present day name, Nelson plays perhaps the largets variety of roles in the 3+ hour saga.
Mark Price (Clue)—Replacing the iconic Tim Curry is never easy, but Hunter Foster’s updated book makes the character of butler Wadsworth funnier and easier to inhabit. Price embreaces the challenge
Rene Thornton Jr. (The Lehman Trilogy)—As cofounder Emmanuel Lehman and a slew of descendants, Thornton shows an amazing variety of range
WINNER: Savidu Geevaratne. Savidu really holds the entire moving show together almost singlehandedly, and navigates us through different difficult passages
BEST ACTRESS in a LIVE PLAY
Michelle Elaine (Clue)—Elaine takes no cues from the iconic Lesley Ann Warren and makes her Miss Scarlet bigger, bolder, brassier, and, dare I say, funnier?
Joanna Glushack (Clue)—Glushack is a daffier version of Mrs. Peacock than the veteran character idol Eileen Brennan, but gets plenty of laughs.
Tari Kelly (Clue)—No one can compete with the divine and sorely missed Madeline Kahn, but they can sure mimic here flawless “Flames” monologue and all the snappy one-liners she tosses out so effortlessly in the movie.
WINNER: Michelle Elaine. It’s a slow season for women in a year of male-dominated plays, and Elaine is the one who makes us miss her iconic movie counterpart the least
BEST ACTOR in a STREAMED PLAY or MUSICAL
Telly Leung (Allegiance)—As the 40s version of the lead soldier, Leung, (Aladdin, Godspell 2012) in his first original starring role, is riveting
Leslie Odom (Purlie Victorious)—The Tony Winner (Hamilton) is stellar in the showcase role, originated by Davis himself (and launching the career of Robert Guillaume in the musical version), Odoms lives up to his award hype with hes second Tony here in a real show without the overrated bandwagon that ushered him into his original win.
Adrian Dunbar (Kiss Me Kate)—The London actor who in the dual roles of producer/director/star of the show within Fred Graham and Shrew’s leading man showcase Petruccio gave Block plenty to work off.
Samuel Edwards (Anything Goes)—As Porter song and dance man Billy Crocker, Edwards was the more pleasant and engaging lead of the musical.
WINNER: Leslie Odom. Odom did predecessors Davis and Guillaume justice, while entertaining a whole new generation with Davis’ classic story and characters
BEST ACTRESS in a STREAMED MUSICAL
Stephanie Block (Kiss Me Kate)—Broadway’s most underappreciated Best Actress (it took 5 years to land The Cher Show’s winner another lead vehicle, and it’s in London. (her other work was as a replacement for Sarah Bareilles in 2021’s Into the Woods revival and the subsequent, and another amazing out-of-town performance as Norma Desmond in the Kennedy Center’s superior Sunset Boulevard, all of which she was stellar). Do better by Miss Block, New York.
Sutton Foster (Anything Goes)–is up against Broadway’s most overrated Best Actress, who is for some reason the go-to for every role on Broadway regardless of how appropriate she is. (Case in point—her massacring of Meredith Willson’s immortal score of r The Music Ma, wherein she not only was belting Marian’s glorious songs out of her range, but they also had to completely rewite her biggest number,. “My White Night” because it was completely wrong for her. Add on top of that the fact that she had an affair with costar Hugh Jackman and broke up another set of marriages, and why is she worth it?) As Sweeney, she pales in the enormous character shoes of predecessors Ethel Merman in the original 1930s production and Patti LuPone in the gold standard Lincoln Center 1987 produciton. She’s the dancing Reno Sweeney …..because that’s what the role is about.
WINNER—Stephanie Block. I think everything that needs to be said was in the synopses above.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a LIVE MUSICAL
Michael Canu (& Juliet)—When Canu makes a memorable and unexpected grand entrance at the end of the first act as the resurrected first half of “…& Juliet”, he brings the house down and has the best line of the show as Romeo: “I’m nothing, I’m not aprince or a king. I’m just a sexy boy with a tight body an deep feelings” Canu sells it.
Mateus Leite Cardosa (& Juliet)—As Juliet’s new French BFF, Cardosa is great fun comically and musically.
Hugh Coles (Back to the Future)—In a show about time travel, it seems reasonable to buy that Coles is actually 1986 Crispin Glover transported to 2025 to play himself in the hit Broadway show. Coles eerily nails his essence.
Noah Galvin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)—Galvin brings another level to the on-the-spectrum Leaf Coneybear and is endearing.
Richard Kind (Bye Bye Birdie)—Veteran character actor Kind has a ball in Paul Lynde’s iconic role of curmudgeonly Harry McAfee. Tagged by many Hollywood insiders as the funniest man in show business, he’s a find for the Kennedy Center.
Kevin McHale (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)—Feared to be a star-studded miscast as outcast William Barfee, McHale brought a different physicality but no different outcome to the obnoxious contestant. His “Magic Foot” was a highlight of the show, and the performance a testament to McHale’s talent that he can make the character work
Lorenzo Pugliese (The Cher Show)—If his standout abs in a bedroom scene didn’t betray him, one would think the national tour dug up Sonny Bono and reanimated him. Pugliese is flawless
WINNER: Hugh Coles. Coles performance really is uncanny. From a certain point on in the orchestra, he really could be Glover. He walks off with a show bubbling over with special effects.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a LIVE MUSICAL
Caroline Aaron (Bye Bye Birdie)—The brilliant character actress is a natural fit as overbearing, overdoting mother Mae Peterson, a role she has prepared on for years from 21/22 Jump Street to The Marveloud Mrs. Maisel
Catherine Ariale (The Cher Show)—Ariale is statuesque and elegant as 70s TVShow/Bob Mackie era Cher and nails all the comic monologues and vocal mannerisms. She could have easily covered for star Teal Wicks in New York
Carolee Carmello (Nine)—As Pasquale’s manager/agent/ impresario Lillianne, Carmello literally lifts the roof off the Kennedy Center in the most memorably moment of their production of Nine
Melissa Manchester (Funny Girl)—As Fanny’s protective mother Rosie Brice, the iconic 70s singer/songwriter/former Bette Midler Harlette adds another accomplishment to her resume—character actress.
Bonnie Milligan (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)—Milligan, one of the strongest belters on Broadway currently, again plays against type as sympathetic hostess Rona Lisa Peretti.
Ella Perez (The Cher Show)—Perez is charming as 60s Sonny & Cher recording era Cher, and when she sings “I Got You Babe”, it brings tears to the eye. She was 1000 times better than Micaela Doamond’s understudy in New York.
Rachel Simone Webb (& Juliet)—AS the remaining titular charccter, Webb is endearing and commanding as the lead singer navigating her way through the new story she writes for herself.
WINNER: Carolee Carmello. In a strong season, Carmello shows why her Broadway pedigree is as long as it is and what a force of nature she can be with the right material. And she beat both supporting Chers, that’s how strong she was.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a LIVE PLAY
Shahzeb Sahid Hussain (The Kite Runner)—Hussain has the hardest role of the season as young Hassan, being brutally assaulted night after night in city after city, but balances it with a surprise dual role at shows end that makes the evening satisfying and hoepful
Haythem Noor (The Kite Runner)—Noor is heartbreaking as our narrater’s father Baba who is an authoritative aristocrat who loses everything after emigrating to the US, including his status and his manhood, but not his hope.
The Puppeteers (varies) (Life of Pi)—A rotating crew brings the anmal contingency to breathtaking life in this morality tale, including the literal costar of the show, a regally intimidating bangal tiger
John Schartzer (Clue)—As a far more limber and comedic Mr. Green than Michael McKean’s comic joke in the movie, Schartzer brings an impressive physicality to the role that makes the new script fly.
WINNER: John Schartzer. Any of the nominees could have won this category, but something about Schartzer’s impressive physical comic gifts gave him the edge. Comedy is always harder to do than even high drama and Schartzer makes it high comedy.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a LIVE PLAY
Mariah Burkes (Clue)—Burkes steals several scenes as the Cook who meets with a dastardly end
Elizabeth Yancey (Clue)—As the bimbo French maid Yvette, Yancey gets all the dim bulb humor and flirtatious sex appeal down
WINNER: Elizabeth Yancey. Pretty much a draw, it’s just that Yancey gets more stage time and more classic jokes from the movie. This is a first, though, where all the nominee’s of both categories (best and supporting actress here) all came from the same cast. A heavily male-dominated season for straight plays.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a STREAMED PLAY or MUSICAL
George Takei (Allegiance)—Takei plays the present day older version of Leung’s character and his grandfather in the 1940’s flashback. It’s a dual plum role for the colorful actor and a great showcase for an older Asian actor who’s not a Yazu drug lord or a karate master
Greg Watanabe (Allegiance)—Watanabe is stirring as the fiancé of Leung’s sister, whose contemporary radical leanings drive a wedge between the central family.
Bily Eugene Jones (Purlie Victoriuos)—Jones is the comic relief of the piece, in the role that launched Sherman Hemsley to fame in the musical version.
Charlie Stemp (Kiss Me Kate)—Stemp as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio carries the song and dance portion of the show and finishes strong with a great 11:00 “Bianca”
Nigel Lindsay & Hammed Animashaun (Kiss Me Kate)—As usual Lindsay and Animashaun as the film noire gangsters sent to collect a note in this mistaken identity comedy steal the show as the fish out of water. Not to mention literally stealing the show with their 11:15 showstopper, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”. It’s impossible to separate them because their teamwork as a comedy duo is tight in their ability to play off each other
Robert Lindsay (Anything Goes)—The Tony winner (Me & My Girl) takes on the featured lead of Moonface Martin, public enemy #13 in this slapstick parody of celebrity worshiping, which its harder today then when it was written.
WINNER: George Takei. I was primed to give the award to Lindsay and Animashaun for their flawless comic wordplay plus musical scene theft, but Allegiance was a passion project for Takei and it would never have materialized without his persistent guidance. To carry that dedication over to the stage adds an additional layer of sentimentality and emotionality to his performance that pushes him to the top.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a STREAMED PLAY or MUSICAL
Kara Young (Purlie Victorious)—Young won the Tony as backwoods ingénue Lutibelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, the pretty but backwards love interest originated by Mrs. Davis Ruby Dee and made a star of Melba Moore in the musical version.
Heather Alicia Simms (Purlie Victorous)—Simms is the number two comic relief as Gitlow’s long suffering wife Missy.
Lea Salonga (Allegiance)—The always sublime Salonga is radiant as Leung/Takei’s devoted older sister who becomes estranged from the family when her radical fiancé opens her eyes to the racist injustice in America. Wisely handed all the big numbers, Salonga again soars as the best thing in every show she’s in.
Georgina Onuorah (Kiss Me Kate)—In the prime role of director’s mistress Lois Lane/Bianca, Onnorah gets all the big numbers (“Tom Dick & Harry” as Bianca and the neverending masterpiece “Always True to You Darling, in My Fashion” as Lois) and takes them both home.
WINNER: Lea Salonga. Salonga is a gift to worldwide musical theatre and 35 years after her award winning debut as Kim in Miss Saigon, she’s still as fresh, effervescent, and uplifting with her soaring endless voice. She, like Block, deserves all the awards.
BEST SCORE of a LIVE MUSICAL
& Juliet—music & lyrics by Max Martin
Back to the Future—music & lyrics by Alan Sylvestri
The Cher Show—music & lyrics by Various
Funny Girl—music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Isobel Lennart
Peter Pan—music by Morris (Moose) Chapman, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, with additional music by Jule Styne and additional lyrics by Betty Comden, Adolph Green, & Amanda Greene
The Who’s Tommy—music & lyrics by Pete Townshend
WINNER: Pete Townsend (The Who’s Tommy). While The Cher Show absolutely has the better and more popular score, as your typical jukebox musical it’s patched together from dozens of individual songwriters. Townsend producing a solid classic score for the iconic Tommy is just more impressive as a body of work.
BEST SCRIPT of a LIVE MUSICAL
& Juliet— by David West Read
Back to the Future— by Bob Gale
Bye Bye Birdie—by Michael Stewart
The Cher Show— by Rick Elise
Peter Pan— by Larissa FastHorse
WINNER: TIE: Rick Elise (The Cher Show) & David West Read (& Juliet). Elise elevated The Cher Show beyond ordinary jukebox musical with a clever and witty script written in three ages of the voice of its iconic heroine, which fell on literally deaf hears in New York. But I can’t not acklnowledge how absolutely smart Read’s book is with a story that risks being upstaged by it’s megahit score. Both succeeded in different ways and both deserve recognition. Do ou hear me, all you buttheads in New York?
BEST SCRIPT of a LIVE PLAY
The Lehman Trilogy—book by Stefano Massini
Dixie’s Tupperware Party—book by Kris Andersson
Clue—by Sandy Rustin, Jonathan Lynn, Hunter Foster, and Eric Price
The Kite Runner—book by Matthew Spangler
Life of Pi—book by Lolita Chakrabarti
WINNER: Stefano Massini (The Lehman Trilogy) Hard call. Kite Runner and Pi were also exceptional, but the acting and puppetry were probably more responsible for their successes. Massini took a 3+ hour history of economics lecture and made it thrilling, and the Shakespeare Theatre’s three-man cast executed it exceptionally.
BEST STREAMED ONE-PERSON SPECIAL EVENT
Alex Edelman, Just for Us—Edelman’s Broadway performance, taped before going on national tour is a hilarious old school comedy about the millennial experience today, especially from the Jewish point of view. His frustrations vary from the economy they’ve inherited from prior generations (“How will millennials every afford a house? Old people are here talking about ‘My house is worth $2 million. I bought it in 1981 for 11 raspberries.’ I have 9 roommates and we all pay $11,000 a month!”) to a trip to a Queens white supremacy rally (“I’m thinking, they’re only racist because they haven’t met Alex!”). It’s the only candidate for nomination, but it’s a fun and funny account of real conversations for a new time.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A ONE-PERSON STREAMED SPECIAL EVENT
Alex Edelman, Just for Us—Edelman makes a great voice for a new generation, again the only candidate but a worthy winner.
Just another analysis of the results and once again, the proportion of winners are from national tours or regional theatres (the Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage Season in particular). New York is so determined to tell us what we like, but the road companies are more varied and enjoyable. Maybe New York needs to listen to the facts instead of standing so strongly on their overpriced lecturing?
PAST WINNERS
BEST LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Mean Girls
2022 Six
2023 Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center, Broadway Center Stage)
2024 Into the Woods (National Tour)
BEST LIVE PLAY
2021 To Kill a Mockingbird
2022 Slave Play
2023 Change Agent (Arena Stage)
2024 The Play That Goes Wrong (National Tour)
BEST STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 Miss Saigon
2022 Come From Away
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST STREAMED PLAY
2021 A Streetcar Named Desire
2022 [no category]
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST ACTOR IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice)
2022 Conrad Ricamora (Little Shop of Horrors)
2023 Derek Klena (Sunset Boulevard)
2024 Rob McClure (Mrs. Doubtfire)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Taylor Louderman (Mean Girls)
2022 Heidi Blickenstaff (Jagged Little Pill)
2023 Stephanie J. Block (Sumset Boulevard)
2024 Stephanie J. Block (Into the Woods)
BEST ACTOR IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 Jon Jon Briones (Miss Saigon)
2022 Matt Henry (Kinky Boots)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST ACTRESS IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 [combined with streamed play]
2022 Jenna de Waal (Diana)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST ACTOR IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 [combined with live musical]
2022 [combined with live musical]
2023 Jessie Williams (Take Me Out)
2024 Richard Thomas (To Kill a Mockingbird)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 [combined with live musical]
2022 [combined with live musical]
2023 Andrea Abello (Change Agent)
2024 Melanie Moore (To Kill a Mockingbird)
BEST ACTOR IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 [combined with streamed musical]
2022 [combined with streamed musical]
2023 [no catgeory]
2024 [no category]
BEST ACTRESS IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 Gillian Anderson (A Streetcar Named Desire)
2022 [combined with streamed musical]
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 [combined with live play]
2022 Daniel J. Watts (Tina)
2023 Jason Forback (Into the Woods, NY)
2024 Gavin Creel (Into the Woods, National Tour)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls)
2022 Dawnn Lewis (Tina)
2023 Jonalynn Sacon (Mean Girls)
2024 Jihkx Monsoon (Chicago)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 Nick Robinson (To Kill a Mockingbird)
2022 [combined with live musical]
2023 Matthew Hydzik (Doubt)
2024 Yagel T. Welch (To Kill a Mockingbird)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIVE PLAY
2021 [combined with live musical]
2022 [combines with live musical
2023 Che Lyons (Doubt)
2024 Jacqueline Williams (To Kill a Mockingbird0
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)
2022 Cesar Samoya (Come From Away)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A STREAMED MUSICAL
2021 Stephanie J. Block (Falsettos)
2022 Judy Kaye (Diana)
2023 [no category]
2024 [no cagegory]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 [combined with streamed musical]
2022 [combined with streamed musical]
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A STREAMED PLAY
2021 [combined with streamed musical]
2022 [combined with streamed musical]
2023 [no category]
2024 [no category]
BEST SCORE OF A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Jeff Richmond & Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls)
2022 Toby Marlowe & Lucy Moss (Six)
2023 Andrew Lloyd Webber & Don Black, Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard)
2024 Charlie Smalls (The Wiz)
BEST SCRIPT OF A LIVE MUSICAL
2021 Tina Fey (Mean Girls)
2022 Joe DiPietro (Diana)
2023 James Lapine (Into the Woods)
2024 William F. Brown & Amber Ruffin (The Wiz)
BEST SCRIPT OF A LIVE PLAY
2021 Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play)
2022 [no category]
2023 Joe DiPietro (Change Agent)
2024 Aaron Sorkin (To Kill a Mockingbird)
BEST STREAMED ONE-PERSON SPECIAL EVENT
2021 What the Constitution Means to Me
2022 [no category]
2023 David Byrne’s Utopia
2024 The Old Man & the Pool
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A ONE-PERSON STREAMED EVENT
2021 John Leguizamo (Latin History for Morons)
2022 [no category]
2023 David Byrne (Utopia)
2024 Mike Birbiglia (The Old Man & the Pool)