After four years of off-Broadway productions, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812 blazed a path through the 2017 Tony nominations Tuesday morning (announced by former Hamilton star Christopher Jackson and 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Jane Krakowski) like, well, a comet. The electro-pop opera based on a snippet of Tolstoy’s War and Peace earned 12 nominations (including one for musician Josh Groban, who made his Broadway debut in the show), more than any other production. The crowd-adored revival of Hello, Dolly! got 10, including one for Bette Midler—after three Grammys, three Emmys, and four Golden Globes, this is her first Tony nomination ever—and David Hyde Pierce. Among the acting categories, Patti LuPone, Sally Field, Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney, Chris Cooper, Kevin Kline, and Laurie Metcalf all also received nods.
It is a good year for American playwrights, with the best play category taken over by Lucas Hnath for A Doll’s House, Part 2; J.T. Rogers for Oslo; and the Pulitzer Prize–winning pair Lynn Nottage, for the socially conscious Sweat, and Paula Vogel, for Indecent. The most hotly watched race, however, is likely to be that of best new musical, and 2017 looks set to be a showdown between the heartfelt, teenage angst–filled Dear Evan Hansen; the 9/11-themed Come From Away; The Great Comet; and the stage spin-off of the beloved Bill Murray film Groundhog Day.
The Tony Awards will be handed out June 11 at Radio City Music Hall in New York and broadcast on CBS; Kevin Spacey will host. Below, the full list of nominations.
Best Play:A Doll’s House, Part 2 Indecent Oslo Sweat
Best Musical:Come From Away Dear Evan Hansen Groundhog Day Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812
Best Book of a Musical:Come From Away—Irene Sankoff and David Hein Dear Evan Hansen—Steven Levenson Groundhog Day—Danny Rubin Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812—Dave Malloy
Best Original Score:Come From Away—Music Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein Dear Evan Hansen—Music Lyrics: Benj Pasek Justin Paul Groundhog Day—Music Lyrics: Tim Minchin Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812—Music Lyrics: Dave Malloy
Best Revival of a Play:Jitney The Little Foxes Present Laughter Six Degrees of Separation
Best Revival of a Musical:Falsettos Hello, Dolly! Miss Saigon
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play:Denis Arndt, HeisenbergChris Cooper, A Doll’s House, Part 2Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of SeparationKevin Kline, Present LaughterJefferson Mays, Oslo
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play:Cate Blanchett, The PresentJennifer Ehle, OsloSally Field, The Glass MenagerieLaura Linney, The Little FoxesLaurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical:Christian Borle, FalsettosJosh Groban, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812Andy Karl, Groundhog DayDavid Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical:Denée Benton, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812Christine Ebersole, War PaintPatti LuPone, War PaintBette Midler, Hello, Dolly!Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play:Michael Aronov, OsloDanny DeVito, The PriceNathan Lane, The Front PageRichard Thomas, The Little FoxesJohn Douglas Thompson, Jitney
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play:Johanna Day, SweatJayne Houdyshell, A Doll’s House, Part 2Cynthia Nixon, The Little FoxesCondola Rashad, A Doll’s House, Part 2Michelle Wilson, Sweat
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical:Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!Mike Faist, Dear Evan HansenAndrew Rannells, FalsettosLucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical:Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!Stephanie J. Block, FalsettosJenn Colella, Come From AwayRachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan HansenMary Beth Peil, Anastasia
Best Scenic Design of a Play:David Gallo, JitneyNigel Hook, The Play That Goes WrongDouglas W. Schmidt, The Front PageMichael Yeargan, Oslo
Best Scenic Design of a Musical:Rob Howell, Groundhog DayDavid Korins, War PaintMimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Best Costume Design of a Play:Jane Greenwood, The Little FoxesSusan Hilferty, Present LaughterToni-Leslie James, JitneyDavid Zinn, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Costume Design of a Musical:Linda Cho, AnastasiaSanto Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812Catherine Zuber, War Paint
Best Lighting Design of a Play:Christopher Akerlind, IndecentJane Cox, JitneyDonald Holder, OsloJennifer Tipton, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Best Lighting Design of a Musical:Howell Binkley, Come From AwayNatasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen
Best Direction of a Play:Sam Gold, A Doll’s House, Part 2Ruben Santiago-Hudson, JitneyBartlett Sher, OsloDaniel Sullivan, The Little FoxesRebecca Taichman, Indecent
Best Direction of a Musical:Christopher Ashley, Come From AwayRachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812Michael Greif, Dear Evan HansenMatthew Warchus, Groundhog DayJerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!
Best Choreography:Andy Blankenbuehler, BandstandPeter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog DayKelly Devine, Come From AwayDenis Jones, Holiday InnSam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812
Best Orchestrations:Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, BandstandLarry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan HansenDave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre The Great Comet of 1812
Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre:James Earl Jones
Special Tony Award:Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin, sound designers for The Encounter
Regional Theatre Tony Award:Dallas Theater Center in Dallas, Texas
Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award:Baayork Lee
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre:Nina Lannan and Alan Wasser