No, not the teen vampires from “The Lost Boys” — The Tony Awards nominating committee.
Tuesday’s nominations for the best of the Broadway season made it plainly clear what the group of 55 voting theater professionals absolutely loathed.
The flop $22.5 million musical “The Queen of Versailles,” “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz’s burning pile of rubble, scored nada. Not even for designer Dane Laffrey’s gorgeous, mammoth set, or beloved diva Kristin Chenoweth. Meet the latest New York Times Critic’s Pick to goose egg.
And — did you ever know that you got ze-ro?! — “Beaches” was beached. Expect a swift closing notice for the bellyflopping “Wind Beneath My Wings” show at the Majestic.
In fact, the committee hated those two so much, they shoved a couple of plays in the best score category instead: Those old toe-tappers “Death of a Salesman” and “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.”
“Proof” — the math play revival co-produced by the Obamas and starring acclaimed actors Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle — also succumbed to that lowliest of integers: 0.
Were the nominators won over by the $tar power of Lea Michele in “Chess”? Nope. Instead they recognized her less-famous co-stars Nicholas Christopher (great), Hannah Cruz (good) and Bryce Pinkham (baffling).
“Brutalist” Oscar winner Adrien Brody also had a brutal day — he failed to snag a best actor nod for the badly-written criminal-justice play “The Fear of 13.” Timothée Chalamet must be grinning from ear to ear.
And prestige TV stars Jon Berthal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (both of “Dog Day Afternoon”) and Jean Smart (“Call Me Izzy”) didn’t make the cut either.
Plenty of shows performed very well — on the play side because of a wealth of extraordinary revivals, and on the musical end because a small number of worthy-ish shows gobbled up all the slots by default.
Two productions led the pack for best musical: “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon,” with 12 nods apiece. Rounding out the category was the cute, little “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” with nine and the hilarious off-Broadway success story “Titanique” with four.
The playing field is much more level than “Maybe Happy Ending”’s season-long streamroll was last year, and there is no clear frontrunner.
That said, conversations around town suggest the battle is between “Lost Boys” and “Schmig.”
A few slights today lead me to believe “Lost Boys” is a little ahead. “Schmigadoon” actors Max Clayton and McKenzie Kurtz were both left off the featured actor categories, implying nominators didn’t feel the urge to put the show that’s based on the canceled Apple TV show everywhere they possibly could.
Plenty in the industry like “Lost Boys” well enough — few outright love anything — and the other three new musicals appear to many to be lost causes.
One Broadway source, sounding like a Democratic Party operative at primary time, conceded, “Everybody should close ranks around ‘Lost Boys.’” Other voters have privately echoed that sentiment.
But one had doubts. “Wasn’t the story predictable?,” they said. “And all the power ballads!”
Speaking of power ballads, onto “Ragtime,” which is nominated for musical revival. There are three contenders: “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” (nine nods) “Ragtime” (11) and “The Rocky Horror Show” (nine). But voters won’t do the Time Warp again — it’s down to the first two.
“Ragtime” is beautifully sung and moving (though many voters whine about the concert-esque staging). And its stars Caissie Levy and Joshua Henry probably win best actress and actor. But euphoric “Jellicle Ball” totally reinvents “Cats” — a feat thought to be impossible — and the fab felines should hoist the big prize.
A deeper bench is the superb play revivals. Even with a strong slate, that race boils down to “Death of a Salesman” and “Oedipus.”
Both are excellent, but high-grossing “Salesman” is on everybody’s lips right now (it just won the New York Drama Critics Circle’s best ensemble prize) and British “Oedipus”’ February closing date is miles in the rearview. I expect attention will be paid to “Salesman.”
Tighter still is the tussle between Willy Loman and Roald Dahl — a k a Nathan Lane and John Lithgow.
The “Salesman” and “Giant” stars up for best actor in a play have a lot going for them: veteran status, past Tony wins and a widespread sense that they’re doing some of the finest work of their long careers.
“Salesman” has more heat behind it, which should help Lane. But Lithgow is carrying “Giant” entirely on his shoulders. He’s the reason people are seeing it. Flip a coin.
His “Giant” is duking it out with Women’s Lib dramedy “Liberation,” “The Balusters” and “Little Bear Ridge Road” for best play. Long-closed, Pulitzer-winning “Liberation” will take it.
Some quick stabs: Laurie Metcalf gets best supporting actress for “Salesman” and Lesley Manville takes best actress for “Oedipus.”
I am especially thrilled for Alden Ehrenreich, who was nominated for best featured actor for his brilliantly acidic turn in best revival nominee “Becky Shaw.” He’s the season’s greatest find.
Ehrenreich is part of a stellar category (Christopher Abbott, Danny Burstein, Brandon J. Dirden, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Richard Thomas). However, the “Solo: A Star Wars Story” star is a cut above the rest.
The Tony Awards air June 7 on CBS. And rather in the spirit of this strange, confusing, letdown of a season, they’ll be hosted by Pink.
