NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A pair of singing androids. Two Pulitzer Prize-winning plays. A drunken Mary Todd Lincoln. A musical with Romeo, Juliet and Not to mention
Broadway has had a stuffed season with seemingly something for everyone and now it's time to recognize the best with the Tony Awards, hosted by Cynthia Erivo, and streaming on Paramount+.
Broadway buzz is usually reserved for musicals but this year the plays 鈥� 鈥� have driven the conversation. There's Clooney in 鈥淕ood Night, and Good Luck,鈥� Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal in 鈥淥thello,鈥� Sarah Snook in a one-woman version of 鈥淭he Picture of Dorian Gray鈥� and her 鈥淪uccession鈥� co-star Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk in (Clooney, Snook and Odenkirk are nominated for Tonys.)
There were two Pulitzer winners 鈥� and 鈥� but perhaps one of the season's biggest surprises was 鈥淥h, Mary!,鈥� Cole Escola鈥檚 irreverent, raunchy, gleefully deranged revisionist history centered on Mary Todd Lincoln. All three are nominated for best play, along with 鈥淛ohn Proctor is the Villain鈥� and 鈥淭he Hills of California.鈥�
On the musical side, three options seem to be in the mix for the top prize: 鈥淢aybe Happy Ending,鈥� a rom-com about a pair of androids; 鈥淒ead Outlaw,鈥� about an alcoholic drifter whose embalmed body becomes a prized possession for half a century; and the musical satire about longtime frenemies who drink a magic potion for eternal youth and beauty. 鈥淢aybe Happy Ending,鈥� 鈥淒eath Becomes Her鈥� and another musical nominee, 鈥淏uena Vista Social Club,鈥� lead nominations with 10 apiece.
The 2024-2025 season took in $1.9 billion, making it the highest-grossing season ever and signaling that Broadway has finally emerged from the COVID-19 blues, having overtaken the previous high of $1.8 billion during the 2018-2019 season.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going through this strange period, which I would think someday we can draw the line from COVID to this, as you can draw the line from the early 1980s with AIDS to the explosion of big musicals again,鈥� says Harvey Fierstein, who will
the most recognized performer in the theater awards鈥� history, could possibly extend her Tony lead. Already the record holder for most acting wins with six Tonys, McDonald could add to that thanks to her leading turn in an acclaimed revival of 鈥淕ypsy.鈥� She has to get past Nicole Scherzinger, who has been wowing audiences in 鈥淪unset Blvd.鈥�
And 鈥� the first Black female actor to be nominated for a Tony Award in four consecutive years 鈥� could become the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively, should she win for her role in the play 鈥淧urpose.鈥�
Other possible back-to-back winners include director Danya Taymor, hoping to follow up her 2024 win with 鈥淭he Outsiders鈥� with another for 鈥淛ohn Proctor Is the Villain,鈥� and 鈥淧urpose鈥� playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who won last year with 鈥淎ppropriate.鈥�
Other possible firsts include , who could become the first Asian winner in the category of best leading actor in a play for his work in a revival of 鈥淵ellow Face.鈥� And and her 鈥淓nglish鈥� co-star Tala Ashe could become the first female actors of Iranian descent to win a Tony.
Broadway this season saw a burst in and the emergence of stories of young people for young people, including 鈥淛ohn Proctor is the Villain鈥� and a 鈥淩omeo + Juliet鈥� pitched to Generation Z and millennials.
Sunday's telecast, as usual, will have a musical number for each of the shows vying for the best new musical crown, as well as some that didn't make the cut, like 鈥淛ust in Time,鈥� a musical about Bobby Darin, and This year, there's also room for 鈥淗amilton,鈥� celebrating its 10th year on Broadway. But the musicals 鈥淏OOP! The Betty Boop Musical鈥� and 鈥淪MASH鈥� didn't get slots.
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For more coverage of the 2025 Tony Awards, visit .
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
