Nominations for the 75th Tony Awards were announced May 9—and a Pulitzer Prize-winning original musical and a play that recounts the 2008 financial crisis led the nods, CNN reported.
Leading the nominations was the queer-centered A Strange Loop, with 11, including one for best musical. The show—which follows an aspiring playwright and his dizzying, personified thoughts—won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for drama. L Morgan Lee made history for Best Performance By an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, being the first trans actress nominated for a Tony, Out Magazine noted.
Following closely behind was the controversial pop-musical MJ, which takes place during a Michael Jackson tour, with 10 nominations. Also scoring 10 nominations was Paradise Square, a musical that follows the deteriorating relationship between Irish immigrants and Black New Yorkers in the 19th century.
Best Play nods went to Clyde's, Hangmen, The Lehman Trilogy, The Minutes and Skeleton Crew, while Girl from the North Country, MJ, Mr. Saturday Night, Paradise Square, SIX: The Musical and A Strange Loop received Best Musical nominations.
Best Revival of a Play nods went to American Buffalo, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, How I Learned to Drive, Take Me Out and Trouble in Mind. Best Revival of a Musical nominations went to Caroline, or Change; Company; and The Music Man.
Some of the actors and actresses who received nominations included Sam Rockwell (American Buffalo), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Lackawanna Blues), LaChanze (Trouble in Mind), Mary-Louise Parker (How I Learned to Drive), Hugh Jackman (The Music Man), Sutton Foster (The Music Man), out actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Take Me Out), Uzo Aduba (Clyde's), Matt Doyle (Company) and the legendary Patti LuPone (Company).
Queer Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) will host the event. DeBose—who was Tony-nominated in 2018 for her performance in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical—will host live from NYC's Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 12.
