[Source: CNN]
A Pulitzer-winning original musical and a play that recounts the 2008 financial crisis lead the nominations for the 75th annual Tony Awards, which honor the best Broadway productions of the last year.
Broadway stars Adrienne Warren, who won a Tony for her incendiary performance as Tina Turner in “Tina,” and three-time Tony nominee Joshua Henry announced the nominations on Monday.
Leading the nominations is “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.
Following closely behind is the controversial pop-musical “MJ,” which takes place during a Michael Jackson tour, with 10 nominations. Also scoring 10 nominations is “Paradise Square,” a musical that follows the deteriorating relationship between Irish immigrants and Black New Yorkers in the 19th century.
“The Lehman Trilogy” earned the most Tony nominations of any play with eight total. The epic follows the history of Lehman Brothers from its creation to its demise more than 160 years later.
Hollywood also had a strong showing this year, with TV stars like Mary-Louise Parker and Jesse Williams, previous Tony winner Hugh Jackman and Oscar winner Sam Rockwell nominated for their performances.
The last year marked a triumphant, if spotty, return for Broadway, which shuttered for over a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shows began to reopen in September 2021, though subsequent outbreaks forced several shows to cancel performances.
The winners will be crowned at June 12’s ceremony, airing live from Radio City Musical Hall and hosted by recent Oscar winner and Broadway veteran Ariana DeBose.
