2017 Tony Award Predictions & Preferences

My predictions and personal preferences for the 2017 Tony Awards, scheduled to be handed out on Sunday evening, June 11:

BEST MUSICAL

Will win: Dear Evan Hansen

Should win: Come From Away

BEST PLAY

Will win: Oslo

Should win: A Doll's House Part 2 (although a case could be made for all 4 fine nominees)

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

Will win: Hello Dolly

Should win: Hello Dolly (not great, but the best of a weak bunch of revivals)

BEST PLAY REVIVAL

Will win: Jitney

Should win: Jitney

BEST LEAD ACTOR, MUSICAL

Will win: Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

Should win: Ben Platt

BEST LEAD ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Will win: Bette Midler, Hello Dolly

Should win: Denee Benton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST LEAD ACTOR, PLAY

Will win: Kevin Kline, Present Laughter

Should win: Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of Separation

BEST LEAD ACTRESS, PLAY

Will win: Laurie Metcalf, A Doll's House Part 2

Should win: Sally Field, The Glass Menagerie

BEST FEATURED ACTOR, MUSICAL

Will win: Gavin Creel, Hello Dolly

Should win: Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS, MUSICAL

Will win: Jen Colella, Come From Away

Should win: Jen Colella

BEST FEATURED ACTOR, PLAY

Will win: Michael Aronov, Oslo

Should win: Michael Aronov

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS, PLAY

Will win: Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes

Should win: Condola Rashad, A Doll's House Part 2

BEST SCORE

Will win: Dear Evan Hansen

Should win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST BOOK of MUSICAL

Will win: Dear Evan Hansen

Should win: Come From Away

BEST DIRECTION, MUSICAL

Will win: Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Should win: Rachel Chavkin

BEST DIRECTION, PLAY

Will win: Bartlett Sher, Oslo

Should win: Sam Gold, A Doll's House, Part 2

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Will win: Andy Blakenbuehler, Bandstand

Should win: Andy Blankenbuehler

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

Will win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Should win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST COSTUME DESIGN, MUSICAL

Will win: War Paint

Should win: War Paint

BEST COSTUME DESIGN, PLAY:

Will win: The Little Foxes

Should win: The Little Foxes

BEST SCENIC DESIGN, MUSICAL

Will win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Should win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST SCENIC DESIGN, PLAY

Will win: The Play That Goes Wrong

Should win: The Front Page

BEST LIGHTING, MUSICAL

Will win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Should win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST LIGHTING, PLAY

Will win: Indecent

Should win: Indecent

Sojourners and Her Portmanteau Make a Fine Duet

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

6/4/17, 8:36 PM

I was deeply engrossed & moved by the wonderfully written, acted & staged Sojouners & Her Portmanteau at New York Theater Workshop.  The plays convey the stories of Nigerian immigrants to America in the late 1970s (in "Sojourners") and the first decade of the 21st Century (in "Her Portmanteau"). The vivid characters are brought to life by a terrific group of talented actors, in service of this compelling immigrant narrative.

A "Julius Caesar" For Our Time

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

6/4/17, 1:02 PM

#JuliusCaesar ‪the Public Theater's first 2017 Shakepeare In The Park offering, is urgent, current, well acted/staged & timely.  Somewhat truncated, but wisely so, the contemporary political gloss given the show works well and fits the text like a glove.  See it if you can.

Rebecca Hall's Astounding Performance Anchors "Animal"

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

6/3/17, 11:17 AM

A powerful, piercing & emotionally astute performance by Rebecca Hall ‪anchors Claire Lizzimore's fine new play "Animal" at the Atlantic Theater Company.  The opportunity to see Ms. Hall give this astounding performance in the intimate Atlantic Stage 2 should not be missed.

"Inherit The Wind" Made Timely

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

5/27/17, 3:25 PM

I must confess that before seeing the Dallas Theater Center's current revival of "Inherit The Wind," I feared that this play would feel dated and stodgy., which is the opposite of my preferred theater tastes.  Indeed, I   skipped the last Broadway revival of this play for that very reason.  But  fortunately Director Kevin Moriarty's inventive non-traditional casting & staging make this production feel compelling,  timely and relevant.  Kudos to Liz Mikel & Kieran Connelly who both shine in lead roles portraying, respectively, the Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryant inspired characters.

Annie Baker's "The Aliens" is Must-See Theater in Ft Worth

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

5/21/17, 6:30 PM

Annie Baker's tender & beautiful play "The Aliens" is given a pitch-perfect & sublimely acted production at Stage West Theatre in Ft Worth.  The trio of actors in the cast (two of whom switch roles in the course of the run) are terrific.  If you are in the DFW area before this production closes on June 4, I highly recommend that you see this play.

Another Fascinating Annie Baker Play

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/28/17, 2:08 PM

Annie Baker may be my favorite current playwright based on her output of the last few years.  Thus, it is a pleasure to report that Ms. Baker's new play "The Antipodes" ‪@SignatureTheatr‬ is a brilliant exploration of story telling that wormed its way into my head and won't let go since I saw it several days ago.   It features a flawless cast, precise direction and appropriately realistic feeling physical production.

"Dolly" Is Dated

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/25/17, 11:40 PM

‪@HelloDollyBway‬ is dated, too broadly performed & rather dull except for the fine title song scene in which Bette Midler and her fine dancing ensemble shine.   Bette strains singing most of the show, but her sass and personality are a great fit for Dolly Levi.  However, the production surrounding Ms. Midler seems stuck in a long lost time, missing a welcome opportunity to revive this show in a fresh and contemporary way.

A Welcome "Six Degrees" Revival

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/24/17, 10:39 PM

I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting ‪John Guare's "Six Degrees Of Separation" on Broadway 27 years after its Lincoln Center premiere.   Allison Janney & Corey Hawkins are great together in this crisp, funny revival that is smartly directed by Trip Cullman.  When the show begins, it feels a bit dated, but that fell away for me when I began to notice the huge difference in perspective between seeing this show in my late 20s versus my mid-50s.  That difference made this revival especially compelling for me.

"Sweeney Todd" Is Unsatisfying

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/24/17, 7:51 AM

I was largely disappointed by the imported London revival of "Sweeney Todd" now playing at the entirely reconfigured (as a pie shop)  Barrow St Theatre.  The cast & singing are uneven.  Norm Lewis is too one note as Sweeney and lacks the needed chemistry with the much more adept Carolee Carmello as Mrs. Lovett.  This rendition pales in comparison to the best "Sweeney" productions I have seen.  The direction and acting styles were also too broad and "British music hall" style for my taste.

A Humorous & Intriguing "Doll's House" Sequel

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/21/17, 11:10 PM

The cast, direction & writing of ‪@DollsHousePart2‬ are superb. Lucas Hnath's comedic play is very funny, but also quite thoughtful and contemporary, raising intriguing thoughts about marriage, equality, freedom and responsibility.  Director Sam Gold stuns me once again, sheparding 3 Tony worthy performances from Laurie Metcalf, Jayne Houdyshell & Condola Rashad.  This is the winning sleeper surprise of the Broadway season.

Laura Linney Dominates "The Little Foxes"

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/21/17, 12:11 AM

Laura Linney is perfection as as the cold, scheming Regina in ‪@MTC_NYC‬ traditionally staged #TheLittleFoxes .  Micheal McKean, Richard Thomas, Caroline Stefanie Clay & Cynthia Nixon are also great in their supporting roles.  

"Pacific Overtures" Disappoints

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/19/17, 10:54 PM

The off Broadway revival or Stephen Sondheim's "Pacific Overtures" ‪@classicstage‬ disappoints with static, repetitive staging & an uneven cast.  Still, it is always a treat to hear this show's fine score performed live.

A Bold & Exciting "Menagerie"

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/19/17, 10:50 PM

The new Broadway revival of "The Glass Menagerie" directed by Sam Gold is a bold, daring & exciting take on Tennessee William's classic play.  This production and its excellent cast expose the raw emotional core of the play.  I loved it, and found it very moving, but I recognize that this unorthodox, deconstructivist production will not be to everyone's liking.

A Great "Two Trains" in Ft Worth

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/8/17, 8:31 PM

#TwoTrainsRunning ‪@JubileeTheatre‬ is an outstanding rendition of one of August Wilson's best plays.  It features a great cast that make August Wilson's poetic and searing words sing.  Highly recommended.