REVIEW: Hairspray at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre

Hairspray at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre is a fun-filled performance complete with upbeat music, energetic dancing, vibrant sets, and top-notch talent that leaves you humming and singing the whole way home. This group of talented performers had audience members of all ages smiling and moving to the music from the first “Oh, oh, oh…” to the last “…beat.”

The cast of Hairspray had the whole audience moving to the music at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. (Photo courtesy of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre)

Based on the 1988 movie by John Waters, Hairspray follows plump teenager Tracy Turnblad as she lands her dream role on the Corny Collins Show, a TV dance show based in her hometown of Baltimore. Through her journey on the dance show, Tracy connects with various characters, including teen heartthrob Link Larkin; lovable dancer Seaweed J. Stubbs and his soulful mother, Motormouth Maybelle, who is the host of Negro Day on the Corny Collins Show; and scheming, fame-obsessed mother/daughter team Amber and Velma Von Tussle. While Hairspray is a comedy, it also successfully manages to present the more serious issue of the Civil Rights Movement and racism in the 1960s.

Megan Power, who plays the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, was born to play this role. She had an impressive two callbacks after auditioning for the role on Broadway, and while she ultimately didn’t land the Broadway role, central PA is lucky to have this opportunity to see her perform, as she delivers a performance that's as close to Broadway as you can get without actually going to Broadway.

Megan Power was born to play the role of Tracy Turnblad. (Photo courtesy of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre)

Chuck Caruso provides another memorable performance in the comic role of Edna Turnblad (Tracy’s mother). In this female role, which is always played by a male, Caruso delivers a top-notch performance that showcases his acting skills as well as his ability to perform in a nightgown, a dress, and rock a pair of red heels.

Adam Clough and Sheira Feuerstein give other noteworthy performances in the roles of TV host Corny Collins (Clough) and Tracy’s nerdy friend Penny (Feuerstein). Both actors showcase acting and vocal skills that perfectly fit their roles.

The remaining cast members and ensemble contribute their talent to deliver a solid, polished performance that includes great dancing, singing, humor, emotion, and yes, even hairspray.

Chuck Caruso perfects the role of Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad - high heels and all! (Photo courtesy of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre)

The sets and costumes provide plenty of color, which only enhances the energy of the performance. The orchestra doesn't disappoint either, filling the theatre with impressive, well-blended sound.

With a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Hairspray features a quality selection of musical numbers written by Marc Shaiman, including the catchy and popular songs “Good Morning, Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

When it comes to Dutch Apple's production of Hairspray, you really can't stop the beat. Overall I give this production 7 out of 10 standing ovations.

Hairspray is playing at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre now through September 20. Visit the Dutch Apple website for more information and to buy tickets.

Extreme Makeover: Broadway Edition

So there's this trend going on right now. A trend that's been going on for a while now, and it's getting kind of old. Do you know what I'm talking about?

I bet you guessed the ice bucket challenge, didn't you? Well, although I agree, I happen to be talking about a different trend. (Don't get me wrong... I had an aunt pass away from the slow-progressing form of ALS. I saw first-hand how the disease took its toll on her and slowly took over her body, muscle by muscle. And I'm glad something has been done to increase awareness and funding of this horrible disease. But enough is enough. Just make your donation or don't. And then use the ice to chill a bottle of wine.)

But the trend I'm talking about is one in the theatre world. And like the dumping of the ice buckets, it's been going on just a little too long. The trend I'm talking about is the trend of closing shows.

Let's get back to using ice buckets for their original purpose. Champagne anyone?

I understand that the closing of shows is a necessary evil that can't be avoided. I mean, as much as I'd like to build a theatre for every single musical ever written, it just doesn't work that way. But it just seems like more musicals than ever are closing not long after they open, and even good shows just don't seem to be sticking around like they used to.

Sure there are a few current musicals that have managed to stay on Broadway for the long haul (The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Wicked, etc.), but for the most part Broadway shows seem to be following what I'll call the door trend. Open and close. Open and close. It seems like every time I browse through my Twitter news, I'm reading about another show closing. And I'm not talking just small shows. I'm talking big, expensive-to-produce shows with Tony-winning casts and music.

The shows that make it to Broadway are amazing. They include the best of the best from directors, to cast, to composers and everything in between that makes up a musical. So why are these amazing shows closing after so few runs?

Well, my guess is that there is a wealth of statistics, numbers, and research that attempt to answer this exact question. But I'm not much of a statistics girl. Or a numbers girl. Or a researcher. What I am is a rare species. I'm in my 30s and love the theatre. I love going to Broadway; I love going to my local theatres; and I'll see any show anywhere at least once. But many of the shows that I see, both locally and on Broadway, don't have too many of my species in the audience. And that's a shame. I'd really hate to see my species go extinct.

So the obvious next question is: how do we prevent the extinction of this rare species of "young" theatre-goers? (And by young I mean anyone who knows what twerking is or who owns an iPad.) Well, again, I'm sure there's plenty of research that tries to answer this question. But again I'm not a researcher. So for me to answer this question, I'm going with my gut instinct. And my gut tells me that Broadway hasn't been keeping up with the times.

Broadway needs to step it up a notch when it comes to filling their seats. What they've done for years is great, but it's only enough to fill those seats for a few months at best. It's only enough to get the same people back to Broadway who have been going for years. For the most part, the people filling Broadway theatres are the same ones who were filling the seats 20, 30, and 40 years ago. And yes, that includes myself. But remember, I'm a rare species.

Broadway, and theatre in general, needs to think about marketing to a new audience. An audience who knows about twerking and tweeting. That's right. It's time for Broadway to undergo an extreme makeover. Sure people want to see great talent, but in order to keep up with the times, that's just not enough anymore.

So what is enough? What would bring more people to Broadway shows? What would keep these amazing shows from closing?

In this series, which I'm calling Extreme Makeover: Broadway Edition, I'm going to cover a few ideas I have that I think would help the success of new shows.

In my next post in this series, I cover a topic that I think could play a huge role in generating sales, filling seats, and attracting new (and returning) audiences to Broadway.

My Broadway Bucket List

Many people have some kind of a bucket list, a list of things they want to accomplish in their lifetime. Some people might have ambitious lists that include sailing across the Atlantic Ocean or climbing Mount Everest. Others may have more reasonable lists that include goals like losing a few pounds, reconnecting with old friends, or running a marathon.

While my bucket list contains a mix of ambitious and reasonable goals, there's one theme that consistently appears over and over again on my list: Broadway. Though my list of Broadway dreams and goals goes on and on, today I've picked my top four Broadway goals to share.

1. The opportunity to work on Broadway. I'll start with the obvious. I think this one is probably on just about every Broadway enthusiast's list, but I have to throw it out there. I'm not a singer or an actress, so I don't have the dream to perform on stage. But I do have the dream to have a hand in making the performances happen. I think my dream role would be something along the lines of assisting a director. I'd love to be around to help with all the rehearsals, the ups and downs, the changes. Some people might think this is crazy, but I would love just about every minute of this kind of work.

2. A Broadway-themed bar in my basement. My husband and I have been talking about this one for years. I can picture the whole bar in my mind... Playbills under the glass-top bar, show posters decorating the walls, and maybe even a tiny stage. I have all the details ready to go, right down to the little menus featuring drinks with Broadway-themed names.

Just a little sample of what my Broadway-themed drink menu might look like

3. To start some kind of organization that would give more people the opportunity to enjoy Broadway. I don't have this one quite as planned out as the bar, but it's a thought growing in my mind. As we all know, seeing a Broadway show can be an expensive experience. While there are definitely ways to make it somewhat affordable, I think a lot of people don't even entertain the idea of going to New York City to see a show on Broadway because of the cost. I would love to somehow change this. 

4. The chance to bring a show to Broadway. I guess this is the Mount Everest of my list. I know it's extremely ambitious, but I have so many ideas floating around in my head, some that I've even felt are worthy of putting down on paper. There are a few movies that I know would do amazing on Broadway. There's a show that I would love to see revived. And I even have an idea for an original musical. I also have some creative, out-of-the-box marketing ideas that would almost guarantee the success of these shows. I just need to find the right people or partners to help get them there.

Well, there you have it. I told you some of these were ambitious. In fact, I probably stand a better chance of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean than I do of actually taking a show to Broadway. But I can still dream and hope and try. And who knows... Maybe one day I'll be sitting in my basement Broadway bar, working with that director that I've been assisting to bring our own musical to Broadway. In the meantime, I think I'll go enjoy a Magical Frog Martini.

REVIEW: Aladdin (Broadway)

My husband and I recently took our two sons (ages 4 and 6) to see Aladdin on Broadway. While I could go on and on about the impressive sets, infectiously energetic and talented Genie, and truly magical carpet ride in the Broadway production of Disney's Aladdin, I thought I'd leave this review up to the real critic: my 4-year-old son, Chase!

Alec and Chase getting ready to experience "a whole new world" at Aladdin on Broadway

In his first (un)official review, here's what Chase had to say about Aladdin:

Me: What did you think of the show?
C: It was awesome!

Me: What was awesome about it?
C: That the genie was so funny. He was different than the one in the movie.

Me: What did he do that you thought was funny?
C: I liked when he was singing the no no no no no song.

Me: Who was your favorite person?
C: Aladdin! Was your favorite Aladdin too, Mommy?
(Me: I liked Aladdin and Genie the best).

Me: What was your favorite part?
C: I liked the part when the bad guy said "Prince A Boo Boo."

Me: What did you think of Jasmine?
C: I liked her because I wanted to play with her hair.
(Side-note since this response probably sounds pretty weird to most people: Chase loves to twirl my hair and suck his thumb when he gets sleepy. Pretty much any girl with long hair who is within a foot of Chase is at risk for having their hair twirled!)

Me: Was she pretty?
C: Yes. I even loved her!

Me: What did you think of the carpet ride?
C: I liked when they were singing "A Whole New World." And I liked when the carpet saved Aladdin when he was just about going to fall and Princess Jasmine said "How did you do that?".

Me: Was there anything that scared you?
C: No.

Since apparently nine questions is about the attention span of a 4-year-old, I'll fill in a few details with my own thoughts.

First, I'll share what I was impressed with:  

• I loved the carpet ride scene. Watching Aladdin and Jasmine float through the air right in front of our eyes was an amazing experience.

• The choreography, dancing and sets were all very impressive.

• The Genie definitely stole the show. While my heart sank when I saw that Tony-winner James Monroe Iglehart was not going to be the Genie at this performance, I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed with the equally talented stand-in Michael James Scott. He owned the stage and didn't miss a beat in this role. I still would have loved to have seen Iglehart in this role (and maybe even met him at the stage door); however, I have nothing but good things to say about Scott's performance.

• Speaking of the stage door, my boys and I loved meeting Adam Jacobs, who played Aladdin, after the show (ok, so I probably enjoyed this part more than they did, but it will be a good photo for them to look back on when they're older!). Jacobs did a great job in the show. He looked the part, and had the voice to match.

Aladdin (Adam Jacobs) was more than happy to pose for a photo after the show.

While I'd like to say that I found the whole show to be "awesome" like Chase did, I have to admit that there were a few aspects that I found to be a little less than awesome. For anyone expecting to see the movie version brought to life on stage, I'd recommend changing your expectations. I certainly didn't expect the stage version to be exactly like the movie; however, I think Disney missed the mark with this one. They really took a lot of the kid-friendly aspects out, which resulted in a performance that was not quite fun enough for kids but not quite impressive enough for adults.

At 4 and 6 years old, my kids did great during the show. But I've been taking my kids to the theatre since they were 2. If I'm being totally honest, for someone who's considering taking young children for their first Broadway experience, I wouldn't recommend Aladdin as their first show. It just didn't live up to the "magic" that Disney is known for.

Here are just a few examples of things that I feel would have made for a much better show.

• The animals: There were no animals in the show at all, and I think this was a huge mistake. The role of Aladdin's monkey, Abu, was instead turned into three sidekick friends of Aladdin. While they added some humor to the show, they just weren't the same as Abu. The same went for Jafar's parrot, Iago, who was turned into a parrot-like human sidekick. Jasmine's tiger, Raja, was completely omitted. And really Disney, couldn't you have at least borrowed the elephant from The Lion King for when Prince Ali makes his big appearance?

• The magic carpet: Yes, I did love the carpet scene. But I would have loved it even more if the carpet had been more of a character like in the movie. Again, I don't expect the stage version to be exactly the same as the movie, but I really think Disney messed up by leaving out the animals and the magic carpet as characters.

• The humor: There were definitely some funny parts to the show. Some were carried over from the movie while others were original to the stage. But most of the humor went right over my kids' heads. Sure my kids are only 4 and 6, but I think even older kids would have trouble following the humor in most of the show.

So while we all found the show to be entertaining (and even "awesome" according to Chase), I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the overall production. The show definitely had some high points, but I also found it lacking in several areas. It felt like Disney was trying to please everyone, which we all know isn't possible. So instead of a fascinating and magical show for kids or a spectacular show for adults, the end result was a mediocre show for anyone.

Overall I give this production 4 out of 10 standing ovations.

Central PA Man Attends 2014 Tony Awards

On Sunday evening, most central PA theatre fans were huddled in front of their TVs, eyes glued to the Tony Awards, waiting in anticipation to see who of Broadway's finest would take home one of the coveted awards. Would Audra McDonald make Tony Award history by winning her sixth Tony Award? Would four-time past Tony host Neil Patrick Harris take home a Tony of his own? Which show would win the prestigious title of Best Musical?

But one central PA theatre professional was a little bit closer to the Broadway action.

Dennis Norton, who handles the programming for the Hershey Theatre, just completed his first year as a judge for the Tony Awards, and on Sunday he had the opportunity to attend his first Tony Awards ceremony. Dennis joined over 6,000 other members of the theatre community at Radio City Music Hall in New York City to celebrate the best of the best on Broadway.

Upon arriving at Radio City Music Hall just before 6:00pm, Dennis was immediately impressed. "Seeing 6,000 people dressed to the nines was a very emotional experience," he said. He also stated that, "The operational aspect was amazing in itself," noting that the way Radio City Music Hall handled moving so many people through its theatre was very impressive. Since it was a live event, the doors were locked at 7:00pm, and there was absolutely no late seating.

Dennis was one of approximately 6,000 people who attended the 2014 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall.

As for the ceremony itself, it didn't disappoint. Dennis described the evening as an "emotional roller coaster," pointing out the variety of emotions in the evening's performances, from the suffering in Les Misérables, to the upbeat Aladdin, to the inspiring story of Beautiful - The Carol King Musical. "Each Broadway show comes with its own very emotional experience," he said. "It was like looking through a photo book of emotions."

One of the things Dennis found interesting was watching the audience respond to each award. He very quickly realized that there were groups of people from each show seated together, and it was easy to tell who was with each show. Dennis happened to be seated near a group with the musical, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, which ended up winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. While this was one of the most anticipated awards, the whole evening was really a celebration Dennis said. "Just being present to witness this celebration was such a thrill."

Dennis was thrilled to be a part of this year's Tony Awards, which proved to be an evening filled with emotion and celebration.

Through his programming role with Hershey Theatre, Dennis is a member of The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing are the presenters of the Tony Awards, so through Dennis's affiliation with the League, he is able to serve as a judge. In order to vote in a category, a judge must have seen every production in that category. This year, Dennis was qualified to vote for 11 out of 26 categories.

Though this year's Tony Awards are over, Dennis said that work on next year's Awards is already beginning. Holler if Ya Hear Me, a musical based on the music of Tupac Shukar, opens next week and will be the first musical of the 2015 Tony Awards season.

Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, together with the M.S. Hershey Foundation, is dedicated to continuing Milton Hershey's legacy through the Hershey Theatre by presenting Broadway in Central PA. For more information on the Hershey Theatre and upcoming performances, please visit www.hersheytheatre.com.

And the 2014 Tony Awards Go To...

The curtain has gone down. The red carpet is all rolled up. And the Tony Awards are over until next year.

Last week I made my predictions of who would go home with a Tony Award. Out of 26 categories, I got 12 right, and I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with that result considering this was my first time making picks!

Here's a rundown of the results (the asterisks indicate my picks and the italics indicate the winners):

Musical
After Midnight
Aladdin
Beautiful: The Carol King Musical
*A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Play
Act One
All the Way
Casa Valentina
*Mothers and Sons
Outside Mullinger

Musical Revival
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Les Miserables
*Violet

Play Revival
The Cripple of an Inishmaan
The Glass Menagerie
A Raisin in the Sun
*Twelfth Night

Actor (Musical)
*Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Ramin Karimloo (Les Miserables)
Andy Karl (Rocky)
Jefferson Mays (A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder)
Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder)

Actress (Musical)
Mary Bridget Davies (A Night with Janis Joplin)
Sutton Foster (Violet)
Idina Menzel (If/Then)
*Jessie Mueller (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical)
Kelli O'Hara (The Bridges of Madison County)

Actor (Play)
Samuel Barnett (Twelfth Night)
Bryan Cranston (All the Way)
*Chris O'Dowd (Of Mice and Men)

Mark Rylance (Richard III)

Tony Shalhoub (Act One)

Actress (Play)

Tyne Daly (Mothers and Sons)

LaTanya Richardson Jackson (A Raisin in the Sun)

Cherry Jones (The Glass Menagerie)

*Audra McDonald (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill)

Estelle Parsons (The Velocity of Autumn)

Featured Actor (Musical)

Danny Burstein (Cabaret)

Nick Cordero (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

Joshua Henry (Violet)

*James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin)

Jarrod Spector (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Featured Actress (Musical)

*Linda Emond (Cabaret)

Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Anika Larsen (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Adriane Lenox (After Midnight)

Lauren Worsham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Featured Actor (Play)

Reed Birney (Casa Valentina)

Paul Chahidi (Twelfth Night)

Stephen Fry (Twelfth Night)

Mark Rylance (Twelfth Night)

*Brian J. Smith (The Glass Menagerie)

Featured Actress (Play)

Sarah Greene (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Celia Keenan-Bolger (The Glass Menagerie)

Sophie Okonedo (A Raisin in the Sun)

*Anika Noni Rose (A Raisin in the Sun)

Mare Winningham (Casa Valentina)

Score

Aladdin (Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin)

*The Bridges of Madison County (Jason Robert Brown)

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman)

If/Then (Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey)

Book of a Musical

*Aladdin (Chad Beguelin)

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Douglas McGrath)

Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical (Woody Allen)

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Robert L. Freedman)

Direction (Musical)

Warren Carlyle (After Midnight)

Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Leigh Silverman (Violet)

*Darko Tresnjak (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Direction (Play)

*Tim Carroll (Twelfth Night)

Michael Grandage (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun)

John Tiffany (The Glass Menagerie)

Choreography

*Warren Carlyle (After Midnight)

Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine (Rocky)

Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin)

Susan Stroman (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

Orchestrations

Doug Besterman (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

*Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County)

Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Jonathan Tunick (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Scenic Design (Musical)

*Christopher Barreca (Rocky)

Julian Crouch (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Alexander Dodge (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Santo Loquasto (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

Scenic Design (Play)

Beowulf Boritt (Act One)

Bob Crowley (The Glass Menagerie)

Es Devlin (Machinal)

*Christopher Oram (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Costume Design (Musical)

Linda Cho (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

William Ivey Long (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

*Arianne Phillips (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Isabel Toledo (After Midnight)

Costume Design (Play)

Jane Greenwood (Act One)

Michael Krass (Machinal)

Rita Ryack (Casa Valentina)

*Jenny Tiramani (Twelfth Night)

Sound Design (Musical)

Peter Hylenski (After Midnight)

Tim O'Heir (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

*Mick Potter (Les Misérables)

Brian Ronan (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Sound Design (Play)

Alex Baranowski (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Steve Canyon Kennedy (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill)

Dan Moses Schreier (Act One)

*Matt Tierney (Machinal)

Lighting Design (Musical)

Kevin Adams (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

*Christopher Akerlind (Rocky)

Howell Binkley (After Midnight)

Donald Holder (The Bridges of Madison County)

Lighting Design (Play)

Paule Constable (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Jane Cox (Machinal)

*Natasha Katz (The Glass Menagerie)

Japhy Weideman (Of Mice and Men)

My 2014 Tony Award Predictions

It's almost time for the 2014 Tony Awards! That means it's time for theatre-obsessed folks like myself to make our best guesses as to who will go home with one of the shiny statues on Sunday night.

As I was going through the 26 categories making my picks, I couldn't help but feel like I was back in high school taking one of those dreaded multiple choice tests (or as I liked to refer to them, "multiple guess" tests). For almost every category, I was really torn between two choices. Since I was forced to make only one pick for each category, I am now left feeling the same uncertainty that I always felt after those tests. And if the results are anything like my high school test results, the winner will probably be the one that I didn't choose (especially for those ones where I went back and changed my answer!).

In particular, I found the categories of Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, and Score to have extremely tough match-ups. I probably changed my picks 10 times for these categories. But the good thing about tough match-ups is that it means there is a ton of talent on Broadway this year (which sadly isn't always the case).

So since the school bell is ringing, I guess it's time to put my pencil down and turn in my test. We'll find out my score on Sunday night!

Musical
After Midnight
Aladdin
Beautiful: The Carol King Musical
*A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Play
Act One
All the Way
Casa Valentina
*Mothers and Sons
Outside Mullinger

Musical Revival
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Les Miserables
*Violet

Play Revival
The Cripple of an Inishmaan
The Glass Menagerie
A Raisin in the Sun
*Twelfth Night

Actor (Musical)
*Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Ramin Karimloo (Les Miserables)
Andy Karl (Rocky)
Jefferson Mays (A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder)
Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder)

Actress (Musical)
Mary Bridget Davies (A Night with Janis Joplin)
Sutton Foster (Violet)
Idina Menzel (If/Then)
*Jessie Mueller (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical)
Kelli O'Hara (The Bridges of Madison County)

Actor (Play)
Samuel Barnett (Twelfth Night)
Bryan Cranston (All the Way)
*Chris O'Dowd (Of Mice and Men)

Mark Rylance (Richard III)

Tony Shalhoub (Act One)

Actress (Play)

Tyne Daly (Mothers and Sons)

LaTanya Richardson Jackson (A Raisin in the Sun)

Cherry Jones (The Glass Menagerie)

*Audra McDonald (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill)

Estelle Parsons (The Velocity of Autumn)

Featured Actor (Musical)

Danny Burstein (Cabaret)

Nick Cordero (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

Joshua Henry (Violet)

*James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin)

Jarrod Spector (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Featured Actress (Musical)

*Linda Emond (Cabaret)

Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Anika Larsen (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Adriane Lenox (After Midnight)

Lauren Worsham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Featured Actor (Play)

Reed Birney (Casa Valentina)

Paul Chahidi (Twelfth Night)

Stephen Fry (Twelfth Night)

Mark Rylance (Twelfth Night)

*Brian J. Smith (The Glass Menagerie)

Featured Actress (Play)

Sarah Greene (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Celia Keenan-Bolger (The Glass Menagerie)

Sophie Okonedo (A Raisin in the Sun)

*Anika Noni Rose (A Raisin in the Sun)

Mare Winningham (Casa Valentina)

Score

Aladdin (Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin)

*The Bridges of Madison County (Jason Robert Brown)

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman)

If/Then (Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey)

Book of a Musical

*Aladdin (Chad Beguelin)

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Douglas McGrath)

Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical (Woody Allen)

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Robert L. Freedman)

Direction (Musical)

Warren Carlyle (After Midnight)

Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Leigh Silverman (Violet)

*Darko Tresnjak (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Direction (Play)

*Tim Carroll (Twelfth Night)

Michael Grandage (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun)

John Tiffany (The Glass Menagerie)

Choreography

*Warren Carlyle (After Midnight)

Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine (Rocky)

Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin)

Susan Stroman (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

Orchestrations

Doug Besterman (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

*Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County)

Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Jonathan Tunick (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Scenic Design (Musical)

*Christopher Barreca (Rocky)

Julian Crouch (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Alexander Dodge (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

Santo Loquasto (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

Scenic Design (Play)

Beowulf Boritt (Act One)

Bob Crowley (The Glass Menagerie)

Es Devlin (Machinal)

*Christopher Oram (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Costume Design (Musical)

Linda Cho (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder)

William Ivey Long (Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical)

*Arianne Phillips (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Isabel Toledo (After Midnight)

Costume Design (Play)

Jane Greenwood (Act One)

Michael Krass (Machinal)

Rita Ryack (Casa Valentina)

*Jenny Tiramani (Twelfth Night)

Sound Design (Musical)

Peter Hylenski (After Midnight)

Tim O'Heir (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

*Mick Potter (Les Misérables)

Brian Ronan (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)

Sound Design (Play)

Alex Baranowski (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Steve Canyon Kennedy (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill)

Dan Moses Schreier (Act One)

*Matt Tierney (Machinal)

Lighting Design (Musical)

Kevin Adams (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

*Christopher Akerlind (Rocky)

Howell Binkley (After Midnight)

Donald Holder (The Bridges of Madison County)

Lighting Design (Play)

Paule Constable (The Cripple of Inishmaan)

Jane Cox (Machinal)

*Natasha Katz (The Glass Menagerie)

Japhy Weideman (Of Mice and Men)

Well, this has been fun (in an end-of-school-year-this-was-my-last-final kind of way). To make your own Tony picks, The NY Times has a great ballot you can use.

And make sure to tune in to The Tony Awards on CBS on Sunday at 8:00pm!