Nominations for the Tony Awards were recently announced; the ceremony is scheduled for June 10th at Radio City Music Hall and will be hosted by Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban. Even Broadway audience-neophytes will recognize some of the names, which include Denzel Washington for The Iceman Cometh, Amy Schumer for Meteor Shower, Laurie Metcalf and Glenda Jackson for Three Tall Women, and Tony Shalhoub for The Band's Visit, among others. Even Bruce Springsteen is on the honoree list, receiving a special Tony for his very successful show Springsteen on Broadway.
SpongeBob SquarePants and Mean Girls picked up the most nominations, each with twelve. The Band's Visit and the revival of Angels in America each received eleven nominations, and the juggernaut that is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child came away with ten. Both the critically acclaimed The Band's Visit and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are favored to win in their categories.
The Tony Awards began in 1947 to honor excellence in theatre. They were named for Antoinette Perry, an actor, director, producer, and chairwoman of the American Theatre Wing, who had recently passed away. The ceremony was held at the Waldorf Astoria in the Grand Ballroom on April 6th, and the evening included dinner, dancing, and entertainment. Eleven awards in seven categories, plus eight special awards were given out; among the honorees were Arthur Miller, Ingrid Bergman, Patricia Neal, Agnes de Mille, Elia Kazan, and José Ferrer. Vera Allen, who succeeded Antoinette Perry as chairwoman of the Wing, was official hostess of the night.
