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Reactions to the Tony Nominations

The 2017-2018 Broadway season was, in a word, disappointing. After a great one last season, this season was incredibly embarrassing, especially when it came to new plays. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is going to win by default, and quite frankly, it deserves to. The only other new play I remotely liked was Farinelli and the King, and even that had a very clumsy second act. And the musicals, well, the less said about the musicals the better.

That being said, have you no decency, Tony nominating committee?

Where is James McArdle's nomination? 

That is such an embarrassing omission that I can't even wrap my head around it. McArdle gave the best performance on Broadway this season, and to not nominate him in favor of Michael Cera, whom I thought was great but is clearly the lead in Lobby Hero (it's ridiculous they didn't even consider him for lead) and David Morse, who is in a different play than everyone else in The Iceman Cometh. (Please, I can't even with all of the nominations for that play. George C. Wolfe, really?)

Latin History for Morons was a surprise nomination for Best Play so why are they also giving John Leguizamo a special award? What is he even getting an award for? Isn't the Best Play nomination enough?

But all in all, I am very pleased with all of the love for Angels in America (especially Susan Brown!), Laurie Metcalf, Mark Rylance, Tom Hollander, Brian Tyree Henry, Anthony Boyle, Jamie Parker, and Patrick Marber. It's also terrible that the season was so weak that a performance like the dreadful one Condola Rashad is giving in Saint Joan is now a Tony-nominated one.

On the musical front, I am very please with all of the Spongebob Squarepants and My Fair Lady love but Diana Rigg, really? She's perfectly good as Mrs. Higgins but that's not a Tony-worthy role. And Rene Fleming for Nettie in Carousel? Did they love the show that much? (Ridiculous. At least Jack O'Brien wasn't nominated.) If you ask me, I don't think Alexander Gemignani really deserved his nomination either. I enjoyed him as Enoch Snow but with so much of his material cut, he seemed incredibly inconsequential and minor. I would've liked to see Tony Yazbeck, Phillip Boykin, or Adam Kantor nominated over him (and maybe Norbert Leo Butz.)

I am surprised that Once on This Island only received one acting nomination. I think Kenita Miller should've been remembered. I am glad Alex Newell was omitted. Screaming one song for three minutes does not a great performance make.

And Ashley Park has to win, right?

The lack of Frozen nominations (I mean other than the three major ones that were basically by default) seem very pointed. I mean Patti Murin really deserved a nomination over LaChanze doing glorified karaoke in Summer. Jelani Alladin is also doing great work. It could've been nominated for lighting as well.

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