Tony Awards Nominations: ‘Tootsie’ & ‘Beetlejuice’ Sing While ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ Snubbed

When you piss off the American Theater Wing they tend to let you know it and for Aaron Sorkin and “To Kill A Mockingbird,” their anger resulted in arguably one of the biggest snubs in Tony Awards history.  That being said, the 2019 Tony Award nominations were full of surprises and snubs in what turned out to be a very competitive year.  But “Mockingbird’s” omission will particularly sting.

READ MORE: Time Out names “Tootsie” as the Best Film of All Time

The adaptation of Harper Lee‘s classic novel was celebrated by critics and is one of the biggest non-musical hits to hit Broadway in years, but was left out of Tony’s top category, Best Play.  Jeff Daniels survived Tony Voter’s wrath with a Best Lead Actor in a Play nod and the show also landed Direction, Featured Actress, Featured Actor and five other nominations.  The likely reason playwright Aaron Sorkin missed out on the top Play nod is because of producer Scott Rudin’s hardcore stance against local productions of “To Kill.”  Quizzically, Rudin’s participation in that controversy did not affect another of his productions, Taylor Mac’s “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus,” from landing a nod in the same category.

Hollywood IP has fueled Broadway over the past few decades and that was obvious in Best Musical nods for “Beetlejuice” and “Tootsie.”  Like “Mockingbird,” the adaptation of “Network” was snubbed for Best Play, but Bryan Cranston earned a nod alongside Daniels in Best Lead Actor in a Play as well as other familiar names such as Adam Driver (“Burn This”) and Paddy Considine (“The Ferryman”).

Annette Bening (“All My Sons”), Janet McTeer (“Bernhardt/Hamlet”), Elaine May (“The Waverly Gallery”), and two-time winner Laurie Metcalf (“Hillary and Clinton”) are among eight actresses up for Best Lead Actress in a Play.

The celebrated musical “Hadestown” led all productions with 14 nominations.  “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” earned 12 while “Tootsie” took 11.

Other major acting snubs included Nathan Lane (“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”), Glenda Jackson (“King Lear”), John Lithgow (“Hillary and Clinton”) and Kerry Washington (“American Son”).

A complete list of this year’s Tony Award nominees are as follows:

Best Musical

“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

“Beetlejuice”

“Hadestown”

“The Prom”

“Tootsie”

Best Play

“Choir Boy”

“The Ferryman”

“Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”

“Ink”

“What the Constitution Means to Me”

Best Revival of a Musical

“Kiss Me, Kate”

“Oklahoma!”

Best Revival of a Play

“All My Sons”

“The Boys in the Band”

“Burn This”

“Torch Song”

“The Waverly Gallery”

Best Book of a Musical

“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”: Dominique Morisseau

“Beetlejuice”: Scott Brown and Anthony King

“Hadestown”: Anaïs Mitchell

“The Prom”: Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin

“Tootsie”: Robert Horn

Best Original Score

“Beetlejuice,” music and lyrics: Eddie Perfect

“Be More Chill,” music and lyrics: Joe Iconis

“Hadestown,” music and lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell

“The Prom,” music by Matthew Sklar; lyrics by Chad Beguelin

“Tootsie,” music and lyrics: David Yazbek

“To Kill a Mockingbird,” music by Adam Guettel

Best Direction of a Play

Rupert Goold, “Ink”

Sam Mendes, “The Ferryman”

Bartlett Sher, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Ivo van Hove, “Network”

George C. Wolfe, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”

Best Direction of a Musical

Rachel Chavkin, “Hadestown”

Scott Ellis, “Tootsie”

Daniel Fish, “Oklahoma!”

Des McAnuff, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Casey Nicholaw, “The Prom”

Best Leading Actor in a Play

Bryan Cranston, “Network”

Paddy Considine, “The Ferryman”

Jeff Daniels, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Adam Driver, “Burn This”

Jeremy Pope, “Choir Boy”

Best Leading Actress in a Play

Annette Bening, “All My Sons”

Laura Donnelly, “The Ferryman”

Elaine May, “The Waverly Gallery”

Janet McTeer, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”

Laurie Metcalf, “Hillary and Clinton”

Heidi Schreck, “What the Constitution Means to Me”

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Brooks Ashmanskas, “The Prom”

Derrick Baskin, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Alex Brightman, “Beetlejuice”

Damon Daunno, “Oklahoma!”

Santino Fontana, “Tootsie”

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Stephanie J. Block, “The Cher Show”

Caitlin Kinnunen, “The Prom”

Beth Leavel, “The Prom”

Eva Noblezada, “Hadestown”

Kelli O’Hara, “Kiss Me, Kate”

Best Featured Actor in a Play

Bertie Carvel, “Ink”

Robin de Jesús, “The Boys in the Band”

Gideon Glick, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Brandon Uranowitz, “Burn This”

Benjamin Walker, “All My Sons”

Best Featured Actress in a Play

Fionnula Flanagan, “The Ferryman”

Celia Keenan-Bolger, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Kristine Nielsen, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”

Julie White, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”

Ruth Wilson, “King Lear”

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

André De Shields, “Hadestown”

Andy Grotelueschen, “Tootsie”

Patrick Page, “Hadestown”

Jeremy Pope, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Ephraim Sykes, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Lilli Cooper, “Tootsie”

Amber Gray, “Hadestown”

Sarah Stiles, “Tootsie”

Ali Stroker, “Oklahoma!”

Mary Testa, “Oklahoma!”

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Miriam Buether, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Bunny Christie, “Ink”

Rob Howell, “The Ferryman”

Santo Loquasto, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”

Jan Versweyveld, “Network”

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Peter England, “King Kong”

Rachel Hauck, “Hadestown”

Laura Jellinek, “Oklahoma!”

David Korins, “Beetlejuice”

Best Costume Design of a Play

Rob Howell, “The Ferryman”

Toni-Leslie James, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”

Clint Ramos, “Torch Song”

Ann Roth, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Ann Roth, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Michael Krass, “Hadestown”

William Ivey Long, “Tootsie”

William Ivey Long, “Beetlejuice”

Bob Mackie, “The Cher Show”

Paul Tazewell, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin, “Ink”

Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”

Peter Mumford, “The Ferryman”

Jennifer Tipton, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, “Network”

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, “The Cher Show”

Howell Binkley, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Bradley King, “Hadestown”

Peter Mumford, “King Kong”

Kenneth Posner and Peter Negrini, “Beetlejuice”

Best Sound Design in a Play

Adam Cork, “Ink”

Scott Lehrer, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Fitz Patton, “Choir Boy”

Nick Powell, “The Ferryman”

Eric Sleichim, “Network”

Best Sound Design in a Musical

Peter Hylenski, “King Kong”

Peter Hylenski, “Beetlejuice”

Steve Canyon Kennedy, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Drew Levy, “Oklahoma!”

Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, “Hadestown”

Best Choreography

Camille A. Brown, “Choir Boy”

Warren Carlyle, “Kiss Me, Kate”

Denis Jones, “Tootsie”

David Neumann, “Hadestown”

Sergio Trujillo, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Best Orchestrations

Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, “Hadestown”

Simon Hale, “Tootsie”

Larry Hochman, “Kiss Me, Kate”

Daniel Kluger, “Oklahoma!”

Harold Wheeler, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations”

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater

Rosemary Harris

Terrence McNally

Harold Wheeler

Isabelle Stevenson Award

Judith Light

Regional Theater Tony Award

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Special Tony Award

Marin Mazzie

Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company

Jason Michael Webb

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater

Broadway Inspirational Voices – Michael McElroy, Founder

Peter Entin

FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9

Joseph Blakely Forbes

The 2019 Tony Awards will be hosted by James Cordon and handed out June 9 on CBS beginning at 8 PM ET.