Gentleman's Guide to Murder and Hedwig and the Angry Inch Lead the 2014 Tony Nominations

I have been away from the theatre scene for a while, in fact the last show I saw was the revival of Follies, I just have not made it to New York as often as I would like.  The show I want to see most from this season is the second most nominated show of the year, Hedwig and the Angry Inch with 8 nominations.  I love the film, and am excited for NPH to hopefully win a Tony.

Without being to invested in the season I noticed a few things, about the musical and play categories.  Aladdin is the only movie turned musical (in the Best Musical category( to be nominated in the musical category.  Rocky, Bullets Over Broadway, Big Fish, The Bridges of Madison County were all snubbed here. Speaking of Big Fish, it and earlier musicals like Date Night were missing in action, for the most part, which usually happens.  Cabaret was snubbed in the revival, and they went with only three nominated shows, the show also only managed two nominations.

In the Best Play category there were five nominees, instead of the typical nominations, which means there was probably a tie.  The other thing I noticed from mainly this category, but also the musical category, is that celebrities making the leap to the main stage were once again ignored.  I mean big named film celebrities like James Franco, Denzel Washington, Daniel Radcliffe, Michelle Williams, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellan.

The big players in Broadway did manage to end up back in different categories, two time Tony winner Sutton Foster, five time Tony winner Audra McDonald, two time winner Cherry Jones, and Idina Menzel who has one win.

Here is a full list of nominees below, I think this will be a fun year.

MUSICALS

Best Musical
"After Midnight"
"Aladdin"
"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"
"A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Musical Revival 
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
"Les Misérables"
"Violet"

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

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

Best Featured Actor (Musical)
Danny Burstein, "Cabaret"
Nick Cordero, "Bullets Over Broadway"
Joshua Henry, "Violet"
James Monroe Iglehart, "Aladdin"
Jarrod Spector, "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"

Best 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 and Murder"

Best Book of a Musical
"Aladdin," Chad Beguelin
"Beautiful," Douglas McGrath
"Bullets Over Broadway," Woody Allen
"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," Robert L. Freedman

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
"Aladdin"
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin

"The Bridges of Madison County"
Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown

"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"
Music: Steven Lutvak
Lyrics: Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak

"If/Then"
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Brian Yorkey 

Best Director (Musical)
Warren Carlyle, "After Midnight"
Michael Mayer, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Leigh Silverman, "Violet"
Darko Tresnjak, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Choreography
Warren Carlyle, "After Midnight"
Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine, "Rocky"
Casey Nicholaw, "Aladdin"
Susan Stroman, "Bullets Over Broadway"

Best Costume Design (Musical)
Linda Cho, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murderv
William Ivey Long, "Bullets Over Broadway"
Arianne Phillips, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Isabel Toledo, "After Midnight"

Best Lighting Design (Musical)
Kevin Adams, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Christopher Akerlind, "Rocky"
Howell Binkley, "After Midnight"
Donald Holder, "The Bridges of Madison County"

Best Scenic Design (Musical)
Christopher Barreca, "Rocky"
Julian Crouch, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Alexander Dodge, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"
Santo Loquasto, "Bullets Over Broadway"

Best 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"

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, "Bullets Over Broadway"
Jason Robert Brown, "The Bridges of Madison County"
Steve Sidwell, "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"
Jonathan Tunick, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

PLAYS

Best Play
"Act One"
"All the Way"
"Casa Valentina"
"Mothers and Sons"
"Outside Mullingar"

Best Play Revival 
"The Cripple of Inishmaan"
"The Glass Menagerie"
"A Raisin in the Sun"
"Twelfth Night"

Best 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"

Best 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"

Best 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"

Best 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"

Best Director (Play)
Tim Carroll, "Twelfth Night"
Michael Grandage, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"
Kenny Leon, "A Raisin in the Sun"
John Tiffany, "The Glass Menagerie"

Best Costume Design (Play)
Jane Greenwood, "Act One"
Michael Krass, "Machinal"
Rita Ryack, "Casa Valentina"
Jenny Tiramani, "Twelfth Night"

Best Lighting Design (Play)
Paule Constable, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"
Jane Cox, "Machinal"
Natasha Katz, "The Glass Menagerie"
Japhy Weideman, "Of Mice and Men"

Best Scenic Design (Play)
Beowulf Boritt, "Act One"
Bob Crowley, "The Glass Menagerie"
Es Devlin, "Machinal"
Christopher Oram, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"

Best 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"

Tony Predictions (2014)

Best Musical
After Midnight
Aladdin
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Alternate Pick: Bullets Over Broadway

Best Play
All The Way
Casa Valentina
The Realistic Joneses
Act One
Alternate Pick: Mothers And Sons

Best Musical Revival
Cabaret
Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Les Misérables
Violet

Best Play Revival
A Rasin In The Sun
The Glass Menagerie
The Cripple Of Inishmaan
Twelfth Night
Alternate Pick: Waiting For Godot

Best Actor in a Musical
Neil Patrick Harris- Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Jefferson Mays- A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Ramin Karimloo- Les Miserables
Stephen Pasquale- The Brides Of Madison County
Bryce Pinkham- A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Alternate Pick: Andy Karl- Rocky

Best Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster- Violet
Idinia Menzel- If/Then
Jessie Mueller- Beautiful
Kelli O'Hara- The Bridges Of Madison County
Michelle Williams- Cabaret
Alternate Pick- Margot Seibert- Rocky

Best Actor in a Play
Bryan Cranston- All The Way
Ian McKellen- Waiting For Godot
Mark Rylance- Richard III
Tony Shalhoub- Act One
Denzel Washington- A Rasin In The Sun
Alternate Pick: Patrick Stewart- Waiting For Godot

Best Actress in a Play
Toni Colette- The Realistic Jonses
Tyne Daly- Mothers And Sons
Audra McDonald- Lady Day At Emerson's Bar And Grill
Cherry Jones- The Glass Menagerie
Estelle Parsons- The Velocity Of Autumn
Alternate Pick: Rebecca Hall- Machinal

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Paul Chahidi- Twelfth Night
Billy Crudup- Waiting For Godot
Gabriel Ebert- Casa Valentina
Mark Rylance- Twelfth Night
Brian J. Smith- The Glass Menagerie
Alternate Pick- Peter Maloney- Outside Mullingar

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Celia Keenan-Bolger- The Glass Menagerie 
Dearbhla Molloy- Outside Mullingar 
Andrea Martin- Act One
Anika Noni Rose- A Rasin In The Sun
Sophie Okonedo- A Raisin In The Sun
Alternate Pick- Mare Winningham- Casa Valentina

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas- Bullets Over Broadway
Danny Burstein- Cabaret
Nick Cordero- Bullets Over Broadway
Joshua Henry- Violet
James Monroe Iglehart- Aladdin
Alternate Pick: Anthony Rapp- If/Then

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Linda Emond- Cabaret
Marian Mazzie- Bullets Over Broadway
Cass Morgan- The Bridges Of Madison County
Lisa O'Hare- A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder
Helene York- Bullets Over Broadway
Alternate Pick: Anika Larson- Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

And My Best Picture Nominees would have been (2000s)

Nothing like a Sunday morning listening to an Oscar Podcast from Sasha Stone, Craig Kennedy, and Ryan Adams.  It's a cloudy day in Boston, and I loved listening to the 2005 podcast, talking about Brokeback vs. Crash, Capote and the great Phillip Seymour Hoffman and so much more.  Over the 2000s I have always picked my top five or ten of the year, the so called "Best Pictures."  Here are my Best Picture nominees from the 2000s. Enjoy!

2000

Almost Famous

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Requiem for a Dream

Traffic

Wonder Boys

2001

In the Bedroom

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Memento

Moulin Rouge!

Mullholland Dr.

2002

Chicago

Far from Heaven

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Pianist

Talk to Her

2003

City of God

Kill Bill Volume 1

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Lost in Translation

Mystic River

2004

The Aviator

Before Sunset

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The Incredibles  

Sideways

2005

Brokeback Mountain

Capote

Good Night and Good Luck

A History of Violence

Munich

2006

Children of Men

The Departed

Little Miss Sunshine

Pan’s Labyrinth

United 93

2007

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Juno

Into the Wild

No Country for Old Men

There will be Blood

2008

The Dark Knight

Milk

Slumdog Millionaire

Wall-E

The Wrestler

2009

(500) Days of Summer

An Education

District 9

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Hurt Locker

In the Loop

Inglorious Basterds

A Single Man

Up

Up in the Air

2010

127 Hours

Black Swan

Inception

The Ghost Writer

The Kids are Alright

A Prophet

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

Winter’s Bone

2011

Drive

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hugo

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

A Separation

Shame

Take Shelter

The Tree of Life

2012

Argo

Amour

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Holy Motors

Lincoln

Looper

The Master

Moonrise Kingdom

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty

2013

12 Years a Slave 

The Act of Killing

Before Midnight

Captain Phillips

Fruitvale Station

Gravity

Her

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nebraska

The Wolf of Wall Street

Emmy Predictions (April 2014)

Outstanding Drama Series

Breaking Bad (AMC)

Downton Abbey (PBS/BBC)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

House of Cards (Netflix)

Mad Men (AMC)

True Detective (HBO)

Update, as of now I am switching Homeland for Mad Men, the reviews for the show's season are only slightly lower than last season, and Homeland's are much lower.  What do reviews matter, not much, but AMC is a power player. I think a weak season is still leaving a bad taste in people's mouths.  While Mad Men is back and in front of everyone's screens.  I do think Downton Abbey could suffer as well, but the actors love this show.  I am ranking Mad Men above it, and may dump it for Homeland soon.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Bryan Cranston-Breaking Bad
John Hamm-Mad Men 

Woody Harrelson-True Detective

Matthew McConaughey-True Detective

Kevin Spacey-House of Cards

James Spader-The Blacklist

Will Aaron Sorkin's comments hurt past winner, Jeff Daniels, something tells me they might.  I think Daniels may get the boot, it happens after winning, see Eric Stonestreet.  I am now torn at who will replace him James Spader or Michael Sheen.  At the moment past Emmy favorite Spader.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Clare Danes-Homeland

Julianna Margulies-The Good Wife

Tatiana Maslany-Orphan BlackElisabeth Moss-Mad Men 

Robin Wright-House of Cards

Kerry Washington-Scandal

I am going to go for it, and replace Farmiga with Maslany, the Emmy outcry was fierce last year, and her show premiered strong with great social media buzz.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jim Carter-Downton Abbey

Josh Charles-The Good Wife

Peter Dinklage-Game of Thrones

Dean Norris-Breaking Bad

Aaron Paul-Breaking Bad
Jeffrey Wright-Boardwalk Empire

Keeping this the same, but considering replacing Wright with Jon Voight for Ray Donovan, but is name enough?

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Christine Baranski-The Good Wife

Emilia Clarke-Game of Thrones

Anna Gunn-Breaking Bad
Christina Hendricks-Mad Men 
Michelle Monaghan-True Detective 
Maggie Smith-Downton Abbey

Keeping this list, pretty stable at the moment, but Bellamy Young from Scandal should be here.

Outstanding Comedy Series 
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
Louie (F/X)
Modern Family (ABC)Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
Veep (HBO)

Had Silicon Valley, but just do not think it has the oomph to stick the landing in season one, but then again not many predicted Veep.  I still think Girls is out, and Black is in!

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 
Don Cheadle-House of Lies 
Johnny Galecki-The Big Bang Theory 
Louis C.K.-Louie 
Jim Parsons-The Big Bang Theory
Andy Samberg-Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Robin Williams-The Crazy Ones 

Keeping this the same!

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 
Julia Louis-Dreyfus-Veep
Lena Dunham-Girls 
Edie Falco-Nurse Jackie
Melissa McCarthy-Mike and Molly
Amy Poehler-Parks and Recreation

Taylor Schilling-Orange is the New Black

Keeping this the same!

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher-Brooklyn Nine-Nine 
Ty Burrell-Modern Family
Adam Driver-Girls 
Jesse Tyler Ferguson-Modern Family
Tony Hale-Veep 
Ed O'Neil-Modern Family

I want to replace a MF guy with someone from Brooklyn 99, but I am not sure the show is that strong, so this will stay the same for the moment.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 
Julie Bowen-Modern Family
Mayim Bialik-The Big Bang Theory
Allison Janney-Mom
Margo Martindale-We're the Millers 
Sofia Vergara-Modern Family  
Merritt Wever-Nurse Jackie

Keeping it for now, but I am not sure how popular Mom will be,.