Tony Awards: ‘The Lost Boys’ and ‘Schmigadoon!’ earn 12 nominations each to lead the field

“The Lost Boys” and “Schmmegadon!” They each received 12 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday, with the nominees also making John Squibb the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history at 96 years old. Danny Burstyn is now the most nominated male actor in Tony history.

“The Lost Boys,” an adaptation of the 1987 teen vampire film, and “Schmigadoon!”, an adaptation of a TV series that gently parodies Broadway musicals, were followed by a revival of “Ragtime,” a major musical celebrating early 20th-century America, with 11 nominations, and “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller’s masterpiece that looks at the disintegration of the American Dream, starring. Nathan Lane, who received nine nods.

Twenty-four shows received at least one nomination in 26 Tony categories, including “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which reimagines the classic 1980s musical Cats into a celebration of eccentric dancehall culture, and a revival of “Chess,” a Cold War love triangle between two chess grandmasters and the woman who loved them both.

The best new music crown will be between “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” “Titanique,” ​​a musical comedy that reimagines the 1997 hit “Titanic,” and “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” a romantic comedy set during a weekend in New York City.

The best new play nominated is “Giant,” led by John Lithgow, which explores accusations of anti-Semitism against children’s author Roald Dahl. “Liberation,” about a women’s consciousness-raising group in Ohio in the 1970s, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama on Monday; “The Balusters,” a satirical comedy about a small-town neighborhood association that descends into chaos over the installation of a stop sign; and “Little Bear Ridge Road,” about a struggling writer who returns to his rural hometown to settle his deceased father’s estate.

“The Fear of 13,” the true story of a man who spent more than two decades on death row, did not receive a nomination, despite starring Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson in their Broadway debut. Lea Michele will still be seeking her first Tony Award nomination after missing out on her work in “Chess.”

Squibb is now the oldest actress in history to be nominated for a Tony Award, beating the record held by Lois Smith, who was 89 when she was nominated in 2020 for The Inheritance. Squibb’s Broadway career dates back to his time in the original 1960 production of “Gypsy” with Ethel Merman.

Burstyn became the most nominated actor in Tony history with nine nominations after his work in “Marjorie Prime,” beating Jason Robards’ record. Kelli O’Hara received the ninth nomination of her career for the revival of the comedy “Fallen Angels,” tying Rosemary Harris for third place on the all-time acting nominations list.

Three actors from the hit TV series “The Bear” made their Broadway debut this season – Ayo Edebiri in a revival of “Proof” and Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who appeared in “Dog Day Afternoon,” an adaptation of Sidney Lumet’s 1975 bank robbery drama. Daniel Radcliffe received an award nomination for “Every Brilliant Thing,” a one-man show exploring treatments for depression.

The Best Theater Revival category is full of well-received works: “Everything Is Awesome”; “Death of a Salesman”; “Oedipus,” a modern retelling of Sophocles’ classic tragedy set on election night in a modern campaign office; “Becky Shaw,” Gina Gionfriddo’s black comedy about a newlywed couple who decide to play matchmaker; and “Fallen Angels,” Noël Coward’s alcohol-fueled competition between two upper-class women for the attention of a former lover.

Lithgow, who already has two Tonys, will take third place if he beats lead actor in the play nominees Lane, Radcliffe, Mark Strong in “Oedipus” and Will Harrison of “Punch,” which examines restorative justice after a man dies from a physical punch.

Rose Byrne, the star of “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” who played one of those upper-class ladies in “Fallen Angels,” received a nomination for best actress in a play, becoming the 22nd actor in history to be nominated for an Oscar and a Tony in the same year. Her colleague Kelli O’Hara also received a nod, as did Lesley Manville for “Oedipus,” Susanna Flood for “Liberation” and Carrie Coon for her work in her husband Tracy Letts’ play “Bug.”

Nominees for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical include Joshua Henry and Brandon Uranowitz, both of “Ragtime,” Sam Totti of “Two Strangers,” Nicholas Christopher of “Chess” and Luke Evans of “The Rocky Horror Show.”

On the women’s front, the nominees are: Casey Levy for “Ragtime,” Marla Mindell for “Titanique,” Christiane Bates for “Two Strangers,” and Sarah Chase for “Schmigadoon.” and Stephanie Hsu on “The Rocky Horror Show.”

Others missing out on the award this year include Byrne’s co-star, Bobby Cannavale, who starred in the revival of “The Art” with Neil Patrick Harris and James Corden, which was rejected by the nominees. “invoice & Ted, stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winters’ reunion for the Waiting for Godot revival has also been cancelled, though Brandon J. Dearden has been nominated for a featured role.

The Tony Awards will be presented June 7 at Radio City Music Hall during a television broadcast hosted by Pink. The awards will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

Last year’s show — hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo — attracted 4.85 million viewers for CBS, its largest broadcast audience in six years, according to Nielsen.