‘Life’ Leads With 12 Tony Nominations
“The Life,” a musical celebrating the sleaze and sex of pre-Disney Times Square, led with 12 Tony nominations Monday honoring the best of what was a busy Broadway season.
“Steel Pier,” a dance marathon set in 1930s Atlantic City, was second with 11 nominations. Both were nominated for best musical, along with “Titanic” and “Juan Darien.”
Nominated for best play were: “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” by Alfred Uhry, “The Young Man from Atlanta” by Horton Foote, “Skylight” by David Hare and “Stanley” by Pam Gems.
In what was the most hotly contested category - best actor in a play - the nominees were Brian Bedford in “London Assurance,” Michael Gambon in “Skylight,” Christopher Plummer in “Barrymore” and Antony Sher in “Stanley.”
Five-time Tony winner Julie Harris received a nomination for best actress in a play for her performance in the revival of “The Gin Game.” She faces Shirley Knight in “The Young Man from Atlanta,” Lia Williams in “Skylight” and the favorite, Janet McTeer, who plays Nora in the revival of Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.”
A revival of “Chicago,” the season’s biggest hit, received eight nominations. Its nods included a nomination as best actress in a musical for its star, Bebe Neuwirth. She will face Karen Ziemba in “Steel Pier,” Pamela Issacs in “The Life” and Tonya Pinkins in “Play On!” Neuwirth’s co-star, James Naughton, picked up a nomination for best actor in a musical, as did Robert Cuccioli in “Jekyll & Hyde,” Jim Dale in “Candide’ and Daniel McDonald in “Steel Pier.”
“The Life” scored three nominations in the category of featured, or supporting, acting in a musical. Its Sam Harris and Chuck Cooper took nominations in the actor category, as did Joel Blum of “Steel Pier” and Andre De Shields of “Play On!” Lilias White, who stops the show in “The Life,” received a nod for supporting actress in a musical, as did Marcia Lewis in “Chicago,” Andrea Martin in “Candide” and Debra Monk in “Steel Pier.”
Left out of the coveted bestmusical category was the pop musical “Jekyll & Hyde,” as well as two new shows which opened in March, “Dream” and “Play On!” A best-musical prize usually translates into a surge in box-office support. All three received tepid reviews from the critics.
Seven musicals, representing an investment of more than $40 million according to some Broadway professionals, opened during the last two months of the season - an unusually large number for the ‘90s. None of them had unanimous favorable reviews. All need the television exposure and the prestige of Tony Awards to help sell tickets.
Several critically praised performers were snubbed by the nominators, including Rip Torn of “The Young Man from Atlanta,” Charles Durning of “The Gin Game” and Kate Nelligan, who stars in Wendy Wasserstein’s “An American Daughter.”
Wasserstein’s play received only one nomination - Lynne Thigpen for featured actress in a play. Her competitors are two actresses from “Ballyhoo” - Dana Ivey and Celia Weston - and Helen Carey of “London Assurance.”
Another “Ballyhoo” performer, Terry Beaver, received a featured actor nod, along with William Biff McGuire in “The Young Man from Atlanta,” Brian Murray in “The Little Foxes” and Owen Teale in “A Doll’s House.”
The Tonys will be presented June 1 at Radio City Music Hall in a nationally televised, three-hour broadcast.