(New York) Two Broadway shows celebrating the spark of sonic creativity – Alicia Keys’ semi-autobiographical musical Hell’s Kitchen and the play Stereophonic about a ’70s rock band recording a hit album — each earned 13 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday, a list that also saw a record number of women nominated for best director
” This is completely crazy. It took me an hour to pull myself together. I couldn’t even form words,” Alicia Keys said after a morning in which the show loosely based on her life was nominated for best new musical and four acting awards, as well as for best scenic design, best costumes, best lighting, best sound design, best direction, best choreography and best orchestration. “Words completely fail me. Don’t ask me to write a song. »
In total, 28 shows received at least one Tony nomination, including the musical The Outsiders, adaptation of SE Hinton’s beloved novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s film, which earned 12 nominations; the resumption of Cabaret with Eddie Redmayne, who got nine; And AppropriateBranden Jacobs-Jenkins’ searing play about a family reunion in Arkansas where everyone has divergent motivations and grievances, which got eight.
PHOTO JULIETA CERVANTES, S/O&M/DKC VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stereophonic
The nominations shattered the Tony Awards record for the number of female directors nominated in a single season. The 2022 Tony Awards held this record, with four nominations in total for the two categories (musical and play). Only 10 women have won the directing crown.
This year, seven women occupied the ten director positions. Three women were nominated for best play direction – Lila Neugebauer (Appropriate), Anne Kauffman (Mary Jane) and Whitney White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) – while four were nominated in the musical category – Maria Friedman (Merrily We Roll Along), Leigh Silverman (Suffs)Jessica Stone (Water for Elephants) and Danya Taymor (The Outsiders).
“The only thing I feel is that it’s starting to be less remarkable, which is great news,” Jessica Stone said after her nomination. “We are directors and not women directors. I’m noticing it more and more and it’s a wonderful thing to think about. It’s a wonderful place to be. »
Stereophonic, which became the most nominated play in Tony history, earned nominations for playwright David Adjmi and songs by Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire. It”s the story of a Fleetwood Mac-style band through a life-changing year, with personal fault lines opening and closing, then reopening. Butler says it’s about “the horror and beauty of art.”