Broadway musical phenomenon “Hamilton” broke another record when the Tony Award nominations were announced today, picking up 16 nominations in 13 categories at theater’s equivalent of the Oscars.
Impressively, the radical musical re-interpretation of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father who never got to be President, is in the running for every category it is eligible for. Leading man and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda picked up nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, and Best Original Score Written for the Theater.
I mean.
This is the kind of day we’re having. pic.twitter.com/dW8cYX2e7w— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 3, 2016
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The main Tony topic of conversation is whether “Hamilton” will win every single category it is nominated in, thereby breaking the record of 12 trophies won by Mel Brooks musical “The Producers,” when the victors are announced on June 12.
Unfortunately for “Hamilton”, the one category in which it is unfancied to win is Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. The smart money on the Great White Way is on Cynthia Erivo, for her performance in “The Color Purple,” beating out “Hamilton”‘s Phillipa Soo. (“The Color Purple”‘s Jennifer Hudson got shut out of a Tony nomination, but that’s another story.)
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Meantime as “Hamilton” prepares to take in Tonys to add to its Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award, spare a thought for George Takei. Sulu from “Star Trek” may have 1.5 million more Twitter followers than Lin-Manuel.. Yet “Allegiance,” the musical set during the Japanese- American internment of World War II and inspired by Takei’s life, received no nominations whatsoever. (Takei also starred in the show.)
ALLEGIANCE DIDN’T GET ANY TONY NOMINATIONS. I’m so angry about this
— hana (@hanabryanne) May 3, 2016
The musical opened last November and closed in February but was hoping for Tony recognition, particularly for Lea Salonga for Lead Actress in a Musical.
georgetakei:
I Hardy knew any of these.
Lesser Known Facts… https://t.co/Z9lgY5m9iZ pic.twitter.com/Bh7Lxq5P8y— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 3, 2016
Alas no. Takei wound up tweeting about “Mad Max,” not the Tonys, and the Twitter account of his late show pledged allegiance to what else…”Hamilton”?
Congrats to our Lighting Designer Howell Binkley on his #TonyAwards nomination for his work on @HamiltonMusical!
— Allegiance Broadway (@allegiancebway) May 3, 2016