00:00The new Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club is nominated for 10 Tony Awards this year,
00:04tied for the most Nas with Death Becomes Her and Maybe Happy Ending.
00:08Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're breaking down the 2025 Tony Award performance and show
00:14nominees. Who's leading the race, who got snubbed, and which show-stopping numbers we're hoping take
00:19the stage. Musicals, plays, camp, drama, comedy, tragedy, it's all there.
00:25Before we get into any nominees, we have to say, we'd cover every category if we could.
00:32We all know that even the best performances wouldn't be complete without the writers,
00:36composers, and designers making the magic happen.
00:39To the theater community's talented writers, directors, designers, marketers, technicians,
00:44stage managers, actors, and audiences. Thus, we are here to honor many of them.
00:49But if we tried to shout out everyone, we'd still be listing names by the next five Tony Awards.
00:54So, for now, we're spotlighting the performance and show nominations,
00:58and sending a big, well-deserved standing ovation to the backstage heroes who bring it all together.
01:03Here she is, boys! Here she is, boys!
01:08Okay, cue the curtain. This season's lineup is anything but quiet. New plays like The Hills of
01:13California, John Proctor is the Villain, and Oh Mary Made Waves. While musicals from Operation
01:19Mincemeat to Death Becomes Her, to Maybe Happy Ending kept things gloriously offbeat. Meanwhile,
01:24revivals like Our Town, Gypsy, and Sunset Boulevard reminded us that old stories still have plenty to say.
01:31Why everything's I say, we never said goodbye.
01:37We've also got George Clooney making his stage debut in Goodnight and Good Luck, Sadie Sink stepping
01:45out of Hawkins and into High School Scandal, and Nicole Scherzinger channeling full-blown Norma
01:50Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Not to mention, Audra McDonald proving there is practically no role
01:55she cannot play. It's been a season of big risks, bold choices, and more than a few standing ovations.
02:06So with the house lights down and the buzz still in the air, let's take a look at what made this
02:10year unforgettable. From Betty Boop to Marilyn Monroe to Mary Todd Lincoln, ooh, that would be a good
02:16musical. This season has something for you. Predictions and snubs. This musical is a true
02:23toss-up. Two shows seem to have the edge. Maybe Happy Ending, with Darren Criss' quietly devastating
02:28lovesick robot, and Dead Outlaw, inspired by the tales of Elmer McCurdy. Both are original,
02:34affecting, and backed by standout leads likely headed for a good night at the Tonys.
02:47However, when it comes to most nominations, it's a three-way tie between Buena Vista Social Club,
02:52Death Becomes Her, and maybe Happy Ending, with ten noms each.
03:05Death Becomes Her could sneak in on sheer star power. Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard go big,
03:11bold, and brilliantly bizarre.
03:23Operation Mincemeat brings Olivier buzz, and a shape-shifting performance from Jack Malone.
03:28Buena Vista Social Club might charm its way in thanks to Natalie Venicia Balcon's soulful turn.
03:33We are, however, a little surprised that old friends didn't get more fanfare,
03:37especially with a star-studded cast featuring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga.
03:41What an incredible blessing and joy it is to be able to sing so much of Steve's work
03:49on Broadway.
03:51Perhaps that's because Best Actress in a Musical is already stacked this year.
03:56Audra McDonald in Gypsy feels unstoppable. Her rose is simply a sight to behold.
04:01Honey, everything's coming up, roses!
04:07Megan Hilty delivers a hilariously unhinged turn in Death Becomes Her, and Nicole Scherzinger's
04:11haunting Sunset Boulevard performance is a serious contender. On the flip side, Hilty's co-star,
04:16Michelle Williams, was seemingly ghosted. Jasmine Amy Rogers in Boop is the wild card. Fresh,
04:22fun, and impossible to ignore.
04:24Yes, my goose has been cooked now. You're aggressively hooked now.
04:28Cause the last time I looked now, I'm where I wanna be.
04:31The Drama Desk Awards Committee certainly seemed to agree. Speaking of Boop, it looks like she's
04:36the front-runner to beat out shows like Death Becomes Her, Gypsy, and Smash for Best Choreography.
04:41You can save the world in drowsers, pure skies!
04:48Little versatility never hurts! Little versatility never hurts!
04:54Meanwhile, Best Actor in a Musical is shaping up as a showdown between Darren Criss and Andrew
04:59Durand. Criss brings heart and thoughtfulness to Maybe Happy Ending, although his co-star
05:03Helen J. Shen has been left empty-handed.
05:06Unbelievable. I know. The patter of rain and somewhere a jazz quartet.
05:14They were playing in the rain. They were inside.
05:16So we were inside. We were outside.
05:17Meanwhile, Durand makes Dead Outlaw unexpectedly moving. Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins, offers
05:22grit and grace, and Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard, broods with classic Hollywood cool.
05:29Sunset Boulevard, Jackpot Boulevard, once you've won, you have to go on with me.
05:34His co-star David Faxton, however, will just have to cling to his Olivier a little tighter.
05:39James Monroe Iglehart also earned a spot in this race with his portrayal of Louis Armstrong
05:44in A Wonderful World.
05:45Criss and Durand still seem to be the ones to beat, but Jonathan Groff's Bobby Darin in
05:49Just In Time is closing in.
05:51I know, beyond a doubt, how we feeling up here? My heart will lead me there soon.
06:02Over in Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Danny Burstein's Herbie in Gypsy could earn him a second win.
06:07If I sing B-flat, we'll go sing B-flat.
06:11We all can be flat.
06:14Are you kidding?
06:15Together!
06:16Whatever the trick, we can do it.
06:19Jack Malone's versatility in Operation Mincemeat might steal the spotlight.
06:23Given its performance at the Olivier's, we wouldn't be surprised if it's an all-around
06:27strong night for this British show.
06:29Jeb Brown brings flair to Dead Outlaw, Taylor Trench offers emotional depth in Floyd Collins,
06:34and Brooks Ashmanskas adds humor and heart to Smash.
06:37Really, it's anyone's game.
06:40Oh, this is new here.
06:41I'll change.
06:42Kick, cross, turn, bump, bump, and switch.
06:44Oh my god, nice.
06:45Still got it.
06:46As for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Julia Nytel's multi-role brilliance in Dead Outlaw
06:51makes her a contender, but Joy Woods' transformation in Gypsy is tough to beat.
06:56Natalie Venezia Balcon brings soul to Buena Vista Social Club, while Justina Machado is a superstar
07:01and real women have curves.
07:04We're glad that Machado got some recognition for this musical, which, if you ask us, should
07:17have been among the season's best new musicals.
07:19Anyway, Woods could take it, but it's a tight race.
07:22A real good time!
07:31Now onto the plays.
07:33O'Meary is having a bit of a moment.
07:35This absurdist First Lady fever dream has already racked up five nominations and feels like a crowd
07:41favorite.
07:42How would it look for the First Lady of the United States to be flitting about the stage
07:49right now in the ruins of war?
07:52How would it look sensational?
07:55It's not the most nominated play of the year.
07:57That honor goes to the hills of California and John Proctor is the villain, each with seven.
08:02But it's definitely still in with a strong chance.
08:05Purpose is close behind.
08:07And while English might not take home the big one, it's still very much in the conversation,
08:11unlike Job, which was surprisingly snubbed.
08:14It's a psychological thriller about a tech company employee who's put on leave after a
08:19video of her goes viral and her conversations with her neuropist.
08:23In Acting Races, Purpose star John Michael Hill has everyone talking.
08:26His turn as Nazareth, Naz Jasper is heartfelt and grounded.
08:31He's up against serious competition.
08:33Louis McCartney, Stranger Things, The First Shadow, Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face, Cole
08:38Escola, O'Meary, and Gabriel Ebert.
08:41John Proctor is the villain.
08:42We also wouldn't count out George Clooney, whose Broadway debut shattered box office records
08:47and came with some glowing reviews.
08:49Making Broadway history with the highest grossing single week for a play ever, raking in over
08:54$4 million over the course of just eight performances.
08:58Star power and critical praise are a tough combo to beat.
09:01Not that it helped the star-studded cast of Our Town, led by Jim Parsons, or The Last Five
09:06Years, starring Nick Jonas and Adrian Warren.
09:09That being said, there was also nothing for Kieran Culkin's performance in Glengarry Glen Ross,
09:13which took him out of the running for making history as the actor to score the triple crown
09:17of acting in the shortest amount of time, meaning an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony in a year
09:21and a half, a record currently held by British actor Paul Schofield.
09:25Although, Culkin's co-star Bob Odenkirk did get a nom.
09:28Kieran Culkin joins Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr, Donald Webber Jr., and Michael McKeon as characters
09:34wrestling with greed, theft, and shaky morals in their workplace.
09:39On the best actress side, LaTanya Richardson-Jackson shines in purpose, drawing both crowds and critical
09:44praise.
09:45Sarah Snook offers something edgy and captivating in the picture of Dorian Gray.
09:49For that, I would give everything.
09:52I would give my soul for that.
09:55I would give my soul for that.
09:57Laura Donnelly delivers in the hills of California, and Mia Farrow is compelling in The Roommate.
10:02Sadie Sink continues to receive rave reviews in John Proctor, so she's certainly in with
10:07a chance.
10:07She's kind of labeled as a lot, or maybe the crazy one out of The Girls.
10:11She's very eccentric, and over the course of the play, her complexities kind of come to
10:19life.
10:19Hey, stranger things have happened, like Idina Menzel and her musical Redwood getting chopped
10:24from Tony consideration.
10:25Revivals have been pulling at our nostalgia all season, too.
10:43In plays, Yellow Face and Glengarry Glen Ross are contenders, but if the reviews are anything
10:47to go by, Eureka Day might edge ahead.
10:50Maybe this is a great moment for a community-activated conversation.
10:56So let's all try and remember to keep our conversation supportive and truthful and helpful.
11:04Othello, despite starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, missed out entirely, likely
11:10due to a lukewarm reception.
11:12Romeo and Juliet did score a nod.
11:13That said, despite its bold reimagining, we wouldn't be surprised if they're left asking
11:18wherefore.
11:19We know we're definitely asking that question about the absence of its stars from the nominees
11:23list.
11:24Musical revivals have also been strong.
11:26Curtain up like the light.
11:29You've got nothing to hit but the heights.
11:32Voters faced a tough call between Floyd Collins, Gypsy, Sunset Boulevard, and Pirates the Penzance
11:38musical.
11:39Although David Hyde Pierce, Ramin Karamloo, and Jinx Monsoon were all left to walk the blank.
11:44And let's not even talk about Once Upon a Mattress getting snubbed.
11:47Seriously, not even one nomination?
11:49I confess it, I'm shy!
11:52Can't you guess that this confident air is a mask that I wear cause I'm shy!
11:58But with Gypsy and Sunset Boulevard neck and neck, it's anyone's guess.
12:02It does seem that it's either Rose's turn or Norma Desmond is finally ready for her close-up.
12:07Although, could Jasmine Amy Rogers surprisingly boop her way to the top?
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12:38Performances
12:39This season's musical lineup is unusually strong.
12:42New shows, big revivals, and more than a few worthy productions that didn't make the cut.
12:47Honestly, there's enough material for a second ceremony.
12:50But traditionally, the Tony's spotlight performances from the Best Musical and Best Revival nominees.
12:55So we're likely in for Maybe Happy Ending, and perhaps one of its moving love songs,
12:59and Operation Mincemeat possibly marching in with Born to Lead, as it did at the Oliviers.
13:04You'll see, we're there after, and when this war is done, and face to dust, the world will turn and say to us, that we were born to lead.
13:16A few medleys wouldn't go amiss.
13:18Dead Outlaw, Floyd Collins, and Buena Vista Social Club all have great material to pull from.
13:24If Pirates is on the bill, here's hoping for a very modern Major General.
13:28I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical.
13:30From Marathon to Waterloo, an order categorical.
13:33This is a very modern Major General.
13:38We'd put money on with one look from Sunset Boulevard,
13:41and fully expect Audra McDonald to bring the house down with Rose's turn.
13:45And with Cynthia Erivo as host, we're expecting she'll have some wicked performances up her sleeve, too.
13:50I'm gonna see!
13:54What are your Tony predictions, and which snub surprised you the most?
14:07Let us know in the comments.
14:09Will someone tell me, when is it my turn?
14:13Don't I get a dream for myself?
14:16Help!
14:17Help!
14:27Help!
14:27We'll walk.
14:28Help!
14:29Let's go!
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