How Nicole Scherzinger, Audra McDonald, Darren Criss and Jonathan Groff are battling for Tony Awards
There was a torrent of activity in the race to the Tonys on June 8 — a lot of campaigning, some award shake-ups and the Broadway League's Spring Road Conference.
That's when hundreds of out-of-town presenters, known as 'the road,' descend on Manhattan to party, I mean, work!
6 Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen star in 'Maybe Happy Ending' on Broadway.
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The annual convention's main purpose is to encourage regional markets to book tours of new musicals.
One lyin' presenter told me, 'We want ALL these shows to come to us!' Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But the conference's dirtier use is to sway the 100-or-so road voters to pick them at the Tonys next month. There are only about 800 voters in total, so Florida, Ohio and Illinois make a dent.
A big hit, I'm told, was the 'Death Becomes Her' soiree at Sony Hall. The comedy's stars Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard and Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child all showed up and schmoozed.
The much funnier stage version of the movie starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn was also very popular with the visitors.
'Death' has emerged as the more traditional, crowd-pleasing alternative to the Best Musical frontrunner, robot rom-com 'Maybe Happy Ending,' which stars Darren Criss and Helen J. Chen as smitten androids.
6 Jennifer Simard and 'Death Becomes Her' co-star Megan Hilty both showed at their show's road conference bash,
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That special show's fete was at the Edison Rooftop. Revelers posed with breakout star HwaBoon, a prop houseplant. Team 'Maybe Happy Ending' team will likely soon be posing with a Tony.
Not entirely giving up, fellow nominees — the corpse-icals — got in on the action, too. 'Operation Mincemeat' threw a bash at La Grande Boucherie, and little 'Dead Outlaw' went low-key with just a talkback.
Scrappier is the fight for Best Play.
'Oh, Mary!,' Cole Escola's Mary Todd Lincoln farce that's printing money at the Lyceum, held a post-show chat with famous funnyman Tony Kushner.
Smart. The 'Angels in America' writer's stamp of approval lends a bit of prestige to Broadway's filthiest 80 minutes.
6 Cole Escola is the frontrunner for Best Actor in a Play, and 'Oh, Mary!' could also take home Best Play.
REUTERS
Incredible Escola has been the obvious pick for Best Actor for months, but now the play itself is gaining momentum.
At the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards at 54 Below, where I stood proudly in the back, Escola received a special citation and thanked the critics (what an idea!) for seriously evaluating 'Oh, Mary!' with the same respect we would a dark drama.
The production's winning message: A great play is a great play.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' excellent 'Purpose' could still take it in the end. And 'John Proctor is the Villain' held fun 'silent discos' in Shubert Alley every night last week.
However, the odds are with Mary Todd.
6 Sarah Snook will likely win Best Actress in a Play.
Getty Images
Sarah Snook from 'Succession' is winning Best Actress in a Play for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' but producers of the now-closed 'The Roommate' clearly must still think their star Mia Farrow has a shot.
The show about an unlikely friendship between an Iowan and a Brooklynite, which starred Patti LuPone alongside Farrow, threw a secret cannabis-infused party.
Some Actor in a Musical antics: Tom Francis spontaneously reenacted his 'Sunset Boulevard' walk at the piano bar Marie's Crisis in the Village Monday; Jonathan Groff snapped selfies at the 'Just in Time' bash at Lavan in Chelsea and Darren Criss, also a producer of 'Happy Ending,' hopped all over town.
6 Nicole Scherzinger got her Sardi's portrait unveiled this week, and won the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award.
Photo Image Press via ZUMA / SplashNews.com
But the biggest battle remains Best Actress in a Musical: Nicole Scherzinger in 'Sunset Boulevard' vs. Audra McDonald in 'Gypsy.'
A delectable twist came on Friday when McDonald announced the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance: 'Nicole Scherzinger,' she said.
McDonald wasn't eligible, but the Pussycat Doll still beat out 50 other nominees. It's a boost.
Scherzinger also charmed the crowd at Sardi's Thursday at her caricature unveiling. 'Don't make me sing,' she said to laughs.
6 Audra McDonald is in a tight race with Nicole Scherzinger for Best Actress in a Musical.
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
McDonald and her 'Gypsy' director George C. Wolfe partook in a Q&A during the conference.
And a couple days earlier, the six-time winner got a glowing writeup from former New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley dissecting her performance of the song 'Rose's Turn.' A person suggested to me that it could help tip the scales to Audra.
But the only issue the Times is able to decide anymore is: Should I make Chicken Piccata or Chicken Parmesan?
Norma Desmond is currently ahead of Mama Rose.
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