Watching the 2023 Tony Awards: What to look for and our picks for the winners

Not only are the winners and losers at the 2023 Tony Awards unknown, so is the shape and content of the show. With the Writers Guild on strike, and most honorees in the theater world sympathetic to their cause, scripted matter is verboten and comic numbers, long a Tony Awards specialty, have been nixed.

Instead, expect more songs from Broadway musicals, self-penned acceptance speeches that don’t cross the line into something scripted and maybe some unexpected improvisation. It’s live TV, after all.

Let’s hope the bosses at the Broadway League and American Theatre Wing are smart enough to deliver some kind of blanket, we-all-support-the-writers endorsement at the start of the broadcast, ideally something witty and moving, thus freeing everyone else from the need to virtue signal in their acceptance speeches. That kind of repetition will do little for the folks watching at home, especially given the complexity of the strike, and will hurt Broadway if only by encouraging bored viewers to look away.

The winners themselves are by no means all locked up. You can expect some surprises and much spreading of the bounty.

BEST PLAY

The best play award is one of the very few sure things: If anything other than “Leopoldstadt” wins, injustice will be served. No disrespect to its only serious rival, James Ijames’ excellent “Fat Ham,” but that is a deconstructive riff on a play whereas “Leopoldstadt” writer Tom Stoppard dug deep at the end of an astonishing career, probing his own identity and privilege with all the prowess you’d expect.

BEST MUSICAL

The best musical Tony Award is more complicated. The 2022-23 season had several decent musicals, though not all of their fine performers received nominations. That’s given an abiding prejudice against populist attractions, the same blind spot that felled “Peter Pan Goes Wrong.”

But the 2022-23 season did not have a great musical. That’s indicative, I think, of how much the lingering COVID crisis and Broadway’s ongoing self-examination impacted the ability of very talented creative teams to create truly solid, ideally cast constructions. And, believe me, that is what a lasting Broadway musical needs to be. In show after show, things felt insecure and uncertain. Understandably so.

Two shows clearly have support: “Kimberly Akimbo,” a lovely if quirky musical that does put one in mind of one’s mortality, always a good thing in a musical, and that features a rich and beautiful score from the incomparable Jeanine Tesori. It has my support even if the caper elements of the plot are less interesting and certainly less truthful. But others like “Some Like It Hot,” which is pretty much the exact opposite of “Kimberly” in that it is frenetic to a fault, notwithstanding the chops of formidably experienced creators who do their best to wriggle around all kinds of new minefields created by the source material. That’s a show that feels closer to what the so-called “road voters,” who book big Broadway shows in cities across America, might prefer. Then there’s the “Hee Haw”-like comedy “Shucked,” which is the funniest of the three but utterly unintegrated when it comes to book and score. “Shucked” surely won’t win the main prize, but Robert Horn can and should win for best book, even as Tesori deserves to win for best score, with all due respect to Tom Kitt of the Broadway version of “Almost Famous.”

BEST REVIVALS

The slate of musical revivals was far stronger than new shows. For my money, “Sweeney Todd” was head and shoulders above the competition — the revival directed by Thomas Kail (no nomination, which was ridiculous) was both respectful and revelatory of the original while also offering a fresh splash of aftershave. Best of all, it was present and alive and pulsing with emotional intensity. “Parade” also has its fans; some see it as a vast improvement over the original production. Not me, although there certainly was a good deal to enjoy there, if that’s an appropriate word. And then there is the minimalist “Into the Woods,” which also has a shot: many people adore this staging, which contained a stunner of a performance from Sara Bareilles as the Baker’s Wife, but I prefer my “Into the Woods” a tad more truthful and less overplayed. It’s a taste thing; Sondheim’s genius allows for many different paths and this one certainly led to joy for many.

There were two superlative revivals of plays on Broadway: one was Lorraine Hansberry’s “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,” a vibrant look at one of the most overlooked masterworks of the 20th century, all the more so because its genius of a playwright was at the end of her life as the show was in previews. It’s a beautifully acted revival and directed with remarkable insight by Anne Kauffman. The other was “Topdog/Underdog,” another feast of acting and the best directing work of Kenny Leon’s still-flourishing career.

Some will surely vote for “Death of a Salesman,” which was excellent in all of its present-day sections but much less effective in its flashbacks. This competitive category has the most quality shows of any at the Tony Awards, but may “Sidney Brustein” get what it deserves. Its deserving director, Kauffman, won’t be honored. No nomination.

DIRECTOR

The best director of a play category could also have used a spot for relative newcomer Justin March, although his day will come. March made a solo show, the thriller “Prima Facie,” feel like a multi-cast production, it rippled with so much tense action. I suspect Patrick Marber will win for “Leopoldstadt.” I also suspect he’d be the first to admit the quality of the play and the cast made his work easier.

LEADING ROLES

There were several great female performances this season. My top three (in no particular order) were Jodie Comer in “Prima Facie” (who deserves and will likely win the Tony in the play category), Rachel Brosnahan in “Sidney Brustein” (deserving but not nominated) and Annaleigh Ashford in “Sweeney Todd,” (deserving a win in the musical category) who was so present and alive as Mrs. Lovett she ignited the whole shebang. No disrespect to Victoria Clark of “Kimberly Akimbo” and Jessica Chastain of “A Doll’s House.” Women rocked this year.

The best male performance in a play? Sean Hayes in “Good Night, Oscar” was the actor who combined full-blown psychological integrity and craft with a level of bravura, jaw-dropping showmanship that audiences are right to love on Broadway. No one else had all of that in place, although there surely was rich work from Wendell Pierce in “Death of a Salesman,” Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Corey Hawkins in “Topdog,” and Stephen McKinley Henderson in “Between Riverside and Crazy.”

Men in musicals is a less obvious category: The favorite, and my favored, is J. Harrison Ghee in “Some Like it Hot,” although a case could surely be made for the generous ensemble player Josh Groban, who I’d say showed us the softer side of Sweeney Todd if that didn’t sound like a Target ad.

The 76th annual Tony Awards take place 7 p.m. CT Sunday, hosted by Ariana DeBose and broadcast live from United Palace in New York by CBS and streaming on Paramount+. More information at tonyawards.com

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2023 TONY AWARDS

Best musical:

“& Juliet”

“Kimberly Akimbo”

“New York, New York”

“Shucked”

“Some Like It Hot”

Best play:

“Ain’t No Mo’”

“Between Riverside and Crazy”

“Cost of Living”

“Fat Ham”

“Leopoldstadt”

Leading actress in a musical:

Annaleigh Ashford, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Sara Bareilles, “Into the Woods”

Victoria Clark, “Kimberly Akimbo”

Lorna Courtney, “& Juliet”

Micaela Diamond, “Parade”

Leading actor in a musical:

Christian Borle, “Some Like It Hot”

J. Harrison Ghee, “Some Like It Hot”

Josh Groban, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Brian d’Arcy James, “Into the Woods”

Ben Platt, “Parade”

Colton Ryan, “New York, New York”

Leading actress in a play:

Jessica Chastain, “A Doll’s House”

Jodie Comer, “Prima Facie”

Jessica Hecht, “Summer, 1976″

Audra McDonald, “Ohio State Murders”

Leading actor in a play:

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Topdog/Underdog”

Corey Hawkins, “Topdog/Underdog”

Sean Hayes, “Good Night, Oscar”

Stephen McKinley Henderson, “Between Riverside and Crazy”

Wendell Pierce, “Death of a Salesman”

Best revival of a play:

“The Piano Lesson”

“A Doll’s House”

“The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”

“Topdog/Underdog”

Best revival of a musical:

“Into the Woods”

“Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot”

“Parade”

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Best book of a musical:

“& Juliet,” David West Read

“Kimberly Akimbo,” David Lindsay-Abaire

“New York, New York,” David Thompson and Sharon Washington

“Shucked,” Robert Horn

“Some Like It Hot,” Matthew López and Amber Ruffin

Best original score:

“Almost Famous”

Music: Tom Kitt

Lyrics: Cameron Crowe and Tom Kitt

“Kimberly Akimbo”

Music: Jeanine Tesori

Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

“KPOP”

Music and lyrics: Helen Park and Max Vernon

“Shucked”

Music and lyrics: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally

“Some Like It Hot”

Music: Marc Shaiman

Lyrics: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

Featured actor in a play:

Jordan E. Cooper, “Ain’t No Mo’”

Samuel L. Jackson, “The Piano Lesson”

Arian Moayed, “A Doll’s House”

Brandon Uranowitz, “Leopoldstadt”

David Zayas, “Cost of Living”

Featured actress in a play:

Nikki Crawford, “Fat Ham”

Crystal Lucas-Perry, “Ain’t No Mo’”

Miriam Silverman, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”

Katy Sullivan, “Cost of Living”

Kara Young, “Cost of Living”

Featured actor in a musical:

Kevin Cahoon, “Shucked”

Justin Cooley, “Kimberly Akimbo”

Kevin Del Aguila, “Some Like It Hot”

Jordan Donica, “Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot”

Alex Newell, “Shucked”

Featured actress in a musical:

Julia Lester, “Into the Woods”

Ruthie Ann Miles, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Bonnie Milligan, “Kimberly Akimbo”

NaTasha Yvette Williams, “Some Like It Hot”

Betsy Wolfe, “& Juliet”

Best direction of a play:

Saheem Ali, “Fat Ham”

Jo Bonney, “Cost of Living”

Jamie Lloyd, “A Doll’s House”

Patrick Marber, “Leopoldstadt”

Stevie Walker-Webb, “Ain’t No Mo’”

Max Webster, “Life of Pi”

Best direction of a musical:

Michael Arden, “Parade”

Lear deBessonet, “Into the Woods”

Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like It Hot”

Jack O’Brien, “Shucked”

Jessica Stone, “Kimberly Akimbo”

Best choreography:

Steven Hoggett, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like It Hot”

Susan Stroman, “New York, New York”

Jennifer Weber, “& Juliet”

Jennifer Weber, “KPOP”

Scenic design of a play:

Miriam Buether, “Prima Facie”

Tim Hatley and Andrzej Goulding, “Life of Pi”

Rachel Hauck, “Good Night, Oscar”

Richard Hudson, “Leopoldstadt”

Dane Laffrey and Lucy Mackinnon, “A Christmas Carol”

Scenic design of a musical:

Beowulf Boritt, “New York, New York”

Mimi Lien, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Michael Yeargan and 59 Productions, “Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot”

Scott Pask, “Shucked”

Scott Pask, “Some Like It Hot”

Costume design of a play:

Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, “Life of Pi”

Dominique Fawn Hill, “Fat Ham”

Brigitte Reiffenstuel, “Leopoldstadt”

Emilio Sosa, “Ain’t No Mo’”

Emilio Sosa, “Good Night, Oscar”

Costume design of a musical:

Gregg Barnes, “Some Like It Hot”

Susan Hilferty, “Parade”

Jennifer Moeller, “Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot”

Clint Ramos and Sophia Choi, “KPOP”

Paloma Young, “& Juliet”

Donna Zakowska, “New York, New York”

Lighting design of a play:

Neil Austin, “Leopoldstadt”

Natasha Chivers, “Prima Facie”

Jon Clark, “A Doll’s House”

Bradley King, “Fat Ham”

Tim Lutkin, “Life of Pi”

Jen Schriever, “Death of a Salesman”

Ben Stanton, “A Christmas Carol”

Lighting design of a musical:

Ken Billington, “New York, New York”

Lap Chi Chu, “Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot”

Heather Gilbert, “Parade”

Howard Hudson, “& Juliet”

Natasha Katz, “Some Like It Hot”

Natasha Katz, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Sound design of a play:

Jonathan Deans and Taylor Williams, “Ain’t No Mo’”

Carolyn Downing, “Life of Pi”

Joshua D. Reid, “A Christmas Carol”

Ben and Max Ringham, “A Doll’s House”

Ben and Max Ringham, “Prima Facie”

Sound design of a musical:

Kai Harada, “New York, New York”

John Shivers, “Shucked”

Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, “Into the Woods”

Gareth Owen, “& Juliet”

Nevin Steinberg, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Best orchestrations:

Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, “& Juliet”

John Clancy, “Kimberly Akimbo”

Jason Howland, “Shucked”

Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, “Some Like It Hot”

Daryl Waters and Sam Davis, “New York, New York”