When the 2019 Tony Nominations were announced the list included an execptional number of potential LGBTQ winners
The Prom, a musical comedy about an Indiana lesbian whose prom is canceled after she’s forbidden to bring her girlfriend, earned a wonderful seven nominations : a groundbreaking result for a LGBTQ Broadway production. It included Best New Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book, and Best Direction of a Musical. Both Prom stars Caitlin Kinnunen and Beth Leavel were nominated for Best Actress in a Musical and Brooks Ashmanskas was recognized for Best Actor for this performance.
The musical is already being adapted as a movie by gay producer/impresario Ryan Murphy for Netflix,
Murphy is also about to make a film of the Broadway revival of Matt Crowley’s gay classic play The Boys In The Band which was nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Of the completely gay cast (who will repeat their new roles in Murphy’s film for Netflix) only Robin De Jesus was recognized for his performance with a Featured Actor Nomination
Choir Boy is a coming of age drama from openly gay Tarell Alvin McCraney (Academy Award Winner for Moonlight) The story about a gay choir leader at an elite boarding school for black men, scored a Best Play nomination, with its star Jeremy Pope being recognized for Best Leading Actor in a Play. Young Mr Pope making his Broadway debut was also nominated as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Ain’t Too Proud, only the 6th person in Broadway’s history to achieve a potential double whammy like this.
The Tony Award winning Brit actress Janet McTeer who played French star Sarah Bernhardt in the gender-bending play Bernhardt/Hamlet, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play.
Openly gay actor Brandon Uranowitz received his third Tony Nomination this time for his performance of Larry the gay best friend of Adam Driver’s character in Lanford Wilson’s play Burn This. He is up against out gay actor Gordon Glick for his performance as Dill Harris in Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Non-binary playwright Taylor Mac’s ‘Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus’ one of the most unusual plays to ever reach Broadway. received 7 Nominations including Best Play, and a potential third Tony Award for its openly gay director George C. Wolfe
The Cher Show however that received such mediocre reviews when it opened didn’t receive much love from the Nominating Committee who only recognised Stephanie J Block one of the three actresses playing the singer. It did at least acknowledge who was th real star of the show by nominating the 9 time Emmy Award Winner, 2 time Academy Award Nominee Bob Mackie for his ravishing costumes. He should be a shoo-in for his very first Tony Award.
The 73rd Annual Tony Awards will be held on June 9, 2019, The ceremony will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and will be broadcast live by CBS. James Corden will serve as host.
