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‘A Strange Loop,’ ‘MJ’ and ‘Paradise Square’ lead the 2022 Tony Award nominations

By Scottie Andrew, CNN

A Pulitzer-winning original musical and a play that recounts the 2008 financial crisis lead the nominations for the 75th annual Tony Awards, which honor the best Broadway productions of the last year.

Broadway stars Adrienne Warren, who won a Tony for her incendiary performance as Tina Turner in “Tina,” and three-time Tony nominee Joshua Henry announced the nominations on Monday.

Leading the nominations is “A Strange Loop” with 11, including one for best musical. The show, which follows an aspiring playwright and his dizzying, personified thoughts, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Following closely behind is the controversial pop-musical “MJ,” which takes place during a Michael Jackson tour, with 10 nominations. Also scoring 10 nominations is “Paradise Square,” a musical that follows the deteriorating relationship between Irish immigrants and Black New Yorkers in the 19th century.

“The Lehman Trilogy” earned the most Tony nominations of any play with eight total. The epic follows the history of Lehman Brothers from its creation to its demise more than 160 years later.

Hollywood also had a strong showing this year, with TV stars like Mary-Louise Parker and Jesse Williams, previous Tony winner Hugh Jackman and Oscar winner Sam Rockwell nominated for their performances.

The last year marked a triumphant, if spotty, return for Broadway, which shuttered for over a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shows began to reopen in September 2021, though subsequent outbreaks forced several shows to cancel performances.

The winners will be crowned at June 12’s ceremony, airing live from Radio City Musical Hall and hosted by recent Oscar winner and Broadway veteran Ariana DeBose.

Read on for the full list of nominees.

Best Play

“Clyde’s,” Lynn Nottage

“Hangmen,” Martin McDonagh

“The Lehman Trilogy,” Stefano Massini and Ben Power

“The Minutes,” Tracy Letts

“Skeleton Crew,” Dominique Morrisseau

Best Musical

“Girl From the North Country”

“MJ”

“Mr. Saturday Night”

“Paradise Square”

“SIX: The Musical”

“A Strange Loop”

Best Revival of a Play

“American Buffalo”

“for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”

“How I Learned to Drive”

“Take Me Out”

“Trouble in Mind”

Best Revival of a Musical

“Caroline, or Change”

“Company”

“The Music Man”

Best Book of a Musical

“Girl From The North Country,” Conor McPherson

“MJ,” Lynn Nottage

“Mr. Saturday Night,” Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel

“Paradise Square,” Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan

“A Strange Loop,” Michael R. Jackson

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

“Flying Over Sunset”

Music: Tom Kitt

Lyrics: Michael Korie

“Mr. Saturday Night”

Music: Jason Robert Brown

Lyrics: Amanda Green

“Paradise Square”

Music: Jason Howland

Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare

“SIX: The Musical”

Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss

“A Strange Loop”

Music and Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Simon Russell Beale, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Adam Godley, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Adrian Lester, “The Lehman Trilogy”

David Morse, “How I Learned to Drive”

Sam Rockwell, “American Buffalo”

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues”

David Threlfall, “Hangmen”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Gabby Beans, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

LaChanze, “Trouble in Mind”

Ruth Negga, “Macbeth”

Deirdre O’Connell, “Dana H.”

Mary-Louise Parker, “How I Learned to Drive”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Billy Crystal, “Mr. Saturday Night”

Myles Frost, “MJ”

Hugh Jackman, “The Music Man”

Rob McClure, “Mrs. Doubtfire”

Jaquel Spivey, “A Strange Loop”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Sharon D Clarke, “Caroline, or Change”

Carmen Cusack, “Flying Over Sunset”

Sutton Foster, “The Music Man”

Joaquina Kalukango, “Paradise Square”

Mare Winningham, “Girl From The North Country”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Alfie Allen, “Hangmen”

Chuck Cooper, “Trouble in Mind”

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Take Me Out”

Ron Cephas Jones, “Clyde’s”

Michael Oberholtzer, “Take Me Out”

Jesse Williams, “Take Me Out”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Uzo Aduba, “Clyde’s”

Rachel Dratch, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”

Kenita R. Miller, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”

Phylicia Rashad, “Skeleton Crew”

Julie White, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”

Kara Young, “Clyde’s”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Matt Doyle, “Company”

Sidney DuPont, “Paradise Square”

Jared Grimes, “Funny Girl”

John-Andrew Morrison, “A Strange Loop”

A.J. Shively, “Paradise Square”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Jeannette Bayardelle, “Girl From The North Country”

Shoshana Bean, “Mr. Saturday Night”

Jayne Houdyshell, “The Music Man”

L Morgan Lee, “A Strange Loop”

Patti LuPone, “Company”

Jennifer Simard, “Company”

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive”

Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, “Skeleton Crew”

Es Devlin, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Anna Fleischle, “Hangmen”

Scott Pask, “American Buffalo”

Adam Rigg, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, “Flying Over Sunset”

Bunny Christie, “Company”

Arnulfo Maldonado, “A Strange Loop”

Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, “MJ”

Allen Moyer, “Paradise Square”

Best Costume Design of a Play

Montana Levi Blanco, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Sarafina Bush, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”

Emilio Sosa, “Trouble in Mind”

Jane Greenwood, “Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite”

Jennifer Moeller, “Clyde’s”

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Fly Davis, “Caroline, or Change”

Toni-Leslie James, “Paradise Square”

William Ivey Long, “Diana, The Musical”

Santo Loquasto, “The Music Man”

Gabriella Slade, “SIX: The Musical”

Paul Tazewell, “MJ”

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Joshua Carr, “Hangmen”

Jiyoun Chang, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”

Jon Clark, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Jane Cox, “Macbeth”

Yi Zhao, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Neil Austin, “Company”

Tim Deiling, “SIX: The Musical”

Donald Holder, “Paradise Square”

Natasha Katz, “MJ”

Bradley King, “Flying Over Sunset”

Jen Schriever, “A Strange Loop”

Best Sound Design of a Play

Justin Ellington, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”

Mikhail Fiksel, “Dana H.”

Palmer Hefferan, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Mikaal Sulaiman, “Macbeth”

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Simon Baker, “Girl From The North Country”

Paul Gatehouse, “SIX: The Musical”

Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Company”

Drew Levy, “A Strange Loop”

Gareth Owen, “MJ”

Best Direction of a Play

Lileana Blain-Cruz, “The Skin of Our Teeth”

Camille A. Brown, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”

Sam Mendes, “The Lehman Trilogy”

Neil Pepe, “American Buffalo”

Les Waters, “Dana H.”

Best Direction of a Musical

Stephen Brackett, “A Strange Loop”

Marianne Elliott, “Company”

Conor McPherson, “Girl From The North Country”

Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage, “SIX: The Musical”

Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”

Best Choreography

Camille A. Brown, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”

Warren Carlyle, “The Music Man”

Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, “SIX: The Musical”

Bill T. Jones, “Paradise Square”

Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ”

Best Orchestrations

David Cullen, “Company”

Tom Curran, “SIX: The Musical”

Simon Hale, “Girl From The North Country”

Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, “MJ”

Charlie Rosen, “A Strange Loop”

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