London’s Menier Chocolate Factory and Donmar Warehouse are among the leading contenders in this year’s Tony Awards, collecting 15 and nine nominations respectively.
The Menier’s musicals A Little Night Music and La Cage Aux Folles, and the Donmar’s productions of plays Red and Hamlet, will battle it out at the ceremony on 13 June alongside the Royal Court, Chichester Festival Theatre and Headlong production of Enron, which has received four nominations, taking the haul for British transfers to 28.
Comedy musical La Cage Aux Folles, which transferred from the Chocolate Factory to London’s Playhouse theatre prior to Broadway, leads the way with 11 nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical for Terry Johnson and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for both Douglas Hodge, who originated the part of drag queen Albin/Zaza in London, and Kelsey Grammer, who joined him on Broadway in the role of Georges.
The Menier’s revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music also contests the category of Best Revival of a Musical, with its Broadway stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury both recognised. Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen complete the show’s quartet of nominations with acknowledgment in the Best Sound Design of a Musical category.
The Donmar Warehouse’s nine nominations comprise two for its revival of Hamlet, which played as part of the Donmar West End season in London prior to its Broadway transfer, and seven for John Logan’s new play Red, which ran at the Donmar Warehouse last December.
Jude Law is nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Hamlet, up against Alfred Molina who is nominated for playing artist Mark Rothko in Red. Molina’s co-star in the two-hander, Eddie Redmayne, is nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, while Red also receives a nomination for Best Play. Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Grandage, who directed both productions, is nominated for his direction of Red.
Grandage commented: “It’s always a great joy to be able to share our work with audiences in New York. The Donmar’s productions of Red and Hamlet have allowed us to demonstrate our commitment to new writing and the classical repertoire in the same Broadway season and I’m delighted both productions have been honoured with such prestigious award nominations in the last two days.”
Neil Austin, who designed the lighting for both Red and Hamlet, receives two nominations in the Best Lighting Design of a Play category, up against Mark Henderson for his work on another British transfer, Enron. Lucy Prebble’s inventive account of the infamous American financial scandal also receives nominations for Sound Design, Featured Actor and Original Score.
The British productions feature in a nominations list that also includes new Broadway shows Memphis, The Addams Family, Promises, Promises and Fela! – which transfers to the National Theatre later this year – and plays Fences, The Royal Family, Lend Me A Tenor and A View From The Bridge.
The ceremony, held at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on 13 June, will also see prolific British playwright Alan Ayckbourn receive a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
CB