Random Tony Thoughts - Best Actress in a Play

[skynyc]

I'm back. LOL. 

Another incredible set of performances in Plays. How annoying is it that Tonys still haven't updated their categories to enter the 21st century. Ensemble? Projections? Make-up/Hair? Some of the other awards do honor these important categories. 

At any rate...the actresses....  

I think Laurie Metcalf, Lesley Manville and Jean Smart are given...(even though Jean's Izzy has been gone since August.) Could Metcalf pull off a double nomination for Little Bear Ridge Road AND Salesman? 

Carrie Coon is a likely nominee for Bug...shivers just thinking about that play.  And Ayo Edebiri gives a nuanced and conflicted performance in Proof. (And I see that Don Cheadle will be up for Lead Actor in this...when I thought it a supporting role, and he's wonderful.) 

Much as I enjoyed Kelli O'Hara and Rose Byrne in Fallen Angels, I suspect they'll be excluded...  

Liberation should get an Ensemble Award... As should Marjorie Prime. I'd be hard pressed to pick Cynthia Nixon over June Squibb. 

If anyone one in one of the comedies this year deserves a nod it's Anika Noni Rose for Balusters, but with the incredible dramas, I fear that the comedies will be overlooked. 

[skynyc]

Now that nominatons are out...and Laurie Metcalf was only eligible in this categroy for Little Bear Ridge Road and was overlooked, I do think that Lesley Manville has the Best Actress in a Play in the bag. Rose Byrne and Kelli O'Hara will cancel each other out, Carrie Coon and Susannah Flood were in smaller shows that are long closed. Manville, even though Oedipus closed in the Fall, gave the performance of the year. Jean Smart SHOULD have been nominated.

I think Laurie Metcalf will win as Best Featured Actress in a Play because her Linda Loman is so different that any I've seen previously. I was surprised that she wasn't in the Lead actress category. The other ladies were all wonderful. I think both Jane Squib and Marylouise Burke are fabulous, but as the "senior" performers, they may cancel each other...and they're both in shows produced by Non-Profits, so the producing team (who vote) is much smaller. Aya Cash is lovely, and manages to stand up against Lithgow. Betsy Aidem was amazing, but for me Liberation was such an ensemble show. I'll say again and again...the Tonys need to have an ENSEMBLE award.