When the 79th Tony Awards revealed its list of contenders on Tuesday morning, there were expected nominations for the likes of John Lithgow (“Giant”), Nathan Lane (“Death of a Salesman”) and Joshua Henry (“Ragtime”), as well as plenty of notable omissions. (How does Lea Michele still not have a single Tony nomination? What’s a girl gotta do?)
In case you didn’t want to wake up early along with the Broadway community, we’re breaking down all the twists and turns, snubs and surprises from this year’s nominees.
SURPRISE: Scott Rudin scores two nominations
This season marked a major comeback for Rudin, the controversial producer who stepped back from Broadway in 2021 following numerous allegations of abusive behavior with employees. Well, the Tony nominating committee appears willing to give him a second chance, rewarding Rudin not just for best play revival for “Death of a Salesman” but also for best play for “Little Bear Ridge Road.” Should he win in either category, he’ll likely take the stage to deliver an acceptance speech and bask in the applause of the community he was exiled from roughly five years ago.
SNUB: Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit don’t get invited to the match
