The new musical “Hadestown” is out front in this year’s Tony Awards derby, landing 14 nominations, including Best Musical, followed by the Temptations bio-musical “Ain’t Too Proud,” with 12 nominations, and “Tootsie,” with 11.
The new plays, “The Ferryman” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” each earned nine nominations — though Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of the Harper Lee novel shockingly was snubbed in the Best Play category. Here are some of the morning’s other biggest shockers:
SNUB: “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Though Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of the beloved Harper Lee novel picked up nine nominations, tying “The Ferryman” for the most of any nonmusical, it was passed over in the top category of Best Play.
SNUB: “Network”
Similarly, the high-profile adaptation of the 1970s movie starring Bryan Cranston missed out in the top category — though Cranston himself was recognized in the Best Actor race.
SURPRISE: “Choir Boy”
Oscar-winning “Moonlight” co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play about students in an all-black prep school may have closed months ago, but it still nabbed a Best Play nomination.
SNUB: Glenda Jackson and “King Lear”
It seemed like a sure thing: The acclaimed British actress playing Shakespeare’s geriatric antihero. But Jackson lost out despite an expanded list of six nominees — and the production scored only a single nod, for Ruth Wilson’s dual turn as Cordelia and the Fool.
SURPRISE: Janet McTeer, “Bernhardt/Hamlet”
“Bernhardt/Hamlet” closed months ago, but the Oscar nominee McTeer still left an impression as the great 19th-century actress Sarah Bernhardt as she became arguably the first woman to play Hamlet.
SNUB: “Be More Chill”
Joe Iconis’ score picked up the sole nomination for this hit musical about a high schooler who goes to sci-fi lengths to achieve popularity. Gen-Z may adore the show, but the Tony nominators? Not so much.
SURPRISE: Jeremy Pope
Not only did the young actor beat out the likes of Jonny Lee Miller (“Ink”), Nathan Lane (“Gary”) and Tracy Letts (“All My Sons”) for his lead performance in the drama “Choir Boy,” but he also scored a second nomination for his featured turn in the Temptations musical “Ain’t Too Proud.”
Read the rest of my coverage of Tonys, including the full list of nominees, at TheWrap.