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[0:00] Eila Mell: Hello and welcome to Behind the Awards. This is our first 2026 Tony special. And Bruce,

[0:08] Bruce Gotlieb: we have breaking news. Can you please share with everyone?

[0:11] Eila Mell: We were so excited just to be doing this Play the Nominator episode. Little did we know that half hour ago, it is reported that Pink will be our 2026 Tony Awards host.

[0:25] Bruce Gotlieb: I think this is such exciting news.

[0:27] Eila Mell: I'm such a fan. And I think that she brings such a level of entertainment to everything she does that I'm so excited about.

[0:36] Bruce Gotlieb: And I'm intrigued. Was she a theater kid? What's the connection?

[0:40] Eila Mell: I know my daughter loves theater.

[0:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Her daughter? Yeah. Okay, great. Maybe her daughter will be there with her.

[0:50] Eila Mell: I mean, I would think she would have a hard time keeping her away.

[0:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, really? Well, this is great. I am so excited to see what she does.

[0:59] Eila Mell: I think she has an interesting humor to her. I find her like when you watch an interview with her, she seems to be like an everyday kind of girl. So that's fun. We know she can sing.

[1:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, for sure.

[1:13] Eila Mell: I wonder if we'll get like a big opening number.

[1:15] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, I hope so.

[1:16] Eila Mell: Maybe she'll have, you know, she loves to use those silks and do like that Cirque du Soleil type of stuff.

[1:23] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Oh, so many possibilities.

[1:25] Eila Mell: So many questions.

[1:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. All right. Well, we had to break that news.

[1:30] Eila Mell: We did. Now we're going to play Nominator.

[1:32] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. We have a game to play. And, you know, everyone play along with us.

[1:36] Eila Mell: Yes. DM us, send us your thoughts, because we're just a couple of weeks away from actual nominations.

[1:42] Bruce Gotlieb: And then we're going to have a lot of episodes, a lot of special Tony episodes. So, you know, we want to include your thoughts in that.

[1:49] Eila Mell: That's right. Grab your replica Tony Awards. Get your speeches ready.

[1:53] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[1:54] Eila Mell: And let's dive in.

[1:55] Bruce Gotlieb: All right.

[1:56] Eila Mell: Welcome to Behind the Awards. And it is the first of our many special Tony Awards episodes.

[2:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Welcome everyone.

[2:14] Eila Mell: Hello.

[2:15] Bruce Gotlieb: And this morning we are diving right in because they have yet to give us the ability to vote or nominate. We have taken it upon ourselves this morning to play Nominator.

[2:27] Eila Mell: So I am, of course, with my co-host, Bruce, as always. And for our Tony episodes, we have brought back our expert, Matt Stachin. Hi, Matt.

[2:38] Matt Stachin: Hello. How are you guys?

[2:39] Eila Mell: We are excited for Tony season.

[2:42] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[2:43] Matt Stachin: Absolutely.

[2:44] Eila Mell: Right around the corner.

[2:45] Bruce Gotlieb: It's the most wonderful time of the year.

[2:46] Eila Mell: Yes. Oh, it's way better than Christmas. Come on. All right. So as we record this, it is early April.

[2:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[2:56] Eila Mell: So we're early. We know that. But the nomination cutoff is April 26. Is that right, Bruce?

[3:03] Bruce Gotlieb: That's correct.

[3:04] Eila Mell: Okay. So The Lost Boys is the last show of the season, but it started previews already.

[3:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, it did. Last night.

[3:11] Eila Mell: So we figured it was fair game.

[3:15] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. And I should say that some things we have had the opportunity to see, some things we know we are going to be seeing. So this is a compilation of our thoughts based on what we've seen and what the buzz and subsequent anticipation is going to be.

[3:33] Matt Stachin: Exactly. It's our wish list for who gets nominated.

[3:36] Eila Mell: That's right. This isn't who we think will win and who should win. We'll cover that in future episodes once all is revealed from the Tony nominators.

[3:45] Bruce Gotlieb: And it isn't even who we think will get nominated. It's just what we want based on the information we have at this point.

[3:53] Eila Mell: If we had the chance to fill out a ballot of a nominee, this is who we would pick.

[3:58] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. So where should we start, Bruce?

[4:01] Bruce Gotlieb: It's up to you.

[4:02] Eila Mell: Well, I mean, let's start big. Why don't we start with Best Musical?

[4:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay, that is big.

[4:08] Eila Mell: That is very big.

[4:09] Bruce Gotlieb: All right.

[4:10] Eila Mell: Although with only six musicals, aren't there only four nominees?

[4:14] Bruce Gotlieb: I think there's only three, actually.

[4:16] Eila Mell: Oh, okay. Bruce, would you please read what the six shows are?

[4:21] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure. We have Two Strangers, Carry a Cake Across New York, Schmigadoon, The Lost Boys, Titanic, Beaches, and The Queen of Versailles.

[4:30] Eila Mell: All right.

[4:31] Bruce Gotlieb: So, go ahead.

[4:32] Eila Mell: I was going to say, I think we know one of them is not going to get nominated, but you never know.

[4:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Imagine people could have a psychotic break.

[4:40] Eila Mell: Much stranger things than that have happened, believe me.

[4:44] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. So why don't we let our guest do the first set of predictions, Matt?

[4:50] Matt Stachin: Okay.

[4:51] Matt Stachin: So I do have four because I thought it was if there's six, then there's four available nomination slots.

[4:55] Eila Mell: Okay.

[4:56] Matt Stachin: Maybe there are.

[4:57] Bruce Gotlieb: So let's go with that.

[4:58] Matt Stachin: That's my guess.

[4:59] Matt Stachin: So I'm going to go with four.

[5:02] Matt Stachin: And I have The Lost Boys.

[5:04] Matt Stachin: I have Two Strangers.

[5:05] Matt Stachin: I have Titanic and Schmigadoon.

[5:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[5:08] Eila Mell: Okay.

[5:09] Matt Stachin: I have the same.

[5:10] Matt Stachin: I didn't have any variance on that.

[5:11] Bruce Gotlieb: I put three, but if I had to add a fourth, it would be the same exact list.

[5:16] Eila Mell: So we're all in agreement.

[5:17] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[5:18] Eila Mell: All right.

[5:19] Bruce Gotlieb: See? A big category, but easy.

[5:21] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[5:22] Bruce Gotlieb: That one, that's true.

[5:23] Eila Mell: Now, the one thing I will say, we'll move on next to Best Play.

[5:28] Bruce Gotlieb: We see a little bit of a shift this season.

[5:31] Eila Mell: Last season was very heavily contended musical category. This year, the play categories, I feel, are in that position.

[5:39] Bruce Gotlieb: It's much more competitive in the plays than the musicals this year.

[5:43] Eila Mell: And I think the plays have been more exciting this season, too.

[5:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[5:47] Eila Mell: So we have eight new plays that are in contention.

[5:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[5:52] Eila Mell: So I think that is also four.

[5:54] Bruce Gotlieb: All right.

[5:55] Eila Mell: So we have Call Me Izzy, Punch, Little Bear Ridge Road, The Fear of Thirteen, The Ballisters, Liberation, Dog Day Afternoon, and Giant.

[6:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[6:07] Eila Mell: Has anyone seen all of these?

[6:09] Bruce Gotlieb: No, right?

[6:10] Matt Stachin: No.

[6:11] Eila Mell: It's way too early.

[6:12] Bruce Gotlieb: No, we haven't seen that.

[6:13] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[6:14] Bruce Gotlieb: I think The Fear of Thirteen, I think, just started the other night.

[6:16] Eila Mell: And Giant also is very new.

[6:18] Bruce Gotlieb: And so is The Ballisters.

[6:19] Eila Mell: Right.

[6:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Ballisters just started in the last couple of days also, I believe.

[6:22] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[6:23] Bruce Gotlieb: I think they've only had two days of previews, so all right.

[6:26] Eila Mell: But we're going to get to probably all of these, so.

[6:29] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[6:30] Eila Mell: All right.

[6:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Correct you, Bruce. All Out is eligible for Tonys also, so there's nine.

[6:36] Matt Stachin: Okay.

[6:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Is it?

[6:38] Matt Stachin: Okay.

[6:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, I don't think any of us are picking that.

[6:41] Eila Mell: No.

[6:42] Bruce Gotlieb: But that might open it up to five slots.

[6:43] Eila Mell: Okay.

[6:44] Bruce Gotlieb: So let's say five.

[6:45] Eila Mell: All right.

[6:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Then I have to pick another one, which is fine.

[6:48] Eila Mell: I'll do it very quickly.

[6:50] Bruce Gotlieb: On the fly.

[6:51] Eila Mell: That's right.

[6:52] Bruce Gotlieb: Who's starting?

[6:55] Eila Mell: I'll start this time.

[6:56] Eila Mell: All right.

[6:57] Eila Mell: My five are Liberation, Giant, The Ballisters, The Fear of Thirteen, and Punch.

[7:06] Matt Stachin: That's exactly my list.

[7:08] Eila Mell: This is going to be a very quick episode, because those are my five as well.

[7:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh my gosh.

[7:12] Eila Mell: Okay.

[7:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Why are we all in such agreement?

[7:16] Eila Mell: I don't know.

[7:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Something tells me it's not going to stay that way.

[7:19] Eila Mell: No, I don't think so.

[7:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Now.

[7:21] Eila Mell: We could argue if you want to, but you know.

[7:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, I want to discuss, do we think that Punch realistically has a shot?

[7:29] Matt Stachin: Because it was so early.

[7:31] Bruce Gotlieb: I think that's my only reason why I think, if it doesn't get nominated, that's why.

[7:36] Matt Stachin: I think it was a strong enough show, in my opinion, to be remembered.

[7:41] Eila Mell: I will also say, MTC, when it comes to straight plays, has a very good track record.

[7:47] Matt Stachin: Just going back to, like, Prayer for the French Republic and Jaja's African Hair Braiding.

[7:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Just shows that have been closed for a while, still being able to get them out there and get remembered among the voters.

[7:55] Eila Mell: Okay.

[7:56] Bruce Gotlieb: That's good.

[7:57] Eila Mell: I mean, I thought that Punch was excellent.

[7:59] Eila Mell: But it wasn't on my original list, just because, you know, it's old.

[8:04] Bruce Gotlieb: It was, you know, was it the first show of the season?

[8:06] Eila Mell: No.

[8:07] Bruce Gotlieb: But it was among the first shows.

[8:09] Eila Mell: No.

[8:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Call Me As You Are.

[8:10] Eila Mell: Right.

[8:11] Bruce Gotlieb: But it was very early.

[8:12] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[8:13] Bruce Gotlieb: So, if it got a nomination, though, I'd be thrilled.

[8:14] Eila Mell: I would, too.

[8:15] Matt Stachin: I mean, if I'm ranking these one to five, Punch is number two for me.

[8:18] Eila Mell: Oh, wow.

[8:19] Matt Stachin: That's high up.

[8:20] Bruce Gotlieb: I think we probably all have the same number one.

[8:23] Eila Mell: Liberation?

[8:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Yep.

[8:25] Matt Stachin: For me, yeah.

[8:26] Eila Mell: A hundred percent.

[8:27] Bruce Gotlieb: But that's another one that's been closed for a very long time.

[8:28] Eila Mell: So who knows?

[8:29] Bruce Gotlieb: I know.

[8:30] Eila Mell: I feel like that one has a stronger chance, though.

[8:32] Bruce Gotlieb: I think it just did better.

[8:34] Eila Mell: And also, Giant, though, has such good buzz.

[8:38] Bruce Gotlieb: We haven't seen it yet.

[8:39] Eila Mell: So we don't know.

[8:40] Bruce Gotlieb: Maybe that'll push its way into number one.

[8:42] Eila Mell: Who knows?

[8:43] Matt Stachin: I love the what ifs that you presented.

[8:47] Eila Mell: I know.

[8:48] Bruce Gotlieb: I think we'll see a lot more once the nominations come out, and we've had a chance to see much more.

[8:54] Eila Mell: That's right.

[8:55] Bruce Gotlieb: Our thoughts could change, for sure.

[8:56] Eila Mell: I'm sure they will change somewhat, but my love for Liberation will not change.

[9:02] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[9:03] Eila Mell: All right. What's our next category?

[9:05] Bruce Gotlieb: Why don't we keep going broad, and we'll do Musical Revival.

[9:10] Eila Mell: Okay.

[9:11] Bruce Gotlieb: What's eligible?

[9:12] Eila Mell: So we have five eligible.

[9:13] Bruce Gotlieb: We have The Rocky Horror Show, Cats the Jellicle Ball, Mamma Mia, Ragtime, and Chess.

[9:21] Eila Mell: All right.

[9:22] Bruce Gotlieb: Now, because we only have five, I believe we're only giving them three nominations.

[9:28] Eila Mell: Correct.

[9:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[9:30] Eila Mell: All right.

[9:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, I'll jump in.

[9:32] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm going to say Ragtime, Cats, and Rocky Horror.

[9:37] Eila Mell: I agree with you, Isla.

[9:38] Eila Mell: Those are my three also.

[9:39] Bruce Gotlieb: All right, Bruce.

[9:40] Bruce Gotlieb: Having a great time today.

[9:41] Eila Mell: We're a family.

[9:42] Bruce Gotlieb: It seems like Bruce might change.

[9:46] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm going to disrupt the trio here.

[9:50] Eila Mell: All right, good.

[9:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Let's fight it out.

[9:52] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, it's not a fight.

[9:53] Bruce Gotlieb: It's if I'm nominating the shows, you know?

[9:56] Bruce Gotlieb: So if I'm nominating, I have Ragtime, Cats, and I have Mamma Mia.

[10:02] Eila Mell: Okay.

[10:03] Bruce Gotlieb: I just think, I don't know, how do you not love Mamma Mia?

[10:08] Eila Mell: It's just, it does everything that you ask for it to do, and I cannot deny it.

[10:15] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, good.

[10:17] Eila Mell: Now you've made it more interesting.

[10:19] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[10:20] Eila Mell: All right. So, revival of a play?

[10:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[10:25] Eila Mell: And we have a longer list here.

[10:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[10:27] Eila Mell: We have 11.

[10:28] Bruce Gotlieb: All right.

[10:29] Eila Mell: So, we have Becky Shaw, Fallen Angels, Art, Waiting for Godot, Marjorie Prime, Every Brilliant Thing, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Death of a Salesman, Bug, Proof, and Oedipus.

[10:44] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[10:46] Eila Mell: That is a long list.

[10:47] Bruce Gotlieb: That is a very long list.

[10:48] Eila Mell: Do we think there are any that just have no chance?

[10:52] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, I don't know about no chance, but I feel like similarly to Punch, Art feels like it was last season almost at this point.

[11:00] Eila Mell: I agree with you.

[11:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[11:02] Eila Mell: And it was good, but yeah, I think that it's probably very far in people's memories.

[11:07] Bruce Gotlieb: I still wouldn't go so far as to say no chance, though, just because the power of that cast, they might get remembered.

[11:11] Eila Mell: That might pull the whole thing along.

[11:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[11:15] Matt Stachin: Yeah.

[11:16] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, I think that's a good point.

[11:17] Eila Mell: I wouldn't say it's a good chance, but I wouldn't say it's no chance.

[11:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[11:21] Eila Mell: I mean, obviously everything has a little bit of a chance if it's there.

[11:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Somebody's going to vote for at least, you know, everything.

[11:27] Eila Mell: Right.

[11:28] Bruce Gotlieb: Somebody might vote for Queen of Versailles.

[11:29] Eila Mell: Who knows?

[11:30] Bruce Gotlieb: That's true.

[11:31] Eila Mell: So, all right.

[11:33] Eila Mell: Matt.

[11:34] Matt Stachin: Yes.

[11:35] Eila Mell: I am very torn on the fifth spot.

[11:37] Matt Stachin: Oh, okay.

[11:38] Eila Mell: Good.

[11:39] Matt Stachin: And I won't tell you why, but I have four that I'm absolutely pretty sure of, which are Becky Shaw, Marjorie Prime, Oedipus, and Proust.

[11:45] Eila Mell: Okay.

[11:46] Matt Stachin: And the fifth?

[11:47] Matt Stachin: You know something?

[11:48] Matt Stachin: I'm going to swing big.

[11:49] Matt Stachin: I'm going Waiting for Godot.

[11:50] Eila Mell: Oh, wow.

[11:51] Matt Stachin: That is a big swing.

[11:52] Eila Mell: That's going to be-

[12:00] Matt Stashin: Marjorie Prime, Every Brilliant Thing, Death of a Salesman, Joe Turner's Coming Gone, Bug, and Every Brilliant Thing. I love Bug. So if I had the power, I would definitely vote for it.

[12:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely.

[12:31] Matt Stashin: And that's what this is about.

[12:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely.

[12:33] Matt Stashin: It's exactly what it is.

[12:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. I don't think it's actually going to get it, but I hope. And you know, it's in there.

[12:40] Matt Stashin: Absolutely. So now when we get into these acting categories, we should preface it with saying that some of them, I believe people have them quite categorized in a way that might not ring true because the committee hasn't met on every show yet.

[12:54] Bruce Gotlieb: OK, so who do you think is in question? What positions here?

[12:58] Matt Stashin: It could just be, you know, as simple as is Shoshana Bean and Lost Boys supporting or lead?

[13:05] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[13:06] Matt Stashin: You know, depending on how they do it.

[13:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. Also, last season, opening night, they made sure that all of the purpose actors were above the title that got them all in to lead. And then there was no conversation about it after. So I think it just really depends.

[13:24] Matt Stashin: OK, so things could change, but where we think they're going to fall is, I guess, the best way to do it.

[13:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[13:31] Matt Stashin: OK. And so there could be some shifts as well, I say to the listeners out there.

[13:36] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[13:37] Matt Stashin: All right. So, Bruce, who is this a really super long list?

[13:41] Bruce Gotlieb: Best actress of a musical where I'm going off of has nine people.

[13:45] Matt Stashin: Oh, OK. That's good. That's manageable.

[13:47] Bruce Gotlieb: Kelly Barrett for Beaches, Christine Sherrill for Mamma Mia, Kristen Chenoweth for The Queen of Versailles, Jessica Vosk for Beaches, Marla Mandel for Titanic, Sarah Chase for Schmigadoon, Lea Michele for Chess, Christiane Pitts for Two Strangers and Cassie Levy for Ragtime.

[14:07] Matt Stashin: OK. Now, I want to point out that you two are amongst the very few people that have actually seen Schmigadoon.

[14:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, we are. That's true. That's true.

[14:14] Matt Stashin: So you're a little bit more informed than many, including myself.

[14:18] Bruce Gotlieb: I will just say, if you are looking just for a night of fun and laughing and forgetting about anything that might be going on in your little bubble, that it's worth the price of admission just for that alone.

[14:30] Matt Stashin: That is very—

[14:31] Bruce Gotlieb: And if you love the TV show, it's good. I think the show actually improves on the TV show because it takes like the six hours or however long of the TV show was and condenses it to the best two and a half hours.

[14:44] Matt Stashin: Oh, excellent. Yeah, I can't wait to see it.

[14:46] Bruce Gotlieb: So that being said—

[14:48] Matt Stashin: Yes.

[14:49] Bruce Gotlieb: I will say my five are going to be Sarah Chase, Marla Mandel, Lea Michele, Christiane Pitts, and just because I'm going to throw Christine Sherrill in there as my wild horse.

[15:03] Matt Stashin: OK.

[15:04] Bruce Gotlieb: And I get to fill in my little Scantron bubble.

[15:07] Matt Stashin: That's right.

[15:08] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. I'm going to jump in. I am going with Casey Levy, Christiane Pitts, Marla Mandel, Sarah Chase, and Jessica Vosk.

[15:19] Matt Stashin: OK.

[15:20] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm kind of in the middle of the two of you.

[15:22] Matt Stashin: OK.

[15:23] Bruce Gotlieb: I have Sarah Chase. I do have Marla Mandel, Christiane Pitts, Cassie Levy. I actually also put in Christine Sherrill.

[15:30] Matt Stashin: OK.

[15:31] Bruce Gotlieb: For Mamma Mia.

[15:32] Matt Stashin: OK.

[15:33] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Well, that would be wonderful. She was our guest.

[15:36] Matt Stashin: It's a wild swing. I don't think it will happen, but if I were choosing, I would choose her. I actually thought she was wonderful.

[15:43] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Excellent.

[15:44] Matt Stashin: I'm sure she was.

[15:45] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Actor in a musical. How many are there?

[15:48] Matt Stashin: Let's see. This list has eight.

[15:51] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[15:52] Matt Stashin: LJ Bennett for The Lost Boys, Aaron Tveit for Chess, Alex Brightman for Schmigadoon, Nicholas Christopher for Chess, Luke Evans for The Rocky Horror Show, Brandon Uranowitz for Ragtime, Sam Tuddy for Two Strangers, and Joshua Henry for Ragtime.

[16:06] Bruce Gotlieb: OK. So I think we have four choices here because of the number eight, right?

[16:11] Matt Stashin: I believe so, yes.

[16:12] Bruce Gotlieb: OK. All right. Matt, would you like to jump in?

[16:15] Matt Stashin: Sure. I have three that are definite, and I've got like three options for that last spot that I'm still debating on. The three that are definite in my mind, Joshua Henry, Sam Tuddy, and honestly, Alex Brightman.

[16:30] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[16:31] Matt Stashin: I think the three of them are clear. If I were picking the fourth spot, I think I would probably go Luke Evans.

[16:37] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[16:38] Matt Stashin: He's great. I'm not going to sleep on, though, LJ Bennett for Lost Boys. Just something in the back of my mind says he's going to get that, like, Brody Grant nomination, like the newcomer.

[16:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[16:50] Matt Stashin: All right. You know, it's very early. We haven't seen it yet. So that could change.

[16:55] Bruce Gotlieb: I have Joshua Henry, Sam Tuddy, Nicholas Christopher, and Luke Evans.

[17:01] Matt Stashin: OK.

[17:02] Bruce Gotlieb: I have Joshua Henry, who I think is a lock at this point, Sam Tuddy, Nicholas Christopher, and Brandon Uranowitz.

[17:09] Matt Stashin: OK.

[17:10] Bruce Gotlieb: You know, and then it also gets interesting when you see, you know, Brandon Uranowitz and Josh Henry couldn't have more different asks for them for their characters.

[17:20] Matt Stashin: Right.

[17:21] Bruce Gotlieb: But you do when you have a show now that has two people that are both nominated in a lead category. Does the show having a nominee also the same for chess? Does the show, you know, do you get both being rewarded for the same thing? Also with the girls for beaches. That's something that people could say, well, we'll give the show one and we'll give another show, you know, a different one.

[17:41] Matt Stashin: Yeah, I think it depends. I think Ragtime might fare better just because it's such a beloved show. So I think, you know, it might do a little better. But we'll we have to see what the reception is to beaches. It's brand new. So we don't know what people are. I think what last night, I think it was at the time of recording. I think last night or it was just this week that it started.

[18:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely. So and we're all seeing it tonight.

[18:05] Matt Stashin: That's right. Matt, when Ragtime was in its first iteration, was Peter Friedman nominated in lead?

[18:11] Matt Stashin: Yes, he was.

[18:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Was it OK? It was lead back then, too.

[18:15] Matt Stashin: OK. All right. That performance has stayed with me all this time. It was so good. But so was Brian Stokes Mitchell.

[18:22] Bruce Gotlieb: It's true.

[18:23] Matt Stashin: Yeah, that original cast of Ragtime. I mean, I was like lightning in a bottle. I know, you know, it was very special. It's still like the gold standard.

[18:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[18:32] Matt Stashin: And let's just say if Best Understudy was a category, we would all want that to go to Jackson Parker Gill.

[18:38] Bruce Gotlieb: Of course.

[18:39] Matt Stashin: Since we know his mom and his grandma.

[18:41] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[18:42] Matt Stashin: Yeah. All right. So what are we up to?

[18:45] Bruce Gotlieb: Actress in a play?

[18:46] Matt Stashin: We are up to actress in a play, which might be the best actress in a musical of last season.

[18:51] Bruce Gotlieb: That's what I was going to say. I think this is the biggest fight out there.

[18:55] Matt Stashin: Please don't make me go first.

[18:57] Bruce Gotlieb: OK, you can go last.

[18:59] Matt Stashin: How many? How many in the category?

[19:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Eleven.

[19:02] Matt Stashin: OK, is that too many to read?

[19:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Not for me.

[19:05] Matt Stashin: OK. We have Laurie Metcalf for Little Bear Ridge Road, Jean Smart, Call Me Izzy, Taraji P. Henson for Joe Turner's Coming Gone, Tessa Thompson, The Fear of Thirteen, Kelly O'Hara for Fallen Angels, Madeline Brewer for Becky Shaw, Leslie Manville for Oedipus, Carrie Coon for Bug, Susanna Flood for Liberation, Io Itaberry for Proof, and Rose Byrne for Fallen Angels.

[19:30] Bruce Gotlieb: OK. So you get five.

[19:32] Matt Stashin: All right. Which still feels like...

[19:34] Bruce Gotlieb: I know, not enough.

[19:35] Matt Stashin: Not enough. All right, so here are my picks. Leslie Manville, Carrie Coon, Susanna Flood, Io Itaberry, and Rose Byrne.

[19:44] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[19:45] Bruce Gotlieb: I agree with Isla on four out of five.

[19:47] Matt Stashin: OK.

[19:48] Bruce Gotlieb: I have Carrie Coon. I have Leslie Manville. In my opinion, it's Leslie Manville's to lose having seen the show.

[19:54] Matt Stashin: I agree.

[19:55] Bruce Gotlieb: Io Itaberry, Susanna Flood. I have Taraji P. Henson in the fifth spot.

[20:01] Matt Stashin: Yeah, could be.

[20:02] Bruce Gotlieb: OK. I have Leslie Manville, Carrie Coon, Susanna Flood, Io Itaberry, and Tessa Thompson in the fifth spot.

[20:10] Matt Stashin: OK, yeah. I mean, absolutely. And the fact that she's a big movie star is going to absolutely help her chances.

[20:16] Bruce Gotlieb: So...

[20:17] Matt Stashin: I don't know why. I thought she was featured. I didn't even think about her.

[20:21] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, we don't know yet what it's going to be ruled as, so...

[20:25] Matt Stashin: Right. You can put her in featured if you want.

[20:28] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. But Bruce, you heard... You know someone who saw the show. You said that you heard she was fantastic.

[20:35] Bruce Gotlieb: I've heard it multiple times now.

[20:37] Matt Stashin: OK.

[20:38] Bruce Gotlieb: So she's got a really strong fan. That she's really standing out in that show.

[20:43] Matt Stashin: OK. Excellent. Good for her.

[20:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. I mean, you get nominated for an Oscar. You're in this, you know, show that's all the buzz on Broadway. Not bad for your first time at that.

[20:55] Matt Stashin: I know. Pretty great.

[20:57] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Actor in a play.

[20:59] Matt Stashin: Actor in a play. I have 17.

[21:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh my God. That's too many to read, don't you think?

[21:06] Matt Stashin: Yeah. I mean, some of them I think, you know, I think it boils down to where they get placed.

[21:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[21:13] Matt Stashin: All right. So I think we can skip the list for this one. Just because.

[21:17] Bruce Gotlieb: I don't think people want to listen to 17 names.

[21:20] Matt Stashin: You're probably not wrong.

[21:22] Bruce Gotlieb: All right, Matt, you want to jump in?

[21:25] Matt Stashin: Who are your five?

[21:26] Matt Stashin: My five are... I have Adrian Brody for Fear of 13, John Lithgow for Giant, Mark Strong for Oedipus, I have Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing, and I'm taking a swing. I can't let go of Will Harrison in Punch. He was great.

[21:43] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[21:44] Bruce Gotlieb: All right, Bruce.

[21:45] Bruce Gotlieb: I have Nathan Lane for Death of a Salesman, John Lithgow for Giant, Daniel Radcliffe for Every Brilliant Thing, Mark Strong for Oedipus, and Don Cheadle for Proof.

[21:56] Matt Stashin: Oh, Don Cheadle so much.

[21:58] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. I have... Now, Adrian Brody, I did not put. Because this is who we want to be nominated. And I just can't listen to another Oscar-like speech. So I do not want Adrian Brody in there.

[22:12] Matt Stashin: So I hated that Oscar speech so much.

[22:15] Bruce Gotlieb: And it was so long. So okay. Actor in a play for me is John Lithgow, Mark Strong, Nathan Lane, Daniel Radcliffe, and John Bernthal for Dog Day Afternoon.

[22:27] Matt Stashin: OK.

[22:28] Bruce Gotlieb: I think he was fantastic in that show.

[22:30] Matt Stashin: Amazing.

[22:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Featured actress in a musical. Is that next?

[22:34] Matt Stashin: That, yes.

[22:35] Bruce Gotlieb: And that list is 26.

[22:37] Matt Stashin: Yeah, that's way too many.

[22:39] Bruce Gotlieb: I think we're just, like we did before, we're just going to kind of dive in here.

[22:43] Matt Stashin: Yeah.

[22:44] Bruce Gotlieb: I think there's going to be some really interesting conversations. Because there are so many different, you know, there's nuance. There's, you could have a part that's a moment and it's...

[24:00] Matt Stashin: I am going with Shoshana Bean for The Lost Boys, Stephanie Hsu for The Rocky Horror Show, Temptress Chastity Moore for Cats, Hannah Cruz for Chess, and Mackenzie Kurtz for Schmigadoon.

[24:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Stephanie Hsu, absolutely. She was fantastic. I love Shaina Taub and Ragtime. She's on my list. Hannah Cruz, Temptress Chastity Moore, and Shoshana Bean.

[25:01] Matt Stashin: Okay. Okay.

[25:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Matt?

[25:14] Matt Stashin: I agree with you on some of them. I do have Shoshana Bean. I do have Hannah Cruz. I also have Mackenzie Kurtz for Schmigadoon. I also put in Anna Gasteyer for Schmigadoon. Knowing her talent, I didn't see her at the Kennedy Center in DC. I saw Emily Skinner play the role. But knowing what Anna Gasteyer can do as a performer, she is going to tear down the house in that part.

[25:36] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm sure.

[25:37] Matt Stashin: My fifth spot is actually Amber Gray.

[25:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[25:42] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Featured actor in a musical.

[25:46] Matt Stashin: Featured actor in a musical. Also, there's the very lengthy 26-something list.

[25:53] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Well, Matt, would you like to jump in?

[25:56] Matt Stashin: Sure. My five, I have Paul Alexander Nolan for The Lost Boys, Brad Oscar for Schmigadoon, I have Ben Levi-Ross for Ragtime, Andre De Shields for Cats, and I have Layton Williams for Titanic. He won the Olivier. Why not?

[26:10] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[26:11] Matt Stashin: Why not? Okay. Bruce, you want to go next?

[26:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure. I have Andre De Shields for Cats, Ben Levi-Ross for Ragtime, Bryce Pinkham for Chess. The last one, I was, you know, kind of back, forth, up, down, all over the place. But I wound up going with Ali Louis-Burghese for The Lost Boys.

[26:36] Matt Stashin: Okay. So I have Andre De Shields for Cats, Ben Levi-Ross for Ragtime. I have Benjamin Pajak with The Lost Boys. I would love to see him get that.

[26:48] Bruce Gotlieb: I love we all pick different Lost Boys people.

[26:51] Matt Stashin: Yes. Then I have Constantine Rizzoli and Jim Parsons for Titanic.

[26:57] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, okay.

[26:58] Matt Stashin: So very different.

[27:00] Bruce Gotlieb: I love it.

[27:02] Matt Stashin: All right. Featured actress in a play. There's a lot here, right?

[27:07] Bruce Gotlieb: There's a lot here as well. You know, when you get to like these categories, the featured, there's so many options. I'll just dive in. For me, God, it's going to be, I feel like it's going to be a really, really, this might be like the hardest one to kind of dissect through. I am going with Betsy Adom for Liberation, June Squibb for Marjorie Prime, Carrie Young for Proof, Anika Noni Rose for Ballisters, and Victoria Clark for Punch. She was great in that.

[27:40] Matt Stashin: Yeah.

[27:42] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. I think Anika Noni Rose might wind up in lead.

[27:46] Matt Stashin: Okay.

[27:47] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay. From what I read.

[27:48] Matt Stashin: All right. So I have Laurie Metcalf, Death of a Salesman, Betsy Adom for Liberation, also in Liberation, Irene Sofía Lucio, June Squibb, and Cynthia Nixon, both in Marjorie Prime.

[28:03] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[28:04] Matt Stashin: Okay.

[28:04] Matt Stashin: I have Betsy Adom for Liberation. I have Cynthia Nixon and June Squibb, both for Marjorie Prime. I have Carrie Young for Proof. And I actually went a different way with Punch. I went with Lucy Taylor.

[28:16] Bruce Gotlieb: She was great also.

[28:18] Matt Stashin: She was.

[28:19] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Featured actor in a play.

[28:21] Eila Mell: Featured actor in a play. Why don't you kick us off, Isla?

[28:25] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. I have Christopher Abbott for Death of a Salesman, Danny Burstein for Marjorie Prime, Charlie Thurston for Liberation, Elliot Levy for Giant, and Richard Thomas for the Ballisters.

[28:40] Matt Stashin: Okay.

[28:40] Bruce Gotlieb: We agree on one.

[28:42] Matt Stashin: All right, Matt. What do we agree on?

[28:45] Matt Stashin: Danny Burstein.

[28:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay. And who else do you think?

[28:48] Matt Stashin: I actually have Don Cheadle for Proof and Featured.

[28:50] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, okay.

[28:51] Matt Stashin: Interesting. Okay. I went with Brandon J. Durden and Michael Patrick Thornton, both for Waiting for Godot. I don't know if they're going to remember it, but both of their performances were outstanding. And another one that's been closed for a while, John Drea from Little Bear Ridge Road.

[29:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[29:06] Matt Stashin: Okay. And Bruce?

[29:08] Bruce Gotlieb: I have Elliot Levy for Giant, Danny Burstein for Marjorie Prime, Ben Ahlers for Death of a Salesman, Patrick Ball for Becky Shaw, and Richard Thomas for the Ballisters.

[29:23] Matt Stashin: That Patrick Ball could sneak in with, you know, he's on The Pit, and that is a big show. People are going to be very interested to see what he's doing.

[29:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely. And not, you know, Madeline Brewer was like in like one of those, like, that Dark Horse slot for me, like, oh, I could put her in that other, that last slot very easily. Had I seen Becky Shaw, you know, it may have been very different for me, but unfortunately, you know, it's just too early.

[29:51] Matt Stashin: Well, that's why I think my list could, you know, there's going to be some fluidity. It's going to be.

[29:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. That's why when we get to our actual predictions, it'll be very different because by then we'll have seen it.

[30:04] Eila Mell: Shall we talk about best director of a musical?

[30:06] Bruce Gotlieb: I think we have to.

[30:08] Eila Mell: Okay. Well, there are 10.

[30:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay. We can read 10.

[30:12] Eila Mell: Okay. We have Jaylon Livingston and Bill Roush for Cats the Jellicle Ball. Lierre de Bessonette for Ragtime. Tim Jackson for Two Strangers. Sam Pinkleton for Rocky Horror. Michael Arden for The Lost Boys. Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon. Ty Blue for Titanic. Michael Mayer for Chess. Lonnie Price and Matt Cowart for Beaches. And Michael Arden for The Queen of Versailles.

[30:37] Bruce Gotlieb: My picks are Jaylon Livingston and Bill Roush for Cats. Lierre de Bessonette for Ragtime. Tim Jackson for Two Strangers. Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon. And Michael Mayer for Chess.

[30:50] Eila Mell: Okay. Excellent.

[30:52] Matt Stashin: I have the directors of Cats. I have Tim Jackson for Two Strangers. Lierre de Bessonette for Ragtime. Ty Blue for Titanic. And Michael Arden for The Lost Boys.

[31:03] Eila Mell: Okay.

[31:04] Bruce Gotlieb: And I've got Jaylon Livingston and Bill Roush for Cats. Lierre de Bessonette for Ragtime. Tim Jackson for Two Strangers. Michael Arden for The Lost Boys. And Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon.

[31:16] Eila Mell: Okay.

[31:17] Bruce Gotlieb: And then director of a play, there are 19.

[31:20] Matt Stashin: Oh, forget it.

[31:21] Bruce Gotlieb: Forget it.

[31:22] Eila Mell: Forget it.

[31:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Move on, move on, move on.

[31:26] Eila Mell: Yeah, I'm going to say Robert Eich for Oedipus. Whitney White for Liberation. Nicholas Heitner for Giant. Joe Mantello for Death of a Salesman. And Jeremy Herron and Duncan McMillan for Every Brilliant Thing.

[31:40] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[31:40] Eila Mell: I've got Whitney White for Liberation. I've got Robert Eich for Oedipus. I've got Nicholas Heitner for Giant. Tim Kale for Proof. And Adam Penfield for Punch.

[31:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay, Bruce.

[31:52] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay. I also have Whitney White for Liberation. Robert Icky for Oedipus. Anne Kaufman for Marjorie Prime. Debbie Allen for Joe Turner's Coming Gone. And Nicholas Heitner for Giant.

[32:05] Eila Mell: Excellent.

[32:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Wouldn't it be so great if Debbie Allen got that nomination?

[32:10] Eila Mell: Part of it is, and I haven't seen the show yet, but part of it is you always tend to get the Tony's love to give almost like a legacy nomination in certain spots. And I mean, who better than Debbie Allen for that?

[32:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Debbie Allen, come on.

[32:28] Eila Mell: How do you not love her?

[32:30] Bruce Gotlieb: If you don't, I don't even want to know you.

[32:32] Eila Mell: Right.

[32:33] Bruce Gotlieb: I know.

[32:34] Eila Mell: Exactly.

[32:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Do we want to throw in choreography?

[32:37] Eila Mell: Sure, why not?

[32:40] Bruce Gotlieb: That being said, I think we should also say the other technical categories, while we are lovers of them and love to pick apart the nuance that lighting and sound and all these things play into it, there are just so many caveats. And not having seen it all, we felt it was best to wait until the nominations come out.

[33:01] Eila Mell: Yes, but we do love the design categories.

[33:03] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, we do.

[33:04] Eila Mell: All right, so I will dive in with my best choreographer nominations.

[33:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Excellent.

[33:12] Eila Mell: I have Eleanor Scott for Ragtime, Lauren Letaro for Chess, Tim Jackson for Two Strangers, Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon, and Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons for Cats the Jellicle Ball.

[33:28] Bruce Gotlieb: How could that not be a lock?

[33:30] Matt Stashin: It feels like if you were going to bet in Vegas for something to be nominated, Cats is the sure thing.

[33:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, I mean, it's the most obvious dance show of the season.

[33:42] Matt Stashin: So I also have Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons. I have Lauren Letaro for Chess, for Lost Boys, Lauren Yolongo-Grant and Christopher Grant, Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon, and Eleanor Scott for Ragtime.

[33:57] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[33:58] Matt Stashin: Okay.

[33:59] Matt Stashin: And I have Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons for Cats, Lauren Letaro for Chess, Lauren Yolongo-Grant and Christopher Grant for the Lost Boys, Christopher Gattelli for Schmigadoon. My last spot, I went with Andy Taj for the Rocky Horror Show.

[34:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Excellent.

[34:13] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[34:14] Matt Stashin: And we really don't know how much dancer is going to be in Lost Boys.

[34:17] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[34:18] Matt Stashin: We're sort of guessing here. I mean, if fight choreography counts, I'm assuming it'll be pretty extensive.

[34:23] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, Punch is certainly eligible for choreography.

[34:27] Eila Mell: So.

[34:28] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[34:28] Eila Mell: Well, my friends, it looks like we have done it. We have nominated those that are near and dear to our hearts.

[34:37] Matt Stashin: So I'm more confused than before we started because we had, in some cases, very different lists, but in other cases, very similar.

[34:45] Bruce Gotlieb: So.

[34:46] Matt Stashin: Yeah. You know, but it's all speculation at this point.

[34:49] Bruce Gotlieb: It's just so much fun to guess, don't you think?

[34:51] Eila Mell: It really is.

[34:52] Bruce Gotlieb: It is.

[34:52] Eila Mell: And so our next two things that we get that'll be exciting are the last committee meeting, which should be coming out right around the cutoff time.

[35:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[35:02] Eila Mell: Right.

[35:02] Bruce Gotlieb: And then we also have the cutoff. So once all that happens, then it's feast or famine for the nominators to get out there and, you know.

[35:11] Eila Mell: That's right.

[35:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Make their voices be heard.

[35:13] Eila Mell: Yes.

[35:14] Bruce Gotlieb: So, of course, behind the awards, we'll be back next week with our regular interview episodes. But look for this group to come back once nominations come out.

[35:25] Eila Mell: Absolutely. We'll have all our Tony episodes.

[35:28] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. I think our next special episode will be our reactions to the nominations.

[35:34] Eila Mell: Do we want to do that?

[35:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely.

[35:36] Eila Mell: I'm in.

[35:36] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[35:37] Eila Mell: All right. So we will get you that as soon as it's announced.

[35:43] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. Make sure you follow our Instagram. Make sure you give us a rating and review on wherever you find your podcasts.

[35:52] Eila Mell: And we love you for listening.

[35:54] Bruce Gotlieb: And we'll see everyone next time on Behind the Awards.