2010 Tony Award Nominee Reactions!
By: Robert Diamond May. 04, 2010
The Tony Awards Nominations were announced this morning on Tuesday, May 4th. The Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from Radio City Music Hall on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 13, 2010.
Click here for the full list of nominations! BroadwayWorld.com will be talking to nominees throughout the day so keep checking back!
"Well I woke up to phone ringing and a friend leaving me a message singing into my machine. And then I went to breakfast with my daughter and told her about the nomination and she started screaming. This is a special show. It is not like any other show that has been on Broadway from what I know and different from any show I have been a part of in the past. I was hopeful people would "get it" and I think they did. We're a hard working cast and it's amazing to me that we
can do as many shows as we do each week. Everyone pulls their weight and I expected us be noticed for the excellence. The highlight of this show for me is being in a cast people who are so dedicated. The music is great to listen to every night and we have a crew that is great to
us. It's nice to be back on Broadway."
Lillias White, nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Fela!
"My wife called me this morning with the news. I was upstate this morning at our house in New York which is out of cell phone reception, but she managed to get through the switchboard and to reach me and it was a great way to hear and she of course was thrilled too. Honestly, I always thought that the show was pretty wonderful since I saw it in London and I thought that we could make quite the splash in New York with it and I'm glad that I was right about it!
The show getting 11 nominations ... I couldn't be happier about either for the cast, crew, producers, director - just everyone involved it's been an absolutely joyful experience, an extraordinary experience. In terms of making my Broadway musical debut and in making it with THIS show, it's something that I've always, always dreamed of doing, and really it couldn't have come true or been going better than this experience has been so far! I'm really having a blast and this is just a wonderful addition."
Kelsey Grammer, nominee for Best Lead Actor in a Musical for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
"I'm so excited. I'm a late sleeper so I figured last night that if there was going to be good news this morning that I'd find out when i woke up and at least get in a few more hours of my beauty sleep. My boyfriend had called to tell me the news. I just love working on this show. Kristin Chenoweth and I have known each other forever and I'm a huge fan of hers so getting to do a show with her has been great and, God, Sean Hayes is a comedic genius. He's just so generous. The reason that I can do what I do up there is because he encourages complete abandonment. I'm so glad that he's making his Broadway debut in such a huge way."
Katie Finneran, nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for PROMISES, PROMISES
"I was both relieved and happy today. I got the news this morning just following along online. My first phone call was to Joe Machota - one of my agents at CAA and one of my closest friends. It was nice to immediately share it with a great friend and an agent all at once! I then spent the day in auditions for LEAP OF FAITH and then I had a lunch meeting for another show that I'm working on - FINDING NEVERLAND. It's so great to get that recognition and it's great to be working on other projects at the same time. I'm also really looking forward to coming back next season with HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING and working with Daniel Radcliffe who is just great and I get to work again with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron also. The PROMISES, PROMISES experience has been great, the actors are really a terrific company who brought a lot to the table and to the rehearsal room and to work with Neil Simon and Hal David and Burt Bacharach is just a dream come true. I got my Equity Card performing in PROMISES, PROMISES…many years ago. It's been great to revisit it and I'm so happy that the audiences are loving it. When you sit in the theatre, you can just really hear people laugh and applaud and with Kristin and Sean leading the cast - it's great!"
Rob Ashford, nominee for Best Choreography for PROMISES, PROMISES
"I heard the phone ringing and I had suspected that it had something to do with that because normally people don't call me at half past 8 in the morning! I stayed in bed till a bit later because I was working today with Juilliard Students (they benefitted today from an hour and a half of my ignorance!) It's always nice when the work is recognized and applauded so publicly and so enthusiastically it's always gratifying. I'm also delighted because it's a fantastic group of actors that I'm in with. I'm deliciously shocked and also filled for the play and with 7 noms, it's great for the play, which is wonderful. We got more nominations than any other new play this year and that's just great."
Alfred Molina, nominee for Best Leading Actor in a Play for RED
“MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is -- in every sense -- an ensemble piece, and we're thrilled for everyone on the team. This is the music of our misspent youth. We're proud to bring it to Broadway, and grateful beyond words for our nominations for Best Musical and Best Book.”
Colin Escott & Floyd Mutrux, nominees for Best Book for MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
"What a great honour. Bringing our production of Hamlet to New York will always be one of the highlights of my career and to receive this recognition amongst these other brilliant actors only makes this experience sweeter."
Jude Law, nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Hamlet:
"This morning I was getting ready to go on a field trip with my daughter's class to the Upper East Side so I was sort of preoccupied. My family had called so I knew they were thinking about it, but really I was being pretty Zen! So I got ready and was walking this line of kids to the subway and I noticed my purse was buzzing and I had that heartbeat feeling, you know? So then I answer and next thing you know I'm walking to the F train and screaming, it was so wonderful! After I heard about it I called my mom right away, I knew she really wanted to know, but of course she already knew, and then I called my husband. And then it was my agents and managers who are like family to me. As for celebrating, well, I have to go to an audition in about ten minutes, but I'll probably go get a manicure with my daughter afterwards. That's a good celebration, right?"
Jessica Hecht, nominee for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play For A View From The Bridge
"Last night my theater company, True Colors, hosted an August Wilson monologue competition and to leave the high of that - seeing the next generation carrying on August Wilson's words - to seeing the line of people outside the Cort Theatre every night, which looks more
representative of America than the line at any other Broadway show, is a great, great feeling. August and I first started talking about a FENCES revival in 2004, and it got re-energized last fall after I met Denzel and we decided that we wanted to work together. This has been a true collaborative experience and it's humbling and an honor to be recognized like this because it shows that our work equals the greatness of August's words - that we've done our job. This is a true ensemble and no one is bigger than August's words. And, Stephen, Denzel, Viola, all of them...they never stop trying to make it better every night. I know that August is up there smiling on us because of the beauty on that stage. On the first day of rehearsal, I went to the
Cafe Edison with Todd Tyler, who is the show's dramaturg and August Wilson's best friend. We would go there a lot with August when we worked together. So today, he and I spent some time there and that had given me the strength to get through the day!"
Kenny Leon, nominee for Best Direction of a Play for FENCES
“Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing my friends.”
Christopher Walken, nominee for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play for A Behanding in Spokane
"I heard the news from my publicist - I got an email saying to call her when I got up and I called her when I got up at 8:30. It's a wonderful feeling of acceptance from the theatre community and it's completely unexpected and I'm still in shock. It's a wonderful feeling, because it feels like I've been invited to the party of the theatre community and it feels great for my first time out. I'm just totally shocked and totally thrilled. The show is going great too, the audiences are loving it and we've been selling out every night!"
Sean Hayes, nominee for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical for PROMISES, PROMISES
"I am beyond thrilled with this recognition and highly honored to be in the company of such great actors. It is a spectacular day for me today."
Linda Lavin, nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for COLLECTED STORIES
"I'm just starting to wake up and got his news in an e-mail. I had the pleasure of spending my 7th night home since February 27 since I've been traveling so much. So now, I'm going to sit on my ass and enjoy every minute of this and my nomination today. When working on this show, I was so consumed with the process that I had no idea when the Tony dates even were. Then my manager told me the that the Tony committee had altered the rules so that I could be included in this category. To write for a musical, like an hour's worth of music is something. Here, there's only 8-10 minutes of music in the show. Our work was to create colors and sounds to affect emotional underpinnings for the scenes - to either transition from a scene or to support the
previous scene - so it was all about the attention to detail. We had to get the emotional part of it right. We only had one day to record and I had only a few days to write after seeing the show just twice. I'm so proud of Kenny Leon. He had a vision of the play and he rallied to get me to do the music. He was specific in how it should sound and feel. And to collaborate with him and the sound designer, Nevins Steinberg was a special process. At first I thought I could write the music without seeing the show. But Kenny insisted and now I still can't watch the show without crying. After the first time i saw it, you had to pick me off the floor. That cast brings a fresh energy
to the play and their performances have had a profound impact on how I wrote the music. My wife says we should drink some scotch tonight, but I'll I'm prepared to do today is enjoy being home and pick up my kid from school!"
Branford Marsalis, nominee for Best Original Score written for the Theatre for FENCES
""My wife called me this morning as soon as she heard; she is in Buffalo NY right now, I teach one semester at SUNY Buffalo, so she was looking online from over there. As for me, well, I was at Rutgers yesterday and then I was at the August Wilson Monologue competition and I was out with Ruben Santiago, who is a dear friend of mine, so actually it was a late night and I was sleeping in! But my wife called and told me the good news. As for celebrating with the cast we will all see each other tonight and celebrate then. You know, you try to have as normal of a day as usual. When I first found out I called Roslyn Ruff, who was the standby for Viola Davis and who has always been a wonderful support. I also called Russell Hornsby, he and I came to town together with Jitney. Marion McClinton called me from Minnesota because his son had heard and called him. Oh and, of course, I called my son. And then I sort of calmed down. It is just such a joy to be a part of this show, it is really a wonderful production and cast of actors."
Stephen McKinley Henderson, nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Fences
"The Tonys are an important event in the theatre calendar and to be honoured as we have been is a very special moment in the Donmar's ongoing relationship with the Broadway community. I am very proud and humbled by this extraordinary recognition of our work today."
Michael Grandage, Artsitic Director, Donmar Warehouse and nominee for Best Director for RED
"It has been a dream come true to be a part of the Broadway community. I am deeply honored to be nominated and so proud to have been a part of this extraordinary production."
Scarlett Johansson, nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for A View from the Bridge
"Being on Broadway, and in the theater community as a whole, is like coming home again for me, and sharing a Tony nomination for "Fences", with so many wonderfully talented people associated with this play, makes it seem like one big family reunion".
Denzel Washington, nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Fences
"I took a sleeping pill so sleep through the nominations this morning since I'm a bit of a coward! So at around 8:35am my phone starts beeping and ringing and I thought, 'this must be good news!' It was Randy Adams, once of our producers and he was screaming into the phone 'we got 8 nominations!!!!' I was surprised. You're hopeful, but you never know. I am so thrilled for the show - for Chad and Montego...I feel like a proud father. I can't wait to go to theater early tonight to celebrate with the cast because this belongs to them. And maybe I'll give my dog some extra treats this morning, too!"
Joe DiPietro, nominee for Best Book of a Musical for MEMPHIS
"I am ecstatic!! We almost missed the announcement this morning, my husband and I. We were watching the TV and they said that they were bringing suspected bomber in and so not going to air the nominations, so we raced to the computer and pulled up the stream just as they were
announcing my name. We just screamed! This is my husbands' win as much as mine and an acknowledgement of the work of everyone on the show. You never do this alone. I would not have gotten this nomination without the part, the play, the director. I share this and after the
disappointment of closing so early...talk about sweetening the pot! This is so welcomed and so treasured. It's a Tony! Rob the director called me in complete sobbing tears and the playwright called from Florida and he's jumping up and down. I now understand what people mean when they say that the nomination itself is a win."
Valerie Harper, nominee for Best Lead Actress in a Play for LOOPED
"This is really exciting for me, especially coming in at the end of the season. It's all been really fun and this makes our job that much easier to go out there and do the show that we believe in and love so much. It gives the show a burst of energy that a little underdog show like ours needs! Dick and I are proud of what we wrote. To celebrate? My husband got me a veggie juice from Juice Generation and a muffin and will probably the last thing I get to eat today! And then I get
to celebrate by getting to do a Broadway show tonight. I'm looking forward to our "alcohol free" toast."
Sherie Rene Scott, nominee for Best Leading Actress in a musical for
EVERYDAY RAPTURE and Best Book of a Musical for Everday Rapture
with rehearsal for my new show at Lincoln Center and then with a few good drinks tonight!"
Bobby Steggert, nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for RAGTIME "I was in the closet pulling gowns when I got the call! I'm going to London to sing with Julie Andrews so i was trying to figure out what to pack. I was completely surprised by the nomination. I am completely thrilled for the whole production - Bobby, Marcia, everyone, to be recognized. This has been a brilliant surprise and I'm really happy. I am trying to savor this now before I have to hit the ground running in London."
Christiane Noll, nominee for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for RAGTIME "I am surprised and so, so happy. We were hoping to be recognized by the Tony committee and after the Drama Desk nominations came out we were a little more hopeful to be remembered. One of the producers actually said to me that they hoped that the Tony committee drank from
same well as the Drama Desk. It is certainly nice to be recognized and remembered when there are shows are still running. We are so proud of work we did and this is my dream come true, really. I first spoke with my husband when the news came out and we listened to the
rest of nominations together. Then I called my parents who have struggling with me for 30 years, waiting for me to come back to Detroit and give this whole thing up! I think now they finally feel
it's all worth it!"
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, nominee for Best Director of a Musical for RAGTIME "I am so excited. I am shocked, actually! I found out about the nomination a little late, because my phone died and I accidentally e-mailed my publicist the wrong home number. So she called some random person in New York and left a message on some poor person's phone that now thinks they are nominated for a Tony. My manager of 12 years wound up getting a hold of me to tell me the news. My first call was to my mother. It's been a tough year for her, she's a stage
3 breast cancer survivor so to be able to tell her this news was really great. I'm so happy."
Chad Kimball, nominee for Best Lead Actor in a Musical for MEMPHIS
"It's a good morning. It's unbelievable, it was great to watch the TV and on the computer -- I watched the TV and then switched over to the computer. It's amazing that they just show you three categories and then they go back to the rest of the news.
The first call that I got was from Sergio Trujillo congratulating me, and then the first one I called was Joe DiPetro. For us to go from our minds to paper to a small theatre and then from a small theatre to take this thing all the way to Broadway with a full production, great design team -- it's just great man, it's great to get recognized. It's also great to see that we have entertainment that can also teach and that's just great!"David Bryan nominee for Best Orchestrations, and Best Music / Lyrics for MEMPHIS
"I was in front of my computer watching the live stream of the announcements with my partner and a friend from LA and we were drinking mimosas, which I never drink! But we had the champagne left over so we made the mimosas and we figured that we could either celebrate or drown our sorrows. The first person I called was Sherie Rene Scott, my collaborator. We are all just so thrilled; this whole journey has been so unexpected and has had its own destiny. It is just lovely that it has been such a beautiful one. I loved writing the show, so being nominated for it is so gratifying. For the rest of the day I will be working on The Unsinkable Molly Brown for a workshop which is a grounding thing to do. Since we just opened there has already been so much celebrating, we need to ground ourselves a bit as well!"
Dick Scanlan, nominee for Best Book of a Musical for Everyday Rapture
"I am so happy to be back ‘home' again on stage, in this play, with these actors and to be recognized is icing on the cake! I am very, very grateful!"
Viola Davis, nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in FENCES.
"I set the alarm for 8:15 to watch and sat there watching them on my computer and watched and they kept calling La Cage aux Folles over and over and then they got to best supporting actor! My first phone call was from my manager because I was getting so many texts because both of my best friends were calling me and I was trying to get through my Mom and it didn't work, but then I got through. "
Robin De Jesus, nominee for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for La Cage aux Folles
"I didn't expect this! I have been seeing Broadway shows since I was 12 so to have one up running now and to nominated...i'm speechless. I'm happy to tell you that my first call was to my mother. Well, actually the very first was with Arielle Tepper who called to tell me about the nominations because I was too nervous to watch. As for what I'm doing to celebrate? The humble mundanity of it all is that I'll actually be in a van location scouting for an HBO pilot. I'd love to
say that I'm going to put on a tux and go to the Rainbow Room, but what can I say? I'm a working writer. And, I'm so happy for Alfred and Eddie. They are the only two actors who I have ever heard read the lines from day one in London. They are it."
John Logan, nominee for Best Author of a Play RED
"I actually am living in a flat in the East Village and I had a slightly too late night last night and I rolled out of bed this morning and it was extraordinary. I can't can't believe that things happen at such an hour! My first phone call was an incoming phone call from Michael Grandage from the Donmar in London and who was incredibly happy and thrilled who also reminded me to not let it affect my performance!"
Eddie Redmayne, nominee for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play in RED
"I was asleep when I got the news from my publicist! I did the Sinatra concert at Carnegie Hall last night so I was so tired. But talk about waking up to amazing news! Tonight, I am going to go to work and sure I congratulate every member of my cast, especially Chad for his nomination. It is collective work on that stage and we work so hard to make sure every night is as good as it can be."
Montego Glover, nominee for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for MEMPHIS
Levi Kreis, nominee for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
I heard the news because I was watching first the CBS telecast and when that died right before my category, I then went to TonyAwards.com to watch the rest. The first phone call became like a giant cluster____ because people were calling me so I couldn't get a signal, but my first call was to my parents -- who couldn't have been happier!
Stephen Kunken, nominee for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for Enron
"11 nominations wow! -- it's wonderful for the whole show really - not just for me. I got the news from a series of bleeps and burps next to the bed started to come through - from my agent, the driver, people working on the show in the wig department and things like that and the producers. The first thing that I did was I texted Kelsey Grammar since we have a very English 'text affair' with each other and I'm thrilled. "
Douglas Hodge, nominee for Best Lead Actor in a Musical - La Cage aux Folles
"I was in bed when I heard the news; my original plan was to continue on the normal track of a normal day and just sleep through it and whatever happens happens. But then my Producer and friend Anthony Barrile called me at 8am and said "Bitch, wake up and turn on your computer, I need to hear the nominations." So there went my plans and I listened to it all happen with him on the phone. After I heard the news I called my director, because I was just jumping up and down- I was just jumping louder and higher when I heard that she was nominated. She was so integral to the play and such a fearless leader. As for celebrating, well, one of the best things about this season has been the people who contact you and reach out via facebook or calls and I hear from all the people I haven't heard from in such a long time and everyone is so enthusiastic and gracious and loving. That has been one of the best parts of this whole experience."
Geoffrey Nauffts, Author of Next Fall, nominee for Best Play
"I’m thrilled to bits and so delighted for Jan, Cathy, John Lee and the entire ‘Royal Family.’ At the same time, I’m deeply saddened by the death of Lynn Redgrave. We’ve been friends since working together in the Royal National Theatre’s inaugural production of HAMLET in 1963. My heart goes out to her family."
RoseMary Harris, nominee for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for The Royal Family
"What a thrill to be nominated! The experience of doing this incredible show and working every night with such a talented group of people has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. And now to be nominated for a Tony, in my dreams, I couldn't imagine a better way to make my Broadway debut."
Catherine Zeta-Jones, nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
"I was standing in my backyard this morning and my husband was listening to the live stream of NY 1 and we started crying. Then the phone rang and it was my daughter from school and we tried to patch in my other daughter but her school wouldn't call her down to the damn office so she still doesn't know! I am so thrilled that Geoffrey (Nauffts) has been nominated for this wonderful show. He has given us all the gift of this amazing and important play, I'm so grateful for the nomination to represent the play and the beautiful ensemble; my nomination is with them and they are the most beautiful ensemble I've ever worked with. I will be celebrating today by holding auditions at New York Stage and Film for my new show, which is fitting I guess. But my heart is beating a mile a minute and I am just so excited!"
Sheryl Kaller, nominee for Best Director Of A Play For Next Fall
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