The First-Timers Club: Hats Off to the New Tony Nominees of 2016!
By: Marissa Sblendorio Jun. 10, 2016
The Tony Awards have a lot to celebrate this year. The 2015-2016 Broadway season was a remarkable one, pushing the boundaries of both creativity and ability. Not only was it a diverse season, but one that featured a long list of first-time Tony nominees, some of which you wouldn't expect.
From royalty, to rockers; revolutionaries to refugees- check out who's new to the Tony block this year, below!
Pascale Armand
Eclipsed
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Third production of Eclipsed under Liesl Tommy's direction, previously at the McCarter Theatre and Yale Repertory Theatre. Broadway: The Trip to Bountiful with Ms. Cicely Tyson. Off-Broadway: Dido inAn Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (TFANA), Amina in Belleville by Amy Herzog (NYTW), Abigayle in Four by Christopher Shinn (MTC) and Jupiter in Breath, Boom (Playwrights Horizons) by Kia Corthron. Regional: A Raisin in the Sun, Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Piano Lesson, Jitney,Pericles, Hamlet, As You Like It, Gem of the Ocean, Doubt, Ruined, amongst others. International: For An End to the Judgment of God with Peter Sellars in Vienna, London, Zurich, Brussels and Rome. Originated the lead role in Danai Gurira's The Convert. Television: "The Blacklist", "American Odyssey", "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent". The 2012 LA Ovation Award winner for Lead Actress in The Convert, amidst other regional theatrical awards. Recurring role in upcoming web series "Heirloom." Alumna of NYU's Tisch Graduate Acting Program. Core member of Quick Silver Theater Company.
Alex Brightman
School of Rock
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Alex Brightman is an actor and writer literally living his dream. He has been seen on Broadway in Glory Days, Wicked, Big Fish, and Matilda. Additional credits include the regional premiere of The History Boys at the Ahmanson Theatre, The Old Globe's world premiere musical, Nobody Loves You, and Comedy Central's "Important Things with Demetri Martin." As a writer, he has written Make Me Bad (music & lyrics by Drew Gasparini); Everything In Its Place: The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers; and The Whipping Boy (music & co-lyrics by Drew Gasparini), an upcoming musical adaptation of the award-winning novel.
Danielle Brooks
The Color Purple
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Danielle is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut. She is best known for her role as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson in Netflix's Emmy-nominated series, "Orange is the New Black." Brooks and her cast received a SAG Award in 2014 for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Danielle was the recipient of the Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Actress. Brooks has also appeared in HBO's "Girls", and will be seen in AZIZ ANSARI's upcoming Netflix comedy series, "Master of None". On the big screen, Brooks voiced a character for Sony's Angry Birds set to be released May 2016, and has previously starred in Oren Moverman's Time Out of Mind and the independent feature, I Dream Too Much, which premiered at SXSW. Brooks grew up in South Carolina and is a graduate of The Juilliard School.
Bill Camp
Arthur Miller's The Crucible
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Camp has been largely active in theater, but has taken on character roles in both film and television. Among his works on Broadway are The Seagull (1992) as Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplyov, and Death of a Salesman as Charley. In 2002, he left acting and temporarily changed professions ,only to return two years later in Homebody/Kabul, for which he won an Obie Award
Carmen Cusack
Bright Star
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Credits include - West End: LES MISERABLES (Fantine), The Secret Garden (Rose, Royal Shakespeare Company), Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens (Chest Prospects, the Venue), Personals (Kim, Apollo Theatre). UK tours include: The Phantom of the Opera (Christine), Over the Rainbow (Eva Cassidy). North America: South Pacific (Nellie Forbush, Lincoln Center's 1st nat'l tour), First Wives Club (Annie McDougan, Oriental Chicago), Sunday in the Park with George (Dot/Marie, Chicago Shakespeare), Carrie (Lynn Gardner, MCC NY), Wicked (Elphaba, Chicago/1st national tour; Melbourne, Australia).
Daveed Diggs
Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Broadway: Hamilton. National tour: Word Becomes Flesh. Regional: In the Red and Brown Water, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, The Tempest, Troilus and Cressida, Mirrors in Every Corner. Albums: CLPPNG (Sub Pop Records) and Midcity with Clipping; Small Things to a Giant.
Cynthia Erivo
The Color Purple
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Cynthia Erivo is one of the fastest-rising stars of British musical theatre, received an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination for Best Musical Performance and a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Celie in The Color Purple. In 2011 Cynthia received her first big musical theatre break, in Kneehigh Theatre's production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at the Gielgud Theatre, followed by the starring role of Deloris Van Cartier in the UK tour of Jerry Zaks' production of Sister Act. Cynthia appeared in the West End as Chenice in Harry Hill and Simon Cowell's critically acclaimed musical, I Can't Sing, at the London Palladium and also played the leading role of Dessa in the European premiere of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical, Dessa Rose, at Trafalgar Studios. A 2010 graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), Cynthia's many stage credits include Simon Stephens' Marine Parade, which premiered at the 2010 Brighton Festival, John Adams' experimental "song play," I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw The Sky, at Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Dominic Hill's The Three Musketeers and The Princess of Spain at Traverse, Belgrade and English Touring theaters.
David Furr
Noises Off
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
David has previously appeared for Roundabout on Broadway in The Importance of Being Earnest. Other Broadway appearances include Accent on Youth, Cymbeline, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Rivals, and King Lear. He has appeared in Shakespeare in the Park productions of As You Like It and Cymbeline. Other notable off-Broadway credits include Equivocation and The Explorers Club. On film, David has been seen in LIV, Anche Se E Amore, Non Si Vede, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Evening. A frequent television performer, his credits include recurring roles on The Americans, The Michael J. Fox Show, and NCIS: Los Angeles and many guest appearances.
Renée Elise Goldsberry
Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Broadway: Hamilton, Good People, The Color Purple, Rent, The Lion King. Off-Broadway: Hamilton (Lortel and Drama Desk Award), As You Like It, Love's Labour's Lost, Two Gentlemen of Verona. Select TV: "The Good Wife," "The Following," "Law & Order: SVU," "Masters of Sex," "Younger," "OLTL." Select film: Sisters, Every Secret Thing, Rent: Live on Broadway, All About You.
Richard Goulding
King Charles III
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Richard Goulding studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he is a visiting director and at which he appeared as Ivor Gurney in A Soldier and a Maker in 2012. His other stage work includes The Seagull (2007-2008) and A Mad World My Masters (2013) for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Way of the World at the Sheffield Crucible (2012), both runs of Posh (2010 and 2012), the 2012 King Lear at The Almeida Theatre and the 2013 Titus Andronicus and A Mad World My Masters with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Film and television work has included The Iron Lady and Foyle's War.
Megan Hilty
Noises Off
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Broadway performer and television actress Megan Hilty has had a fast ride to the top. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon with a degree in theater she immediately landed the role of Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, later performing the role on tour and in the Los Angeles production. Her next role was Doralee in 9 to 5: The Musical, for which she was nominated for Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Ovation Awards for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2011 Hilty joined the cast of NBC's Smash as Ivy Lynn, an actress desperate to land the lead in a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. During the hiatus between the first and second seasons of Smash, Hilty starred in the New York City Center Encores! production of Gentleman Prefer Blondes, earning her stellar notices. Since then Megan starred in NBC's sitcom Sean Saves the World opposite her Smash co-star Sean Hayes. Megan regularly performs with orchestras and symphonies across the country and her solo show-including her sold out Carnegie Hall debut-has received critical acclaim. Her solo album, It Happens All the Time is available on Sony Records.
Christopher Jackson
Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Broadway: Hamilton, Holler If Ya Hear Me, Bronx Bombers, After Midnight, In the Heights, Memphis, The Lion King. Off-Broadway: Hamilton, Bronx Bombers, The Jammer, Lonely I'm Not and In the Heights. Film/TV: Tracers, Afterlife, "Freestyle Love Supreme," "White Collar," "Oz," "Person of Interest," "Gossip Girl." Emmy-winning composer for "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company." Solo album In the Name of Love on iTunes.
Jessica Lange
Long Day's Journey Into Night
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Acclaimed as one of the greatest actresses of her generation, two?time Academy Award winner, five-time Golden Globe winner, and three-time Emmy and SAG winner, Jessica Lange has dazzled the screen with more than 30 credits to her name. She permanently put her name on the map by receiving dual Academy Awards and Golden Globe nominations in the same year for her challenging performances in Frances and Sydney Pollack's memorable comedy Tootsie starring opposite Dustin Hoffman, for which she took home the Oscar for Supporting Actress. In 1996 Lange picked up her first Emmy nomination for the made-for-TV adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire in which Lange played "Blanche DuBois." In 2009, Lange won an Emmy Award for her performance in HBO's Grey Gardens. Following her Emmy win for Grey Gardens, Lange starred in the TV series "American Horror Story" with "Glee" producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.
Zachary Levi
She Loves Me
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Levi's exuberance and charm and star power have made him a preferred first pick in Hollywood. Levi can be seen on NBC series "Heroes." The highly anticipated revamp of the fan favorite show that premiered to excited audiences in the fall of 2015. This marks a return to NBC for Levi, who portrayed the beloved "Chuck" for five seasons. Levi recently did a theater run in his Broadway debut as "Aaron" a sweet guy looking for love, opposite Krysta Rodriguez in the witty musical First Date. The play received critical acclaim as did Levi for the run of the show. On the big screen, Levi appeared most recently in the Marvel film Thor 2 as the role of "Fandral the Dashing." Levi also appeared as the lead role opposite MAndy Moore in Disney's twist on its classic Rapunzel, entitled Tangled. The Oscar-nominated film was a huge success at the box office and DVD release. Additionally, Levi appeared in the 20th Century Fox film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, which broke box office records in its Christmas release. Levi was also seen starring with Amber Tamblyn in the independent feature film Spiral and audiences also remember his starring roles in the franchise film Big Momma's House 2 with Martin Lawrence.
Lupita Nyong'o
Eclipsed
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Lupita Nyong'o was last seen in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Maz Kanata. She lends her voice to Jon Favreau's upcoming The Jungle Book as Raksha and will next be seen in Mira Nair's Queen of Katwe. Her feature film debut in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave earned her an Academy Award®, SAG Award and Spirit Award. She graduated from the Yale School of Drama, and her stage credits include Eclipsed (the Public), The Winter's Tale (Yale Rep), Uncle Vanya and The Taming of the Shrew. This is her Broadway debut.
Leslie Odom, Jr
Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Select theatre: Hamilton (Public Theater); tick, tick...BOOM! (City Center Encores!), Leap of Faith (Broadway), Rent (Broadway). Select TV/film: "Law & Order: SVU," "Gotham," "Person of Interest," "Supernatural," Red Tails, and "House of Lies." Odom, Jr. graduated with honors from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. He's been nominated for the Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel Awards. He's won the Princess Grace Award and an Astaire Award.
Tim Pigott-Smith
King Charles III
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
British classical stage and TV actor Tim Pigott-Smith made his Broadway debut in "Sherlock Holmes" as Dr. Watson in 1974. Over the years, he has appeared opposite England's theatre royalty including Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Geraldine James, Margaret Tyzack, and Patrick Stewart. Pigott-Smith is a regular stage actor in Shakespearean and Greek roles; for instance, he played Posthumus in John Barton's 1974 production of Cymbeline for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Contemporary works include Enron, playing Ken Lay, for the Chichester Festival Theatre, and then London, in 2009 and Tobias in A Delicate Balance at The Almeida Theatre, London in 2011. He returned to the Almeida in 2014 as a post-accession Charles, Prince of Wales in King Charles III, for which he received a nomination for the Olivier Award for Best Actor, and his first Tony Award nomination for its production on Broadway in 2015.
Saycon Sengbloh
Eclipsed
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Saycon Sengbloh has had an exciting journey from Atlanta, GA to New York City. She has been featured in Marley, Holler If Ya Hear Me, Motown the Musical. She also plays Helena in the NYC debut of Eclipsed off-Broadway. Born to an American mother and Liberian father she was recently seen in the Signature Theatre premier of "Hurt Village" and is thrilled to be a featured actress in the hot Afro-beat musical "Fela!" on Broadway, Saycon co-starred as the delicious Sandra Iszadore! Being photographed and named one of the hottest up and coming acts in the annual juice issue of VIBE magazine. "Fela!" the musical won several Tony awards! Saycon appears on the Grammy nominated soundtracks for "Fela!", the Broadway revival of "Hair" and also provided backing vocals on 2 Beatles songs on the soundtrack for the Julie Taymore film "Across the Universe". She began performing as a kid in plays and musicals at Tri-Cities School for Visual and Performing Arts. After numerous productions with the Freddie Hendrick's Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, she appeared in Tyler Perry's first musical "I Know I've Been Changed." She worked at the Tony Award winning Alliance Theater Company under artistic directors Kenny Leon & Susan Booth. Saycon has the honored distinction of being the first woman of African decent to perform the role of Elphaba the wicked witch of the West in Wicked the musical on Broadway. Cast by Telsey and Company she toured the US and Japan as the seductive Latin lead Mimi in "Rent"! Saycon is very proud to have appeared in the films of female directors Julie Dash and Julie Taymore. Favorite theatrical roles are Aida in "Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida" and the female "Abe Lincoln" in the Broadway Revival of "Hair", and performing as Nettie in the premier production and later as Celie in Oprah Winfrey's Broadway production "The Color Purple-the Musical."
Michael Shannon
Long Day's Journey Into Night
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon is making his mark working with many of the industry's most honored talents and treading the boards in the world's most respected theatres., Shannon made his mark in an Oscar-nominated supporting role in Revolutionary Road, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates. With over forty roles in film, Shannon's credits include John McNaughton's The Harvest, Jake Paltrow's The Young Ones, Zack Snyder's Man of Steel,Ariel Vromen's The Iceman, David Koepp's Premium Rush, Liza Johnson's Return, Marc Forster's Machine Gun Preacher, Floria Sigismondi's The Runaways, Werner Herzog's My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done and Bad Lieutenant, Sydney Lumet's Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, William Friedkin's Bug, Curtis Hanson'sLucky You, Michael Bay's Bad Boys II, Curtis Hanson's 8 Mile, David McNally's Kangaroo Jack, Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky, Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor, John Waters' Cecil B. DeMented, Noah Buschel's The Missing Person and Shana Feste'sThe Greatest. For all his roles on screen, Shannon maintains a connection to theatre. In 2012, Shannon appeared opposite Paul Rudd, Ed Asner, and Kate Arrington in Grace at the Cort Theatre, for which he was nominated for a 2013 Distinguished Performance Drama League Award. In 2010, he led Craig Wright's Off-Broadway play, Mistakes Were Made, at the Barrow Street Theater, which earned him an Outstanding Lead Actor Lortel Award nomination, an Outstanding Actor in a Play Drama Desk Award nomination, an Outstanding Solo Performance Outer Critics Award nomination, and a Distinguished Performance Drama League Award nomination. Additional theatre credits include Uncle Vanya (Soho Rep Theatre), Our Town (Barrow Street Theatre), Lady (Rattlestick Theatre), The Metal Children (Vineyard Theatre), The Little Flower of East Orange (Public Theatre), The Pillowman and Man From Nebraska (Steppenwolf Theatre), Bug (Barrow Street Theatre, Red Orchid Theatre and Gate Theatre), Mr. Kolpert and The Killer (Red Orchid Theatre), Killer Joe (SoHo Playhouse, Next Lab Theatre and Vaudeville Theatre), The Idiot (Lookingglass Theatre) and Woyzeck (Gate Theatre).
Jennifer Simard
Disaster!
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Broadway: Sister Act; starred as Rona opposite Mo Rocca and Darrell Hammond in ... Spelling Bee; Originated Wicked Witch in Shrek. Also originated roles in I Love You...Change, Thing About Men and Forbidden B'way SVU.
Phillipa Soo
Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Off-Broadway: Hamilton at The Public Theater (Drama Desk Award for Best Musical); Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Ars Nova, Kazino, world premiere). Regional: A Little Night Music (Berkshire Theatre Group), School for Wives (Two River Theater). Film/TV: Dangerous Liasons (pilot), Smash (NBC). Training: Juilliard Drama Division (Group 41).
Mark Strong
Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Theatre: A View From the Bridge at the Young Vic and Wyndham's Theatre (Olivier Award); appearances at the National Theatre in Closer, Death of a Salesman, Murmuring Judges, King Lear, and Richard III; at the Donmar Warehouse and BAM in Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night (Olivier Award nomination); at the Royal Shakespeare Company in The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Plantagenets; and at The Almeida Theatre in The Iceman Cometh. Film: Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Imitation Game (Critics' Choice Award nomination), Before I Go to Sleep, Zero Dark Thirty, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Sherlock Holmes, Body of Lies (London Critics' Circle Film Award nomination), Kick-Ass, Stardust, and Oliver Twist. Television: "Low Winter Sun," "Prime Suspect," and "The Long Firm"(BAFTA Award nomination).
Adrienne Warren
Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Adrienne Warren made her Broadway debut in Bring It On: The Musical after originating the role of Danielle at the ALLIANCE THEATRE in Atlanta. She reprised the role again on the national tour. Other credits include Dreamgirls (Apollo Theater and national tour) and The Wiz (City Center Encores!).
Michelle Williams
Blackbird
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Michelle Williams' performances have established her as one of Hollywood's most sought-after and respected actors, earning her a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations. Williams was most recently seen in Sam Raimi's Oz: The Great and Powerful, opposite James Franco, in which she starred as Glinda the Good Witch. She last played opposite Seth Rogen in Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz which made its world premiere at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival. In late 2011, she took on the iconic Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn opposite Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench, a role that garnered her third Academy Award nomination, as well as nods from BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award wins. Previously, Williams was seen in Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine opposite Ryan Gosling. Williams's captivating performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress as well as Golden Globe, Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations and Independent Spirit Award nominations. Williams's performance in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, released in 2005, earned her nominations from Independent Spirit Award, SAG, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Broadcast Film Critics Association as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Williams was also nominated for a 2007 Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress for her performance in Wim Wenders's Land of Plenty.
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