Teenage Tony Dream Comes True for Ragtime's Bobby Steggert

The morning the Tony nominations are announced, phones start ringing off the hook for the happy few who get nods. As usual, Broadway.com is among the callers offering congratulations and getting responses. Here are the first reactions from 2010 Tony nominees. Congrats to all!

Bobby Steggert
Nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Ragtime
“I’m in shock. I didn’t want to get too hopeful, so I turned my phone off last night and said, ‘Whatever will be will be,’ and I woke up to a million messages. To be remembered for a show that closed five months ago is kind of mind-blowing to me. I thought Ragtime would definitely get a nomination for best revival, but I didn’t expect to be recognized personally. I’m sort of speechless, and can’t make coherent sentences yet! For me, [the Tony] means a validation of the dream I had when I was 13 and listening to cast recordings. It’s a validation that I’ve worked hard and been lucky enough to achieve something tangible. There’s your Broadway debut, and after that, there’s the Tony nomination—and the fact that it happened means that that little boy who was 13 was doing the right thing when he was dreaming of it.”

For reactions from more of this year's Tony nominees, click here!