What Will Nab a Nod?! Broadway.com Ranks the 2015 Tony Contenders for Best Play & Beyond

After the busiest April in recent memory (do we say that every year?), it’s awards season! Now we’re obsessing over our annual Tony forecast, including frontrunners, hopefuls and a Broadway.com Shout Out to one show we hope the Tony nominators will remember. We'll know for sure who will get picked on April 28 (when this year's nominees are announced), but until then check out this Tony cheat sheet for the top play categories!



BEST PLAY

FRONTRUNNERS
Left: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — A frontrunner since it opened in October, Simon Stephens’ inventive adaptation of Mark Haddon’s bestseller centers on an autistic teen intent on solving a canine murder mystery.
Right: Wolf Hall — Hilary Mantel’s epic two-play drama turned heads (pun sort of intended) on both sides of the pond. Expect this mesmerizing theatrical undertaking to snag a nom.

IN THE MIX

Left to Right:
Airline Highway — Lisa D’Amour’s portrait of the down-and-out denizens of a seedy New Orleans motel has a shot at a spot.
The Audience —Peter Morgan gives Helen Mirren another chance to shine as you-know-whom, but will nominators bow down to the play and the performance?
Disgraced — Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer-winning drama was both provocative and entertaining. Don’t count it out.
Hand to God — Robert Askins' raunchy puppet comedy stands out from the crowd, but will it nab a slot in a sea of serious dramas?

BROADWAY.COM SHOUTOUT

Constellations — Nick Payne’s romantic take on the space-time continuum was unconventional, clever and profound. Here’s hoping the Tony committee remembers this show about life’s infinite possibilities.

ALSO POSSIBLE:
The Country House, Fish in the Dark, Living on Love, The River
 

BEST PLAY REVIVAL

FRONTRUNNERS  
Left: The Elephant Man — This stylized new production of Bernard Pomerance’s drama about the grotesquely disfigured John Merrick, an unlikely celebrity in Victorian England, will undoubtedly be remembered.
Right: You Can’t Take It with You — Scott Ellis kept all the plates spinning in this Kaufman and Hart comedy classic about a family of New York eccentrics living a carefree life during the Great Depression. It’s poised to be remembered for both its warmth and wackiness.

IN THE MIX

Left to Right:
A Delicate Balance — You can't rule our this cast of heavy-hitters in Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about existential terror in the suburbs.
The Heidi Chronicles — It's possible the first-ever Broadway revival of Wendy Wasserstein’s beloved play will be remembered even though it's closing early.
Skylight — It’s a good bet nominators will give a nod to this beautifully acted revival of David Hare’s simmering pot of politics and passion.

BROADWAY.COM SHOUTOUT

This Is Our Youth — Kenneth Lonergan’s moving portrait of three aimless post-adolescents was a reminder that even wealth and privilege cannot blot out the anxiety of making adult choices. Here’s to nominators giving it a nod.

ALSO POSSIBLE
It's Only a Play, Love Letters, The Real Thing



BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

FRONTRUNNERS

Left to Right:
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — Her stunning work on this acclaimed play is creative, subtle and breathtaking. This is the definition of a frontrunner.
Scott Ellis, The Elephant Man — It takes sensitivity and intelligence to turn a celebrity event into a profound theatrical experience.
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall — Keeping audiences engrossed in a two-part history drama is no small feat; he will surely get a nod.

IN THE MIX

Left to Right:
Stephen Daldry, The Audience — His stylish direction earned admiring reviews while drawing in crowds, making us all royal watchers.
Stephen Daldry, Skylight — Another knockout drama with big headliners from a director who knows how to keep things understated yet emotionally intense.
Scott Ellis, You Can’t Take It With You — This six-time nominee took the “follow your bliss” message of this comedy to heart and turned out an irresistible soufflé of a show.
Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to God — A bold jump to Broadway for this off-Broadway stalwart should be appealing to nominators looking for something new and daring.

BROADWAY.COM SHOUTOUT

Joe Mantello, Airline Highway — The Tony committee should honor this two-time Tony winner’s mastery in finding the authenticity, musicality and joy in this boisterous look at outcasts on the edge.