Place Your Bets! Broadway Pundits Predict the 2008 Tony Awards

It's Tony prediction time again, and there's a lot more variation in the experts' choices this time around than in the past few years. Before marking your own Tony ballot, check out the picks of Broadway journalists, most of whom have seen every show. This may well be the year of upsets, particularly in the acting categories!

The Jury
Melissa Rose Bernardo, Entertainment Weekly
Ben Brantley, The New York Times
David Cote/Adam Feldman, TimeOut NY
Martin Denton, NYTheatre.com*
Elysa Gardner, USA Today*
Susan Haskins, Theater Talk*
Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
Tom O'Neil, TheEnvelope.com*
Paul Sheehan, TheEnvelope.com*
David Sheward, Backstage*
Matt Windman, AM New York*
Linda Winer, Newsday*
Paul Wontorek, Broadway.com

*As predicted on Showbiz Awards' Gold Derby

Best Musical
Bernardo: In the Heights
Brantley: In the Heights
Cote/Feldman: In the Heights
Denton: In the Heights
Gardner: In the Heights
Haskins: Passing Strange
Isherwood: Passing Strange
O'Neil: In the Heights
Sheehan: In the Heights
Sheward: In the Heights
Windman: In the Heights
Winer: In the Heights
Wontorek: In the Heights
Verdict: 85% In the Heights; 15% Passing Strange

Best Play
Bernardo: August: Osage County
Brantley: August: Osage County
Cote/Feldman: August: Osage County
Denton: August: Osage County
Gardner: August: Osage County
Haskins: August: Osage County
Isherwood: August: Osage County
O'Neil: August: Osage County
Sheehan: August: Osage County
Sheward: August: Osage County
Windman: August: Osage County
Winer: August: Osage County
Wontorek: August: Osage County
Verdict: 100% August: Osage County

Best Revival of a Musical
Bernardo: South Pacific
Brantley: South Pacific
Cote/Feldman: South Pacific
Denton: South Pacific
Gardner: South Pacific
Haskins: South Pacific
Isherwood: South Pacific
O'Neil: South Pacific
Sheehan: South Pacific
Sheward: South Pacific
Windman: South Pacific
Winer: South Pacific
Wontorek: South Pacific
Verdict: 100% South Pacific

Best Revival of a Play
Bernardo: Boeing-Boeing
Brantley: Macbeth
Cote/Feldman: Boeing-Boeing
Denton: Boeing-Boeing
Gardner: The Homecoming
Haskins: Macbeth
Isherwood: Boeing-Boeing
O'Neil: Macbeth
Sheehan: Macbeth
Sheward: Boeing-Boeing
Windman: Boeing-Boeing
Winer: Boeing-Boeing
Wontorek: Boeing-Boeing
Verdict: 61% Boeing-Boeing; 31% Macbeth; 8% The Homecoming

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Bernardo: Paulo Szot, South Pacific
Brantley: Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Cote/Feldman: Szot
Denton: Szot
Gardner: Szot
Haskins: Szot
Isherwood: Szot
O'Neil: Szot
Sheward: Szot
Windman: Miranda
Winer: Szot
Wontorek: Szot
Verdict: 83% Paulo Szot, South Pacific; 17% Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Bernardo: Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Brantley: LuPone
Cote/Feldman: LuPone
Denton: LuPone
Gardner: LuPone
Haskins: LuPone
Isherwood: LuPone
O'Neil: LuPone
Sheward: LuPone
Windman: LuPone
Winer: LuPone
Wontorek: LuPone
Verdict: 100% Patti LuPone, Gypsy

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Bernardo: Patrick Stewart, Macbeth
Brantley: Stewart
Cote/Feldman: Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Denton: Stewart
Gardner: Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll
Haskins: Stewart
Isherwood: Rylance
O'Neil: Stewart
Sheehan: Stewart
Sheward: Stewart
Windman: Rylance
Winer: Stewart
Wontorek: Rylance
Verdict: 61% Patrick Stewart, Macbeth; 31% Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing; 8% Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Bernardo: Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Brantley: Dunagan
Cote/Feldman: Dunagan
Denton: Dunagan
Gardner: Dunagan
Haskins: Dunagan
Isherwood: Dunagan
O'Neil: Dunagan
Sheehan: Dunagan
Sheward: Dunagan
Windman: Dunagan
Wontorek: Dunagan
Verdict: 100% Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Bernardo: Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
Brantley: Gaines
Cote/Feldman: Gaines
Denton: Gaines
Gardner: Gaines
Haskins: Gaines
Isherwood: Gaines
O'Neil: Gaines
Sheehan: Gaines
Sheward: Gaines
Windman: Gaines
Winer: Gaines
Wontorek: Gaines
Verdict: 100% Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Bernardo: Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Brantley: Benanti
Cote/Feldman: Benanti
Denton: Benanti
Gardner: Benanti
Haskins: Olga Merediz, In the Heights
Isherwood: Benanti
O'Neil: Benanti
Sheehan: Benanti
Sheward: Benanti
Windman: Benanti
Winer: Benanti
Wontorek: Benanti
Verdict: 92% Laura Benanti, Gypsy; 8% Olga Merediz, In the Heights

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Bernardo: Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming
Brantley: Jim Norton, The Seafarer
Cote/Feldman: Norton
Denton: Norton
Gardner: Esparza
Haskins: Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Isherwood: Esparza
O'Neil: Esparza
Sheehan: Esparza
Sheward: Norton
Windman: Norton
Winer: Esparza
Wontorek: Norton
Verdict: 46% Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming; 46% Jim Norton, The Seafarer; 8% Conleth Hill, The Seafarer

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Bernardo: Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Brantley: Rondi Reed, August: Osage County
Cote/Feldman: Reed
Denton: Laurie Metcalf, November
Gardner: Plimpton
Haskins: Reed
Isherwood: Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Sheehan: Plimpton
Sheward: McCormack
Windman: McCormack
Winer: Plimpton
Wontorek: Reed
Verdict: 33% Martha Plimpton, Top Girls; 33% Rondi Reed, August: Osage County; 25% Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing; 8% Laurie Metcalf, November

Best Director of a Musical
Bernardo: Bartlett Sher, South Pacific
Brantley: Sher
Cote/Feldman: Sher
Denton: Sher
Gardner: Sher
Haskins: Sher
Isherwood: Sher
O'Neil: Sher
Sheehan: Sher
Sheward: Sher
Windman: Sher
Winer: Sher
Wontorek: Sher
Verdict: 100% Bartlett Sher, South Pacific

Best Director of a Play
Bernardo: Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Brantley: Shapiro
Cote/Feldman: Shapiro
Denton: Shapiro
Gardner: Shapiro
Haskins: Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Isherwood: Shapiro
O'Neil: Shapiro
Sheehan: Shapiro
Sheward: Shapiro
Windman: Shapiro
Winer: Shapiro
Wontorek: Shapiro
Verdict: 92% Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County; 8% Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps

Best Choreography
Bernardo: Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Cote/Feldman: Ashford
Denton: Ashford
Gardner: Ashford
Haskins: Ashford
O'Neil: Ashford
Sheward: Andy Blankenbuehler, In the Heights
Windman: Blankenbuehler
Winer: Blankenbuehler
Wontorek: Ashford
Verdict: 70% Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby; 30% Andy Blankenbuehler, In the Heights

Best Book of a Musical
Bernardo: Stew, Passing Strange
Brantley: Stew
Cote/Feldman: Quiara Alegria Hudes, In the Heights
Denton: Hudes
Gardner: Hudes
Haskins: Douglas Carter Beane, Xanadu
Isherwood: Stew
O'Neil: Hudes
Sheehan: Beane
Sheward: Hudes
Windman: Beane
Wontorek: Stew
Verdict: 42% Quiara Alegria Hudes, In the Heights; 33% Stew, Passing Strange; 25% Douglas Carter Beane, Xanadu

Best Original Score
Bernardo: Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Brantley: Miranda
Cote/Feldman: Miranda
Denton: Miranda
Gardner: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Haskins: Stew and Rodewald
Isherwood: Miranda
O'Neil: Miranda
Sheehan: Miranda
Sheward: Miranda
Windman: Miranda
Winer: Miranda
Wontorek: Miranda
Verdict: 85% Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights; 15% Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bernardo: Michael Yeargan, South Pacific
Cote/Feldman: Yeargan
Denton: Yeargan
Gardner: David Farley, Timothy Bird and The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with George
Haskins: Yeargan
O'Neil: Yeargan
Sheward: Yeargan
Windman: Yeargan
Winer: Farley, Bird, The Knifedge Creative Network
Wontorek: Yeargan
Verdict: 80% Michael Yeargan, South Pacific; 20% David Farley, Timothy Bird and The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with George

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bernardo: Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County
Cote/Feldman: Rosenthal
Denton: Rosenthal
Gardner: Anthony Ward, Macbeth
Haskins: Rosenthal
O'Neil: Rosenthal
Sheward: Rosenthal
Windman: Rosenthal
Winer: Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Wontorek: Rosenthal
Verdict: 80% Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County; 10% Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, 10% Anthony Ward, Macbeth

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Bernardo: Catherine Zuber, South Pacific
Cote/Feldman: Zuber
Denton: Zuber
Gardner: David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Haskins: Zuber
O'Neil: Zuber
Sheward: Farley
Windman: Zuber
Winer: Zuber
Wontorek: Zuber
Verdict: 80% Catherine Zuber, South Pacific; 20% David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George

Best Costume Design of a Play
Bernardo: Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Cote/Feldman: Lindsay
Denton: Lindsay
Haskins: Lindsay
O'Neil: Lindsay
Sheward: Lindsay
Windman: Lindsay
Winer: Lindsay
Wontorek: Lindsay
Verdict: 100% Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Bernardo: Donald Holder, South Pacific
Cote/Feldman: Holder
Denton: Holder
Gardner: Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Haskins: Holder
O'Neil: Holder
Sheward: Holder
Windman: Howell Binkley, In the Heights
Winer: Billington
Wontorek: Holder
Verdict: 70% Donald Holder, South Pacific; 20% Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George; 10% Howell Binkley, In the Heights

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Bernardo: Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Cote/Feldman: Adams
Denton: Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County
Gardner: Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Haskins: Harrison
Sheward: Adams
Windman: Adams
Winer: Harrison
Wontorek: Adams
Verdict: 56% Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps; 33% Howard Harrison, Macbeth; 11% Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Bernardo: Scott Lehrer, South Pacific
Cote/Feldman: Lehrer
Denton: Acme Sound Partners, In the Heights
Gardner: Lehrer
Haskins: Lehrer
Sheward: Lehrer
Windman: Acme Sound Partners
Winer: Lehrer
Wontorek: Lehrer
Verdict: 78% Scott Lehrer, South Pacific; 22% Acme Sound Partners, In the Heights

Best Sound Design of a Play
Bernardo: Mic Pool, The 39 Steps
Cote/Feldman: Pool
Denton: Ian Dickson, Rock ‘n' Roll
Gardner: Dickson
Haskins: Adam Cork, Macbeth
Sheward: Cork
Windman: Cork
Winer: Cork
Wontorek: Pool
Verdict: 44% Adam Cork, Macbeth; 33% Mic Pool, The 39 Steps; 22% Ian Dickson, Rock 'n' Roll

Best Orchestrations
Bernardo: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Cote/Feldman: Stew and Rodewald
Denton: Stew and Rodewald
Gardner: Stew and Rodewald
Haskins: Stew and Rodewald
O'Neil: Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman, In the Heights
Sheward: Lacamoire and Sherman Windman: Lacamoire and Sherman
Winer: Lacamoire and Sherman
Wontorek: Stew and Rodewald
Verdict: 60% Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange; 40% Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman, In the Heights