The 4 Actors (and 4 Shows) That Should Absolutely Win a Tony Award This Year

The Oscars are great for the fashion. The Grammys are great for the performances. The AMAs are great for the candid moments. But my favorite award show of the year? The Tony Awards, which are great for, well, everything! And they are airing live this Sunday, June 7 at 8 p.m. on CBS. (Be sure to keep an eye out for PureWow’s red carpet coverage.)

This year’s nominees include a huge list of buzzy shows and performances, from Marla Mindelle playing Céline Dion in the hilarious parody musical Titaníque to Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara serving laughs in the Noël Coward play Fallen Angels. While the competition will undoubtedly be stiff, there were a number of names who truly deserve to take home that statue.

Though they might not all deliver an acceptance speech, here are four actors and four shows who should win a Tony Award.

• Nominees: Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!; Stephanie Hsu, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show; Caissie Levy, Ragtime; Marla Mindelle, Titaníque; Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
• Who Should Win: Marla Mindelle, Titaníque

This is a seriously competitive category and, TBH, Levy is likely to win the statuette in the end. But, there were a few stellar performances here. Hsu is surprisingly fabulous and nuanced as Janet in Rocky Horror. Pitts helps carry the charming Two Strangers on her talented shoulders. And yet, my favorite of the bunch has to be Mindelle, who has been playing the role of Céline Dion Off-Broadway for years, now finally bringing the part to the Great White Way. Mindelle is so freaking funny in this part that is flashy, imaginative and “kooky crazy.” She’s so good, in fact, that I’ve gone to see her in Titaníque three times over the years, and I never get sick of her genius accent, her powerhouse vocals and her brilliant storytelling.

• Nominees: Nicholas Christopher, Chess; Luke Evans, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show; Joshua Henry, Ragtime; Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York); Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime
• Who Should Win: Joshua Henry, Ragtime

Speaking of powerhouse performers, Henry is likely to run away with this one…and he should. I’ve been following his career for years (he was fabulous in Violet, Carousel and The Scottsboro Boys), and I’m so glad he finally gets the chance to tackle Coalhouse in Ragtime. Though Evans is an incredible Frank-N-Furter and everyone who sees Chess has been buzzing about Christopher, this award belongs in Henry’s hands. Fingers crossed he gets to sing “Wheels of a Dream” at the Tonys so the world can see just why he deserves the win.

• Nominees: Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels; Carrie Coon, Bug; Susannah Flood, Liberation; Lesley Manville, Oedipus; Kelli O'Hara, Fallen Angels
• Who Should Win: Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels

What. A. Category. It’s entirely possible that co-stars Byrne and O’Hara cancel each other out here, handing the win to one of the other (also) deserving women. But, fresh off her Oscar nomination, Byrne is the one I think should win Best Lead Actress in a Play. In my coworker’s review of the play, she writes, “Together, Byrne and O’Hara don’t miss a beat as they trade back-handed compliments, anxieties and reflections on past versions of themselves. (Also, hilarity as they subtly peer pressure each other to drink.)” However, she—like me—sees Byrne as the standout in the end. “Byrne’s appearance in particular by the end of the show is so jarring and hilarious, I laughed out loud.”

• Nominees: Will Harrison, Punch; Nathan Lane, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman; John Lithgow, Giant; Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing; Mark Strong, Oedipus
• Who Should Win: Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing

Lane and Lithgow are likely the frontrunners in this stacked category, but Radcliffe’s performance is the one that leaves audiences talking all the way home. The former Harry Potter actor commands the theater in the 85-minute one-person show Every Brilliant Thing, which has quickly become the hottest ticket in town. (Mariska Hargitay has since taken over for Radcliffe, with Tracee Ellis Ross lined up to play the role after her.) In my colleague’s review of the show, she writes, “While the earnestness could come off as saccharine, in Radcliffe’s funny and capable hands, it’s both knowing and profound; his eyes are spritely, and his body seems propelled by an invisible motor.”

• Nominees: The Balusters; Giant; Liberation; Little Bear Ridge Road
• Who Should Win: Liberation

Though each of these plays is pretty great, Liberation stands out from the pack. The well-written and wonderfully performed story follows six women in the ‘70s who are determined to shake up their lives and change the world by fighting for civil rights. The play is extremely relevant in today’s social climate, as women continue to fight for bodily autonomy and true equal rights. Perhaps my coworker puts it best in her Liberation review: “I was blown away.”

• Nominees: The Lost Boys; Schmigadoon!; Titaníque; Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
• Who Should Win: The Lost Boys

Okay, I love the new musicals in this category, but I am floored by only one: The Lost Boys. Shoshana Bean shines, delivering a layered performance, plenty of funny one-liners and vocals that bring the house down (not a huge surprise from a talent such as Bean). LJ Benet sings and acts his face off as her "lost" son. And Ali Louis Bourzgui is terrifyingly good as a local boy with a dark secret. And the set of this show? Unreal. The scenic design by Dane Laffrey is out of this world. Forget the fact that many of the characters fly (this isn't a spoiler—you get your first glimpse of this in the very opening moments). But the design allows the front of the proscenium to sink and disappear, full sets to descend from the heavens and what you think are solid walls to become moving pieces for the actors to play on. Honestly, this show is so, so good.

• Nominees: Becky Shaw; Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman; Every Brilliant Thing; Fallen Angels; Oedipus
• Who Should Win: Every Brilliant Thing

Speaking of good shows, Every Brilliant Thing really should win the Tony for Best Revival of a Play. It’s telling that celebs are lining up to replace Radcliffe in the lead role (a la Oh, Mary! from last season). The creativity, heart and joy of this show make it a true standout. By creating scenes with members of the audience, it becomes a genuinely immersive experience, drawing you in to the story with a level of personal investment that is unrivaled when compared with the other shows this year. The fact that a famous movie star is able to deliver such a moving and memorable performance (chock full of improvisation) is just icing on the cake.

• Nominees: Cats: The Jellicle Ball; Ragtime; Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show
• Who Should Win: Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Ragtime will win; Cats should win. This reimagined production of Cats is a joyous, dance-filled party—one that tells the same old Cats story in a mind-blowingly refreshing manner. Embracing the world of ballroom, complete with fan snapping (and finger snapping), the show is a spectacle of the best kind. And while I fully get the relevance and importance of the beautiful Ragtime, the reinvention that Cats has undergone is beyond impressive. It’s an entirely new show and I am here for it (*snaps fan*).

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