How Do This Year's Tony-Nominated Revivals Stack Up Against Their Previous Productions? | Playbill

Tony Awards How Do This Year's Tony-Nominated Revivals Stack Up Against Their Previous Productions? Find out how this season's Oklahoma!, Kiss Me, Kate, All My Sons, Torch Song, and more compare to the Broadway stagings they follow.

When the 2019 Tony Award nominations were announced April 30, eight revival productions made the cut: Arthur Miller's All My Sons, The Boys in the Band, Burn This, Kiss Me, Kate, King Lear, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Torch Song, and The Waverly Gallery.

How did this season's productions compare to earlier Broadway runs of the same works?
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Kelli O'Hara in Kiss Me, Kate Joan Marcus

Kiss Me, Kate has had four Broadway productions, in 1948, 1952, 1999, and 2019.

The current production is nominated in four categories—in all cases, categories for which earlier productions had been nominated: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Kelli O'Hara as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine), Best Choreography (Warren Carlyle), and Best Orchestrations (Larry Hochman).

The original production in 1948 won four 1949 Tony Awards (no nominations were announced that year), including the first-ever award for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical for Bella and Sam Spewack, Best Costume Design of a Musical for Lemuel Ayers, and Best Producer of a Musical for Arnold Saint-Subber and Ayers.

A short-lived 1952 revival received no nominations.

The 1999 production was one of the most Tony-nominated (and winning) productions of its season. That production received 12 nominations, for Best Actor in a Musical (Brian Stokes Mitchell as Fred Graham/Petruchio), Best Actress in a Musical (Marin Mazzie as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine), Best Choreography (Kathleen Marshall), Best Direction of a Musical (Michael Blakemore), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Lee Wilkof as First Man, Michael Mulheren as Second Man, and Michael Berresse as Bill Calhoun/Lucentio), Best Orchestrations (Don Sebesky), Best Costume Design (Martin Pakledinaz), Best Lighting Design (Peter Kavzorowski), Best Scenic Design (Robin Wagner), and Best Revival of a Musical. Mitchell, Blakemore, Sebesky, and Pakledinaz won their respective categories, and the production was named Best Revival of a Musical, making it the most Tony-winning production of its season.

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Damon Daunno Little Fang Photo

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! has been produced on Broadway six times, in 1943, 1951, 1953, 1979, 2002, and 2019.

The current production is the most Tony-nominated production of Oklahoma! in history, with eight nominations: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Damon Daunno as Curly), two for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Ali Stroker as Ado Annie and Mary Testa as Aunt Eller), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Laura Jellinek), Best Sound Design of a Musical (Drew Levy), Best Direction of a Musical (Daniel Fish), and Best Orchestrations (Daniel Kluger). Stroker is the first actor to receive a Tony nomination for a performance as Ado Annie, and the production's nominations for scenic design, sound design, and orchestrations are firsts for the work as well.

The original production pre-dates the Tony Awards, and the 1951 and 1953 revivals did not receive any nominations.

The 1979 production received two nominations: Best Actress in a Musical (Christine Andreas as Laurey) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Harry Groener as Will Parker).

The 2002 revival was nominated for seven awards, including Best Actor in a Musical (Patrick Wilson as Curly), Best Choreography (Susan Stroman), Best Direction of a Musical (Trevor Nunn), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Shuler Hensley as Jud Fry), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Andrea Martin as Aunt Eller), Best Lighting Design (David Hersey), and Best Revival of a Musical; only Hensley won his category.

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Tracy Letts and Annette Bening Joan Marcus

Arthur Miller's All My Sons has received four Broadway productions, in 1947, 1987, 2008, and 2019.

The current production is tied with the 1987 revival for being the most Tony-nominated production of the work with three nominations: Best Revival of a Play, Best Leading Actress in a Play (Annette Benning as Kate Keller, the first to be nominated for this role), and Best Featured Actor in a Play (Benjamin Walker as Chris Keller).

The original production won two awards at the first-ever Tony Awards in 1947: Best Author of a Play (Arthur Miller) and Best Direction (Elia Kazan).

The work's first Broadway revival in 1987 received three Tony nominations: Best Actor in a Play (Richard Kiley as Joe Keller), Best Featured Actor in a Play (Jamey Sheridan as Chris Keller), and Best Revival. The production's sole win was for Best Revival.

A 2008 revival received zero Tony nominations.

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Adam Driver and Keri Russell Matthew Murphy

Burn This has been produced on Broadway only twice, in 1987 and 2019.

The current production, with three nominations, is the more Tony-nominated production. The revival is nominated for Best Revival of a Play, Best Leading Actor in a Play (Adam Driver as Pale), and Best Featured Actor in a Play (Brandon Uranowitz as Larry).

The original 1987 production was nominated for two Tonys: Best Actress in a Play (Joan Allen as Anna) and Best Featured Actor in a Play (Lou Liberatore as Larry). Allen won her category.

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Cast Joan Marcus

Though this season's production of The Boys in the Band is the work's first outing on Broadway, it was ruled a revival by the Tony Awards Administration committee; the work notably premiered Off-Broadway in 1968 and made the jump to the big screen in 1970 with its original cast. The 2018 production received two 2019 Tony Award nominations: Best Revival of a Play and Best Featured Actor in a Play (Robin De Jesús as Emory).

Because the play was never eligible in the Best Play category, Mart Crowley has been ruled eligible to win Best Revival of a Play alongside the production's producers.

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Glenda Jackson, Ruth Wilson, and John Douglas Thompson Brigitte Lacombe

King Lear has been produced on Broadway at least 20 times since 1754; six productions, in 1947, 1950, 1956, 1968, 2004, and 2019, have been eligible for Tony Awards since their inception.

The current production, now only the second Lear to receive a Tony nomination, received one nomination, for Best Featured Actress in a Play (Ruth Wilson as Cordelia/The Fool).

The first production of the Shakespeare classic to receive Tony Award nominations played Broadway in 2004, receiving two nominations in the Best Revival of a Play and Best Actor in a Play (Christopher Plummer in the title role) categories.

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Ward Horton and Michael Urie Matthew Murphy

Torch Song has been produced twice on Broadway, in 1983 (under the title Torch Song Trilogy) and 2018.

The current production is nominated for two Tonys: Best Revival of a Play and Best Costume Design of a Play (Clint Ramos). Because significant revisions were made after its Broadway premiere, Fierstein was ruled eligible to win along with the production's producers as part of the Best Revival of a Play category. If the production takes the award, Fierstein would become the first playwright to win two Tony Awards for the same work.

The original 1983 production was nominated for and won two Tony Awards: Best Actor in a Play (Harvey Fierstein as Arnold Beckoff) and Best Play.

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Elaine May Brigitte Lacombe

The Waverly Gallery, like The Boys in the Band, was ruled a revival even though the 2018 production was the work's Broadway premiere—the play was first produced Off-Broadway in 2000. This production's two Tony nominations, for Best Revival of a Play and Best Leading Actress in a Play (Elaine May as Gladys Green), are the work's first Tony Awards. As with The Boys in the Band, Kenneth Lonergan has been ruled eligible to win Best Revival of a Play alongside the production's producers.

 
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