Tony Awards 2018 nominations: West End transfers lead the way with raft of nods for Harry Potter and Angels in America

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British plays took the lead in this year’s Tony Award nominations, announced today.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Angels in America, Travesties and The Children all received nods following Broadway transfers of hit London shows.

The awards, now in their 72nd year, are seen as the highest accolade in theatre in the United States. The wave of British exports to Broadway stages marks an exceptional period of success for West End theatremakers, with more to come: Royal Court productions Boys & Girls and The Ferryman will both transfer later this year.

The best actor in a play category was entirely made up of British actors from West End transfers, save for Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh: Andrew Garfield, Tom Hollander, Jamie Parker and Mark Rylance are all nominated for the gong.

It’s a similar story in the best actress in a play category, with Susan Brown, Noma Dumezweni and Deborah Findlay joining Irish actress Denise Gough on the shortlist, with Laurie Metcalf the only nominee not from a West End transfer.

Anthony Boyle receives a supporting actor nomination for playing Scorpius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Marianne Elliott, John Tiffany and Patrick Marber are all shortlisted for the best director award, whilst Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Lucky Kirkwood’s The Children and Claire van Kampen’s Farinelli and the King receive best new play nominations.

Elliott, who is currently rehearsing for a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company, said she would "never have expected this honour", and thanked playwright Tony Kushner "for taking the chance on an English woman to direct this seminal American classic. I love this play and our extraordinary creative team and cast of actors."

The best theatre to see in May

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British transfers were also recognised in the sound and lighting design categories, whilst Brit actors in Broadway productions also received acclaim. Diana Rigg and Harry Haden-Paton are nominated for starring in a revival of musical My Fair Lady, and Glenda Jackson is shortlisted for her performance in Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women.

Musical adaptations of Mean Girls and SpongeBob SquarePants received 12 nominations, including one for Mean Girls writer Tina Fey. A major musical adaptation of Frozen received a relatively modest three nominations.

Recipients of special awards include Bruce Springsteen and John Leguizamo, with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chita Rivera receiving lifetime achievement awards.

The awards will be presented by Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban on June 10.

The nominees in full are:

Best Book of a Musical

The Band's Visit, Itamar Moses
Frozen,
Jennifer Lee
Mean Girls, Tina Fey
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical,
Kyle Jarrow

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Angels in America, Music: Adrian Sutton
The Band's Visit,
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
Frozen, Music & Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Mean Girls,
Music: Jeff Richmond, Lyrics: Nell Benjamin
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical,
Music & Lyrics: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil'C

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Tom Hollander, Travesties
Jamie Parker,
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Mark Rylance,
Farinelli and The King
Denzel Washington,
Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Glenda Jackson, Edward Albee's Three Tall Women
Condola Rashad,
Saint Joan
Lauren Ridloff,
Children of a Lesser God
Amy Schumer,
Meteor Shower

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Joshua Henry,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
Tony Shalhoub,
The Band's Visit
Ethan Slater, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Lauren Ambrose, My Fair Lady
Hailey Kilgore,
Once On This Island
LaChanze,
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Katrina Lenk,
The Band's Visit
Taylor Louderman,
Mean Girls
Jessie Mueller,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Michael Cera,
Lobby Hero
Brian Tyree Henry,
Lobby Hero
Nathan Lane,
Angels in America
David Morse,
Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Susan Brown, Angels in America
Noma Dumezweni,
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Deborah Findlay,
The Children
Denise Gough,
Angels in America
Laurie Metcalf,
Edward Albee's Three Tall Women

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Norbert Leo Butz, My Fair Lady
Alexander Gemignani,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
Grey Henson,
Mean Girls
Gavin Lee,
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Ari'el Stachel,
The Band's Visit

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Ariana DeBose, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Renée Fleming,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
Lindsay Mendez,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
Ashley Park,
Mean Girls
Diana Rigg,
My Fair Lady

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Miriam Buether, Edward Albee's Three Tall Women
Jonathan Fensom,
Farinelli and The King
Christine Jones,
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Santo Loquasto,
Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh
Ian MacNeil and Edward Pierce,
Angels in America

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Dane Laffrey, Once On This Island
Scott Pask,
The Band's Visit
Scott Pask, Finn Ross & Adam Young,
Mean Girls
Michael Yeargan,
My Fair Lady
David Zinn,
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jonathan Fensom, Farinelli and The King
Nicky Gillibrand,
Angels in America
Katrina Lindsay,
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Ann Roth,
Edward Albee's Three Tall Women
Ann Roth,
Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes, Mean Girls
Clint Ramos,
Once On This Island
Ann Roth,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
David Zinn,
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Catherine Zuber,
My Fair Lady

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Paule Constable,
Angels in America
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer,
Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh
Paul Russell,
Farinelli and The King
Ben Stanton,
Junk

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer,
Once On This Island
Donald Holder,
My Fair Lady
Brian MacDevitt,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
Tyler Micoleau,
The Band's Visit

Best Sound Design of a Play

Adam Cork, Travesties
Ian Dickinson for Autograph,
Angels in America
Gareth Fry,
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Tom Gibbons,
1984
Dan Moses Schreier,
Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Kai Harada, The Band's Visit
Peter Hylenski,
Once On This Island
Scott Lehrer,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
Brian Ronan,
Mean Girls
Walter Trarbach and Mike Dobson,
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical

Best Direction of a Play

Marianne Elliott, Angels in America
Joe Mantello,
Edward Albee's Three Tall Women
Patrick Marber,
Travesties
John Tiffany,
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
George C. Wolfe,
Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden, Once On This Island
David Cromer,
The Band's Visit
Tina Landau,
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Casey Nicholaw,
Mean Girls
Bartlett Sher,
My Fair Lady

Best Choreography

Christopher Gattelli, My Fair Lady
Christopher Gattelli,
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Steven Hoggett,
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Casey Nicholaw,
Mean Girls
Justin Peck,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel

Best Orchestrations

John Clancy, Mean Girls
Tom Kitt,
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Annmarie Milazzo & Michael Starobin,
Once On This Island
Jamshied Sharifi,
The Band's Visit
Jonathan Tunick,
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel

Best Play

The Children, Lucy Kirkwood
Farinelli and The King,
Claire van Kampen
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two,
Jack Thorne
Junk,
Ayad Akhtar
Latin History for Morons,
John Leguizamo

Best Musical

The Band's Visit
Frozen

Mean Girls

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical

Best Revival of a Play

Angels in America
Edward Albee's Three Tall Women

Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

Lobby Hero

Travesties

Best Revival of a Musical

My Fair Lady
Once On This Island
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel

Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories

Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Chita Rivera
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Special Tony Awards

John Leguizamo
Bruce Springsteen

Regional Theatre Tony Award

La MaMa E.T.C.
New York City

Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award

Nick Scandalios

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre

Sara Krulwich
Bessie Nelson

Ernest Winzer Cleaners

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