The Tony Awards are coming!

Now decades ago, the musical “NINE” opened on the eve of the cut-off date for Tony nominations. It led the field with, if memory serves, a cool 10 nominations — the same as this year’s leader, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.”
There was a popular song back then, titled “Autumn in New York.” It’s most memorable line for a theater aficionado was “Autumn in New York … it brings the thrill of first nighting.” It took only a few scant years for producers to recognize that shows that opened in the spring were far fresher on the minds of Tony voters. Flash forward to April 29 of this year. By the time this column is written it will include the top Tony Award nominations for 2014. In April alone this critic’s calendar was (often, but not always blissfully) crammed with visits to Broadway’s newcomers and revivals. I went to the theater 26 times-with one play offered for another night because the star was ill.
My visits included Broadway, Off-Broadway and off-off Broadway. The former included favorites “Raisin in the Sun,” “Bullets Over Broadway,” “All the Way” (a dazzling Brian Cranston as LBJ ),”Cabaret,” “Casa Valentina,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” (an awesome, kinetic Neil Patrick Harris!), “The Cripple of Inishman” (exquisite, haunting turn by Daniel Radcliffe), “Violet,” “The Velocity of Autumn,” “Of Mice and Men” (a break-your-heart Chris O’Dowd),”The Realistic Joneses,” “The Velocity of Autumn,” Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” (Audra McDonald channeling a devastatingly past her prime Billie Holiday). “Cabaret”— with Alan Cummings reprising his compelling, decadent Brechtian master of ceremonies — and finally the towering, altogether magnificently sung and acted revival of “Les Miserables.” (Yes! I cried a lot,” still!).
Most memorable favorites off-Broadway (eligible for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards included David Ives blissfully comic “The Heir Apparent” (at CSC) based on a 1908 drama — here delivered completely in devastatingly witty rhyming couplets; Also the Flea’s six-hour marathon “The Mysteries,” recapitulating the entire canon of Biblical lore (dinner and dessert included!). Offbeat and unexpected, I never saw the cult film “Heathers,” but the new in-your-face “Heather the Musical,” based on it proved a ribald, irreverent if also often sobering revelation that the more some things change — the more they remain the same, sometimes tragically the same in the teen world. Here delivering hard lessons on drug use, bullying, and the scepter of suicide. If this sounds far from fun, the cleverness of this tale of three girls named Heather and their comeuppance brought a standing ovation — including the applause of parents with now their own now teenagers in tow.
Hot off the press: The Tony nominations

Following the recent announcement of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Awards nominations, which most fortunately include recognition for off-Broadway and off-off Broadway productions, the just announced slate for the 2014 Tony Awards is thrilling just to read. And doubtless, the more of its nominations you make it your pleasure to visit—the richer your leisure time pleasure.
Like the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle, the leading offering of the new season is Robert L. Friedman and Steven Lutvak’s hilarious, ingenuous, gloriously performed “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” Set in Edwardian England, with inimitable Jefferson Mays playing the eight victims of the initially clueless heir (a delectable Bryce Pinkham)to a dynasty fortune. As the latter discovers revenge is a sweet morsel to gorge on this beautifully executed (pardon the pun)musical caper will have—and leave you — giddy with delight. Among its ten nominations is the richly deserved one for Best Direction of a Musical to Darko Tresnjak, who keeps the mayhem scurrying at its breathless pace. I’ve never seen Mays less than brilliant whenever he graces a stage — but his quick-change artistry in “A Gentleman’s Guide…” brings the joy of watching a theater genius at work into its sharpest focus ever.
The audacious revival of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”— the cult classic which this critic did not appreciate in its initial 1998 off-Broadway incarnation now has an irresistible in-your-face charm via the awesomely charismatic Neil Patrick Harris. (Best Leading Performance-Musical).What he and his productions team (kudos to fellow hell-raiser director Michael Mayer, also nominated in his category) have accomplished in this incandescent revival is a musical at its energizing, feel-good best — despite its subject matter; with musicians whose talents will have you rocking in your seat.
I would have liked to see “The Glass Menagerie” (too soon departed despite its successful extended run) considered as an ensemble work. Despite individual nominations for Cherry Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Brian J. Smith, a second viewing made me feel that perfection in every aspect of the play deserved special recognition. The “Best Revival of a Play” for this critic, nominated by both the Tony Awards and Drama Desk was the magical London “Twelfth Night.” Like “Menagerie,” every moment of the production was thrilling to a theater lover’s soul.
And what began as a lackluster season turned into one of the very best — on and off-Broadway! Next week, the magnificent “Act One,” based on Moss Harts best-seller, at the Vivian Beaumont. Tony nominated-but opening too late for other awards consideration it is a paean to the gods of theater-and the courageous souls who do their work here on our planet!