‘Hamilton’ makes history with 16 Tony nominations

“Hamilton,” the groundbreaking hip-hop musical about the nation’s founding fathers, has been nominated for 16 Tony Awards, the most in Broadway history.

The show is already the biggest success Broadway has seen in years, and has become the rare piece of theater to cross over into popular culture. The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, has won the Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur Foundation genius grant, and many other prizes; its sold-out audiences are packed with dignitaries who are showering it with praise — Michelle Obama called the show “the best piece of art in any form that I have ever seen in my life.”

On Tuesday, the show was singled out in every category of theatermaking: acting, writing, directing, design. In a few categories, including lead actor and featured actor in a musical, performers from “Hamilton” will face off against one another.

The popularity of “Hamilton,” intensified by social media, late-night television, music downloads and now a fast-selling behind-the-scenes book, is so great that it is expected to boost viewership of this year’s Tony Awards, which are to be broadcast from the Beacon Theater on June 12.

“Hamilton” is the enormous favorite to win the most coveted Tony Award, the prize for best new musical. The other shows nominated in that category Tuesday were “Bright Star,” “School of Rock – The Musical,” “Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” and “Waitress.” Those shows will now market themselves as best-musical nominees, knowing that a win is highly unlikely, but hoping for a box office increase from the nomination.

The previous record for the most Tony nominations ever was held by “The Producers” (2001) and “Billy Elliot” (2009), each of which was nominated for 15 Tony awards. The record for the most wins is held by “The Producers,” which won 12.

Beyond the race for best new musical, the other Tony categories are much more competitive.

This was an excellent season for musical revivals, and four strongly reviewed shows will face off in that category: “The Color Purple,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “She Loves Me,” and “Spring Awakening.”

The best new play nominees include “Eclipsed,” by Danai Gurira; “The Father,” by Florian Zeller; “The Humans,” by Stephen Karam, and “King Charles III,” by Mike Bartlett. And the nominees for best play revival are “Blackbird,” “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” “Noises Off,” and two plays by Arthur Miller — “The Crucible” and “A View from the Bridge” — given adventurous reinterpretations by the Belgian director Ivo van Hove.

This year’s nominees, announced Tuesday morning by the actors Andrew Rannells and Nikki M. James, were selected by a panel of 47 theater experts, many of whom work at nonprofit organizations and in academia. They were expected to see all of the eligible shows, and voted by secret ballot on Monday.

The nominations will next be considered by 846 Tony voters — a mix of producers, performers, and other theater industry professionals — who must submit ballots by June 10. The awards ceremony, presented by the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, will be two days later, hosted by James Corden and broadcast on CBS.

The Tony Awards have already announced a number of noncompetitive prizes: the lyricist Sheldon Harnick and the director Marshall W. Mason will receive lifetime achievement awards, Paper Mill Playhouse will receive the regional theater award, and special awards will be given to the National Endowment for the Arts for its support of theater and to Miles Wilkin for his work in the business of touring Broadway shows.

A list of this year’s nominated shows, performers, designers and others

Best Musical

Bright Star

Hamilton

School of Rock — The Musical

Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Waitress

Best Play

Eclipsed

The Father

The Humans

King Charles III

Best Revival of a Musical

The Color Purple

Fiddler on the Roof

She Loves Me

Spring Awakening

Best Revival of a Play

Blackbird

The Crucible

Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Noises Off

A View From the Bridge

Best Book of a Musical

Bright Star, Steve Martin

Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda

School of Rock — The Musical, Julian Fellowes

Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, George C. Wolfe

Best Original Score

Bright Star, Music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell Lyrics: Edie Brickell

Hamilton, Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

School of Rock — The Musical, Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Glenn Slater

Waitress, Music & Lyrics: Sara Bareilles

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

Gabriel Byrne, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Jeff Daniels, Blackbird

Frank Langella, The Father

Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III

Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge

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

Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Laurie Metcalf, Misery

Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed

Sophie Okonedo, The Crucible

Michelle Williams, Blackbird

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

Alex Brightman, School of Rock — The Musical

Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof

Zachary Levi, She Loves Me

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

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

Laura Benanti, She Loves Me

Carmen Cusack, Bright Star

Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple

Jessie Mueller, Waitress

Phillipa Soo, Hamilton

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

Reed Birney, The Humans

Bill Camp, The Crucible

David Furr, Noises Off

Richard Goulding, King Charles III

Michael Shannon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

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

Pascale Armand, Eclipsed

Megan Hilty, Noises Off

Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans

Andrea Martin, Noises Off

Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

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

Daveed Diggs, Hamilton

Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress

Jonathan Groff, Hamilton

Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

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

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton

Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me

Jennifer Simard, Disaster!

Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin

Christopher Oram, Hughie

Jan Versweyveld, A View From the Bridge

David Zinn, The Humans

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Es Devlin & Finn Ross, American Psycho

David Korins, Hamilton

Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

David Rockwell, She Loves Me

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Michael Krass, Noises Off

Clint Ramos, Eclipsed

Tom Scutt, King Charles III

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting

Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me

Ann Roth, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Paul Tazewell, Hamilton

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Natasha Katz, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Justin Townsend, The Humans

Jan Versweyveld, The Crucible

Jan Versweyveld, A View From the Bridge

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Howell Binkley, Hamilton

Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening

Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Best Direction of a Play

Rupert Goold, King Charles III

Jonathan Kent, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Joe Mantello, The Humans

Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed

Ivo van Hove, A View From the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden, Spring Awakening

John Doyle, The Color Purple

Scott Ellis, She Loves Me

Thomas Kail, Hamilton

George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Best Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton

Savion Glover, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof

Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea

Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!

Best Orchestrations

August Eriksmoen, Bright Star

Larry Hochman, She Loves Me

Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton

Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater

Sheldon Harnick

Marshall W. Mason

Special Tony Award

National Endowment for the Arts

Miles Wilkin

Regional Theater Tony Award

Paper Mill Playhouse

Millburn, NJ

Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theater

Seth Gelblum

Joan Lader

Sally Ann Parsons

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