Some of Broadway's Tony Nominees You Should Care About

These two colorful theatergoers joined me tonight as tourists and locals alike scrambled to see the "best of Broadway" before the Tony awards next weekend. Those "in the know" understand the importance of seeing the shows now before tickets become scarce or, worse, before shows close (if they don't win). In case you were wondering I saw "Red" with Alfred Molina; they saw "A Behanding in Spokane" with Christopher Walken. Hmmmmm.

Here's a partial list of the categories to pay attention to on June 13:

BEST MUSICAL

American Idiot

Fela!

Memphis

Million Dollar Quartet

BEST PLAY

In the Next Room, or the vibrator play

Next Fall

Red

Time Stands Still

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Finian's Rainbow

La Cage aux Folles

A Little Night Music

Ragtime

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Fences

Lend Me a Tenor

The Royal Family

A View From the Bridge

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

Everyday Rapture, Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott

Fela!, Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones

Memphis, Joe DiPietro

Million Dollar Quartet, Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATER

The Addams Family, Music and Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

Enron, Music: Adam Cork, Lyrics: Lucy Prebble

Fences, Music: Branford Marsalis

Memphis, Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro and David Bryan

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Jude Law, Hamlet

Alfred Molina, Red

Liev Schreiber, A View From the Bridge

Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane

Denzel Washington, Fences

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Viola Davis, Fences

Valerie Harper, Looped

Linda Lavin, Collected Stories

Laura Linney, Time Stands Still

Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles

Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises

Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles

Chad Kimball, Memphis

Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow

Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture

Montego Glover, Memphis

Christiane Noll, Ragtime

Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

David Alan Grier, Race

Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences

Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts

Stephen Kunken, Enron

Eddie Redmayne, Red

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Maria Dizzia, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play

Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family

Jessica Hecht, A View From the Bridge

Scarlett Johansson, A View From the Bridge

Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family

Robin De Jesus, La Cage aux Folles

Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow

Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet

Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim

Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises

Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music

Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away

Lilias White, Fela!

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Michael Grandage, Red

Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall

Kenny Leon, Fences

Gregory Mosher, A View From the Bridge

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Christopher Ashley, Memphis

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime

Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles

Bill T. Jones, Fela!

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises

Bill T. Jones, Fela!

Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles

Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away