Alicia Keys' musical Hell's Kitchen leads Tony Award nominations

Pop singer Alicia Keys’ new semi-autobiographical musical Hell’s Kitchen is leading this year’s Tony Award nominations.

Hell’s Kitchen, a musical fuelled by the Grammy winner’s hit songs received 13 nominations on Tuesday (Wednesday morning AEST) for US theatre scene’s answer to the Oscars.

There were also a number of Hollywood heavyweights among this years nominees, including Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, Daniel Radcliffe, Rachel McAdams, Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, Liev Schreiber and Leslie Odom Jr.

The Tony Award nominations have been announced with Alicia Keys’ new semi-autobiographical musical Hell’s Kitchen leading the pack with 13 nominations.

Hell’s Kitchen is a musical fuelled by the Grammy winner’s hit songs

TV stars up for nods include Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons, Frasier and Cheers actress Bebe Neuwirth, as well as Succession star Jeremy Strong.

Stereophonic, a play about a ’70s rock band at the edge of stardom, also earned a leading 13 Tony Award nominations.

A total of 28 shows earned one Tony nod or more.

The musical The Outsiders, an adaptation of the beloved S. E. Hinton novel and the Francis Ford Coppola film, earned 12 nominations.

A starry revival of Cabaret starring Eddie Redmayne, nabbing nine; and Appropriate, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ searing play about a family reunion in Arkansas where everyone has competing motivations and grievances, grabbing eight.

Stereophonic, a play about a ’70s rock band at the edge of stardom, also earned a leading 13 Tony Award nominations

The nominations marked a smashing of the Tony record for most women named in a single season.

The 2022 Tony Awards had held the record for most female directing nominees, with four total across the two races — musical and play. Only 10 women have gone on to win a directing crown.

This year’s list broke that record with seven women up for Best Director across the strands.

Three women were nominated for best play direction — Lila Neugebauer (Appropriate), Anne Kauffman (Mary Jane) and Whitney White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) — while four were nominated in the musical category — Maria Friedman (Merrily We Roll Along), Leigh Silverman (Suffs), Jessica Stone (Water for Elephants) and Danya Taymor (The Outsiders).

The adaptation of Nicholas Sparks romantic tearjerker The Notebook, marks 73-year-old Dorian Harewood’s (right) first Broadway show in 46 years – and it gave him his first Tony nomination

“The one thing I feel is it’s starting to feel less remarkable, which is great news,” Stone said after her nomination.

“We are directors and not women directors. I’m noticing it more and more and that’s a wonderful thing to think about. It’s a wonderful place to be.”

The adaptation of Nicholas Sparks romantic tearjerker The Notebook, marks 73-year-old Dorian Harewood’s first Broadway show in 46 years – and it gave him his first Tony nomination, landing a Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical nod.

But the musical’s composer, Ingrid Michaelson, didn’t earn a nomination. Nor did Barry Manilow for his show Harmony.

This year’s Tony Awards will see Ariana DeBose return as host for a third time and will be held at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on June 16.

However, Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire, was expected to earn a nod for his music for Stereophonic and it came through.

Steve Carell in his Broadway debut in a poorly received revival of the classic play Uncle Vanya failed to secure a nod, but starry producers who earned Tony nods include Keys, Angelina Jolie (for The Outsiders) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (for Suffs).

This year’s Tony Awards will see Ariana DeBose return as host for a third time and will be held at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on June 16.

FULL LIST OF 2024 TONY AWARD NOMINEES:

Best Play

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Mary Jane

Mother Play

Prayer for the French Republic

Stereophonic

‌Best Musical

Hell’s Kitchen

Illinoise

The Outsiders

Suffs

Water for Elephants

Best Revival of a Play

Appropriate

An Enemy of the People

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Best Revival of a Musical

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Gutenberg! The Musical!

Merrily We Roll Along

The Who’s Tommy

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

William Jackson Harper, Uncle Vanya

Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Liev Schreiber, Doubt: A Parable

Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People

Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots

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

Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic

Jessica Lange, Mother Play

Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane

Sarah Paulson, Appropriate

Amy Ryan, Doubt: A Parable

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

Brody Grant, The Outsiders

Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along

Dorian Harewood, The Notebook

Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses

Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

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

Eden Espinosa, Lempicka

Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen

Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses

Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook

Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

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

Will Brill, Stereophonic

Eli Gelb, Stereophonic

Jim Parsons, Mother Play

Tom Pecinka, Stereophonic

Corey Stoll, Appropriate

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

Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Doubt: A Parable

Juliana Canfield, Stereophonic

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play

Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic

Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

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

Roger Bart, Back To The Future: The Musical

Joshua Boone, The Outsiders

Brandon Victor Dixon, Hell’s Kitchen

Sky Lakota-Lynch, The Outsiders

Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along

Steven Skybell, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

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

Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen

Amber Iman, Lempicka

Nikki M. James, Suffs

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot

Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen

Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along

Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Book of a Musical

Hell’s Kitchen, Kristoffer Diaz

The Notebook, Bekah Brunstetter

The Outsiders, Adam Rapp and Justin Levine

Suffs, Shaina Taub

Water for Elephants, Rick Elice

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

Days of Wine and Roses – Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel

Here Lies Love – Music: David Byrne and Fatboy SlimLyrics: David Byrne

The Outsiders – Music & Lyrics: Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine

Stereophonic – Music & Lyrics: Will Butler

Suffs – Music & Lyrics: Shaina Taub‌

Best Scenic Design of a Play

dots, Appropriate

dots, An Enemy of the People

Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

David Zinn, Stereophonic

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders

Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen

Takeshi Kata, Water for Elephants

David Korins, Here Lies Love

Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini, Lempicka

Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, Back To The Future: The Musical

Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Best Costume Design of a Play

Dede Ayite, Appropriate

Dede Ayite, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic

Emilio Sosa, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

David Zinn, An Enemy of the People‌

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Dede Ayite, Hell’s Kitchen

Linda Cho, The Great Gatsby

David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants

Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Paul Tazewell, Suffs

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd, An Enemy of the People

Amith Chandrashaker, Prayer for the French Republic

Jiyoun Chang, Stereophonic

Jane Cox, Appropriate

Natasha Katz, Grey House

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Brandon Stirling Baker, Illinoise

Isabella Byrd, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Natasha Katz, Hell’s Kitchen

Bradley King and David Bengali, Water for Elephants

Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, The Outsiders‌

Best Sound Design of a Play

Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Leah Gelpe, Mary Jane

Tom Gibbons, Grey House

Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate

Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic

Best Sound Design of a Musical

M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, Here Lies Love

Kai Harada, Merrily We Roll Along

Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Gareth Owen, Hell’s Kitchen

Cody Spencer, The Outsiders

Best Direction of a Play

Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic

Anne Kauffman, Mary Jane

Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate

Whitney White, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Best Direction of a Musical

Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along

Michael Greif, Hell’s Kitchen

Leigh Silverman, Suffs

Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants

Danya Taymor, The Outsiders

Best Choreography

Annie-B Parson, Here Lies Love

Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen

Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders

Justin Peck, Illinoise

Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants

Best Orchestrations

Timo Andres, Illinoise

Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic

Justin Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), The Outsiders

Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone, Hell’s Kitchen

Jonathan Tunick, Merrily We Roll Along

– Reported with Associated Press and CNN.