Tony Nominations Snubs and Surprises: 'The Wiz' Shut Out, Steve Carell and Michael Imperioli Overlooked, as 'Stereophonic' Becomes Most-Nominated Play in History

SNUB: A TOTAL SHUTOUT FOR "THE WIZ"

"The Wiz" is a beloved musical title back on Broadway for the first time in 30 years in a large-scale production staged by a high-powered creative team. Critics didn't love it, but audiences have turned out for it in its initial weeks, and there's enough going on in the production that observers thought at least a couple of contributors might be recognized. But no such luck: "The Wiz" was shut out of the nominations entirely. That could prove a hurdle for the producers of the Tony telecast, who'll surely want to spotlight such a prominent and well-liked title, but could find themselves limited by the ceremony's time constraints and the need to include performances from all the nominated shows.

SURPRISE: EVEN MORE LOVE THAN EXPECTED FOR "STEREOPHONIC"

As a late addition to the Broadway calendar adored by both critics and audiences, "Stereophonic" was always going to be the new play to beat. But nominators proved even more generous than expected: In a season jam packed with new musical scores, one nomination slot in the category of best score written for the theater — which is usually devoted entirely to musicals — went to the addictive, 70s-inflected rock tunes that Will Butler wrote for "Stereophonic" (which is decidedly a play, not a musical, despite the fact that the songs are played live by the show's cast). And given the crowded season, it seemed likely that only one or two members of the tight ensemble would manage to snag an acting nom — but instead nominators found room for five of the show's seven actors: Juliana Canfield and Sarah Pidgeon, both competing in featured actress in a play, and Will Brill, Eli Gelb and Tom Pecinka, all up for featured play actor. In total, "Stereophonic" scooped up 13 nominations, beating Jeremy O. Harris' "Slave Play" to become the most-nominated play in Tony history.

SNUB: MICHAEL IMPERIOLI MISSES OUT

If three spots in the featured actor in a play category go to "Stereophonic," that leaves less room for notable performances from other productions on the boards. Michael Imperioli, the "Sopranos" alum who had an attention-getting turn in the most recent season of "White Lotus," was widely expected to get a nod for his well-received performance in "An Enemy of the People" opposite "Succession" star Jeremy Strong (who did earn a nom for lead play actor). But this year, Imperioli was crowded out by the nominators' enthusiasm for "Stereophonic."

SURPRISE: "CABARET AT THE KIT KAT CLUB" KICKS BACK AT NEW YORK CRITICS

In the West End, director Rebecca Frecknall's buzzy revival of "Cabaret" won seven Olivier Awards — but when the show opened on Broadway, the majority of New York's critical establishment were lukewarm on the production. Despite that, nominators found plenty to recognize with nine nominations overall, including nods for musical revival and actors Gayle Rankin, Steven Skybell and Bebe Neuwirth. Critics were particularly cool on Eddie Redmayne's love-it-or-hate-it performance as the Emcee, but he got a nom too. (Frecknall, however, was left out of the race for director of a musical.)

SNUB: STEVE CARELL DOESN'T MAKE THE CUT

A lot of critics weren't crazy about Lincoln Center Theater's starry revival of "Uncle Vanya," but the production does feature an easeful leading-man performance by Carell, a big-name star making his Broadway debut. The actor seemed like a solid contender for a nom, but instead the show's sole recognition went to William Jackson Harper ("The Good Place"), earning a leading actor nod for his performance in what is, relatively speaking, the showiest of the roles in a carefully muted production.

SURPRISE: TONY INSIDERS REALLY LOVE "THE OUTSIDERS"

Danya Taymor's artfully staged production of "The Outsiders" is widely admired, but with all the shows this season jostling for awards, it wasn't necessarily a sure thing that "Outsiders" would rack up as many nominations as it did. The new musical walked away with an even dozen, second only to "Hell's Kitchen" and "Stereophonic" (which each scored 13). Some observers — including we here at Variety — had expected that the more traditional musical theater score of "Suffs," coupled with its historical ambitions, would give "The Outsiders" more of a run for its money, but instead "Suffs" landed further down the list with six noms.

SNUB: WILL KEEN'S PUTIN IS OFF THE BALLOT

"Patriots," the latest play by "The Crown" creator Peter Morgan, has gotten a mixed reception from audiences and critics alike, but many agreed the show's standout was Keen's tightly controlled performance as Vladimir Putin. A nomination for him was widely expected, but like Imperioli, Keen was crowded out of the category by the passion for "Stereophonic." (Keen's co-star Michael Stuhlbarg, however, got a nod for lead actor in a play.)

SURPRISE: "THE NOTEBOOK" FINDS A LITTLE LOVE

Critics were downright mean to "The Notebook," so even though its nominations tally isn't massive, it still feels like a win for a show still finding its footing at the box office. Of the production's three nominations, only Maryann Plunkett's nod for lead actress in a musical was widely expected, but her co-star Dorian Harewood got nominators' attention too. The show's book by Bekah Brunstetter, whose time-hopping retelling triple-casts the story's central couple, also claimed a nod.

SNUB: "BACK TO THE FUTURE" STALLS OUT WITH NOMINATORS

The high-tech musical adaptation of "Back to the Future" was never a critical fave, but in the West End the show racked up seven Olivier Award nominations, winning the trophy for best new musical. No such luck in New York: "Back to the Future" landed two nods, one for featured actor Roger Bart and one for the elaborate set and projection design by Tim Hatley and Finn Ross.

SNUB: STANDALONE NOMS FOR "SPAMALOT," "THE GREAT GATSBY," "TOMMY" AND "GUTENBERG!"

For large-scale musicals with so many creative elements and contributors, a lone nomination can feel like a disappointment. That's the case for "The Great Gatsby," which got a single nod for costume design while its stars, prior Tony nominees Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, were left out. The boisterous revival of "Spamalot" also scored just one, for Leslie Kritzer's scene-stealing Lady of the Lake, while the well-liked "Gutenberg!" did nab a best musical revival nomination although its leading men, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad, didn't make the cut. "Tommy," meanwhile, arrived in New York following a buzzy run in Chicago, and it did take a nod for musical revival alongside "Gutenberg!" but didn't land a nom for its buzzed-about lead actor, Ali Louis Bourzgui.

Find the full list of 2024 Tony nominations here.