The Tony Awards have announced their 2019 nominees, with the most nominated performance being "Hadestown," which is up for 14 awards, including Best Musical.
Two other musicals follow in number of nods; "Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations" received 12 nominations, and "Tootsie" earned 11. All three of these plays, along with "Beetlejuice" and "The Prom," are in the running for Best Musical.
"Hadestown" was created from the GRAMMY-nominated concept album of the same name by singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. The story is based on Greek mythology and was adapted into a play with director Rachel Chavkin, which recently saw its Broadway debut earlier this month.
Several of the play's other notable nominations include Best Original Score, which was written by Mitchell, Best Orchestrations for Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose and Best Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical, for Eva Noblezada, who plays the role of "Eurydice."
"Ain't Too Proud" takes the music and moving story of the GRAMMY-winning group The Temptations. It is written by Dominique Morisseau and directed by Des McAnnuff and also made its Broadway debut this year, in March. The lead actor Derrick Baskin, who plays the role of Otis Williams, is up for Best Actor In A Leading Role In A Musical, and Harold Wheeler has also earned the play a nod for Best Orchestrations.
Another musical inspired by great music in the running this year is "The Cher Show," which uses the music and story of the GRAMMY-winning megastar Cher. It is up for two awards, including Best Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical for Stephanie J. Block who, of course, turns back time on Broadway.
Tune in to CBS at 8:00 p.m. EST on June 9 to watch the show, which is hosted by James Corden, live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
