Did 'Hamilton' deserve ALL those Tonys? : Revisiting the 2016 Tony Awards

Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

On June 12, 2016, I was sitting in the press room watching ‘Hamilton’ own the 70th Tony Awards. It had been expected given its incredible popularity. While most everyone in the room had predicted that the show would sweep every category it was nominated in, when David Rockwell won for his scenic design on ‘She Loves Me’, there was an audible gasp.

Recently, I started to think about the history of the Tony Awards and the times we saw a single show dominate the ceremony. I started wondering if those shows truly earned all those awards or if they won some for simply being part of that show. This was confirmed to me when one Tony voter told me that they had voted for a particular show in basically all the categories because it was going to be the dominant show that year.

I did this last week with ‘The Producers’, so now it’s time to move on to ‘Hamilton’. Did the Lin Manuel Miranda phenomenon truly deserve all the awards it won? Did it deserve more? Let’s dig in.

Best Orchestrations

Nominees:

• Alex Lacamoire – Hamilton

• August Eriksmoen – Bright Star

• Larry Hochman – She Loves Me

• Daryl Waters – Shuffle Along

Should Have Won - Alex Lacamoire – Hamilton

No in-depth analysis is needed here. Lacamoire’s work here is outstanding, if not legendary. Absolutely deserving of the award.

Best Choreography

Nominees:

• Andy Blankenbuehler – Hamilton

• Savion Glover – Shuffle Along

• Hofesh Shechter – Fiddler on the Roof

• Randy Skinner – Dames at Sea

• Sergio Trujillo – On Your Feet!

Should Have Won- Andy Blankenbuehler – Hamilton but anyone else would have been fine too

If there ever was a recent year where every nominee deserved the award, it was this one. Every single show represented had outstanding choreography. I was pulling for Trujillo that night but understood why Blankenbuehler won.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Nominees:

• Howell Binkley – Hamilton

• Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer – Shuffle Along

• Ben Stanton – Spring Awakening

• Justin Townsend – American Psycho

Should Have Won - Howell Binkley – Hamilton

I once was able to hear the late, great Howell Binkley talk about his process and design of ‘Hamilton’. It was incredible to hear. The man was a genius and deserved the win.

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Nominees:

• Paul Tazewell – Hamilton

• Gregg Barnes – Tuck Everlasting

• Jeff Mahshie – She Loves Me

• Ann Roth – Shuffle Along

Should Have Won - Ann Roth – Shuffle Along

And here is the first category where I thought someone else should have won. While Tazwell’s work was fantastic and has become legendary costumes, at the moment, I thought Roth’s work on ‘Shuffle Along’ was better.

Best Direction of a Musical

• Thomas Kail – Hamilton

• Michael Arden – Spring Awakening

• John Doyle – The Color Purple

• Scott Ellis – She Loves Me

• George C. Wolfe – Shuffle Along

Should Have Won - Thomas Kail – Hamilton

Yes, Kail should have won but what an incredible year for direction.

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

Nominees:

• Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda (music and lyrics)

• Bright Star – Edie Brickell (music and lyrics) and Steve Martin (music)

• School of Rock – Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Glenn Slater (lyrics)

• Waitress – Sara Bareilles (music and lyrics)

Should Have Won - Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda (music and lyrics)

‘Hamilton’ features one of the best scores of the 21st century. Of course it should have won.

Best Book of a Musical

Nominees:

• Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda

• Bright Star – Steve Martin

• School of Rock – Julian Fellowes

• Shuffle Along – George C. Wolfe

Should Have Won - Waitress - Jessie Nelson

Yes, I think the best book of 2015-16 was written by someone who wasn’t even nominated. I’ll stand on that island if need be. However, I understand why Miranda won. The book (or libretto) is the script, the narrative structure that keeps the score from being nothing more than a disjointed medley of songs. Of the nominees, Miranda’s work stood out the most. But I’ll die on the hill that Nelson should have been nominated and should have won.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Nominees:

• Renée Elise Goldsberry – Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler

• Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple as Sofia Johnson

• Jane Krakowski – She Loves Me as Ilona Ritter

• Jennifer Simard – Disaster! as Sister Mary Downy

• Adrienne Warren – Shuffle Along as Gertrude Saunders / Florence Mills

Should Have Won - Renée Elise Goldsberry – Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler

The first time I saw ‘Hamilton’, right after "Satisfied", I said to my wife “She’s going to win the Tony for that.” And rightfully so, it happened.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

• Daveed Diggs – Hamilton as Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson

• Brandon Victor Dixon – Shuffle Along as Eubie Blake

• Christopher Fitzgerald – Waitress as Ogie

• Jonathan Groff – Hamilton as King George III

• Christopher Jackson – Hamilton as George Washington

Should Have Won - Daveed Diggs – Hamilton as Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson

And right after "What'd I Miss?", I said he was going to win the Tony. No notes. Unbelievable performance.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

• Leslie Odom Jr. – Hamilton as Aaron Burr

• Alex Brightman – School of Rock as Dewey Finn

• Danny Burstein – Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye

• Zachary Levi – She Loves Me as Georg Nowack

• Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton as Alexander Hamilton

Should Have Won - Leslie Odom Jr. – Hamilton as Aaron Burr

First and foremost, I always believed that Odom Jr. was the right ‘Hamilton’ nominee to win. Much like Antonio Salieri in ‘Amadeus’, it’s Burr’s story and he carries us through the show. Odom Jr. gave one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen onstage. And he REALLY earned it because he was up against not only Miranda but also Danny Burstein as well.

Best Musical

• Hamilton

• Bright Star

• School of Rock

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

• Waitress

Should Have Won - Hamilton

‘Hamilton’ is, in my opinion, the 2nd greatest musical of the 21st Century(Next to Normal is my #1). It absolutely deserved to win that year. Would I have loved to have seen ‘Waitress’ get more awards? Sure. But this was ‘Hamilton’s year and rightfully so.

Actually Won - 11

Should Have Won - 9