Breaking down the Tonys: Best Orchestrations

(Photo: Sara Krulwich/New York Times)

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

With the Tony Awards right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to break down each category. Let’s discuss the nominees, predict some winners, and discuss who may have deserved to be on the list.

Today, let’s kick things off with Best Orchestrations. Here are the nominees:

• 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

First of all, this is both a strong and surprising list. For the first time in Tonys history, a play(Stereophonic) has been nominated in this category. Rightfully so, Butler and Craig’s work is outstanding and worthy of being on this list.

For those who don’t know, Stereophonic centers on a fictional rock band on the cusp of superstardom as they struggle through recording their new album. It racked up 13 nominations—the most of any play in Tony Award history.

The other surprise for me was seeing Kitt and Blackstone nominated for Hell’s Kitchen. Considering who was left off the list, I didn’t think we’d see Hell’s Kitchen on this list.

Who else would I have liked to have seen here?

• Michael Starobin - Suffs

• John Clancy & Carmel Dean - The Notebook

So who wins?

Given its historic nomination and the love it's getting from Tony voters, I have little reason to doubt that Butler & Craig will win for Stereophonic here.