Early Tony Predictions 2016: Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Chris Peterson
OnStage Founder & Editor-in-Chief
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A little while back we released some of our way too early Tony predictions, but now that the nominations are just a month away, and with very little left to open on Broadway, it's time to start thinking about who might be hearing their named called on June 12th.
So with that in mind, for the next couple of days, I'll be releasing my Tony nominations and possible winners.
Today's Category: Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
It's been a fantastic year for women on Broadway and we've seen some spectacular performances. And because of this, the Tony nominations are going to be bittersweet because while there will surely be great performances nominated, many deserving actresses are going to be left out. Here is my breakdown of the category:
Locks
- Renée Elise Goldsberry - Hamilton
- Jane Krakowski - She Loves Me
Probable Nominees
- Jennifer Hudson - The Color Purple
- Alexandra Silber - Fiddler on the Roof
- Jessica Hecht - Fiddler on the Roof
On the Bubble
- Camryn Manheim - Spring Awakening
- Sierra Boggess - School of Rock
- Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
- Lesli Margherita - Dames at Sea
Obviously Goldsberry and Krakowski are going to be locks for this category as both are being practically universally hailed for their respective performances. While Hudson isn't setting the world on fire, I think she's good enough to slip into this category.
With the amount of strong female performances in Fiddler on the Roof, it's almost a lock that someone is going to get a nod, but who exactly is a tougher question to answer. My money is on Silber, but don't be surprised if both her and Hecht get nods.
As for the four on the bubble, I wouldn't be surprised if one of these names were also added in the category. If I'm a betting man, my money is on either Boggess or Brooks but in reality Margherita deserves a nod for her scene stealing work in Dames at Sea.
With the remaining shows about to open, I'll be interested to see if Alice Ripley or Jennifer Damiano gets enough buzz to get a nomination for American Psycho. The same could be said for Carolee Carmello in Tuck Everlasting, although early word on the show isn't great.
Probable Winner: While it might be a complicated path to the nominations, Tony night is going to be fairly predictable because Renée Elise Goldsberry will win the award cementing Angelica Schuyler as one of the most iconic supporting female roles in musical history.