Tony Awards Predictions 2024: Who Will Win? Who Should Win?

The Tony Awards are an annual celebration of excellence in Broadway theatre. As the 2024 ceremony approaches, theatre enthusiasts are buzzing with speculation about who will take home the coveted awards. Let’s dive into this year’s top predictions and who truly deserves to win.

New Categories in Discussion

There has been much debate recently about whether the Tony Awards should introduce new categories such as Hair, Wig & Makeup, Casting, Ensemble, and Projections. While these discussions are significant, let’s indulge in a lighter suggestion: Best Coin Toss. With so many outstanding nominees this season, predicting winners might just come down to chance.

Best Musical

Will win: Hell’s Kitchen
Should win: Illinoise

The first major category is Best Musical. Hell’s Kitchen, a powerful bio-musical about Alicia Keys, is expected to dominate due to its broad appeal and impressive production. However, Illinoise, a unique dance-theater hybrid featuring the music of Sufjan Stevens and choreography by Justin Peck, stands out for its artistic brilliance. Though an unlikely candidate, it deserves recognition for its innovative approach.

Contenders: Suffs, The Outsiders, and Water for Elephants also make compelling cases, each bringing something special to the Broadway stage this season.

Best Play

Will win: Stereophonic
Should win: Stereophonic

David Adjmi’s Stereophonic is predicted to sweep the Best Play category. This play, a thinly veiled tribute to Fleetwood Mac and the making of their iconic album Rumours, transcends its rock star roots to explore themes of creativity, fame, and the complexities of human relationships. It’s a theatrical tour de force that’s hard to beat.

Notable mentions: Mother Play, Mary Jane, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, and Prayer for the French Republic, each remarkable in their own right, but Stereophonic shines brightest this year.

Best Revival of a Play

Will win: Appropriate
Should win: Appropriate

The revival of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Appropriate is this year’s standout. Led by the formidable Sarah Paulson, this play about a family confronting their troubled past is both powerful and timely. It edges out other strong contenders like Purlie Victorious and An Enemy of the People.

Best Revival of a Musical

Will win: Merrily We Roll Along
Should win: Merrily We Roll Along

Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, long considered a misstep, has been revitalized by Maria Friedman’s exceptional direction. This production is as close to a sure thing as one can get at the Tonys, serving as a fitting tribute to Sondheim’s genius.