71st Annual Tony Awards: Predictions for musical categories

On Sunday, June 10, 2018, the 71st Annual Tony Awards will air, offering the highest awards in theatre.

The Tony Awards are named after Antoinette Perry who was an actress, director, producer and a wartime hero of the American Theatre Wing.  She passed away in 1947.

In 1978, CBS started broadcasting the Tony Awards, and in 2003 the network started giving the awards a three-hour time slot.

In 2000, The Tony Awards entered the digital age with IBM launching the TonyAwards.com website. Here you can view past winners, see all of the nominees, and connect with the awards on social media.

Before the show airs, and before you peek at their website, we've got some predictions to make for each of the Musical categories. Check out our picks and then join us live Sunday on Twitter @celcafe to see how we did and to chat about the show!

Best Musical

Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical

Looking at all of the Best Musical nominees this season, this is most likely to win because it has the broadest appeal. Yes, it might be an adaption of a cartoon, but what they have done with the musical and the elements work so cohesively together that I feel these elements secure a win for the musical.

Best Revival of a Musical

My Fair Lady

The edge that My Fair Lady has is that this is the first time that this musical has been staged on Broadway in 25 years, and this was taken into consideration when the Tony committee made their picks. This production seems to give a new life to this classic musical.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Ethan Slater for Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical

Having to play a cartoon is one thing, what Slater does in Spongebob is something really special. He is not only playing a well-known caricature, he is giving a new life to the persona, and the audience and critics see that.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Katrina Lenk for The Band's Visit

The performance that Katrina Lenk is giving every night will secure her a win. It seems as though Lenk is pouring all of her heart and all of her emotions onto the stage every night; a phenomenal feat!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Ari'el Stachel for The Band's Vist

Along with Lenk, Stachel is acting his role with an enormous heart and is bringing the vulnerability to his character, securing him a win.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Ashley Park for Gretchen in Mean Girls

Gretchen’s character, one of The Plastics, is more vulnerable and more real in the musical than in the movie version. Park helps achieve this because she makes you have compassion for Gretchen throughout her performance.

Best Book of a Musical

Tina Fey for Mean Girls

When you can take a script and put it on stage with new dialogue, and the essence of the original work still comes through, you have a win. This is exactly what Fey has done with Mean Girls.

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

Music & Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for Frozen

With a combination of tunes from the film, as well as new ones, this musical is a hit for Disney Theatrics. The way that the songs help tell the story is amazing and this musical could have a win on it's hands.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

David Zinn for Spongebob Squarepants: the Musical

The world of Bikini Bottom is brought to life by the sets on stage. There is a huge amount of color and the sets assist in telling the story which is why the musical will take the win in this category.

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Catherine Zuber for My Fair Lady

The amount of detail that went into these Edwardian costumes is fantastic. The costumes in this production only enhance the already spectacular revival.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer for Once On This Island

The lighting really supports the telling of this tale and those brilliant lighting choices enhance what the actors are doing on stage.

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Kai Harada for The Band's Visit

The blending of the musicians sharing the stage with the performers was an expertly executed challenge in this production. The way the sound is integrated, so that the orchestra assists in telling the story from the stage, without overshadowing the actors, is why this musical will win this category.

Best Direction of a Musical

Casey Nicholaw for Mean Girls

It takes a lot to direct a production of a cult classic, and in some ways, I feel make it better than the original. This is just what Nicholaw has done with Mean Girls, and I don't think his efforts will go unnoticed by the committee.

Best Choreography

Justin Peck for Carousel

When you take a show that is not traditionally a “dance show” and you add A-class dancers with many dance elements, you are sure to have a winning combination. And I think my former-dancer sister would kill me if I didn’t vote for Carousel!

Best Orchestrations

Jamsheid Sharifi for The Band's Visit

With the glorious orchestrations and a musical that relies so heavily on them, that this musical might take the win for this category – it is called The Band’s Visit!

Do you agree or disagree? Share your thoughts and your own predictions below!