On May 3, Patina Miller and Andrew Rannells will announce the Tony Award nominations, where a month-long campaign will then ensue, culminating in the CBS-televised awards presentation hosted by James Corden on June 12.What is shaping up to be a coronation for the much-praised “Hamilton,” is anything but in the category of non-musicals. Nine new dramas opened on Broadway this season and, in a departure from the past, six were written by American playwrights, another by a Frenchman (Florian Zeller’s “The Father”), and two by Brits (Mike Bartlett’s “King Charles III” and Helen Edmundson’s “Therese Raquin”).When the Tony nominators gather to make their choices, it’s a good bet that Americans will be well represented in the all-important Best Play category with Danai Gurira’s “Eclipsed” and Stephen Karam’s “The Humans” joining Mike Bartlett’s “King Charles III.” That means that the six remaining on the list will duke it out for the fourth and last slot. The smart money is on Richard Greenberg’s “Our Mother’s Brief Affair” to join the group, although it wouldn’t be a total surprise if Zeller’s “The Father” made the cut. Both are productions of the non-profit Manhattan Theatre Club.One shouldn’t cry for those who might be overlooked. Both David Mamet’s “China Doll,” starring Al Pacino, and David Javerbaum’s “Act of God,” recouped their investments earlier this year. The latter has announced a return engagement beginning on May 28 at the Booth Theatre with Sean Hayes taking on the role created by Jim Parsons. “Therese Raquin,” which featured Keira Knightly’s Broadway debut, was a part of the non-profit Roundabout Theatre season, and “Misery,” adapted by William Goldman from the Stephen King novel, probably made some of its money back though it never announced full recoupment. The thriller brought Bruce Willis to Broadway for the first time but apparently “Die Hard” fans could fuel the box-office only so far — and, besides, co-star Laurie Metcalf ran away with all the reviews. The big question here will be whether or not the nominators will look askance at the marquee names of the season, including Pacino, Knightly, Willis, and Parsons.While “King Charles III” won a number of awards in London, its reception in the former colonies was respectful, if a little less enthusiastic. It appears that the race for Broadway’s top honor will be between Gurira’s “Eclipsed” and Karam’s “The Humans,” which was recently a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Both plays earned across-the-board critical raves and feature top-notch ensemble work, the former headed by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, and the latter including Jane Houdyshell and Reed Birney.“Eclipsed” is set during the Liberian Civil War and unflinchingly examines the plight of women and their thirst for survival, either as abused captives, conscripted soldiers, or activists fighting for social justice. “The Humans” is states-bound, a Pennsylvania family trying to cope with social upheaval, discordant relationships, and economic insecurity in an uneasy time. Karam, whose “Sons of the Prophet” was highly acclaimed, takes his place as one of America’s leading young playwrights with this wry and unsettling drama, currently at the Helen Hayes. Tony nominators should shower both it and “Eclipsed” with attention come next Tuesday. Also poised to get a record-breaking amount of nominations is the Public Theatre, which originated last year’s Best Musical Tony winner “Fun Home.” This year it boasts being the lab not only for “Hamilton” but also “Eclipsed.” Talk about being on a roll.
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