Keanu Reeves, Lea Michele snubbed in Tony Awards nominations
Keanu Reeves, Lea Michele snubbed in Tony Awards nominations
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY Tue, May 5, 2026 at 12:55 PM UTC
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NEW YORK – Hollywood stole the show on Broadway’s biggest morning.
On May 5, the Tony Awards announced their nominations for the 2025-26 season, with a slew of film and TV adaptations in the mix: “The Lost Boys,” based on the 1987 vampire cult classic starring Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Haim, earned a nod for best musical.
“Titanique,” a parody of James Cameron’s “Titanic” using Celine Dion’s iconic hits, also nabbed a best musical nomination, as did “Schmigadoon!,” adapted from the Apple TV comedy series about a couple who gets trapped in a town where denizens only sing and dance.
In fact, the only wholly original musical nominated in the Tonys’ top category was “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” which follows a bright-eyed British man (Sam Tutty) and cynical Brooklyn woman (Christiani Pitts) who form an unlikely bond before a wedding.
Many Tinseltown stars were recognized across the acting categories: John Lithgow (“Giant”) and Nathan Lane (“Death of a Salesman”) will go head-to-head in best leading actor in a play, where they’re joined by boy wizard Daniel Radcliffe (“Every Brilliant Thing”).
"Hacks" star Jean Smart returned to Broadway last summer in "Call Me Izzy," which earned mixed reviews despite her winning performance.
Oscar nominees Lesley Manville (“Oedipus”) and Rose Byrne (“Fallen Angels”) are also vying for best leading actress in a play, where big names including Jean Smart (“Call Me Izzy”) and Ayo Edebiri (“Proof”) were notably passed over.
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Two-time Oscar winner Adrien Brody was remarkably snubbed for leading actor in a play for “The Fear of 13,” a true-life prison drama adapted from the 2015 documentary and produced by Kim Kardashian.
Alex Winter, left, and Keanu Reeves in "Waiting for Godot."
A handful of A-listers whose plays closed months ago were long forgotten by Tony nominators: “Waiting for Godot” favorites Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, reuniting after the “Bill & Ted” series, were both skipped over for nods, as was “Art” trio Neil Patrick Harris, Bobby Cannavale and James Corden.
“The Bear” star Jon Bernthal, whose “Dog Day Afternoon” stage adaptation earned dismal notices, was similarly ignored in best leading actor in a play.
On the musical front, Lea Michele of “Glee” fame was left out of leading actress for the musical revival “Chess.” The Emmy nominee had been campaigning heavily in recent months, citing her lifelong commitment to theater in Broadway productions such as “Ragtime,” “Les Misérables,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Funny Girl.”
“The Queen of Versailles,” a controversial riches-to-rags show about real-life Trump supporter Jackie Siegel, was shut out of best musical, as was “Beaches,” which is based on the Rainer Dart novel that inspired the 1988 movie starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey.
Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) was a welcome surprise in leading actress in a musical, for her standout comedic turn as Janet in “The Rocky Horror Show.” It was also a relief to see Kelli O’Hara and Carrie Coon recognized for leading actress in a play, both of whom gave two of the season’s most memorable performances in “Fallen Angels” and “Bug,” respectively.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Awards nominations shocking snubs and surprises
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
