Tony Awards - Denise's Picks

Stepping into the batter's box is my pal Denise, our reigning champion in the "Pick the Tony Winners" competition!

As always, readers, you're invited to send in your picks anytime before the Tony Awards show begins next weekend. You can send them in as a comment (the link is at the bottom of each blog entry), or you can email them to me at TheMinskers@aol.com. The list of nominees is right here (just click on the link).

With luck, I'll once again live-blog the show, and we'll see who wins the award this time around!

Denise writes:

Enclosed and below are my best guesstimates for the 2009 Tony awards. I would be very surprised if my record didn't come crashing down. Good luck to everyone. And happy Tony watching!

BEST PLAY: God of Carnage

BEST MUSICAL: Billy Elliot

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL: Lee Hall, Billy Elliot. Though Next to Normal would be the more esoteric and brave choice.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF A MUSICAL: Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY: The Norman Conquests

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: Hair

BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT: Liza's at the Palace

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart. Hard one. Marcia Gay Harden and Jane Fonda both have a chance. But my money is on the Brit.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Alice Ripley, Next to Normal

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Difficult to choose between John Glover in Waiting for Godot or Mr. Robinson.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit. Hallie Foote from Dividing the Estate (written by the late Horton Foote) deserves it though.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot. This one is also hard. It could be Will Swenson from Hair.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Karen Olvio, West Side Story

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Tim Hatley, Shrek

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: David Hersey, Equas

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Kevin Adams, Next to Normal

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY: Gregory Clark, Equas

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Acme Sound Partners, Hair

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY: Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage. He was also nominated for The Norman Conquests and could win for this play instead of G of C.

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Peter Darling, Billy Elliot

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS: Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal