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[0:00] Jeff Malone: Welcome to Half Hour with Jeff & Richie, the podcast where we explore the latest shows we see, sharing our insights and opinions on the performances, storylines, and everything in between. In today's episode, we're bringing you the 2024-2025 Tony Predictions episodes for the musicals. We've already released our plays episode, so now you're listening to our nomination prediction thoughts for the musical categories. So if you're ready to dive into the nomination, stick around with us. I'm Jeff.

[0:25] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie, and we're thrilled to be your hosts for this episode. But before we start the conversation about our Tony Award musicals predictions, here are a few words from our advertisers. Welcome, everyone, to a new episode of Half Hour with Jeff & Richie. Today, we bring to you our predictions for the 2024-2025 Tony Awards musicals. And in this episode, we're discussing the musicals. So the way this is going to work is we're going to read the category and the nominees, and then we're going to give you our thoughts on who we each think will win and who we think maybe could or should win. Since there are so many categories, we might go over 30 minutes. We're going to try to keep it to 30 minutes as best as possible and keep this rolling along.

Also, I don't know what Jeff has put. Jeff does not know what I put. We do these ballot books, and they're locked in at time of recording, so we don't change them all week leading up to the Tonys. And then at the Tonys, we're going to read. We'll see if we win or if we, you know, I've won some years. Jeff's won some years. Who got the most nominations? But in terms of what we got right, but these are predictions, and we don't know what we put. So just like the plays episode, we're going to roll through them and see how we do. And like we always like to say, it's not a competition, but it is.

[1:29] Jeff Malone: So we're starting with Best Orchestrations. The nominees are Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber for Just In Time, Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending, Bruce Collin, Floyd Collins, Marco Paglia, Buena Vista Social Club, David Cullen, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Boulevard. Kicking it off, because I'm going to have a big theme in here, I think that Will Aronson is winning for Maybe Happy Ending.

[1:49] Richie Grasso: I put the same thing. I think that it's a new, fresh score sound. It's not pop or rock. It's orchestral. It's jazz orchestral. I really love that original feeling of the sound to it. I will say, I could be wrong, but I believe David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber are here for Sunset Boulevard because I believe there was no orchestrations category at the time of the original Sunset Boulevard. And so I think now they have made it eligible. So there is a chance that if Tony Award voters know that, because the orchestrations are gorgeous in Sunset Boulevard, there is a chance it could go that way. Just letting you all know, if you're wondering why, most times revivals don't get put in there unless they've reorchestrated something. And I could be wrong, but I'm almost positive it wasn't eligible in the early 90s. I don't think they had this category then.

[2:30] Jeff Malone: Oh, okay. Well, that changes things.

[2:32] Richie Grasso: It could have changed things, but we've already voted for it, so it is what it is.

[2:35] Jeff Malone: All right. Well, I'm probably losing that one.

[2:37] Richie Grasso: Maybe, but I could still go to Maybe I'm Yearning, but I wonder if Sunset, because especially with this revival, they kept all those orchestrations.

[2:44] Jeff Malone: And they're gorgeous.

[2:44] Richie Grasso: It's a stunningly gorgeous orchestration. I will say that Maybe Happy Ending hit the nerves there with the orchestrations. And now we're going on to Best Choreography, which I find to be one of the toughest ones of this season. We have Joshua Bergassi for Smash, Camille A. Brown, Gypsy, Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her, Jerry Mitchell, Boop the Musical, and Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club.

[3:07] Jeff Malone: This, I think, is definitely 1,000% going to Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck for Buena Vista Social Club. I think it's going to be back-to-back for Justin this year, with him winning for Illinois last year. There was something about that choreo that just continued to tell that story musically and in this beautiful way. In terms of traditional Broadway choreo, I would love to see Jerry Mitchell win for Boop, because I think that is probably the strongest thing next to Jasmine Amy Rogers in Boop. So that's my two picks.

[3:41] Richie Grasso: I think Boop could totally take it, and I wish it could, too. And it could, but I did also put Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck for Buena Vista Social Club. That choreography is stunning to me, and it does tell that story. Yes, there are not a ton of big, high production numbers of the full ensemble, but that doesn't mean it needs to win choreo that way like Illinois did, because Boop is doing the full-on production numbers, and I think it could also totally go to Boop. But I do see that storytelling with Buena Vista and the way those dancers are just effortlessly dancing to that gorgeous music. I totally could see it going that way. So there we go. Now we're on to Best Direction of a Musical. This is a tough one. We have Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club, Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending, David Cromer, Dead Outlaw, Christopher Catelli, Death Becomes Her, Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard.

[4:26] Jeff Malone: So I'm really predicting here that Jamie Lloyd is going to win for Sunset Boulevard. I feel like it's kind of the shoe-in that that's going to happen. I would love to see David Cromer win for Dead Outlaw, because Dead Outlaw is probably one of my favorite musicals in the last 10 years. I just don't know how well Dead Outlaw is going to be received at this year's Tony.

[4:45] Richie Grasso: It'll be interesting, exactly. I also put Jamie Lloyd for Sunset Boulevard. I think the direction of taking something completely different, and yet it still works just with the film work and the way we're telling that story, it's an easy shoe-in for Jamie, I think. I really would love to see someone like Michael Arden win for Maybe Happy Ending, too. David Cromer. I mean, they're all really, really wonderful. I just think Jamie Lloyd is going to win this. I think I totally can see it going. The hard part is, you know, when it comes down to what the best revival of a musical and the best musical is this year, I could totally see maybe Michael Arden taking for Maybe Happy Ending as well, but I really think it's going to Jamie. The same thing happened last year with Danya winning for Outsiders versus Maria Friedman for Merrily We Roll Along.

[5:30] Jeff Malone: So I think it's hard, and I think Michael Arden's already lined up next year for having Queen of Versailles and The Lost Boys.

[5:36] Richie Grasso: Right, so I'll be nominated for at least one of those. And Michael just won, and Jamie Lloyd, believe me, may have been nominated for Doll's House, but didn't win. This could be his first Tony win, and he's just groundbreaking for the theater. I really think it's going to be.

[5:50] Jeff Malone: Yeah. For best sound design of a musical, Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club, Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard, Peter Helinski, Just In Time, Peter Helinski again for Maybe Happy Ending, and Dan Moses Schreier for Floyd Collins.

[6:04] Richie Grasso: My pick on this is going to be Adam Fisher for Sunset Boulevard.

[6:07] Jeff Malone: Okay, okay. There's a lot going on musically there, sound-wise. I did not put that. I actually put Dan Moses Schreier for Floyd Collins because I went back a second time to see it recently, and I really focused in on that. There's so much of the echoing when he's singing the yodeling, and then it's echoing back, and it's his vocal, and getting the timing of the echoing, making the difference between when they're above ground and there's no echo, versus when they're below ground and there needs to be echo chamber sounds, with the orchestral in a very empty space to get sound design to work in a mostly empty space, like Sunset is a pretty empty stage. But I could see Floyd Collins getting a Tony nomination, getting this one. I do see it going that way.

[6:47] Jeff Malone: My other choice on here was Peter Holinsky for Just In Time, because you're now designing in the complete round. So I hear you out on Floyd Collins. I don't know, that show just did not stick out for me at all.

[6:59] Richie Grasso: So yes, I'm just saying something about the sound design in particular. I wonder if people—

[7:02] Jeff Malone: It makes sense. I think you have to look at it the way that you're looking at it. I do think that Sunset brings that filmic sound design into the space, which I think is what a lot of people are going to kind of resonate with. But I think if we were going to look at a show that is doing some really great design, because you're now designing around that whole space, it would be Just In Time.

[7:22] Jeff Malone: Yeah, yeah. That gives you that. For best lighting design of a musical, we have Jack Knowles for Sunset Boulevard, Tyler Michelieu for Buena Vista Social Club, Scott Zielinski and Roy Hornson for Floyd Collins, Ben Stanton for Maybe Happy Ending, and Justin Townsend for Death Becomes Her.

[7:36] Richie Grasso: Wow, this is a tough category too. What did you put?

[7:40] Jeff Malone: I put Jack Knowles for Sunset Boulevard.

[7:42] Richie Grasso: Okay.

[7:43] Jeff Malone: I think, like again, once again, we're lighting this in a filmic way. I think there's a lot of great things that are happening there. If I was going to go with, you know, the runner-up here, or be happy if they won, it would be Justin Townsend for Death Becomes Her.

[7:56] Richie Grasso: Okay. I put Ben Stanton for Maybe Happy Ending. I think the way that those lights were lit with the orchestra was on stage in the Firefly moment, the way we're lighting like the hard, you know, computer side versus when they're in nature and when they're outside and the different places they go. I just think that was lit really well and I could see it going that way.

[8:13] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[8:14] Richie Grasso: I do kind of see it going that way, but I could be wrong.

[8:15] Jeff Malone: Is that what you picked?

[8:16] Richie Grasso: That's what I put.

[8:17] Jeff Malone: Okay. Any runner-ups for you?

[8:19] Richie Grasso: Sunset Shore. I thought Buena Vista was lit so well, just the gorgeous scenery that it was working with there. Yeah, and then Death Becomes Her. I mean, it's a big, splashy musical. Anytime we have a big, big show with a ton of lighting, I can see that potentially winning too. But they have to do a lot of technical parts with lighting as well, so that's why I put it as a runner-up.

[8:41] Jeff Malone: Yeah. For Best Costume Design of a Musical, we have D.D. Aite, Buena Vista Social Club, Greg Barnes, Boop the Musical, Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending, Paul Tazewell for Death Becomes Her, Catherine Zuber, Just In Time.

[8:54] Richie Grasso: All right. I was really up between two.

[8:56] Jeff Malone: I know. I could probably guess which two.

[8:58] Richie Grasso: Super hard, but I think my gut is telling me that Paul Tazewell is going to win for Death Becomes Her. I think that the costumes are gorgeous. Again, we're bringing in a technical element in here that those costumes have to be adjusted for. But if I was going to pick one as well, it would be Greg Barnes for Boop the Musical. I just think the act two opener is just out of this world with those costumes. But you know, I don't know which way the Tony voters are going to go. Are they going to go traditional with both? I think that they're neck and neck.

[9:29] Jeff Malone: They are neck and neck. I did put Greg Barnes for Boop the Musical. I think what Greg, I've always been incredibly impressed with what Greg does. I believe Greg won the costume design for Some Like It Hot. I love those costumes too. With Boop, I think it's just, it's next level taking a period look mixed with modern and having to hybrid those. The black and white color where is Betty number is groundbreaking theater for me, I think, and what they're doing in that number. And did Paul just win, Paul winning for Death Becomes Her could happen. Paul just won the Academy Award for costumes for Wicked. So like Paul's like incredible. I just think this is going to go to Greg though. I do. It's going to be neck and neck, but I did put Greg for Boop because I think this is going to be Boop's win.

I think Boop's going to just take a Tony award and it's going to be for costumes. Paul says, well, the Death Becomes Her, those body suits, I mean the gowns on these women, I mean it is incredible. So who knows? I don't know. We'll see. It's going to be tough. But I think like from the outward facing Death Becomes Her is getting a lot more attention now that it can lean, you know, winning these awards. But hey, Gatsby won last year for costumes and we were not predicting that at all.

[10:34] Richie Grasso: That was a big, yeah, so you never know. For best scenic design of a musical, we have Rachel Hawk for Swept Away, Dane Laffrey and George Reeve for Maybe Happy Ending, Arnulfo Maldonado for Buena Vista Social Club, Derek McLean for Death Becomes Her, and Derek McLean again for Just In Time.

[10:49] Jeff Malone: Okay. This one, I think it's going to Derek McLean either way.

[10:55] Richie Grasso: Oh, okay. For either Just In Time or Death Becomes Her.

[10:57] Jeff Malone: Yeah, but I'm picking Just In Time.

[11:00] Richie Grasso: Really?

[11:01] Jeff Malone: I don't know. I think when you're you walk into a space and you're completely transformed into this nightclub, I think that they got it correct. And it was just something different. I mean, my runner up here is Derek McLean for Death Becomes Her because I think anytime you have a beautiful, grandiose staircase that comes in, it brings you there. But you know, I do think that there was more in the Just In Time scenic design than there was in the Death Becomes Her.

[11:29] Richie Grasso: I did not put either of those. I put Dane Laffrey and George Reeve for Maybe Happy Ending. I think the way that scenery moves those different rooms throughout and the journey that they go on throughout this whole, just the way the scenery moved and the boxes and the cubicles. I loved that. I really do think Maybe Happy Ending is taking a lot this year. That's where I'm kind of leaning with a lot of this. I could see it going.

[11:50] Jeff Malone: This was a tough one because I also thought the Swept Away scenic design was great. I think also the Buena Vista Social Club. I think you're literally feel like you're in Cuba. So I think it could go any way. My only issue with the Maybe Happy Ending scenic design is it's only built really for one person, someone that's sitting in the orchestra and center. So there's a lot of sightline issues. If people were going to take that into account, I mean, it's different, I think, in Just In Time and in so many of these other performances. So we'll see.

[12:23] Richie Grasso: That's tough. All right. We're going to do two more before we go on our break. And the next one we're going to do is Best Original Score, Music and or Lyrics Written for the Theater. The nominees are Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, A New Musical, and Real Women Have Curves, The Musical.

[12:36] Jeff Malone: Wow. So this one was probably my hard one, but I really think Best Original Score is going to Maybe Happy Ending.

[12:44] Richie Grasso: I bet the same thing. I think that what that is doing with score, again, there's nothing wrong with country and pop country and pop rock and rock. That is just such a modern sound for Broadway. We haven't had an original jazz orchestral score since the Guys and Dolls days. I mean, yes, we've had them. And I'm saying, when you think back to orchestral jazz, like How to Succeed in Business or Guys and Dolls, even though some of the Lerner and Lowe, Roger and Hammerstein, so orchestral, this is jazz and orchestral. It's a new sound. It's not that rock and roll, nothing wrong with the rock and roll original score like Dead Outlaw and things like that. But I just really do see Maybe Happy Ending going this way.

[13:20] Jeff Malone: Well, I put what I would love to see is Dead Outlaw winning because I love that music. So I don't think Death Becomes Her is going to win. I think that some of the score is really great, but a lot of it's forgettable. I think that Operation Mincemeat just kind of is on the piggyback of other sounding musicals right now. And then, you know, Real Women Have Curves is probably another traditional, like,

[14:42] Richie Grasso: I think that's a book win for me. Yeah, I put it down as what I would like to see win is Dead Outlaw. A lot of my things are, I would love to see Dead Outlaw win. I just don't know if it's going to win because maybe Happy Ending is in the season this year. For Best Book of a Musical, I'm putting maybe Happy Ending.

[14:58] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[14:59] Richie Grasso: I think that there's such a touching moment in that story that is going to be the win for them. I also put that Operation Mincemeat has a chance of winning Best Book of a Musical.

[15:08] Jeff Malone: Yeah, because they are telling a cool, a true story in that way, too.

[15:12] Richie Grasso: I think that, you know, when a Vista Social Club is jukebox, it doesn't usually win. And Death Becomes Her is, you know, movie to stage transfer, where I think that doesn't usually get so much love. So that's why I think in original sounding, maybe Happy Ending is the most original, because even Dead Outlaw and Operation Mincemeat are stories that were already that existed.

[15:36] Jeff Malone: Right. That's so true. Well, we're going to take a quick break because we have the top six now. These are the big ones you've all been waiting for. So let's go take a quick break. We'll listen to some words from our sponsors and we'll be right back.

[15:43] Richie Grasso: And we're back.

[15:47] Jeff Malone: All right, here we go. The big ones. Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. Natalie Venetia Belkon, Buena Vista Social Club. Julia Niddle, Dead Outlaw. Gracie Lawrence, Just In Time. Justina Machado, Real Women of Curves the Musical. Joy Woods, Gypsy.

[16:04] Richie Grasso: Wow.

[16:05] Jeff Malone: Wow. What a category. What'd you put?

[16:08] Richie Grasso: I really think that Natalia Venetia Belkon is winning for Buena Vista Social Club. I think she came on that stage and I was mesmerized by her. I completely fell in love and was invested in what she brought to that role.

[16:22] Jeff Malone: Totally agree. I think this is an easy win for Natalie. She's incredible in Buena Vista Social Club. She is going to really take this category. I would say the only other runner-up potential that I would love to see win would be Gracie Lawrence in Just In Time because I was blown away by her Connie Francis performance.

[16:41] Richie Grasso: Listen, I'm so happy that Gracie was nominated. I also put here I would love to see her win. But I did also put that I would love Julia Niddle to win for Dead Outlaw because I think she has one of the most memorable moments in that piece when she sings the Stranger song. It's like, I love it. And the fact that that was recognized and nominated just makes me happy. But I really think that Natalie is going to take this.

[17:05] Jeff Malone: Totally. All right. Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical. Brooks, Ashmanskas, Smash, Jett Brown, Dead Outlaw, Danny Burstein, Gypsy, Jack Malone, Operation Mincemeat, A New Musical, Taylor Trench, Floyd Collins.

[17:19] Richie Grasso: This one I think hands down is going to Jack Malone.

[17:22] Jeff Malone: I put the same thing. His song in that show brought a tear to my eye. He's doing these characters so brilliantly. I know he won the Olivier last year as well. All of these people are giving great performances, but they're all very difficult to compare. I think I'm glad to see Taylor nominated in there. Jeb is doing a ton of narration and playing a character, so he's holding a lot. But then Brooks in Smash doesn't really have a song and just is an acting comedic character in the whole show. So these are all there. And Danny, I mean, listen, I thought Danny was great in Gypsy.

[17:53] Richie Grasso: Yeah, I don't think Brooks is going to win. I don't think Danny's going to win. I actually put my runner-up here as Jeb Brown. But if Jeb won, I would be super happy. Because I think to be a narrator and also to be the character in the show, I think is hard and he balances really well and sings probably half the score. And he never leaves the stage. I mean, I know Andrew doesn't really leave the stage either, but Jeb's up there running the show the whole time.

[18:20] Jeff Malone: So would love to see that. But I really do think that Jack Malone is the favorite to win.

[18:25] Richie Grasso: Totally agree with that. I would totally agree with that. All right, we're on to a big one. This is best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical. The nominees are Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her, Audra McDonald, Gypsy, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop the Musical, Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard, Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her.

[18:44] Jeff Malone: Oh my gosh.

[18:44] Richie Grasso: I'm going with it. I'm just saying it. I really think Nicole is winning the Tony this year.

[18:51] Jeff Malone: I put the same thing.

[18:52] Richie Grasso: I would be shocked if she doesn't win. I know the fan favorite show now this year is Death Becomes Her and everyone wants either Megan or Jennifer to win. Those votes are going to be way too split by the Tony voters that I think it's not going to happen. I mean, we're coming down to legendary Audra McDonald, as well as newcomer to the Broadway stage, Nicole Scherzinger, and newcomer, Jasmine Amy Rogers, which if this was any other season, I think that Jasmine will take this because what she's doing in the role of Boop is like no other. She's commanding. It's great. I think this is her first hard launch into the Broadway stage that we're going to see a lot more from her. I don't think, I don't know what we're going to see from Nicole on a Broadway stage after. And Audra is the most decorated Tony winning actress out there. So I really, really think that Nicole is getting this.

[19:47] Jeff Malone: I think Nicole's going to get it. I wonder if the Tony voters will see what Audra was great in Gypsy, but she has a lot of Tonys already and everybody else in this category has no Tonys. So I wonder if Tony voters think that way and they say, you know, let's give someone else a chance. Is it Megan and Jennifer's time to win a Tony? Yes, they are owed a Tony at this point for all the work they've done on the Broadway stages. May not be this. Jasmine Amy Rogers, the fact that you're even nominated is incredible, making your Broadway debut. You will get nominated again. You will win one day for something. Maybe not this. It does seem to come down to the Audra versus Nicole. And for me, it's just, I just think this is Nicole's Tony. I do think that it's going to go that way. I think what she's doing is incredible. And I think it's going to go that way.

[20:30] Richie Grasso: I really do.

[20:30] Jeff Malone: I don't know, though. I could sit and hear any of these names called next week.

[20:34] Richie Grasso: Well, we're all going to scream at the same time once we find out who wins. What if it's a tie?

[20:39] Jeff Malone: Yeah, well, they've done that before, I think. And it could be an exact split tie. I don't know if they have an odd number of Tony voters or an even number. But yeah, so all right. And now we're on to best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical. Darren Criss, maybe happy ending. Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw. Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard. Jonathan Groff, Just In Time. James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World, the Louis Armstrong musical. Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins.

[21:04] Richie Grasso: Wow, another stacked category.

[21:04] Jeff Malone: Yeah, I mean, if this was any other season, I would say that Jonathan was going to win back to back. And I love, love, love his Bobby Darin. I think, like, he is just a master on the stage. But I really think that the Tony is going to Darren Criss this year.

[21:21] Richie Grasso: I agree. I think it's Darren Criss's Tony. I think it's his time. He's incredible in this robotic role, but yet plays it so human. It's incredible. I do think it could also be a Jonathan Groff. It could totally go that way too, two years in a row with him and a Tony. It would be amazing. I don't quite think it's going to go that way. I also do think it's time for Jeremy Jordan. I wouldn't say in this role. I'm actually quite shocked that he wasn't nominated for Gatsby, was nominated for this. That doesn't quite line up with me because I think he's got more to do and sing in Great Gatsby. Also, Andrew, Thomas, James, all wonderful and all great. I just think, though, that Darren is really the one to get it this year, and it's his time.

[21:59] Jeff Malone: Yeah, I really think it's going to Darren. I mean, I would love to see Andrew win. I think it's, like, such a unique and interesting role. But guess what? So is Darren's role. You know, and Jonathan, I mean, he just won last year. So I think the Tony voters are just going to, the show is not up for Best New Musical. I think there are certain things, like, it's just, if the show's doing well, whereas, like, you wonder what a Tony award is needed for to keep a show going. And sometimes, Tony voters, I do think that way.

[22:31] Richie Grasso: All right, we're down to the final two. We have Best Revival of a Musical and Best Musical. So first, for Best Revival of a Musical, Floyd Collins, Gypsy, Pirates, The Penzance Musical, and Sunset Boulevard.

[22:39] Jeff Malone: Sunset Boulevard.

[22:41] Richie Grasso: Agreed. I think it's going to Sunset Boulevard. It's the most groundbreaking thing. I enjoyed all these other shows. All four of these shows, I believe, will be performing at the Tony Awards, which will be nice to see what they choose to do. I just think Sunset is taking it. I do think this is the one. I think when you stack certain things up here and you look at it, you know, I think it's very hard for shows to not have a Best Director nomination. And Floyd Collins, Gypsy, and Pirates, all three of their shows do not have a Best Director nomination. So I don't know how something can win for overall Best Show if your direction wasn't even nominated.

[23:14] Jeff Malone: True.

[23:14] Richie Grasso: That's how I look at it.

[23:15] Jeff Malone: Yeah. And Sunset has that. And I think, you know, I had slight issues with all the other three with Floyd Collins, Gypsy, and Pirates. They all weren't perfect to me. And I don't even think Sunset is perfect. But I think that Sunset is just doing what I like to see revivals do. Give us a new interpretation of this story. Don't just put up exact... Of course, Gypsy is a new interpretation. Even Floyd Collins and Pirates, they're all new revivals in their own way. There's just something about Sunset that stands out more.

[23:41] Richie Grasso: Of course. All right. And we're down to the final category. Best Musical. Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, a new musical.

[23:51] Jeff Malone: Maybe Happy Ending.

[23:52] Richie Grasso: Agreed. I think that's the one that's going to win it.

[23:54] Jeff Malone: I really do.

[23:55] Richie Grasso: I would love to see Buena Vista win. I would love to see Dead Outlaw win. I don't really see it going that way. If there was a runner-up for me for Maybe Happy Ending, I think it could easily be Buena Vista or Dead Outlaw. But I do think maybe Happy Ending is worse. I would have to go look at the statistics and see what from the West End has usually transferred and then won at the Tony Awards. I think that Maybe Happy Ending is the omeri of this season for me and what it's done with creating a fan base and just being that moment where everyone's talking about it. Dead Outlaw has not had the chance, I think, to really become that moment either. Maybe it could have if it opened up earlier, but it's one of the last things to open this season. It did really well off-Broadway. It was decorated quite nicely with awards. I just think with Maybe Happy Ending being its biggest competition, I think Maybe Happy Ending just has a little bit more of a leg right now.

[24:54] Jeff Malone: I would love to see Dead Outlaw win, but I just don't think it's going to with it being up against Maybe Happy Ending. I think Maybe Happy Ending is going to take it. It's going to take a few other Tonys too, I think. Buena Vista Social Club is getting a special Tony at this award with the band. I think jukebox musicals are hard. They don't usually win, and this is considered a jukebox musical. I think that Death Becomes Her, once again, is kind of that Mean Girls moment here where it's very nominated. But it may not get anything. It may get one thing. Same thing with some of these shows. Just because you get 10 or 11 Tonys doesn't mean Mean Girls got so many and didn't win one. I'm super happy with most of the nominations this season.

I don't think that there were a huge amount of stubs. I think that Helen J. Shen was probably the biggest one that I think was a snub for me and not getting in there for leading actress. But other than that, I think a lot of people were just sitting right on the outskirts anyway.

[26:37] Richie Grasso: Oh my gosh, just ran out of time here. Wow, this flew by. We got it in 30 minutes or so.

[26:42] Jeff Malone: So that was great.

[26:42] Richie Grasso: Here we are. We're locked in.

[26:43] Jeff Malone: Here we go.

[26:44] Richie Grasso: We're locked. We can't change our values.

[26:45] Jeff Malone: The show is locked.

[26:47] Richie Grasso: Whatever we win, we win. Actually, you and I have said the same thing for a lot.

[26:50] Jeff Malone: For many.

[26:51] Richie Grasso: A couple of things we disagreed on, but nothing major. So we'll see.

[26:55] Jeff Malone: Well, that does wrap up our discussion of this episode. We hope you enjoyed our deep dive into our picks for the musical categories for the Tweetboard 2025 Broadway Tony season. And don't forget, we want to hear from you. Continue the conversation with us on Instagram and TikTok at Half Hour Podcast, and let us know your thoughts on our episodes and predictions.

[27:11] Richie Grasso: And if you enjoyed our show, please leave us a review. Your feedback helps us bring more theatre to you. And remember, you can listen to our past episodes and stay tuned for the many upcoming ones as well.

[27:20] Jeff Malone: Until next time, I'm Geoff.

[27:21] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie, saying ta-ta for now.

[27:23] Jeff Malone: Bye.