Laurie Metcalf, Goodman’s ‘War Paint’ land Tony Award nominations

Let it be known to all who follow the Broadway scene that “Hamilton,” for all its brilliance, is already “so 2016.”

With the announcement Tuesday morning of the nominees for the 2017 Tony Awards, a whole new crop of musicals, plays and performers has seized the spotlight. And that spotlight is shining, in part, on Chicago.

Among the contenders are the two stars of “War Paint,” the musical by Scott Frankel, Michael Korie and Doug Wright that chronicles the competition between cosmetics magnates Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden — a show that had its pre-Broadway production at the Goodman Theatre. Patti LuPone and Christine Ebserole both received nominations for their portrayals in this show that also features several Chicago actors, including Mary Ernster and David Girolmo, in supporting roles. “War Paint” costume designer Catherine Zuber and set designer David Korins also received nominations. The show itself, however, was not nominated in the best musical category.

But LuPone and Ebersole will be competing with another force of nature — Bette Midler — whose return to Broadway in a revival of “Hello, Dolly!” has become the hottest ticket of the season.

Among the nominated musicals is “Dear Evan Hansen” (the story of a troubled, socially inept high school boy featuring a stellar performance by Ben Platt, familiar to Chicago audiences for his role in the first national tour of “The Book of Mormon”); “Groundhog Day” (with a leading performance by Andy Karl that might give Platt a run for his money); “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” (the immersive musical adaptation of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” starring Josh Groban), and “Come from Away” (the musical about the hospitality shown by a Newfoundland town when planeloads of passengers were forced to land there following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks).

On the dramatic front, the principal Chicago connection comes courtesy of veteran Steppenwolf ensemble member Laurie Metcalf who has received raves for her role in “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” Lucas Hnath’s riff on what happened to Nora Helmer, the wife and mother who slammed the door on her husband 20 years earlier in Ibsen’s classic play.

Northwestern University grad Kate Baldwin will be competing for best featured actress in a musical for her role in “Hello, Dolly.”

Lynn Nottage, a playwright familiar to Chicago audiences for her earlier works, already has received this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Sweat,” her play about working class discontent in Reading, Pennsylvania. And it certainly is a strong contender for a Tony Award.

The nominations were announced this morning in New York. The awards ceremony, hosted by Tony and Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey, will be broadcast live on CBS starting at 7 p.m. June 11 from the Radio City Music Hall.

Here are the nominations:

Best Play

A Doll’s House, Part 2

Indecent

Oslo

Sweat

Best Musical

Come From Away

Dear Evan Hansen

Groundhog Day The Musical

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Book of a Musical

Come From Away

Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Dear Evan Hansen

Steven Levenson

Groundhog Day The Musical

Danny Rubin

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Dave Malloy

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

Come From Away

Music & Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Dear Evan Hansen

Music & Lyrics: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Groundhog Day The Musical

Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Music & Lyrics: Dave Malloy

Best Revival of a Play

August Wilson’s Jitney

Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

Present Laughter

Best Revival of a Musical

Falsettos

Hello, Dolly!

Miss Saigon

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

Denis Arndt, Heisenberg

Chris Cooper, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of Separation

Kevin Kline, Present Laughter

Jefferson Mays, Oslo

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

Cate Blanchett, The Present

Jennifer Ehle, Oslo

Sally Field, The Glass Menagerie

Laura Linney, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2

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

Christian Borle, Falsettos

Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Andy Karl, Groundhog Day The Musical

David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!

Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

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

Denée Benton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Christine Ebersole, War Paint

Patti LuPone, War Paint

Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!

Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon

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

Michael Aronov, Oslo

Danny DeVito, Arthur Miller’s The Price

Nathan Lane, The Front Page

Richard Thomas, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

John Douglas Thompson, August Wilson’s Jitney

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

Johanna Day, Sweat

Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Cynthia Nixon, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

Condola Rashad, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Michelle Wilson, Sweat

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

Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!

Mike Faist, Dear Evan Hansen

Andrew Rannells, Falsettos

Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos

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

Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!

Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos

Jenn Colella, Come From Away

Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen

Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia

Best Scenic Design of a Play

David Gallo, August Wilson’s Jitney

Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong

Douglas W. Schmidt, The Front Page

Michael Yeargan, Oslo

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Rob Howell, Groundhog Day The Musical

David Korins, War Paint

Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter

Toni-Leslie James, August Wilson’s Jitney

David Zinn, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Linda Cho, Anastasia

Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!

Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Catherine Zuber, War Paint

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Christopher Akerlind, Indecent

Jane Cox, August Wilson’s Jitney

Donald Holder, Oslo

Jennifer Tipton, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Howell Binkley, Come From Away

Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!

Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen

Best Direction of a Play

Sam Gold, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s Jitney

Bartlett Sher, Oslo

Daniel Sullivan, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

Rebecca Taichman, Indecent

Best Direction of a Musical

Christopher Ashley, Come From Away

Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen

Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day The Musical

Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!

Best Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand

Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day The Musical

Kelly Devine, Come From Away

Denis Jones, Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical

Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Orchestrations

Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand

Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!

Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen

Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Special honors/awards this year will include: The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be presented to James Earl Jones, while the Regional Theatre Tony Award will be presented to the Dallas Theatre Center in Dallas, Texas. in addition, the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to General Manager Nina Lannan and General Manager Alan Wasser; the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award will be presented to director/actress/chorographer Baayork Lee. And a special Tony Award will be presented to Gareth Fry and Peter Malkin for their outstanding Sound Design on “The Encounter.”

Contributing: Miriam Di Nunzio