‘The Lost Boys’ and ‘Schmigadoon!’ earn 12 Tony nominations each to lead
the field
[May 06, 2026]
By MARK KENNEDY
NEW YORK (AP) — “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” each earned a leading
12 Tony Award nominations Tuesday, as nominators also made June Squibb
the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history at 96. Danny Burstein is now
the most-nominated male actor in Tony history.
“The Lost Boys,” an adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller,
and “Schmigadoon!,” an adaptation of an Apple TV series that gently
mocks Broadway musicals, were followed by a revival of “Ragtime,” a big,
soaring musical celebrating early 20th-century America, with 11
nominations, and “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller’s masterpiece that
looks at the unraveling of the American Dream, starring Nathan Lane,
which nabbed nine nods.
Twenty-four shows got at least one nomination across the 26 Tony
categories, a revival of “Chess,” the Cold War-set love triangle between
two chess grand masters and the woman who loved both, and “Cats: The
Jellicle Ball,” which reimagines Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic feline
musical into a celebration of queer ballroom culture.
“I'm over the Jellicle moon about this!” said Bill Rauch, who secured
his first Tony nomination for co-directing the reimagined “Cats.” “I’ve
spent my whole career trying to connect the dots between classics and
the place and time we’re living in, and so to have ‘Cats’ have this life
on Broadway right now just really feels like an affirmation of
everything I’ve been trying to do for decades.”
Best new musical and play nominees
The best new musical crown will be between “The Lost Boys,” “Schmigadoon!,”
“Titanique,” a camp musical comedy that reimagines the 1997 megahit
movie “Titanic,” and “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” an
opposites-attract rom-com set during a New York City weekend.
Ali Louis Bourzgui, nominated for best featured role in a musical
playing a seductive vampire in “The Lost Boys,” took a bite on why his
show was so well received: “I think that people, including myself, love
a villain that they can care for,” he said. “Some of my favorite
performances are technically villains on paper, but the person who’s
playing them actively makes them a full 3D person that you can root for.
I think that’s the most interesting kind of character.”
The best new play nominees are the John Lithgow-led “Giant,” which
explores accusations of antisemitism against children’s author Roald
Dahl; “Liberation,” about a consciousness-raising women’s group in 1970s
Ohio that won the Pulitzer Prize for drama on Monday; “The Balusters,” a
wry comedy about a small-town neighborhood association that descends
into chaos over whether to install a stop sign; and “Little Bear Ridge
Road,” about a struggling writer who returns to his rural hometown to
settle his dead father’s estate.
Playwright Mark Rosenblatt conceived of “Giant” in 2018 and started
writing it in 2020, and it seems remarkably relevant in 2026, following
the fallout from the war in Gaza and the spotlight on antisemitism in
America.
“The ideas in the play, the concerns in the plays, the pain in the play,
is perennial,” he said. “But I could never have imagined that it would,
when it finally was produced, would be playing against the backdrop of
what’s happening now.”
“The Fear of 13,” the true story of a man who spent more than two
decades on death row, didn't get any acting nods, despite starring
Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson in their Broadway debuts. Former “Glee”
star Lea Michele will still be seeking her first Tony nomination after
having missed out for her work on “Chess.”
Squibb is now the oldest Tony-nominated actor in history, besting the
record set by Lois Smith, who was 89 when she was nominated in 2020 for
“The Inheritance.” Squibb's Broadway resume reaches back to a stint in
the original production of “Gypsy” in 1960 with Ethel Merman, and she
recalls rehearsing a musical by dancing on a concrete floor. It is her
first Tony nomination.
In Jordan Harrison’s play “Marjorie Prime,” a widow played by Squibb is
brought an artificial companion who looks precisely like her dead
husband. Premiering in 2014, the work in 2026 capitalizes on the recent
frenzy over technological advancements like ChatGPT. Squibb said she saw
the original, but only now fully comprehends the implications of things
like AI.
As for her age, she said she doesn't really think about it: “I can’t
ignore my body is different than it was when I was young. And when I
read a script now, I have to think can I physically do what they’re
asking me to do. And that’s about it,” she said. “As long as it’s not
dancing on concrete floors.”
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L.J. Benet, left, and Ali Louis Bourzgui appear during a performance
of "The Lost Boys" in New York on March 26, 2026. (Matthew Murphy
via AP)
 Burstein becomes the most-nominated
male actor in Tony history with nine nods after his work in
“Marjorie Prime,” beating the record set by Jason Robards. Kelli
O’Hara got her ninth career nomination for a revival of the comedy
“Fallen Angels,” tying her with Rosemary Harris for third on the
all-time acting nominations list.
Who lost out?
A trio of actors from the hit TV series “The Bear” struck out in
their Broadway debuts this season — Ayo Edebiri in a revival of
“Proof” and Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach who both appeared in
“Dog Day Afternoon,” an adaptation of Sidney Lumet’s 1975 bank
robbing drama.
Others who missed out this year include Bobby Cannavale, who starred
in a revival of “Art” with Neil Patrick Harris and James Corden that
was snubbed by the nominators. “Bill & Ted” stars Keanu Reeves and
Alex Winters reuniting for a revival of “Waiting for Godot,” were
also left off, although Brandon J. Dirden was nominated for a
featured role. Laurie Metcalf was in a position to earn two but will
have to settle with a featured role nod for “Death of a Salesman.”
Nominations include a return
The best play revival category is stacked with well-received work:
“Every Brilliant Thing”; “Death of a Salesman”; “Oedipus,” a modern
retelling of Sophocles’ classic tragedy set on election night in a
modern campaign office; “Becky Shaw,” Gina Gionfriddo’s dark comedy
about a newlywed couple who decide to play matchmaker; and “Fallen
Angels,” Noël Coward’s alcohol-fueled competition between two
upper-crust ladies over the attention of a former lover.
Daniel Radcliffe secured a nomination for “Every Brilliant Thing,” a
one-person show that explores the antidotes to depression.
Rose Byrne, the “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” star who plays one of
those upper-crust ladies in “Fallen Angels,” secured a nomination
for best actress in a play, becoming the 22nd actor in history to be
Oscar- and Tony-nominated in the same year. In addition to Byrne and
O’Hara, Lesley Manville secured a nod for “Oedipus,” Susannah Flood
for “Liberation” and Carrie Coon for her work in her husband Tracy
Letts' play “Bug.”
O’Hara — winner for the 2015 “The King and I” revival — said there
will be no chill descending between her and her co-star: “I’m moving
with great bravery because of someone who’s brave right next to me.
And if she takes home that prize, it would mean we both win.”
Lithgow, who has two Tonys already, will get his third if he beats
leading actor in a play nominees Lane, Radcliffe, Mark Strong in
“Oedipus” and Will Harrison from “Punch,” which looks at restorative
justice following the death of a man from a physical punch.
Best actor in a musical nominees include Joshua Henry and Brandon
Uranowitz, both from “Ragtime,” Sam Tutty in “Two Strangers,”
Nicholas Christopher in “Chess” and Luke Evans from “The Rocky
Horror Show.”
On the women’s side, the nominees are: Caissie Levy from “Ragtime,”
Marla Mindelle for “Titanique,” Christiani Pitts from “Two
Strangers,” Sara Chase from “Schmigadoon!” and Stephanie Hsu in “The
Rocky Horror Show.”
The nominations also seemed to be an official welcome back to
producer Scott Rudin, who scored nods for “Death of a Salesman” and
“Little Bear Ridge Road.” In 2021, Rudin said he was stepping back
after allegations of bullying.
The Tony Awards will be handed out June 7 at Radio City Music Hall
during a telecast hosted by Pink. The awards will air live on CBS
and stream on Paramount+.
Last year’s show — hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo — drew 4.85
million viewers to CBS, its largest broadcast audience in six years,
according to Nielsen.
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