Sara Bareilles, Cynthia Erivo, Christopher Fitzgerald, and More 2016 Tony Nominees React

Who called their parents? Who was sleeping? Find out here.

Christopher Fitzgerald is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for his performance as Ogie in Waitress.
Christopher Fitzgerald is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for his performance as Ogie in Waitress.
(© Joan Marcus)

The wait is over! The list of 2016 Tony nominees is in. We'll be chatting with the members of the illustrious short list all day long to hear their first reactions to the big news. Look below at some of the responses, and keep checking as more come pouring in.


Christopher Fitzgerald, Best Featured Actor in a Musical nominee, Waitress

"I had just come back from dropping one of my kids off at school. My wife and I sat down on the couch. I've been nominated a couple times, and I've been asleep. This year, I was much more aware of it all, because I'm in a show that's still running. I said, 'Let's just watch and see what the story is.' I knew this particular year, because of the incredible number of people working, that it was probably a long shot. We watched and the screen went green. It was gone. And it was over and I didn't hear from anybody. So I was like, 'I don't think it's happening; let's go get some breakfast.' It was very strange. We were looking on our phone and we couldn't find the nominations anywhere. It was going on ten minutes. And then my manager texted me. Now, I'm making all these calls and going to Trader Joe's. We're going to go shop and get some cheap milk or something.

It's really exciting. It's a great show, and I feel like this particular year I worked my tail off putting it all together. It's an amazing team. Waitress exists with Hamilton in an interesting way. Hamilton feels very male; this feels very female. It's really cool that it exists in the same season. We'll look back on this season as a very special season."


Carmen Cusack, Best Actress in a Musical, Bright Star

"I'm elated. It's an out-of-body kind of experience because I rarely ever get up this time of the morning. I haven't gotten out of bed yet to jump up and down but that will come at some point when it finally settles in. My agent sent me a quick e-mail last night saying, 'We know you don't do this because you don't like to be woken up, but could you please leave your phone on because we want to call you and give you the information either way it goes.' So I did. [laughs] I did as they asked and I kept my phone on. I'm so over the moon that I got nominated but more than anything I'm even more over the moon that the show got recognized. That's the icing on the cake for me, that the show has been recognized because everyone is pouring their heart into making this the beautiful thing that it is."


Sara Bareilles, Best Score, Waitress

"It is pretty intense, I must say. It's so exciting. In terms of the arc of my career, I've never worked on anything this long and this intently and sincerely, and so to be at the place where not only we're just sort of celebrating the completion of the journey, I'm so grateful to be acknowledged in this way. I made myself a cup of coffee and I watched the webcast. I hadn't set my alarm. We were in the studio yesterday doing the cast album so I went to bed very late. I thought I would just need some sleep, but I think my body was just excited, so I woke up early and decided to watch. And I'm happy I did because it was really fun — to watch all these other incredible shows and shows that I've seen and just to be excited for this moment in time in theater is really cool."


Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi are 2016 Tony Award nominees for their performances in She Loves Me.
Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi are 2016 Tony Award nominees for their performances in She Loves Me.
(© Joan Marcus)

Laura Benanti, Best Actress in a Musical nominee, She Loves Me

"I'm feeling very excited. I feel honored and thrilled and all of those words. I was awake. I've never watched before. I would just sort of allow text messages to be like, 'Yay!' or 'Aww.' But I woke up at like seven in the morning. It's way too early especially because I didn't fall asleep till three. My husband was like, 'Well, what are we doing? Why are we just sitting here? Let's watch it.' So we did.

He took the day off from work. Which is so amazing and right now he's making us a smoothie and then I'm pretty sure we're gonna watch Lemonade. I mean, I've already seen it, obviously. But I think he's probably gonna let me make him watch it. He's shaking his head no, but I think we all know the answer is yes."


Zachary Levi, Best Leading Actor in a Musical nominee, She Loves Me

"I'm on another planet. I was sleeping and my phone rang and my agent said, 'Good morning, Tony nominee Zachary Levi.' I said, 'No way, no way.' It's really surreal. I'm still processing the whole thing. You know it's only my second Broadway show, and the people I'm in this category with, there's so much talent. And that Laura [Benanti], Jane [Krakowski], and Scott [Ellis] and Larry [Hochman], so many people from the show itself, it just feels really beautiful and it just feels really good. You hope that when you're doing something, you put yourself out there every night, that people appreciate it. And to have it be appreciated this much is really humbling. I'm sure tonight I might just go raise a glass with some folks and just smile about it."


Florian Zeller, Best Play nominee, The Father

(statement via publicist) "It is with great pleasure that I have just heard that The Father has been nominated for two Tony Awards. The play has been produced in many countries before New York, but I must admit that the American production is particularly dear to me. For a French author, New York is the capital of theater and consequently, the capital of all one's dreams. Thank you to all those who were so supportive. Thank you to those who made it possible, in particular to Christopher Hampton, Doug Hughes, the Manhattan Theatre Club, and of course to Frank Langella for whom I have such admiration."


Ivo van Hove, Best Director nominee, A View From the Bridge

"It was very awkward! I am in Amsterdam, where I run a big theater, and I was in a meeting with my employees. The second I saw the rain of nominations on my phone, I said to them I have to stop for a second. I'm so blessed with two productions that I made, in the running for Best Revival. It's an amazing thing, for Best Revival [and] Best Director, in my first steps on Broadway. I feel very much respected and honored already. Later on, Jan [Versweyveld] and I will have a glass together. He's nominated for three. It's really great. I'm very, very happy."


Michael Shannon is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for Long Day's Journey Into Night.
Michael Shannon is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for Long Day's Journey Into Night.
(© Joan Marcus)

Michael Shannon, Best Featured Actor in a Play nominee, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

(statement via publicist) "I am very honored, although I can only accept so much credit. I am playing one of the most exquisitely written roles in the history of American drama."


Reed Birney, Best Featured Actor in a Play nominee, The Humans

"I was too scared to listen. I actually slept well last night, which was unexpected. Then the texts started coming. I still haven't gotten out of bed yet. I'm still flat on my back. We're so lucky. It's the most wonderful play in the world to get to work on."


Andrew Lloyd Webber, Best Score School of Rock

(statement via publicist) "This is fantastic. We have just had Jack Black see our show and proclaim it 'a Broadway masterpiece.' Now we get this nomination! We are very proud, but the real prize will continue to be all the young people being inspired to pick up an instrument after seeing and loving School of Rock on Broadway."


Scott Ellis, Best Director of a Play nominee, She Loves Me

"I'm thrilled. So, so, so happy. I'm in Vancouver… shooting a pilot here for Hulu and Lionsgate…so I got a little ding from my niece and then I woke up and turned on the stuff. And then I started getting calls. I'm not even up, I'm gonna go back to bed for an hour and then I'm gonna get up. But it is early but that's so fine. That's how I found out and it was sweet. You know, listen, this whole thing has been such a nice surprise and a real gift for a show that was my first Broadway show, and to come back and revisit it in hopefully a fresh way — that's what I gave myself as a challenge. So I'm really happy that it turned out the way it has.

Today I'm gonna go in a van and go scouting for this pilot. I'll be in a van with other people for most of the day and then have a special effects meeting and then I will come home and maybe order some food in my hotel room. That'll be my day. Celebrate by working more."


Cynthia Erivo is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for her Broadway-debut performance in The Color Purple.
Cynthia Erivo is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for her Broadway-debut performance in The Color Purple.
(© Joan Marcus)

Cynthia Erivo, Best Leading Actress in a Musical nominee, The Color Purple

"We found out just before we started performing on The Today Show. We found out on live television and then we had to perform. It means the world. I came here with no expectations that Celie would take people's hearts that way or people would react to her that way. I just wanted to tell the truth and the story as fully as I could. To know that people see this character as worthy of being nominated is such an amazing honor. It's out of this world — a dream come true. I watched the Tonys in London and thought, 'Wouldn't it be awesome one day to be nominated?' It's an awesome day. I haven't had breakfast. I'm gonna have a nap, I might catch up with Game of Thrones or Grey's Anatomy. I'm giving myself a day off: no workouts today. I'm gonna meet a friend for lunch and go do the show."


Danny Burstein, Best Actor in a Musical nominee, Fiddler on the Roof

"We watched the thing on CBS. We woke up eager to find out who was nominated. It's always a lot of fun. I got a huge smile across my face. It's a nice pat on the back. It's the hardest role I've ever done, and it is a great joy and an honor to do it every single night. I love it, I really do. To be recognized for all the hard work really feels great.

[My wife, Rebecca Luker, and I] are at our place in Pennsylvania doing our normal routine. Between us this is our ninth nomination. Not that it's old hat, but it's like a fine wine. It ages well and always feels great."


David Rockwell, Best Scenic Design of a Musical nominee, She Loves Me

"Was I awake at eight today? Yes, I was awake. I was actually on a plane flying out of town. It took off at eight and then landed at nine-thirty, and I wanted to hear how the show did. It's been such a love affair for me with She Loves Me, with the company and the production. And you know when you land, and it says you should be getting messages but you're not getting them yet? I thought, 'Oh well that's not good.' And then about thirty of them came through at once. You know it's been an extraordinary adventure on that show and having it acknowledged, it's hard to explain how great that feels in this case. It’s a company that's just so committed to it. And thank god Scott Ellis asked me to do it.

I'm flying up to do final design reviews for a friend of mine at Harvard, so I'm going to be deep into critiquing other people's designs for a performing arts center. But in the back of my mind, every time I look at a design I'm gonna think, 'Oh, well, how would She Loves Me look in that theater?' So it's going to be a quiet internal celebration. And then tonight I'll whoop it up."


Jeff Daniels received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Blackbird.
Jeff Daniels received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Blackbird.
(© Brigitte Lacombe)

Jeff Daniels, Best Leading Actor in a Play nominee, Blackbird

"I was laying in bed, going, 'OK, I have a reason to get up this morning.' It's an excellent reason. We worked real hard on this. There was not only a lot of work on this production, but nine years ago [with the original off-Broadway production]. That meant a lot to me, that you can put in that amount of work, and other people see it, and then you get a nomination because others agree. To be out there with Michelle [Williams]…It's a back-and-forth, two as one out there. I'm proud of us and thrilled for both of us. I remember from God of Carnage, to get nominated is an invitation to the big dance. It just means the world. It means the month of May — especially in a brutal play like this — is gonna be slightly easier."


Danielle Brooks, Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee, The Color Purple

"I was talking to my dad. He's really into all of this. He said he has to go to the Tonys if I get nominated. He's very good at making me nervous, and I was like, 'I have to get off the phone.' I watched my castmates on The Today Show. I had my phone face-up but silent, and all I see is text message after text message. I was like, 'Oh God, I think this is it!' I turned my phone over, finished watching them sing the Color Purple finale, and then I got a call from my manager. Joaquina [Kalukango, who plays Nettie] Facetimed me and I got to see the entire cast. They saw me crying in my dinosaur pajamas. And then I called my father and my mom and put them on three-way. My mother is teaching right now. She had her students say, 'Congratulations, Danielle!' My dad is buying his ticket right now to come to New York to go to the Tonys. Right now, I'm celebrating by myself. I'm really trying to take this moment in and reflect on the work and strength that it took to get here."


David Korins, Best Scenic Design of a Musical nominee, Hamilton

"I actually watched the program on TV. After my heart stopped pounding — well actually I'm not really sure that it has stopped pounding — I was so overwhelmed and excited. It's an incredible feeling. I'm on my way into my office right now. I mean the second I saw my name, all of the names of the people who work with me in my office and my studio came into my head. I'm going in to celebrate with them right now. And I'm going to the theater this evening to see all of them and to toast a little champagne with them. It's an incredible, incredible experience and the profundity of being involved with this show is definitely not lost on me. I count my blessing every single day."


Jennifer Simard is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for her performance in Disaster!
Jennifer Simard is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for her performance in Disaster!
(© Jeremy Daniel)

Jennifer Simard, Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee, Disaster!

"My husband and I, we live in Cold Spring, and we went down to this gazebo by the water. I looked down at my phone and my brother Chris was the first one, and that's how I found out. It means a lot to be there. My older brother, Tom, went to West Point, and with my mother gone, I wanted to be in a place that meant so much to my family. I just wanted to remember that I'm always my mother's daughter, no matter what. That's where I was. My husband and I kissed and cried and told each other how much we loved each other. I feel so lucky and happy, mostly for Broadway. Whether people were nominated or not, our community is thriving. I have so many friends who are giving brilliant performances. There's so much good work out there, and I'm so grateful to the nominating committee that they saw fit to recognize me this way."


Glenn Slater, Best Original Score nominee, School of Rock

"You can't ask for a better morning than this, can you? I woke up early, turned on the television, and watched the roll call. It's nerve-racking in that you're obviously hoping to see your name but when you have a show as great as School of Rock, awards are sort of besides the point. So while I was rooting for everything that we were nominated for and so proud of our team and so proud of Alex Brightman, it wasn't a nerve-racking experience so much as a 'sit back and let it happen' experience."


Lin-Manuel Miranda, Best Book, Score, and Actor in a Musical nominee, Hamilton

(statement via publicist) "Thank you to the Tony committee and all of our fans for the amazing support that has led to this unbelievable recognition. I watched the nomination announcements with my mom, dad, wife, son, [In the Heights book writer] Quiara [Alegría Hudes], and dog this morning. For Hamilton to receive a record-breaking number of nominations is an honor so humbling it's so far been beyond my comprehension. Congratulations to my fellow HamilFam Tony nominees Tommy, Alex, Andy, Chris, Daveed, Pippa, Renee, Jonathan, Leslie, Paul, Howell, David, and our incredible team of producers, cast and crew, and to all of the nominees alongside whom we are so privileged to be recognized. And thank you to my incredible family who inspires me to work hard and has made me believe my dreams could come true. I am so lucky to share this incredible journey with all of you."


Renée Elise Goldsberry is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for her performance in Hamilton.
Renée Elise Goldsberry is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for her performance in Hamilton.
(© Joan Marcus)

Renée Elise Goldsberry, Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee, Hamilton

"I was watching CBS with my daughter. That was planned. She actually wasn't awake yet. I woke her up. I had like a banana and a yogurt and a vitamin and water next to me just because I figured if I didn't get one I would still have joy with me in the bed. And I was like kind of screaming and very excited about just seeing other people and friends from my cast and from other casts getting nominated. And I didn't know, because I've never watched the Tony nominations before, that they stop really soon and they don’t announce them all. So I didn't know. I was just really happy for a lot of other people, and I had no idea if I had one because they didn't mention my category. But then my phone started pinging so that's when I got the good news.

So what I'm going to do, and this is literally the best celebration in the world, is I'm going to stay in the house all day. It's like the perfect day because it's raining and I just have so much love pouring in. I'm gonna answer texts and e-mails and say 'thank you' a million times and it's still not going to accurately represent how grateful I am, [no matter how] many times I can write 'thank you' back in a text message to so many family and friends that are just so happy because this is a dream come true for me."


Bill Camp, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play nominee, The Crucible

(statement via publicist) "I am deeply grateful to the Tony-nominating committee. It is a privilege to be a part of the remarkable company and production of The Crucible. This would not have happened were I not amongst such an exceptional acting company and creative team."


Jayne Houdyshell, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play nominee, The Humans

"I'm really thrilled about it. I kind of slept in a little bit today, and when I woke up, my phone was full of texts and e-mails. I thought, "Hmmm…something's up." It means a great deal. I think the play is so extraordinary and I love the role, certainly. This whole experience has been so terrific for the entire company. We're such a team out there, all six of us. Everything about it felt charmed and beautiful. To receive a nomination feels like the icing on the cake. It's a beautiful honor. I'm looking forward to all these events and hanging out with all the other terrific artists."


Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score nominees, Bright Star

Steve: It feels pretty good to me!
Edie: I feel relieved and happy for our cast and our creative team. I was so nervous that we would let them down if we weren't nominated because they work so hard and they're so great.
Steve: They've dedicated big parts of their lives to this, too.
Edie: I made myself do this super-hard yoga DVD so I could get my head in the right place no matter what was to come. And then my phone went off. I couldn't look. I still haven't been able to look. I can't open the computer anymore without feeling — it's too much information all the time. All those opinions and all that news all at once. I don't think it's healthy.
Steve: You can find out exactly how many people love you and hate you at any point.
Edie: It is. I can't handle it anymore.
Steve: But the truth is we're high as a kite to be among this Broadway community and to be acknowledged by the Broadway community. We feel great.
Edie: It's an honor.


Eloise Kropp and Cary Tedder in Dames at Sea, which received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for choreographer Randy Skinner.
Eloise Kropp and Cary Tedder in Dames at Sea, which received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for choreographer Randy Skinner.
(© Jeremy Daniel)

Randy Skinner, Best Choreography, Dames at Sea

"I got a lot of e-mails and phone calls. People are texting today and I don't have a cell phone. I can only be reached via the old-fashioned landline. I think this year is probably more meaningful than any other year that I've been up for it. Dames at Sea is such a unique show, having no ensemble. It's just that cast of six. They carry the show in all ways, particularly this version with all new dance arrangements and so much more dancing than any other Dames at Sea has had. That cast was so incredibly gifted. I feel it's a reflection on all of us."


Hofesh Shechter, Best Choreography, Fiddler on the Roof

(statement via publicist) "Wow! It's been a huge pleasure and a most rewarding experience to work on such an important and timeless musical, being taken by the beautiful story and music and swept by Jerome's inspiring germ. And mostly, working with that amazing team, more of a tribe of talented dancers, performers, and a creative team that is nothing short of brilliant. I'm so pleased our hard work has been recognized and mainly so that it may inspire others."


2016 Tony Award nominees Pascale Armand, Lupita Nyong'o, and Saycon Sengbloh in Eclipsed.
Tony Award nominees Pascale Armand, Lupita Nyong'o, and Saycon Sengbloh in Eclipsed.
(© Joan Marcus)

Liesl Tommy, Best Direction of a Play nominee, Eclipsed

"I was in bed. A fellow director sent me an all-caps text saying congratulations and then my phone started ringing and an actor I work with a lot, LeRoy McClain, called me crying. It was really meaningful and emotional, I can't lie. It was an incredible moment. This is one of those shows that from the very first moment [playwright] Danai [Gurira] and I started working, it was just a true labor of love. We never imagined it would go to Broadway. This is not something that you could ever anticipate. And when you're telling a story about African women at war you definitely feel like an underdog every second of the journey because you're constantly fighting to get people to care or people to think that the audiences will care, so we're just so grateful and happy. I'm not gonna lie, there's a great deal of vindication in this moment. Both of us are African women, both of us are immigrants, and we have said that our story is as important as anybody else's story. We deserve to be here. And a nomination like this says, 'Yes, you're right. You do deserve a place at the table and you do deserve to be heard.' And it's really profound. I just wish every single person who touched the show could get a Tony nomination. I have auditions all day for my next show with John Kander and Greg Pierce so we're going to do that all day and then I'm going to go see the show tonight and we're all gonna go out afterwards and celebrate."


Pascale Armand, Best Featured Actress in a Play nominee, Eclipsed

"I woke up at eight-twenty-five and put the TV on. My fiancé and I were watching it on CBS but CBS only gave the big ones so I found out Lupita [Nyong'o] and [director] Liesl [Tommy] and Eclipsed for Best Play and everything but then they went back to their regular broadcasting on the Today Show, so my fiancé was like, 'That's OK, I'm streaming it on my phone.' So we're watching it, we're watching it, my heart is palpitating the whole time, and then we get to Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play and it froze. So I'm like, are you kidding me! And then he just switched to the list because by then it was over. And the next thing you know he's hugging my neck and kissing me. Then he showed me the screen on his phone and I saw my name, so I just started crying and called my mom. It's a great reward after putting on a show about such harrowing experiences. It's wonderful to see this and to also know that there's going to be more attention and more people will be seeing this show. People need to know."


Christopher Oram, Best Scenic Design of a Play nominee, Hughie

"It's lunchtime here in the UK. The nomination pinged onto my desk on an e-mail. Hughie has been off for a couple of weeks now. I've spent a lot of time in New York and I love the architecture. The Hughie set is an amalgam of apartments and hotels that I've visited and stayed in, those grand architectural styles. I'm at my desk and I've a full day of work to do, which is very exciting."


Rupert Goold, Best Direction of a Play nominee, King Charles III

"I am delighted that two Almeida Theatre productions have received multiple Tony nominations today. It’s particularly exciting that King Charles III and American Psycho have been recognized in such an outstanding Broadway season."


On Your Feet! is a 2016 Tony nominee for Sergio Trujillo's choreography.
On Your Feet! is a 2016 Tony nominee for Sergio Trujillo's choreography.
(© Matthew Murphy)

Sergio Trujillo, Best Choreography nominee, On Your Feet!

"Oh my God, well, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I'm not a new kid on the block. I've been around for a little bit so to finally get the acknowledgment and the recognition is an absolute honor. I'm always grateful and thankful for what I do, and this is another moment to celebrate. The show is about the American dream and I'm living it. I was at home when I found out. I was getting ready to go on my 10K run, which I still did. I had a great run as a result — a record-breaking run. I share the nomination with my entire cast, so I'm going to go see them and just celebrate with them. It's a great day. It's raining but the sun is shining quite bright."


Julian Fellowes, Best Book of a Musical nominee, School of Rock

"My agent rang me as soon as it had been announced. It's funny because I suppose I knew the nominations were coming around now, but I had forgotten it's actually today so it was a complete shock — a very nice shock, I hasten to add. I'm really thrilled, I couldn't be more so. I think the show is very good, I think Alex [Brightman] is absolutely fantastic, I think Andrew and Glenn's music has been fantastic, and it's so nice to see it all recognized. It's my first Tony nomination. I'm beginning to feel I've got the full set, although I suppose I'll never get a Grammy whatever happens. I am very delighted because the theater is what I was originally trained for. It's what I started in and now I've come full circle and I think it's marvelous. It's only my second musical and to already be given a nomination seems unbelievably lucky. I can't really celebrate today because my wife's in Dorset but as soon as she gets up to London we'll jump around a bit."


Alex Brightman, Best Lead Actor in a Musical nominee, School of Rock

"We were watching the feed on the television and it cut out, so we just figured they were switching over and they hadn't started the ceremony yet. So we were just waiting there and chatting, and then my brother called me — he's at work because he works a regular person job — and he must have been watching it online, and he freaked out and told me. It was perfect because he's the best and my best friend, and it just couldn't have been more perfect to hear it from him. I'm sure my nomination will sink in at some point, but what really struck me was that the show got recognized and the show got nominated for Best Musical because we're such a tight-knit group and we came together and invented something out of something that was so iconic and were able to take it and do something bigger and badder and still maintain the amazingness that is the source material. And it is cool that no matter what happens…I will always have been nominated. That's very fun to think about.

We do have a huge bottle of champagne — like one of those magnum bottles of champagne in the boys' dressing room. This was months ago — I brought [it in] and I said, 'Listen, no matter what happens, if anything from School of Rock gets nominated, we're popping this. So what someone else did is they taped a big piece of paper onto this box that's holding this Dom Pérignon champagne and it says, 'Break glass in case of nomination.' So I can’t wait to take a picture of that today and get to be the guy that gets to pop it open and celebrate with everybody post-show."


Jessie Mueller is a 2016 Tony nominee for her performance in Waitress.
Jessie Mueller is a 2016 Tony nominee for her performance in Waitress.
(© Joan Marcus)

Jessie Mueller, Best Leading Actress in a Musical nominee, Waitress

We were in the studio recording the album last night so I was given permission to sleep in and was told to call some people at ten-thirty and check in and see what was happening. But I got a bunch of texts from friends this morning so then I went and looked things up and went over the list and that's how I found out. I was really thrilled to see all of Waitress' nominations. I'll probably do a little more sleeping and make some more phone calls to family and stuff but I don't have any big plans yet.


Finn Ross, Best Scenic Design of a Musical nominee, American Psycho
(statement via publicist) "I am very excited. It's an honor to take work from London to New York and have it recognized like this, especially being nominated with [co-nominee] Es [Devlin] as it recognizes the teamwork that goes into making a design like Psycho. The opportunity to do something so totally with video doesn’t always present itself, and so I am glad we have been able to create something people are enjoying so much."


Clint Ramos, Best Costume Design of a Play nominee, Eclipsed

"I was actually in Dallas because I'm working on a new musical, and we're an hour behind so I was actually asleep. My husband broke the news. It's great, I got to call my mom and thank her. She was crying on the phone. I'm totally in shock. It's such a landmark show, and for this show to be recognized that way, especially this season, I think it's so special. We're really telling an important story. It's mind-blowing that it's on Broadway, it's mind-blowing that it's selling, and it's mind-blowing that we got recognized. I'm very happy. I'm trying to catch a flight to New York. I was done with my work here, so I was going to fly later on but I took an earlier flight so I could be with the girls and just give them a hug."


Joe Mantello, Best Director of a Play, The Humans

"I was pouring a cup of coffee and my phone rang. It was my dear friend and agent Joe Machota. I knew it was good news or bad news. It's a strange feeling — all of a sudden you have to untangle individual contributions from something you made as a group. That's a complicated experience. I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with such an exceptional group of artists."


Michelle Williams is a 2016 Tony nominee for her performance in Blackbird.
Michelle Williams is a 2016 Tony nominee for her performance in Blackbird.
(© Brigitte Lacombe)

Michelle Williams, Best Actress in a Play, nominee, Blackbird

(statement via publicist) "I’m incredibly honored to be recognized for my work in Blackbird, and especially thrilled to share this morning with Jeff and our entire production. David’s play is an adventure every time we step onto that stage, and this moment feels equally exciting. I look forward to celebrating with everyone at the Belasco tonight."


Savion Glover, Best Choreography nominee, Shuffle Along

"Do we celebrate now or do we wait? I'm celebrating the fact that we were recognized, and I'm happy to be amongst such fabulous company. I'm grateful there are so many other new shows and artists available to be nominated for their contributions. Of course I'm happy to be recognized alongside George Wolfe and our production. I'm a learner. Every time I have the opportunity to teach, I'm grateful to the opportunity to learn as well. It was great to come across such tenacity as far as their work ethics. They want the raw deal. They don't want anything easy. The tap dancing and the dancing, they wanted to get it. I'm glad I was able to explore with them."


Danai Gurira, Best Play nominee, Eclipsed

"I was on the phone with someone else and then my bestie kept calling and I kind of figured. She was the most ecstatic of them all, so she was fervently hitting redial, you know.

I'm in the city right now but I'm flying back to Atlanta this afternoon — back to work tomorrow morning. It's been really lovely though. I've been getting a lot of messages from my Walking Dead family. They're on set and they're texting me and letting me know that they know and that they're happy for it. So that's been really awesome. And my bestie is coming over. I don't know what she's gonna make me do before I get back on the plane.

I'm just really glad that you know we've launched these dedications and I’m just really thankful that Bono came and launched them. It is really important to me that we continue to do that. Because really the goal of the play, honestly, is to give voice and name and face to those we never get to see or hear from who are being oppressed by ridiculous and horrible situations and circumstances across the world because they're female. We will continue to make every attempt to use this play as a platform for their voices and for their names. So I'm thankful for that, the fact that this gives those girls' names possibly more attention, which is really at the core of it all."


Leslie Odom Jr. (center) is a Tony Award nominee for Hamilton.
Leslie Odom Jr. (center) is a Tony Award nominee for Hamilton.
(© Joan Marcus)

Leslie Odom Jr., Best Leading Actor in a Musical nominee, Hamilton

"It's a dream come true for me. We were walking home after breakfast and [my wife, Nicolette Robinson]'s phone started blowing up. I keep my phone off at night and I hadn't turned it on yet. So she turned her phone on, we got text messages and voice messages from friends and family all over the country.

I get to celebrate by doing the show, honestly. Which is the best way to celebrate. I get to stand next to my brothers and sisters and do this work that we all loved so much, that we all believed in so much. It's hard to believe that Hamilton was at one time just a fever dream in Lin-Manuel's head, but we were among those first people that believed in the work and said yes to it and sacrificed for it and gave it everything we had. This is before the president. This is before the Tony nominations. So yeah, today I get to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and we get to once again do this thing that we love so much. No better way to celebrate."


Stephen Karam, Best Play, The Humans

"I was up trying to watch the nominations on the Internet and had a bad Wi-Fi connection, so I ended up with people texting me. It just felt great. I smiled, I put some cream in my coffee, and I called my mom. She and my dad were watching CBS, and I didn't even know they would be in sync with what's going on. I thought that was hilarious they were covertly completely aware. To have six nominations across all those categories…We feel like a family at the Helen Hayes. This play came form my gut. I never thought we'd be on Broadway, and to have it now get recognition, it just feels incredible."


Jessica Lange earns her first Tony Award nomination for her performance in Long Days Journey Into Night.
Jessica Lange earns her first Tony Award nomination for her performance in Long Days Journey Into Night.
(© Joan Marcus)

Jessica Lange, Best Leading Actress in a Play, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

"It's a thrilling morning. I did not watch the announcements because I'm too timid for that, but I just woke up to you know, e-mails, text messages, voicemails. So it was one of those mornings where you suddenly realize that you've got some great news. That was awfully nice.

There's not much time for celebration. I'm going to go play Mary Tyrone. Maybe the celebration will come a little bit later some day when I'm not having to perform. It's wonderful. The show got seven nominations, and it's just great. You know, I think it's a wonderful production of this play. I think it's very powerful, and I think the cast is extraordinary. It's everything that I had wished it could possibly be. It's wonderful to be a part of it."


Alex Lacamoire, Best Orchestrations, Hamilton

"It's brilliant. I'm just really so proud and am having a great morning, great day so far. No complaints. My wife and I were on the sofa, streaming live on my laptop and you know it was pretty funny, we had CBS on the TV, her phone was picking up NY1, and my laptop was streaming from the Tonys website. I just wanted to have all the bases covered. That's how I found out, and I was just of like clapping for everybody's name I recognized. You know, yelling out loud when Chris Jackson's name was mentioned. And then I went to have breakfast and ran into Pippa Soo and Steve Pasquale, so we had breakfast. It was perfect.

We're getting together at the show, just before, and I think we're gonna hang afterwards as well just to celebrate. Today's just a great day for the show, and it's also just a great day for Broadway — just, what a great season. I was saying to someone I love that this time of year we all get to celebrate the season and we all get to celebrate what we do. Broadway is so much about community, whether it's community within your show and that family or community from show to show and that bond that you form. So this is really a great time for all of us to enjoy what we do and really celebrate. We've been working on this thing since 2009. It's really great that after all this time that we get to be recognized in this way. It's really truly remarkable. And it's not lost on me how lucky we are to be doing what we do for a living. You know, I get to make music and play, that's crazy. I love my job and this is wonderful news to receive."


Beowulf Boritt, Best Scenic Design of a Play nominee, Thérèse Raquin

"It was a very, very nice surprise and truly a surprise this morning…I woke up and rolled over and said, 'Oh sh*t, I slept late,' and grabbed my phone, looked at it, and thought, 'Why do I have so many texts?' But it was certainly a nice, stress-free way of finding out rather than having to slowly listen to a list of name read-off. And I'm thrilled. I love that set. It was a hugely challenging set to do, but it was so much fun at the same time. And when am I ever gonna get a chance to do something like that again?

But the show closed five months ago and I didn't expect this so I guess I need to figure something out to celebrate. I'll take my wife out to dinner, maybe."


Brandon Victor Dixon, Best Featured Actor in a Musical nominee, Shuffle Along

"I'm honored to be representing my four gentlemen and the extraordinary Audra McDonald. The work we've done on the show I'm extremely proud of. George C. Wolfe is a genius and I'm excited to see that the work he, Scott Rudin, and Savion Glover has done is recognized. It feels fantastic."

Brandon Victor Dixon is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for Shuffle Along. He is seen here with costar Audra McDonald.
Brandon Victor Dixon is a 2016 Tony Award nominee for Shuffle Along. He is seen here with costar Audra McDonald.
(© Julieta Cervantes)

Larry Hochman, Best Orchestrations, She Loves Me

"I knew our little show was eligible, and actually I was just hoping that the show would do well because that's really the important thing. As far as me personally, of course I'm thrilled. But I am so happy that we got so many nods. It's just so exciting. I'm so proud of our whole team. I'm so happy for Scott Ellis because without him all the departments wouldn't have come together like they did. His attention to the finest subtleties is so masterful.

I actually haven't made any celebration yet, particularly — nothing special other than I kissed everybody in my family other than those who kissed me first. I'm pleased for the whole team and I'm glad that I have my family with me to be happy with."