The 2026 Tony Nominees React to Their Nominations

The big day is here! We have the list of 2026 Tony nominees, and we’re chatting with the members of the illustrious short list to hear their first reactions to the big news. See what they had to say.

David Lindsay-Abaire (Playwright), Best Play, The Balusters 
I’m beyond honored to have The Balusters included among this year’s Tony nominees—especially in a season with so many bold, beautiful new plays. The nomination is really a testament to the remarkable artists who brought the play to life—our astonishing director, Kenny Leon, our extraordinary ensemble of actors, our brilliant designers, and the tireless crew, along with everyone at MTC. I’m so grateful to get to make theater and be part of a community that continues to sustain and inspire me in so many ways.

Ellenore Scott, Best Choreography, Ragtime
I feel a little out of body. I am so proud of the work I did on this show, but I also know that choreography typically goes toward shows with lots of dancing, and I feel my choreography is more story-driven. I was unsure if nominators would recognize that style, so I feel blessed and honored that they saw that and wanted to celebrate me for it.

Sara Chase, Best Actress in a Musical, Schmigadoon!
I’m in shock. I haven’t slept for like 18 hours ’cause I’ve been so on edge. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I’m so honored to be recognized, and the show. I think the show is great and other people agree. I’m celebrating by getting my roots done, and getting a massage, skipping my training session this morning, and doing a show!

Cinco Paul, Best Book of a Musical & Best Original Score, Schmigadoon!
I’ve always felt that this is where Schmigadoon! really belonged and this kind of confirms it for me. When I initially had the idea 25 years ago, it was as a stage musical. So this is literally a dream come true. It’s my birthday today, so we’re going out to dinner and then we’re gonna see the show tonight and celebrate with the cast and crew. And I am so happy for [Sara Chase]. I love her so much. I don’t think anyone could do what she is doing in this show. So I’m just beyond words thrilled for her.

Mark Strong, Best Actor in a Play, Oedipus
I’m blushing. It feels amazing. I’m in the car driving back to London to have a glass of champagne that my family put on ice for me. I’m trying to keep to the speed limit while being extremely excited. The older I’ve got, the more we look at our screens, the more AI seems to be invading our lives, the more important stage acting becomes. I can imagine everyone sat down and thought “Oedipus? What’s that going to be like?” But everybody was really moved by it and the tension in it was so intense that people were on the edge of their seat. That’s what theater needs to be. If you’re lucky enough to be in a production like that, you’re doing the best that theater can be.

Michael Arden, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Lighting Design of a Musical, The Lost Boys
I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this honor. To be working in the theater, let alone on Broadway, has been my dream since I transformed my grandparents’ garage into a stage as a kid. More important than the personal honor is the deep sense of pride I have for my fellow collaborators who poured their souls into the monumental undertaking that is The Lost Boys. They are all my heroes and I am so grateful for the selflessness, rigor, and passion they brought to work every day. Congrats to all the nominees and all the countless artists and technicians who make every show possible and who continue to delight and inspire audiences eight times a week on Broadway.

Nichelle Lewis, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Ragtime
It feels incredible! It’s the most amazing feeling ever. My managers came over and sat with me and we watched the whole entire live, and it felt like forever but it was so exciting and beautiful to watch all of my other cast mates and my team be recognized. I think I took a full lap in my living room which isn’t very big but I made it a big space in my head. I’m so excited!

Dane Laffrey, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys was as much of a thrill ride to make as it is onstage. I am incredibly honored to be nominated amongst the best designers working on Broadway and as part of a creative team that was recognized across the board for this biggest of swings.

Nicholas Christopher, Best Actor in a Musical, Chess
I don’t have any words and I don’t even know if I have a voice anymore! We’ve been screaming all morning. I was on Facetime with my whole family, I had my daughter and wife sitting next to me, and we sat on the couch in hope, and they called my name first. I didn’t hear anything else after that. I think we’re gonna go out and have a picnic and be in the sunshine. We’ve had like three dance parties already!

Marla Mindelle, Best Actress in a Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Titaníque
I found out during the Today Show, and I acted like a zombie and I couldn’t cry cause I had to sing. It is so surreal. I haven’t even processed yet. I’m on the way home and I’m sure I’ll burst into tears at some point. I’m so relentlessly proud. This has been the most joyous experience of my life. To be receiving accolades for something that we worked so hard for is a literal dream come true.

Lesley Manville, Best Actress in a Play, Oedipus
It’s an indescribable feeling of love and warmth, and remembering the kernel of this whole thing, which was three of us and a wonderful company of actors in a rehearsal room in southeast London, just slowly getting to grips with this epic piece of drama, and loving it, and feeling that we could mine the depth of this very complex relationship and bring something rather wonderful to the stage. I feel very warm and full of love for all the people that we made this extraordinary production with and grateful we had the opportunity to bring it to Broadway. I’d never done Broadway before. It has a certain ring to it: “I’ve been on Broadway.” And now I’ve got a Tony nomination. It’s thrilling.

Richard Thomas, Best Featured Actor in a Play, The Balusters
What a wonderful morning! I love playing this part so much. It’s such a beautiful role. And what a wonderful group of fellow nominees. I am going to do the best thing I can to celebrate by going out and playing the role.

Kelli O’Hara, Best Actress in a Play, Fallen Angels
I have to say I didn’t think it would happen this year. There are so many other great performances this year, so I prepared myself. Honestly, I burst into tears. I am going to go out and pass it forward by doing something like pay for someone’s coffee. It’s a karma thing. I was handed a gift today that was unexpected and I want to pass on that luck to someone else.

The Rescues, Best Original Score, The Lost Boys
For all of us, we were going through our lives in a very different way, and this was not exactly on the agenda, and so to be welcomed into a world that was not ours, feels a lot like our show, that we now belong in a different place with different people and it’s been a beautiful experience for us. It feels like we joined a really good baseball team and it’s so fun to play our position and we’re so proud of everyone on our team who plays their position.

Zhailon Levingston, Best Direction of a Musical, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Oh my gosh, I was sitting on the couch with two of my best friends in the world and we just watched it like the little theater nerds we are. We screamed like crazy for every single one of our collaborators who were honored today. It just means that a decision I made as a 10-year-old to be a part of this world of artists and that everything I’ve gone through to attain that goal was worth it. Because I got to get here with my integrity intact. We live in really divisive times and things are scary out there and to be able to prove every single night that there’s another way we can be around difference is why I do the work that I do. I’m gonna be watching the show tonight and just thanking God that we created something that is a place to be for everyone: young, old, Black, white, gay, straight, trans, cis. But especially for that queer child in a county somewhere in this country that isn’t sure whether there’s a place for them to go. There is one.

Ali Louis Bourzgui, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, The Lost Boys
These sort of things are hard for me to process and it’s going to take me a bit to process the weight of what this is, but last night I was texting in this group chat of my theater friends from Pittsfield from the Berkshires who I grew up with, who all live in New York now, so I was rooting back to the history of these dreams. And also watching Shoshana get nominated and watching the whole design team and the creative team get nominated and I’ve seen a year plus of those people giving all of their time and effort to this project because everyone believed in it so much and everyone has also created such a genuinely loving, collaborative space around this piece. It’s a huge spectacle show and it’s maximalist and usually that means that a space is highly commercial, but Michael and the creative team set up a space of wanting to hear if we felt safe in everything we were doing. That just helps me feel even more proud that that kind of theater-making space can be celebrated in this way. We have a rehearsal for Good Morning America soon so I get to see all the people early in the day, so a lot of hugs and celebrations are in order.

David Rockwell, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Fallen Angels
What fantastic news to wake up to. I was working out, not watching it directly, but I got a text. I’m grateful to the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League. Congrats to all of the other nominees, what a spectacular group. My deepest thanks Scott Ellis and everyone at Roundabout. Scott is the most amazing leader, and he created the opportunity to bring this Noël Coward world to stage. And congratulations to Kelli, Rose, and Jeff Mahshie and everyone else involved. This is a total total thrill.

Jen Schriever, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, The Lost Boys
I’m beyond excited to be nominated alongside the most daring collaborators. The Lost Boys took a big, fearless leap, and getting to take that jump with my collaborators is something that I will never forget. I am indebted to and so proud of the greatest lighting team on Broadway!

Bess Wohl (Playwright), Best Play, Liberation
We were actually all on a cast Liberation Zoom together at 7:30 this morning. We wanted to check in and just remind each other of our love for each other, remind each other of how we began this process, and how far we’ve come. And then as I tried to get my kids out the door for school, I watched the nominations come in. And of course I was completely thrilled. When you think about it, [the actors] were being asked to sign on for something that was unproven, untested, that had a 20-minute nude scene. It’s a big leap of faith that everyone in our company took. So to see that kind of a leap of faith rewarded, it’s that much more special. It’s been so meaningful to do a play about community, about activism, about the fundamental idea that all people deserve dignity and respect and that women’s rights matter. It feels like something that people want to hear and need to hear. So I feel so honored to get to be part of putting that out into the culture. I think some champagne will be in my future at some point. And then the whole cast is planning a celebration in the next few days, so we will all be getting together to enjoy this moment together.

Bill Rauch, Best Director of a Musical, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
I’m over the Jellicle Moon for all of us today. The heart of this project is the ballroom community, and I’m so happy for our show to get all this recognition. It’s been such a collaborative project, so to have so many of my fellow artists nominated for this show. I am absolutely seeing the show tonight, because TDF is allowing over 1,000 high school seniors to see the show, so it is the perfect way to celebrate. We made this show for everyone, but young, queer people and their potential allies have always been the most important audience for us.

Christiani Pitts, Best Actress in a Musical, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
I’m trying my hardest to stop the tears from flowing but every time I sit for just a second, I start crying. I feel very grateful. It’s so special, everyone’s worked so hard on it, for years before I got to be part of it. It’s beyond. I’m so emotional. I think I’m gonna go and lay on some grass and try to process.

André De Shields, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
I think it most appropriate to quote from the song, “My legs may be tottery. I must go slow, and be careful of Old Deuteronomy.”

Lear deBessonet, Best Director of a Musical, Ragtime
I’m in a very contemplative place of gratitude. Getting to work on Ragtime, this unbelievable musical that is not like any other thing, was such a deep honor itself. To be receiving these acknowledgments for the production is incredibly moving, especially in my first year at LCT. It could not be more meaningful. It fills me with joy.

Kevin Adams, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Chess
It’s an absolute honor to be nominated with all the great theatre artists who designed Broadway plays and musicals this season.

Natasha Chivers, Best Lighting Design of a Play, Oedipus
I’m completely over the moon to be nominated for my work on Oedipus which was redesigned for New York after the initial London run. It was, and always is, a pleasure to be welcomed by the Broadway community.

Carrie Coon, Best Actress in a Play, Bug
I am grateful to be counted among such luminaries as my friend Kelli O’Hara, the truly gifted Rose Byrne, an astonishing Susannah Flood, and the legendary Leslie Manville. I’m also thrilled for my Bug design team, who made a difficult job look deceptively simple.