Tony Awards For Dummies
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Tony Awards For Dummies

All you need to know before watching the Tonys: Cram Edition.

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Tony Awards For Dummies
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The biggest event of the entire year is coming up in 28 days. On June 12, tears will be shed, laughs will be shared and jaws will be dropped. And this can only mean one thing: It's Tony Awards season ladies and gentlemen.

Oh wait, are you not that excited about the Tony Awards? Have you not been counting down the days since last year's sub-par show? Did you not celebrate when James Corden was chosen as host? You didn't stay up 'til 2 a.m. reading critics' articles on each new show in the season? Just me?

Well, for all of you not incredibly turnt about the Tonys, then this is just the catch-up article you need. Just call it...

The Tony Study Guide: Cram Edition

First things first. The Tony Awards are the Oscars of the theater world. The one time of the year where Broadway stars and shows appear on the silver screen for mainstream/not New York native audiences to see. Categories include Best Musical, Best Play, Best Actor and Actress (play and musical), Best Choreography, Best Directing, Best Set, Best Costumes, etc. Basically, every aspect of a productions. Well, except for Sound Design, but that's a different story.

So any show that opens in the Tony season is eligible for awards, even if the show closes before the Tony Awards (i.e "Amazing Grace" or "Allegiance"). And for shows that are struggling, a Tony nomination is a make or break. "Disaster" closed less than a week after not being nominated.

So many shows are nominated within the different categories, but the shining light is placed on those nominated for Best Musical. These shows will perform at the Tony Awards and will be held in high regard for the rest of the season, usually prompting a prolonged stay on Broadway. Previous winners include "The Lion King," "Phantom of the Opera," "Les Miserables" and "Avenue Q."

This year the five nominees include:

1. "Bright Star"

This little musical came out of nowhere at the earlier theater award shows. It swept the Outer Circle Critics Awards, winning Best Musical and Best Score. The show is written by Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) and tells the love story of Alice Murphy and a WWII soldier. Their love brings back Murphy's desire to find the child she once lost and save both of their futures. The musical weaves between the 1920s and the 1940s, as it shows Murphy's life, past and present. The musical is unlike the huge spectacle shows on Broadway, with its simple sets and bluegrass music, but critics say it's a fresh breeze on the Great White Way.

2. "Waitress"

"Waitress" is based off the 2007 rom-com of the same name. But there are two huge differences. First, the musical has a score written by Sara Bareilles (you know, the singer of "Love Song" and "King of Anything"). Second, it stars Jessie Mueller, who is amazing and won a Tony Award for Best Actress two years ago for "Beautiful." "Waitress" is about a woman in an abusive relationship who enters a pie-baking contest in attempts to escape her current situation. The songs are super cute and catchy, and it features real pies baked fresh for every performance.

3. "School of Rock"

Sounds familiar? Yeah, Broadway this season is pulling from a lot of well know films (i.e. "Tuck Everlasting" and "American Psycho"). But "School of Rock" the musical boasts a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber (you know, the composer of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats"). The show is about a ex-rock star who becomes a substitute teacher and creates a band of fifth graders. It features a host of extremely talented actors and amazing children.

4. "Shuffle Along or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed"

OK, despite having the longest title in the history of Broadway, this show was a Tony nomination shock and sweep. It opened only a few days before the nominations were announced, and for an extremely long time it looked like it wouldn't even be eligible. But right before opening, the Tony eligibility committee decided to count it. It then swept with 10 nominations including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Choreography.

The musical is a little tricky to explain because it works as both a revival (new production of an old musical) and a new musical. The original "Shuffle Along" made history in 1921, as it was the first musical produced and performed by African Americans. This new musical features a performance of the original "Shuffle Along" but also includes the history of the production woven into the performance. The show boasts a myriad of Broadway's biggest names including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter.

5. "Hamilton"

Heard of this one? Yeah, I bet you have. I mean, who hasn't heard of "Hamilton." The Tony Awards certainly have. It swept with 16 nominations, breaking records all over the place. If you didn't already know, the musical, written and performed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of Alexander Hamilton (the $10 Founding Father without a father). Yet the musical is written in a hip-hop/rap/spoken word format and performed with an almost entirely diverse cast. The musical tells the story "about America then, told by America now" according to Miranda. And it really is amazing, spectacular, awesome and super cool.

Don't forget to tune into the Tony Awards at 7 p.m. June 12 on CBS.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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