With Tony Nominations being announced on April 30th, the press gathered at the Sofitel New York May 2nd to the meet the Tony Nominee Junket to discuss in depth feelings, thoughts and hopes for this 2024 Tony season.
The Knockturnal was invited to meet and chat with some of the incredible nominees for this season; from performers to designers to directors to the incredible artistic teams working on these broadway shows. Here are the highlights of the day!
We started the day with the artistic team from Illinoise. We got to hear from Director and Choreographer Justin Peck as he shared with us the journey of Illinoise. He shared how with this process, the “planets aligned for this show to carry forth.” Although some may say this show is unlike typical Broadway style, this show came from “a genuine love of musical theater” embodying the concept of when we can’t talk, we sing. And when we can’t sing, we dance. That motto guided them in the making of this show. They were passionate about the idea, the team, the dancers, and the rest rolled its way onto broadway.
Then Linda Cho, nominated for her costume designs, shared her journey with costuming The Great Gatsby and how she got to “do whatever [she] want[ed]” to do, while aiming to make “the Gatsby of people’s imaginations.”
Representing the Days of Wines and Roses, we heard from Adam Guettel about his experience and dedication to working on this stage adaptation of JP Miller’s story. Along with him was one of the leads of the show, Brian Darcy James. The two, clearly fond of each other, shared their personal and artistic journeys with this 12 year long process. Brian mentions his “reverie for Adam” as they both shared how a long process like could be “trap to lose yourself in your wants” and how to remain connected with the art and your skills in regard to the bigger picture.
We then heard from DOTS (including Andrew D. Moerdyk, Kimie Nishikawa and Santiago Orjuela-Laverde), a design collective nominated for their scenic design for Appropriate and An Enemy of the People. All brilliant creatives who shared the surprising difficulties and joys in working on these two projects, but as Orjuela-Laverde said, they “let the stage give [them] directions” and build from there.
We heard from Peter Nigrini, a co-collaborator with Riccardo Hernández for Lempicka and Robert Brill for Hell’s Kitchen as he explains how Projections and tech elements of that degree are still relatively new for theater and how that informs his place in spaces. His inspiration comes from wanting to “bring a cinematic art form to a theater.”
Purlie Victorious‘ Leslie Odom Jr. (Nominated Best Leading Actor in a play) and Kara Young (Best featured Actress in a Play) came and chatted with us. Odom Jr. shared his experience and his thoughts on working on Ozzie Davis’ play and collaboration with Kenny Leon. Sharing his admiration for the piece and the space and world Kenny created. Kara Young shares how working on a piece like this is “so big. So massive. So much packed [into this story]” and how “this play reminds us we can’t forget our history.”
We met many people from the Stereophonic team, Stereophonic being one of the most nominated plays in history. Will Butler, Music and Lyrics, shares his thoughts on David Adjmi, who he claims is “a master of structure” in the world created. How this show has a “strange magic” to it, says David, and through one email chain, brought this chaotically innovative show. And Stereophonic carries that magic to every detail and sound and choice made in this production.
Making history is Nikiya Mathis for receiving a 2024 special Tony Award for her wig work and artistry with hair in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Hair became “a ministry for [Nikiya]” and while she is not acting, she spends her time supporting her community and translating her art through hair and community care; exploring that through hair and wig design.
And finally, The Water For Elephants producing team shared their creative process and how they all collaborated. How important it is to “complete the picture” and give the audience “just enough vital information” to invite them to engage creatively, while also still visually entertaining them. Later, the Artistic team joined us and expounded upon these brilliant conceits. Such design elements only matter when there is a solid core theme to the show and Jessica Stone, Director, prompts the question “who are [we] when you lose everything?” She shares how this is a “memory play,” and in that provides such a delicious creative container for the show. Rick Elice, book writer, brings up what makes this version differ to the book and the movie, sharing with us what he “loved about theater is that it’s not literal,” and in that, allows the imagination to run wild and free. Jessica Stone closed out by reminding us why we are here together, because humans want to“be part of something bigger than [ourselves].”
This years Tony’s: filled with a beautiful variety of content breaching different stories and genres and artistic avenues. and I am personally thankful to get to see and chat with such lovely people about art and what is being made in the world of theater. I am thrilled to see how this Award season plays out.