2018 Tony Award Predictions: Angels Prevail, Wizards Too

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Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

(COURTESY OF BRINKHOFF & MÖGENBURG)

By MICHAEL APPLER

As nomination day quickly recedes into the distance, so begins the heart of Tony campaign season, a month of cut-throat competition, flattery and persuasion as nominated shows endeavor to woo Tony voters, vying for their coveted ballots in an all-out race toward June 10. While Tony voters in the New York area have been filling seats for several weeks, the arrival of Broadway League’s annual mid-May Spring Conference will drop hoards of voters from around the country into New York, all descending on Broadway to see nominated work. Gift baskets have been sent out, exclusive midnight showings have been scheduled and press agents are working around the clock.

It’s been a bizarre season on Broadway, a year of super-powered revivals, record-breaking commercial properties (“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” broke records of both production cost and box-office sales; “Mean Girls” broke the August Wilson’s bar concession record), delusional jukebox creations, sponges, wizards and margaritas. It’s been a year of British Invasion – “Angels in America,” “Cursed Child,” “The Children,” and “Travesties” are all English imports – and, for musicals, it’s been a lean season with few productions of refreshing work.

To help you navigate the race, here are my Tony predictions: