The 2019 Tony Awards are almost here, so let’s make some predictions, shall we? On this page, I’ll be discussing my predictions for the play categories. By the way, you'll be seeing me reference the New York Times' recently published Tony voter poll (which surveyed about 123 out of 831 voters) a lot.
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Best Play:

1. The Ferryman
2. What the Constitution Means to Me
3. Ink
4. Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
5. Choir Boy​

In a season filled with ambitious plays, The Ferryman, a family drama set in Ireland and featuring not only a top-notch cast but also a baby, a goose and a rabbit, consistently stood out. Before the nominations were annnounced, the race for Best Play looked like a battle between The Ferryman and Aaron Sorkin’s new stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. Yet, in the most shocking turn of events, Mockingbird wasn't even nominated. Another American play came on strong: What the Constitution Means to Me, an autobiographical reflection, written by and starring Heidi Schreck, about gender and the law. The timely show has become a sensation, selling strongly, attracting celebrities, and spurring conversation. Yet, a majority of those surveyed are sticking with The Ferryman, citing its scale and skill. One voter specifically told the Times: “At first I was apprehensive about a three-plus hour play, I was wrong — the play was gripping, emotional, full of surprises and nuanced writing and performances. I could’ve stayed for another hour.” If you ask me, this is one of the biggest locks of the night.

Best Revival of a Play:

1. The Boys in the Band
2. The Waverly Gallery
3. All My Sons​
4. Burn This
5. Torch Song

The race for Best Revival of a Play is the season’s most hotly competitive contest. A plurality in the NYT's survey favors last summer’s starry production of The Boys in the Band, which is Mart Crowley’s early gay play about an unsettling birthday party. Not far behind are The Waverly Gallery, Kenneth Lonergan’s drama about a family struggling to cope with a woman’s declining memory, and All My Sons, Arthur Miller’s classic about a family haunted by a military parts scandal. This race may be too close to call, but I'm starting to get a feeling that The Boys in the Band​ is going to win. It may have been the very first Broadway production of the 2018-19 season to have opened (which was over a year ago at this point), but there really appears to be some sort of rooting factor for the show. Especially with all the campaigns going on with playwright Mart Crowley and producer Ryan Murphy. The Boys in the Band has long been considered to be a landmark LGBT play in the American theater ever since it originally premiered Off-Broadway back in 1968, and now there's really been a resurgence thanks not only to last year's Broadway premiere, but also to the recently announced film adaptation for Netflix.
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Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play:

1. Bryan Cranston-Network
2. Jeff Daniels-To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Adam Driver-Burn This
4. Jeremy Pope-Choir Boy
5. Paddy Considine-The Ferryman

Bryan Cranston, who previously won a Tony in 2014 for playing president Lyndon B. Johnson in All the Way, is wowing voters this season with his nightly meltdown as Howard Beale, the fired anchorman whose anger fuels a multimedia production of Network. Peter Finch won an Oscar for that role in the original 1976 movie, and now Mr. Cranston is looking to win a Tony as well. One voter specifically told the Times: “I was so taken by the raw power, by his connection to the audience and his ability to lay it all out there.” Though if Cranston somehow doesn't end up winning, I imagine he'll probably jump out of his seat and yell "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!".
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Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play:

1. Elaine May-The Waverly Gallery
2. Annette Bening-All My Sons
3. Heidi Schreck-What the Constitution Means to Me
4. Laura Donnelly-The Ferryman
5. Janet McTeer-Bernhardt/Hamlet
6. Laurie Metcalf-Hillary & Clinton

Back in the fall, Elaine May, who is an 87-year-old comedian, writer and director, performed on Broadway for the first time in more than 50 years. Now, she is the overwhelming favorite to win her first Tony for her devastating portrayal of a woman losing her memory in The Waverly Gallery. One voter specifically told the Times: “Elaine May gave the best performance I have ever seen.” While the Broadway production of The Waverly Gallery concluded its limited run back in January, I think the buzz for Elaine May's performance is at this point still very much alive.

Now onto the categories the Times did not cover in their survey...

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Play:

1. Benjamin Walker-All My Sons
2. Robin De Jesús-The Boys in the Band
3. Bertie Carvel-Ink
4. Brandon Uranowitz-Burn This
5. Gideon Glick-To Kill a Mockingbird

I'm predicting Benjamin Walker because with All My Sons​ not being far behind in the race for Best Revival of a Play, I think Tony voters could show their support for the production here. Though with The Boys in the Band leading a close race for Best Play Revival (according to the New York Times), I’m starting to wonder if Robin De Jesús could just pull an upset in this category. Then again, there's also Bertie Carvel reprising his Olivier Award-winning performance as Rupert Murdoch in Ink. He probably still has a bit of goodwill from Matilda, which people thought should've won him the Tony in 2013 (even if it was a case of category fraud).

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Play:

1. Celia Keenan-Bolger-To Kill a Mockingbird
2. Fionnula Flanagan-The Ferryman
3. Julie White-Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
4. Kristine Nielsen-Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
5. Ruth Wilson-King Lear

Leading up to the Tonys, Celia Keenan-Bolger has not only won the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for her performance as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird​, but she also has been putting herself out there. She's been interviewed by Jamie Wax for CBS This Morning, Jack Smart for In the Envelope, and Scott Feinberg for The Hollywood Reporter. While a lot of people (myself included) did predict Celia to win five years ago for The Glass Menagerie despite coming up short in the end to Sophie Okonedo for A Raisin in the Sun, I think this year, the Broadway community will rally to finally give her the recognition she deserves. Though with that being said, Fionnula Flanagan is the only nominee from The Ferryman in this category, and that show is the frontrunner for Best Play. It's also worth noting that while a lot of the original cast (including the two other acting nominees, Paddy Considine and Laura Donnelly) left the show back in February, Flanagan is still in it.

Best Direction of a Play:

1. Sam Mendes-The Ferryman
2. Rupert Goold-Ink
3. George C. Wolfe-Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
4. Bartlett Sher-To Kill a Mockingbird
5. Ivo van Hove-Network

Sam Mendes might as well prepare to add a Tony for The Ferryman next to his Oscar for 1999's American Beauty. Though the real question I have is he'll even be able to make it to the ceremony. He's currently in Europe shooting his next film, 1917. While principal photography is suppose to wrap up sometime this month, I don't necessarily know exactly when. Hopefully, the producers of 1917 are able to give Sam the weekend off so he could be in NYC. If not, I'm sure someone else can accept the award on his behalf.

Be sure to watch the Tonys this Sunday night at 8/7c on CBS. Here is a quick rundown of my predictions for the design categories...

Best Sound Design of a Play:

1. Nick Powell-The Ferryman
2. Fitz Patton-Choir Boy
3. Eric Sleichim-Network
4. Adam Cork-Ink
5. Scott Leher-To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Lighting Design of a Play:​​

1. Peter Mumford-The Ferryman
2. Neil Austin-Ink
3. Jan Versweyveld & Tal Yarden-Network
4. Jennifer Tipton-To Kill a Mockingbird
5. Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer-Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Best Scenic Design of a Play:

1. Rob Howell-The Ferryman
2. Jan Versweyveld-Network
3. Bunny Christie-Ink
4. Santo Loquasto-Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
5. Miriam Buether-To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Costume Design of a Play:

1. Ann Roth-Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
2. Rob Howell-The Ferryman
3. Ann Roth-To Kill a Mockingbird
4. Clint Ramos-Torch Song
5. Toni-Leslie James-Bernhardt/Hamlet