2010 Tony Awards Nominations

The Tony Award nominations have been announced! The New York Times has published very informative and interactive articles at Arts Beat. The full list of nominations, with explanations, reviews, and production photos can be found HERE! I am most interested this year to see if Jude Law will pull in a win for best performance by a leading actor in a play. His Hamlet graced the London and Broadway stage, with rave reviews. I was moments away from stepping on a plane this year to partake in the hype surrounding his performance. Probably the best Hamlet I have ever seen is Ben Whishaw, directed by Trevor Nunn at the Old Vic in London’s West End (2004). He was a young Hamlet at only 23 years old, but his portrayal was haunting and raw. His frail frame and pale complexion shook me to the bone. Next in line is Hamish Linklater, as the title character in South Coast Repertory’s production (2007). I mean, he learned from the best being the son of Kristin Linklater. Mr. Linklater connected to the role internally through his voice and body. There is nothing like sitting in the front row of a production of Hamlet, listening to the perfect articulation of every syllable and watching the spit fly. Yet, here is Jude Law, best known for his film career, vying to legitimize his portrayal of Hamlet on the New York stage. While his performance has been hailed by the New York Times as “a gold medal Hamlet,” the rest of the cast was not fortunate enough to receive approval from critics. Law seemingly carried the show, among a cast who could not reach to his level. Alfred Molina (Red), Liev Schreiber (A View From the Bridge), Christopher Walken (A Behanding in Spokane) and Denzel Washington (Fences), round out the category. It should be an exciting race.