This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Few Surprises at Tony Awards, In the Heights, New Voices, and More

Few Surprises at Tony Awards: This year’s Tony Awards offered only a few surprises. Predictions that Angels in America would win multiple awards (best revival, Andrew Garfield as leading actor, and Nathan Lane as supporting actor) were fulfilled as well as the predictions of awards for Glenda Jackson leading actress in a play (Three Tall Women) Katrina Lenk leading actress in a musical (The Band’s Visit), Lindsay Mendez featured actress in a musical (Carousel), best choreography (Justin Peck, Carousel)¸ best score (David Yazbeck, The Band’s Visit), best costumes in a musical (Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady), and best new play and best director of a play (John Tiffany) plus multiple technical awards (costumes, lights, scenic design, sound design) for Harry Potter.

The big surprise: The Band’s Visit took home more awards than predicted: best musical (the big award), Tony Shalhoub for leading actor, Ari’el Stachel for featured actor, Davud Cromer for best director, as well as best book of a musical, best orchestrations, and best lighting of a musical. Surprisingly, Tina Fey did not win best book of a musical for Mean Girls. In fact, the two musicals with the most nominations, Mean Girls and SpongeBob SquarePants were just about shut out.

The other big surprise was that the splendid revival of My Fair Lady was shut out as well, except for costumes. The best revival of a musical Tony went to Once on This Island. I thought the production was good, but it made the best of a so-so show. The last surprise was Laurie Metcalf as featured actress for Three Tall Women; most had predicted one of the two women (Denise Gough or Susan Brown) from Angels in America.

In the Heights: This Tony-winning musical about life in Washington Heights (in New York City) put Lin-Manuel Miranda on everyone’s radar. Now West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park is presenting the play through Sunday, July 29. The cast features a group of energetic young professionals. For tickets, visit playhouseonpark.org or call 860-523-5900. Some dates are already sold out.

New Voices: Hartford Stage, with support from Aetna, each year names a playwright for the Aetna New Voices Fellowship. The residency includes the commission of new play with development readings and workshops and working with the education department on the annual young playwright competition. Next year’s fellow is Mfonsio Udofia, a Nigerian–American. She has already received productions and awards for her works, which include Ufot Cycle, an exploration of the history of Nigerian immigration in America through the eyes of one family. Previous fellows have included Matthew Lopez and Pulitzer Prize winner Quaira Alegria Hudes.

Cole Porter under the Tent: The Summer Theatre of New Canaan, which performs under a tent in Waverly Park in New Canaan, is presenting the musical Kiss Me, Kate Thursday, June 29 through Sunday, July 29. The Cole Porter musical is a play within a play about a theater company’s production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Complicating matters is the fact that the two leads are divorced and the ex-husband, also the producer, needs the money. Among the well-known songs in the show are “So in Love,” “True to You in My Fashion,” and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” For ticket, visit stonc.org or call 203-966-4634.

Karen Isaacs is an East Haven resident. To check out her reviews for New York and Connecticut shows, visit 2ontheaisle.wordpress.com. She’s a member of both the Connecticut Critics Circle and New York’s Outer Critics Circle.