It’S going to be a few months before we get a clear idea of who the combatants will be at the Tony Awards, but there’s one category that’s quickly coming into focus — Best Actress in a Musical.
Broadway insiders already are gaming the five divas’ prospects, even before they’ve seen them all perform.
First out of the gate is the week’s sensation, Jessie Mueller, who gives a restrained and tender performance as Carole King in “Beautiful.” The critics are decidedly mixed on the show — for what it’s worth, I think it’s better than they do — but all agree it’s Mueller time.
(Boy, was that a groaner!)
Mueller was the only redeeming feature in the dreadful revival of “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” a couple of years ago, and with “Beautiful,” she’s emerged as a genuine Broadway leading lady. A lot of people think she’s the one to beat, though a few say she’ll have to overcome the hurdle of starring in a jukebox musical that may not find favor with the Tony nominators.
Next up will be critics’ darling Kelli O’Hara in “The Bridges of Madison County,” which opens Feb. 20. O’Hara’s never gotten a bad review, managing even to survive two Frank Wildhorn shows, “Jekyll & Hyde” and “Dracula, the Musical.” She’s received four Tony nominations but has never won — which could swing it in her favor. On the other hand, some insiders believe she may be miscast as Francesca, a lonely Italian woman living in Iowa.
Somehow, O’Hara and pasta fagioli don’t quite fit.
Our third contender will likely be Idina Menzel in “If/Then,” the new musical from “Next to Normal” creators Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt. Peter Marks of the Washington Post praised her performance during the out-of-town tryout, saying she was “ravishing even in white tops and skinny jeans.” (Easy, Peter.) And she gives the show’s power ballads her customary full-throated treatment. Menzel famously knocked off her “Wicked” co-star Kristin Chenoweth for the Tony in 2004.
Menzel should never be underestimated.
Sutton Foster received raves for her performance as a disfigured woman in Jeanine Tesori’s “Violet” at City Center last summer (“transfixing performance,” said Stephen Holden of the Times). She’ll be reprising the role in April at the Roundabout Theatre Company. Foster already has two Tonys, and frankly, for a long time I thought of her as an over-peppy tap-dancing machine. But she’s matured greatly as an actress, and this role is one of the most demanding in contemporary musical theater.
Last but not least: splendid film actress Michelle Williams, who’s tackling Sally Bowles in “Cabaret,” also for the Roundabout. She’s come a long way since “Dawson’s Creek,” and though she’s never done a musical, this is a part that requires serious acting chops.
The late, great Natasha Richardson was no Julie Andrews in the singing department, but she acted the hell out of those Kander and Ebb songs in the 1998 revival — and she won a Tony Award to prove it.
A final thought: None of these actresses is over 50, so we’re going to have a category chock full of the new generation of Broadway leading ladies.
That’s cause for celebration, no matter who wins.