Another post sponsored by New York

The Tony Award nominations are announced tomorrow morning, and this year we have a few friends in the running. Perhaps you've heard of this little show called August: Osage County? And Steppenwolf ensemble members are eligible in several other high-profile shows—Laurie Metcalf in November, Martha Plimpton in both Top Girls and Cymbeline and Kevin Anderson in Come Back, Little Sheba.

Word on the street is there will be a Tony announcement in the morning that will, quote, "take Chicagoans by surprise." Since Chicagoans are pretty well prepared for all of the above possibilities, I can only imagine what might surprise us. A fourth local recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony, to join Goodman, Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens? Or, given the mighty presence noted above, some kind of special citation for Steppenwolf?

It's been a pretty darn good season for Chicago theater in New York, overall. Both August and Next's Adding Machine have continued to clean up in awards announced in the past week (including the Lortels, Outer Critics Circle and New York Drama Critics Circle), and last fall's GoChicago! mini-fest at 59E59 featured Steppenwolf, Writers' Theatre and the Hypocrites in pretty well-received runs. Of course New York audiences and critics aren't the reason this work came into being, but we won't kick 'em out of bed for eating crackers, either.

Speaking of things from New York on the street, I spotted David Stone, producer of Wicked, walking down the street in Lakeview this evening. Do with that what you will.

Comments

[Ed]

Ooh! Me first. "I heard David Stone is looking to boot out the Blue Men and put a show of his own into the Briar Street Theatre." Pass it on!

Alternate completely fabricated and specious rumor....you didn't see him going into Steamworks by any chance, did you, Kris?

Sorry. Weird mood this evening. Going to sleep now.

[Francis]

Yes! Chicago is now the only city in America with 4 Regional Tony Awards. Chicago Shakespeare got it today! Plus 7 nominations for "August: Osage County"- it's a celebratory day for our city's theater community.