Tony Nomination Reactions: ‘MJ’ Lead Actor Myles Frost, ‘A Strange Loop’ Team, Conor McPherson, Lynn Nottage, David Morse & More
09.05.2022 - 18:33
/ deadline.com
Reactions are coming in to this morning’s Tony Award nominations, an event that feels like a reassuringly familiar sign of springtime after two-plus years of Covid upheaval on Broadway.
Pulitzer winner A Strange Loop led the field with 11 nominations, followed by MJ and Paradise Square with 10 apiece. Winners will be announced Sunday, June 12 at the 75th annual Tony Awards on CBS and Paramount+, live from Radio City Music Hall in New York, with Ariana DeBose hosting.
The following are initial reactions provided to Deadline. Check back for updates.
Myles Frost, who was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his turn as Michael Jackson in MJ, told Deadline he was heartened by the reception he got in the Broadway world in making his debut at age 22. “I’m new to Broadway,” he said in a phone interview. “This is truly a community of people who care about each other. There hasn’t been a single person who denied me their experience or their support. … Everyone has taken me under their wing.”
Frost also said the recognition had extra resonance given the current Tony crop welcomed audiences back to live theater after an agonizing, months-long period of closures. “I’m grateful to have become part of the ‘Broadway’s back’ catalyst,” he said.”
As for how the Tony veneration would affect the complicated legacy of Jackson’s music, he said, “I’m mostly excited for people to see who Myles Frost is. I’m blessed to be able to share this story.”
Here are other reactions:
Lynn Nottage, Best Book of a Musical, MJ:
“I’m thrilled to be recognized for my work during this historic year on Broadway, I want to acknowledge my fellow travelers who weathered this difficult moment to bring back theater. I had the joy