2017 Tony Awards Major Category Nomination Betting Odds
–The Tony Award recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre
–Nominations for the 71st Tony Awards will be announced on May 2.
–The Tony Awards ceremony will be broadcast by CBS on June 11.
The Tony Awards began on April 6, 1947 and despite the growth of countless other forms of visual entertainment continue to be relevant today. The ‘official’ name is the ‘Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre’ but since that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue so the name was almost immediately shortened to ‘Tony Awards’. The award is named after Broadway actress/director/producer Antoinette Perry who died in 1946. She was also the co-founder of the American Theatre Wing which is essentially the live drama equivalent to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science and the organization that presents these awards. Ms. Perry was reportedly nicknamed ‘Tony’ which makes the shortened version of the award make perfect sense. The ‘Tony’ nickname dates back to the first awards presentation and is credited to Warner Brothers story editor Jacob Wilk. According to history, it was a complete ad-lib he made while giving out one of the inaugural awards and the name stuck.
The first few years the American Theatre Wing gave out useful stuff instead of an award. In the first two years of the Tony Awards the prizes were a scroll, cigarette lighter and articles of jewelry such as 14-carat gold compacts and bracelets for the women, and money clips for the men. The award itself was first used in 1949 and the official Tony Awards website provides this background:
In 1949 the designers’ union, United Scenic Artists, sponsored a contest for a suitable model for the award. The winning entry, a disk-shaped medallion designed by Herman Rosse, depicted the masks of comedy and tragedy on one side and the profile of Antoinette Perry on the other. The medallion was initiated that year at the third annual dinner. It continues to be the official Tony Award.
Since 1967 the medallion has been mounted on a black pedestal with a curved armature. After the ceremony, each award is numbered for tracking purposes and engraved with the winner’s name.
The addition of the pedestal was supposedly done to give the award more ‘heft’ as some had suggested that it compared unfavorably to the Oscars in this regard.
VIEWERSHIP QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
As the significance of Broadway Theatre has receeded somewhat the viewership of the Tony Awards has declined. In 1974, the Tony Awards had 20,026,000 viewers. That dropped to 9,155,000 but has remained fairly consistent over the past 17 years bringing in between 6 and 8 million viewers per year. A 2003 New York Times article explains why CBS remains committed to the awards despite the ratings drop:
What the Tony broadcast does have, say CBS officials, is an all-important demographic: rich and smart. Jack Sussman, CBS’s senior vice president in charge of specials, said the Tony show sold almost all its advertising slots shortly after CBS announced it would present the three hours.
”It draws upscale premium viewers who are attractive to upscale premium advertisers,” Mr. Sussman said, citing companies like Mutual of Omaha and Visa.
Now this ‘rich and smart’ demographic can bet on the 2017 Tony Award Nominations thanks to SPORTS BETTING EXPERTS. The nominations will be announced on May 2:
TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS BETTING ODDS
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST MUSICAL’
Dear Evan Hansen: +250
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +300
Come From Away: +350
Amelie: +450
War Paint: +450
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: +450
Bandstand: +850
Groundhog Day: +850
Anastasia: +850
A Bronx Tale: +1250
In Transit: +1250
Paramour: +1250
Holiday Inn: +1250
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST PLAY’
Sweat: +210
The Play That Goes Wrong: +350
Oslo: +450
The Present: +450
Indecent: +750
Significant Other: +750
Heisenberg: +1250
A Doll’s House Part 2: +1250
The Encounter: +1250
Oh Hello: +1250
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL’
Hello, Dolly!: -450
Falsettos: -250
Miss Saigon: +650
Sunset Boulevard: +750
Cats: +950
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST PLAY REVIVAL’
Six Degrees of Separation: +200
The Glass Menagerie: +300
Les Liaisons Dangereuses: +350
Jitney: +350
The Front Page: +450
The Price: +650
The Cherry Orchard: +750
The Little Foxes: +750
Present Laughter: +750
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL’
Bette Midler/Hello, Dolly!: +150
Christine Ebersole/War Paint: +210
Patti LuPone/War Paint: +210
Phillipa Soo/Amelie: +350
Laura Osnes/Bandstand: +350
Denee Benton/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +750
Eva Noblezada/Miss Saigon: +750
Christy Altomare/Anastasia: +750
Lora Lee Gayer/Holiday Inn: +750
Barrett Doss/Groundhog Day: +750
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL’
Ben Platt/Dear Evan Hansen: +150
Andy Karl/Groundhog Day: +250
David Hyde Pierce/Hello, Dolly!: +250
Josh Groban/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +300
Christian Borle/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: +350
Bryce Pinkham/Holiday Inn: +350
Jon Jon Briones/Miss Saigon: +750
Christian Borle/Falsettos: +750
Bobby Conte Thornton/A Bronx Tale: +750
Corey Cott/Bandstand: +750
Derek Klena/Anastasia: +750
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY’
Cate Blanchett/The Present: -150
Allison Janney/Six Degrees of Separation: -125
Laurie Metcalf/A Doll’s House Part 2: +225
Sally Field/The Glass Menagerie: +310
Jennifer Ehle/Oslo: +350
Laura Linney/The Little Foxes: +350
Mary-Louise Parker/Heisenberg: +750
Cynthia Nixon/The Little Foxes: +750
Janet McTeer/Les Liaisons Dangereuses: +750
Diane Lane/The Cherry Orchard: +750
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY’
Mark Ruffalo/The Price: +150
Jefferson Mays/Oslo: +210
Kevin Kline/Present Laughter: +350
Denis Arndt/Heisenberg: +350
Simon McBurney/The Encounter: +350
Gideon Glick/Significant Other: +750
John Benjamin Hickey/Six Degrees of Separation: +750
Joe Mantello/The Glass Menagerie: +900
Chris Cooper/A Doll’s House Part 2: +900
John Mulaney/Oh Hello: +900
Liev Schreiber/Les Liaisons Dangereuses: +900
Nick Kroll/Oh Hello: +900
John Slattery/The Front Page: +900
Richard Roxburgh/The Present: +900
Corey Hawkins/Six Degrees of Separation: +900
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL’
Stephanie J. Block/Falsettos: +250
Jenn Colella/Come From Away: +350
Kate Baldwin/Hello, Dolly!: +350
Brittain Ashford/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +350
Jennifer Laura Thompson/Dear Evan Hansen: +350
Kristolyn Lloyd/Dear Evan Hansen: +450
Jackie Hoffman/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: +450
Jennifer Simard/Hello, Dolly!: +450
Rachel Bay Jones/Dear Evan Hansen: +650
Eloise Kropp/Cats: +750
Amber Gray/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +750
Mary Beth Peil/Anastasia: +950
Beanie Feldstein/Hello, Dolly!: +950
Laura Dreyfuss/Dear Evan Hansen: +950
Leona Lewis/Cats: +950
Rachelle Ann/Go Miss Saigon: +950
Grace McLean/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +950
Beth Leavel/Bandstand: +950
Katie Rose Clark/Miss Saigon: +950
Caroline O’Connor/Anastasia: +1250
Gelsey Bell/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +1250
Kathy Fitzgerald/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: +1250
Kendra Kassebaum/Come From Away: +1250
Melanie Moore/Hello, Dolly!: +1250
Megan Sikora/Holiday Inn: +1250
Sharon Wheatley/Come From Away: +1250
Megan Lawrence/Holiday Inn: +1250
Emily Padgett/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: +1250
Georgina Pazcoguin/Cats: +1250
Emma Pfaeffle/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: +1250
Q. Smith/Come From Away: +1250
Rebecca Faulkenberry/Groundhog Day: +1250
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL’
Andrew Rannells/Falsettos: +150
Michael Xavier/Sunset Boulevard: +150
Nick Cordero/A Bronx Tale: +350
Corbin Bleu/Holiday Inn: +350
Will Roland/Dear Evan Hansen: +350
Ramin Karimloo/Anastasia: +450
Douglas Sills/War Paint: +450
John Dossett/War Paint: +450
Tyler Hanes/Cats: +600
Gavin Creel/Hello, Dolly!: +600
Lucas Steele/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +750
Brandon Uranowitz/Falsettos: +750
Michael Park/Dear Evan Hansen: +950
Ricky Ubeda/Cats: +950
Joel Hatch/Come From Away: +950
Chad Kimball/Come From Away: +950
Anthony Rosenthal/Falsettos: +950
Fred Johanson/Sunset Boulevard: +950
Mike Faist/Dear Evan Hansen: +1250
Nick Choksi/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +1250
John Bolton/Anastasia: +1250
Taylor Trensch/Hello, Dolly!: +1250
Nicholas Belton/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +1250
Richard H. Blake/A Bronx Tale: +1250
Alistair Brammer/Miss Saigon: +1250
Nicholas Christopher/Miss Saigon: +1250
Devin Ilaw/Miss Saigon: +1250
Paul Pinto/Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: +1250
Quentin Earl Darrington/Cats: +1250
Bradley Gibson/A Bronx Tale: +1250
Andy Huntington Jones/Cats: +1250
Caesar Samayoa/Come From Away: +1500
Rodney Hicks/Come From Away: +1500
Lee MacDougall/Come From Away: +1500
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY’
Johanna Day/Sweat: +100
Alison Wright/Sweat: +150
Barbara Barrie/Significant Other: +150
Kristine Nielsen/Present Laughter: +300
Jayne Houdyshell/A Doll’s House Part 2: +300
Holland Taylor/The Front Page: +450
Condola Rashad/A Doll’s House Part 2: +450
Kate Burton/Present Laughter: +450
Mary Beth Peil/Les Liaisons Dangereuses: +450
Sherie Renee Scott/The Front Page: +650
Jessica Hecht/The Price: +650
Madison Ferris/The Glass Menagerie: +950
Lindsay Mendez/Significant Other: +950
Katrina Lenk/Indecent: +950
Charlie Russell /The Play That Goes Wrong: +950
Michelle Wilson/Sweat: +950
Sas Goldberg/Significant Other: +950
Cobie Smulders/Present Laughter: +950
Nancy Zamit/The Play That Goes Wrong: +1250
Rebecca Naomi Jones/Significant Other: +1250
Elena Kampouris/Les Liaisons Dangereuses: +1250
Celia Keenan-Bolger/The Cherry Orchard: +1250
Henny Russell/Oslo: +1250
Adina Verson/Indecent: +1250
Tina Benko/The Cherry Orchard: +1250
Patricia Conolly/The Front Page: +1250
Halley Feiffer/The Front Page: +1250
Tavi Gevinson/The Cherry Orchard: +1250
TO BE NOMINATED FOR ‘BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY’
Nathan Lane/The Front Page: +150
Danny DeVito/The Price: +250
Anthony Azizi/Oslo: +350
Tony Shalhoub/The Price: +350
Will Pullen/Sweat: +350
John Goodman/The Front Page: +450
Michael McKean/The Little Foxes: +450
John Glover/The Cherry Orchard: +450
Reg Rogers/Present Laughter: +450
Chris Cooper/A Doll’s House Part 2: +450
Luke Smith/Significant Other: +450
Dylan Baker/The Front Page: +450
John Douglas Thompson/Jitney: +750
Daniel Jenkins/Oslo: +750
Michael Aronov/Oslo: +750
Dave Hearn/The Play That Goes Wrong: +750
Andre Holland/Jitney: +750
Khris Davis/Sweat: +950
Finn Wittrock/The Glass Menagerie: +950
Joel Grey/The Cherry Orchard: +950
Jefferson Mays/The Front Page: +950
James Colby/Sweat: +950
Brandon J. Dirden/Jitney: +950
T. Ryder Smith/Oslo: +950
Robert Morse/The Front Page: +1250
Harold Perrineau/The Cherry Orchard: +1250
Jonathan Sayer/The Play That Goes Wrong: +1250
Chuck Cooper The Cherry Orchard: +1250
Adam Dannheisser/Oslo: +1250
Rob Falconer/The Play That Goes Wrong: +1250
Dariush Kashani/Oslo: +1250
Henry Lewis/The Play That Goes Wrong: +1250
Max Gordon Moore/Indecent: +1250
Tom Nelis/Indecent: +1250
Daniel Oreskes/Oslo: +1250
Henry Shields/The Play That Goes Wrong: +1250
Joseph Siravo/Oslo: +1250
Micah Stock/The Front Page: +1250
Greg Tannahill/The Play That Goes Wrong: +1250
Richard Topol/Indecent: +1250
Richard Thomas/The Little Foxes: +1250
Carlo Alban/Sweat: +1250
John Behlmann/Significant Other: +1250