Read the full list of 2017 Tony Award nominations here.

Bette Midler, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Hello, Dolly!
“I am so delighted and proud to be nominated for a Tony Award, and I hope to hell I win! And if I don't, I will still have had the most extraordinary experience of my career playing that damned exasperating woman, Dolly Gallagher Levi, in one of the greatest productions of Hello, Dolly! this old world has ever seen. I'm very grateful to the American Theater Wing and the Broadway League—and most especially to everyone at the Shubert Theatre who makes me look so good every single night.”

Michelle Wilson, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, Sweat
“I can tell you with 100 percent truth I was still asleep. I set the clock and fell back asleep, thinking, ‘I’m just gonna snooze.’ And woke up and my phone was going crazy. I didn’t trust it and we actually had to fact check. [My friends] are a shady bunch! [Laughs] Nothing said, ‘You were nominated!’ just a bunch of emojis and clap backs and ‘Uh-huh, I knew it!’ And tonight I get to do this show I’m completely mad about. A beautiful, necessary, urgent show. A show that is about the necessity of art and getting some clarity in this insane world. All Lynn Nottage, so great, so human. And the way that Kate Whoriskey pulled us all together as a true ensemble.”

Kate Baldwin, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Hello, Dolly!

“I was saying goodbye to my son at school and my phone started buzzing in my pocket. I turned around and my husband Graham Rowat, who’s in Sunset Boulevard right now, had pulled up the Tony website on his phone. I was thrilled to see myself nominated with all those wonderful ladies.

“It’s encouragement. It feels like I chose the right career after all! You go through the ups and downs of this career, and it’s so much fun to celebrate the ups. It feels like I’m part of a community that cares. I care so deeply about new work and spreading the lessons that shows like Hello, Dolly! can teach us, which is to persevere and seek out life.”

Gavin Creel, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Hello, Dolly!
“I turned to my boyfriend and I was, like, ‘Oh my goodness, I think I just got nominated!’ All I got were two texts. One was from Jen Simard, our amazing Ernestine, and all it said was ‘Yaaaas!’ I didn’t know if that was for the show or because she just woke up and felt happy…

“[Andrew Rannells and I] used to live next door to each other in two 250-square-foot studios in midtown that literally shared a wall. I remember him coming to my house and doing monologues for me for auditions and stuff. Neither of us knew we were doing in our lives. If you had whispered in our ears then, ‘Hey, guess what? Someday you’re both going to be nominated for a Tony, (A), and (B), you’re going to be in the same category!’ Over the next month we’re going to kill each other! We’re going to fight! We’re going to be vile to each other! We can’t wait! We’re going to invent the worst feud you’ve ever seen. It’s going to be a blast. We’re going to have such a good time. Winning is done. This morning I won. The rest is just a party.”

Eva Noblezada, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Miss Saigon

“I started crying, then I called my boyfriend and my mom. While my publicist was giving me all the numbers to call for the interviews, I just started cleaning the house. I didn’t know how to react. I’m so overwhelmed. To be nominated is a win—to be out there with those kinds of people—I really don’t know how to react. I’m in shock. I think now I can just enjoy the next few weeks and the show can enjoy the recognition that everyone in the cast deserves. This is a win for me. I’m still not quite over the fact that I’m on Broadway—that’s been a dream since I was a little girl. It’s all really crazy but I try to take it with grace.”

Johanna Day, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, Sweat
“I’m out of my mind! I’m still in my pajamas and I think I might take a nap soon. I can’t wait to go see my cast and we love each other so much. Considering the content of the show, we actually have a really great time. It’s really good that we love each other. It’s the most remarkable group of people I’ve ever been involved with and it’s one of the top, most-important shows I’ve ever done. And I feel like the world needs to see it and soon. I’m just so happy for Lynn and Michelle!”

Corey Hawkins, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, Six Degrees of Separation
“Ahhh! I am incredibly honored to celebrate the Tony Nomination of Six Degrees of Separation for Best Revival of a Play. I am so grateful to John Guare for giving us this beautiful gem that has stood the test of time. To Trip Cullman for brilliantly leading this powerful production. I'm in awe of this beautiful troupe of talented individuals that comprise this gifted cast—Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey—they are family and my foundation. How fortunate are we to call ourselves ‘story tellers.’ I congratulate the entire team behind Six Degrees of Separation and all of the deserving nominees this year. I am a lucky guy!”

Lucas Steele, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
“I am extremely humbled to be part of a community that has supported and guided me over many years. I stand on the shoulders of an incredible team of artists both onstage and off, who inspire me beyond my limits on a nightly basis. To be recognized alongside those whose wonderful work I have admired from afar, is a blessing I will forever carry in my heart.”

Mimi Lien, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
“I feel excited and grateful to all the people involved, all my collaborators, and the performers who bravely and generously go out there every night in this crazy environment that we’ve made. It means a lot, especially for the producers who really encouraged us to dream big. It feels really exciting to have done something like this in a Broadway theatre.”

Rachel Bay Jones, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen
“I started smiling and I haven’t stopped right now. I just started crying five minutes ago. I’m a little slow! What’s so incredibly significant for me… Just the beautiful show that we’ve all poured our hearts into and has been received with such love from this community and from everyone who comes to see it. It’s so incredibly meaningful that these characters are so humble and flawed and broken and healed, and to have them be celebrated in this way is just extraordinary.”

Christopher Ashley, Best Direction of a Musical, Come From Away
“[I’m] absolutely happy and really honored. I’m happy for the cast and the creative team of Come From Away, and so glad for the La Jolla Playhouse that we were nominated for Best Musical, as well as Indecent for Best Play. It’s been such a passion project for me and for the whole team. The story of what happened in Gander, Newfoundland is just so inspiring, to see what people are capable of. Especially with the way the world is now, it’s so satisfying to be telling a story about taking care of strangers.”

Jenn Colella, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Come From Away
“I was thrilled to see my name on the Tony nomination list this morning, absolutely! I'm also elated for my entire cast and creative team!! We all work as a unit, a close knit family, and I cannot wait to get to the theatre tonight to celebrate with everyone.”

Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Best Original Score, Come From Away
IS: “We were sitting in our living room eating cookies with our daughter, and it was a little like a sporting event—whenever a nomination would happen we would scream out Yay!”

DH: “We had to explain to our daughter what was going on. She’s three and a half, so I don’t think she totally got what a nomination party is but she got that there were cookies for breakfast.”

DH: “We’re overwhelmed. It’s such a good testament to our entire team. Everyone’s been working so hard on the show for the past six years and we’ve been through five cities. To have all of this be recognized is so good and we’re so proud of everyone. We Facetimed with all of the people who inspired our show [in Gander, Newfoundland] and they were all cheering.”

Sam Pinkleton, Best Choreography, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
“The first call I got was actually my student loans reminding me that I owed them money so the whole thing was kind of a mess. But still, thrilling! It’s insane to be nominated for a Tony Award! Anybody who says that it isn’t insane is lying and doesn’t feel human sensation! I love Great Comet so much, it’s so meaningful that it’s that show, and that it was recognized in the way that it was.”

Bradley King, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

“I am still totally, totally in shock about the whole thing. Firstly, to be nominated with so many brilliant artists whom I considered mentors more than colleagues is immensely exciting and profoundly humbling. Secondly, I am so so proud of our entire team: Dave, Rachel, Sam, Mimi, Paloma, and our sound designer Nick Pope deserves a special shout-out as well. I could never have dreamed that when we were in our tiny little Ars Nova home five years ago that we'd be sitting here today. I'm sure the reality of the day is going to hit me eventually, but I'm just going to float up here on this cloud until then!”

Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters, Producer Present Laughter, Falsettos, Groundhog Day
“All of us at Jujamcyn are so grateful that Present Laughter, Falsettos and Groundhog Day have been so warmly embraced by the Tony nominators today. We are celebrating every person who has a hand in making these extraordinary shows and every person in our theatres who creates the remarkable experience for audiences every night. And of course, we're celebrating a thrilling Broadway season!”

J.T. Rogers, Best Play, Oslo
“I’m a bit floored, to put it mildly. As an American playwright, I couldn’t be more flipping happy. Today I’m going to the doctors—I have a terrible sinus infection—but after I get my steroids I’m going to try to make my way up to see the show. This has been the most extraordinary group of people I’ve ever had the privilege of working with and I’m thrilled.”

Rob Howell, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Groundhog Day
“I am thrilled. I only wish I was in New York now at The August Wilson theatre, with my Groundhog Day friends. Everyone there deserves a piece of this nomination. Onstage and backstage, champions all.”

Ben Platt, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen
“I’ve been in love with musical theater since I was 6 years old and grew up anxiously awaiting Tony night on my TV screen each year. To now be included in this beautiful tradition is thrilling and humbling. I’ve always dreamt of being a part of this community, and to do so through the creation of new work alongside my incredible Dear Evan Hansen family is a full dream come true.”

Danny Rubin, Best Book of a Musical, Groundhog Day
“It made me very happy. Everybody worked so hard and you like to see that recognized. I watched them all work that hard so I’m very glad they get some recognition.

“The challenge of working on the book for the adaptation…Making it as wonderful as the movie was always the goal post—to make it at least as wonderful and hopefully more wonderful. To try to give people the same delightful experience that they had with the movie, only now with singing!”

Michael Greif, Best Direction of a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen
“The Tony Awards website froze but luckily my daughter, who is incredible at getting any kind of information at any time, was able to let me know what was happening. Of course, I’m really happy for my colleagues at Dear Evan Hansen and at War Paint for their spectacular work being recognized.”

David Korins, Best Scenic of a Musical, War Paint
“I was very excited. To hear it come from Christopher Jackson—who is a dear friend—was also exciting. It felt very satisfying. I have a lot of shows this season so I was pulling for so many groups of people. It’s always such an amazing day.

“I really feel like this War Paint nomination is a huge collaborative effort. [Costume designer] Catherine Zuber and [lighting designer] Kenneth Posner, who were my design teammates on this show, are both people who I’ve looked up to for so long. To count them as collaborators and friends is already just exciting and a win. To be able to make such specific, nuanced worlds with them for this piece—a show that I really love and is very close to me—is incredibly satisfying. This is what we all dream about. When I was a little kid I dreamed about two things: playing in the NBA and the Tony Awards. I didn’t grow beyond six-foot two, so I guess I’m doing [theatre]!”

Sam Gold, Best Direction of a Play, A Doll’s House, Part Two
“You always think these awards are unfair because it takes everyone on the show to make the show special, so on a day like today when everyone in the cast is nominated, it feels like such an amazing time. And today is my daughter’s fifth birthday so I’m wrapping birthday presents and trying to fit a birthday party in between celebrations for the show.”

Rebecca Taichman, Best Direction of a Play, Indecent
“It’s overwhelming and thrilling. I’m honored to be part of an extraordinary group here and it just feels miraculous. But reflective of a tremendous amount of hard work over a very long time. And it’s wonderful to have that work recognized. It’s f***ing cool! [Laughs] How’s that for honest? And no, I was not asleep. Paula and I were texting back and forth very early in the morning. Reminiscing over the process. And she watched and I did not, so it was nice news to get through her.

“The play feels so important right now, in a way I would never have hoped or wished it would be. So it culminated at the right moment, potentially the most meaningful moment. And when you think of the cast and company of God of Vengeance in 1923 and on their opening night they were all tossed in jail—the memory of this life of this play is something I’ve cared about for a very long time. So to have taken care of that memory and to have kept it alive, that means the most. I’m going to go see the play and hopefully take them out for a nice celebratory toast and raise a glass. And hopefully get to Daryl’s office and give her a great big hug.”

Christian Borle, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Falsettos
“I’m thrilled. I was more thrilled for my other fellow Falsetto-ans. I think it’s going to be such a blast over the next month to be able to hang out with them again. I love them so much. We are all so damned proud of it. We loved every minute of it, and poured our hearts and souls into it. Which, I have to say, was its own reward. Which is what it should be, I think. But it’s always nice at the end of a long season to have someone pat you on the back. That’s not a horrible thing.”

Andrew Rannells, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Falsettos
“I was so excited—first of all that the show was remembered, because shows that aren’t running sometimes get forgotten. I was anxious to see if it was going to be nominated. Also, Gavin Creel is one of my oldest and best friends, so I was so happy to see his name come up. As well as Brandon Uranowitz, I couldn’t have expected that we’d both be nominated, and I was so pleased that we were.

“Seeing Falsettos [featured] in the Tony Awards in 1992 was a huge reason as to why I wanted to pursue musical theatre and be an actor in musical theatre, so all this time later, to get to play this part and perform that show—particularly with James Lapine directing it—saying it’s a dream come true does not even do it justice. It’s so much more than I ever thought was possible.”

Mike Faist, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen
“My knees are still a little weak and wobbly at the moment. It’s a lot to take in. It’s a huge honor. I’ve been doing this show for three years and it’s gone through many iterations and my role has changed quite a bit throughout that. I’ve had to let ego fall to the wayside and just trust that I’m in a room with people who are much smarter than me, who know what they’re doing, and who aren’t going to leave me astray. Luckily, everybody’s been extremely dedicated—200 percent—to this show for the past three years. The hardest part for me was—I’ve had waves with my own self worth, especially in this industry, where I was wondering whether I’m really meant to be doing what I’m doing. Doing this show for the past three years has been quite a challenge, and has continued to challenge my craft, but also me as a human being. A nomination is fine but I’m just happy and joyful to be a part of this show. I’ve learned a tremendous amount by doing Dear Evan Hansen.”

John Douglas Thompson, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, Jitney
“I feel great, I feel really happy for Jitney, for August Wilson, for Ruben. Just the production—we closed in early March and to still be recognized I think is quite an achievement. It was great because there were certainly, from my perspective, no real expectations. I knew people liked the play but I knew we had closed. So I said, ‘It’d just be nice if we were to get best revival.’ I knew people were talking we closed a long time ago, and there’s been great work on Broadway since and I’ve seen a lot of it!”

Lucas Hnath, Best Play, A Doll’s House, Part 2
“I was in bed, trying to turn away from the phone and imagine the nominations were not being announced. But at 8:33 I got an email from Scott Rudin and that’s how I found out. Today I think I’m going to write, because I haven’t gotten to write anything new in a while so that seems like a good way to celebrate. And then dinner at Mission Chinese. The thing that actually makes me so happy is the whole cast got nominated, so I want to see all of them. So I might stop by and say hi. Today feels like a good day to stop by.”

Matthew Warchus, Best Direction of a Musical, Groundhog Day
“What an absolute delight to receive this recognition in a season so crammed with terrific work. I applaud the huge achievements of the other nominated new musicals—all of which I loved—and feel honored to share the season with them. Groundhog Day’s inclusion in today's nominations is a testament to a phenomenal cast and crew who Tim, Danny and I completely adore.”

Andy Karl, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Groundhog Day
“I’m so happy for the show and so happy to be representing it myself also. It’s my third nomination, which is astounding, and not something I could have dreamed of as a kid.

“This role means a lot to me personally and professionally. It was such an unexpected joy, [from] that first time I got the script in my hand, and I’ve stuck with it since… When the injury happened during previews, it was just something to overcome. I knew I needed to stick with that old saying: ‘The show must go on.’ Being there for this cast and crew, who have supported me so much through all the craziness, and to represent with a nomination is really exciting for me.”

Richard Thomas, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, The Little Foxes
“I just got up a half an hour ago. So it was a really interesting way to wake up. My wife said, ‘Wow, you got a lot of phone calls. I hope one of our kids isn’t in trouble!’ But what a surprise, really wonderful and very unexpected. I’m very happy. It’s a wonderful part and I’ve had a grand time doing it. And the guys I’m nominated with are great. I’m still a little bit befuddled, but I’m going to enjoy the day. And the best part is to go to the theatre and do it. You just have to make sure your performance isn’t way over the top.”

Danny DeVito, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, The Price
“It’s a beautiful morning. My daughter called me this morning, a friend texted me, I was asleep. It’s a great honor and I’m speechless. Thinking about it, it’s overwhelming. I’ve been having a great time with Mark, and Jessica, and Tony with this great play. So I’m really fortunate right there and to be honored like this. I’m very happy. I’m gonna go to work tonight, I’m very excited. We have two weeks on the show left and usually I’ll have a little lunch and go down to the theatre early and everyone will be excited and we’ll celebrate.”

Brandon Uranowitz, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Falsettos
“I started shaking. I have to say, having been closed for a while in a really heavy, very talented season of really good work, I was almost sure my work specifically would have gotten lost in the shuffle. But I was just kind of relieved and I’m just excited that we get to have this little mini Falsettos reunion again as we go through the next month up to the Tonys.

“While we were doing the show we really felt like we were touching people and moving people, and making an impact on the community and on our audiences. And it was a little sad for us because we were such a limited run when we closed, that we wouldn’t get to tell that story any more. But it’s nice now to just know and have the validation that that work had a longer impact than we thought maybe it did in that short little run that we had. So I’m just happy to see that everybody’s work is getting recognized and the show is getting recognized, and it really did speak to people in a way that’s still getting recognized.”

Laurie Metcalf, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play, A Doll’s House, Part 2
“I’m looking forward to getting over to the show tonight and congratulating everyone else. We’re a tight little fun company. We’ve always had a lot of fun with the show, so I’m just so happy there are four [performance] nominations right there. And for Lucas [Hnath] and Sam [Gold]. And costume and lighting! Pretty good for a straight play.”

Jayne Houdyshell, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, A Doll’s House, Part 2
“I’m very very happy and delighted that our entire company was nominated. That’s the best, most amazing gift ever. It’s just really lovely because we all, to an equal degree, love doing this show and we all love each other so it’s very nice that we’ve all been granted this lovely honor.

[Tonight] the kind of energy around a production that is so universally embraced in terms of all the categories, the energy will probably be quite buoyant and happy around the theatre. Not to say that we aren’t anyway—we’re a happy cast and we love doing this play but I’m sure tonight will be an extra lightness in everyone’s steps. And it’s so thrilling that nominators and audiences have embraced it.”

Tim Minchin, Best Original Score, Groundhog Day
“It’s such an amazing year, as we all know, and it’s been a really long, tough ride with Andy Karl’s injury and the toll it took. [Also], just how hard we worked—how hard anybody works to open a show on Broadway. I was sitting on a train in Germany, going between Berlin and Paris, and I just burst into tears. I was a lot more tied up [in the show] than I realized. I’m thrilled.

“Being on Broadway for a second time is so far beyond my wildest dreams. To be recognized amongst this year’s shows is amazing, especially coming into the season late. You feel a bit like you might get lost. It’s unbelievably cool. I’m really excited to be a part of it this year. I guess I was so naïve last time, and now I realize how rare it is to be able to get here, and how many hurdles you have to overcome. There was a point a couple of weeks ago—when Andy Karl hurt his knee—where I thought the gods just didn’t want this show to go on.”

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Best Original Score, Dear Evan Hansen
“It’s been such a great season on Broadway for musicals. This show has been part of our lives for almost eight years, so it’s wonderful to get to be a part of this season and celebrate these nominations with so many members of the Dear Evan Hansen team and so many of our friends and colleagues working on other shows.”

Steven Levenson, Best Book of a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen
“I’m so overwhelmed. This is obviously a dream come true. To even call it a dream is strange—I never expected this to happen. I feel incredibly gratified and humbled by this. I’m so happy for all of the people—who make this show what it is—that got recognized. It’s an incredible morning.

“I’ll never forget our first preview at Arena Stage in Washington D.C, when we put it in front of an audience for the first time. We were so terrified of what it was going to be, and had no idea what to expect. When we felt the audience going with the story, I just remember sitting there with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and thinking: ‘Maybe we do have something here.’ We’d already been working for so many years and it felt like we were on the right track after all.”

Paula Vogel, Best Play, Indecent
“It feels wonderful. It feels amazing. It really feels… uplifting. I really see it as happening because I have this extraordinary company and Rebecca Taichman and all of the people who have been producing and supporting it. And it really feels like a collective shot in the arm.

“[Making my Broadway debut now] allows me to be a little more at peace with How I Learned to Drive, and a little more hopeful that the plays I wrote in the last 30 years will have another life. All of those things are great, but it’s phenomenal this year because I really, really respect all of the writers who have been nominated. So there’s this wonderful sense of, ‘I get to be in this group!’”

Lynn Nottage, Best Play, Sweat
“The thing I was most thrilled about was Johanna Day and Michelle Wilson were both nominated. I literally burst into tears when I saw that, and I was thrilled they were recognized. The only thing I’m sad about is the magnificent work of Kate Whoriskey was not acknowledged. [Later today] Kate and myself and the full team are working on this performance piece in Reading, [PA], so that’s our way of celebrating—plunging back into work. Doing what we do.”

Condola Rashad, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, A Doll’s House, Part 2
“Thank you to the Broadway League and The American Theater Wing for honoring our cast and fearless leaders, Sam Gold and Lucas Hnath! I visited my mother on my day off, woke up in my childhood room to this news, and the most surreal and amazing part of this morning was walking downstairs to find my mother and say ‘Mom, guess what?!’ One of the proudest daughter moments of my life as of yet. Thank you.”

Stephanie J. Block, Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role a Musical, Falsettos

“When I think that Falsettos has four acting nominations and Best Revival, three months after we closed, it’s thrilling. [It must have] made an impression on the committee. There’s no greater feeling. As an actor you always think, ‘Holy cow I hope that I could [be nominated] and that [the show] stayed with people and moved them.’ I also think that with a show like Falsettos, in this political climate and time, we could hear the audience reactions—could hear them sobbing—and feel that effect on a nightly basis. We really hoped and prayed that what we had felt [from the audience] every night at the Walter Kerr, would still resonate three months after we closed. I couldn’t be more pleased.

Laura Linney, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play, The Little Foxes
“I am so very proud to be a part of The Little Foxes and this magnificent company. What a terrific year for new plays and revivals. Hooray for all of us!”

Nigel Hook, Best Scenic Design of a Play, The Play That Goes Wrong
“I’m amazed and totally thrilled to be nominated. It was beyond exciting to make my debut on Broadway with The Play That Goes Wrong company, especially excited to be at the Lyceum with its decades of Broadway Theatre history.

“I used to joke in my program notes that I had sung and danced on Broadway, at the Met and in La Scala Milan. All true, but mostly when nobody could see or hear. Now I can add ‘onstage on Broadway,’ happily the building was nearly empty and the lights were mostly off!

“A vast amount of work from a huge number of people goes into the production of even the simplest play. This is not a simple play, beware (like Winston) it bites!”

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