What does it take to get nominated for a Tony Award? Hard work, talent, luck—all backed up by education and training. Here is a rundown on where the nominees for the 2018 Tony Awards pursued their college studies
Best Play
The Children (Lucy Kirkwood): University of Edinburgh
Farinelli and The King (Claire van Kampen): Royal College of Music
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two (Jack Thorne): University of Cambridge
Junk (Ayad Akhtar): Brown University & Columbia University
Latin History for Morons (John Leguizamo): New York University
Best Book of a Musical
The Band's Visit (Itamar Moses): Yale University& New York University
Frozen (Jennifer Lee): University of New Hampshire
Mean Girls (Tina Fey): University of Virginia
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical (Kyle Jarrow): Yale University
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Angels in America (Adrian Sutton): London University
The Band's Visit (David Yazbek): Brown University
Frozen (Kristen Anderson-Lopez): Williams College and (Robert Lopez): Yale University
Mean Girls (Jeff Richmond): Kent State University and (Nell Benjamin): Harvard University
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., and Domani & Lil'C
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Andrew Garfield (Angels in America): Central School of Speech and Drama
Tom Hollander (Travesties): University of Cambridge
Jamie Parker (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Mark Rylance (Farinelli and The King): Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Denzel Washington (Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh): Fordham University
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Glenda Jackson (Edward Albee's Three Tall Women): Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Condola Rashad (Saint Joan): California Institute of the Arts
Lauren Ridloff (Children of a Lesser God): California State University, Northridge
Amy Schumer (Meteor Shower): Towson University
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Harry Hadden-Paton (My Fair Lady): London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Joshua Henry (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): University of Miami
Tony Shalhoub (The Band's Visit): University of Southern Maine& Yale University
Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): Vassar College
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Lauren Ambrose (My Fair Lady):Boston University & Tanglewood Institute
Hailey Kilgore (Once On This Island): American Musical and Dramatic Academy
LaChanze (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical): University of the Arts
Katrina Lenk (The Band's Visit): Northwestern University
Taylor Louderman(Mean Girls): University of Michigan
Jessie Mueller (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): Syracuse University
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Anthony Boyle (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Michael Cera (Lobby Hero): Did Not Attend College
Brian Tyree Henry (Lobby Hero): Morehouse College& Yale University
Nathan Lane (Angels in America): St. Joseph’s University
David Morse (Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh): William Esper Studio
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Susan Brown (Angels in America): Rose Bruford College
Noma Dumezweni (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): N/A
Deborah Findlay (The Children): University of Leeds
Denise Gough (Angels in America): Academy of Live & Recording Arts
Laurie Metcalf (Edward Albee's Three Tall Women): Illinois State University
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz (My Fair Lady): Webster University & University of Alabama
Alexander Gemignani (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): University of Michigan
Grey Henson (Mean Girls): Carnegie Mellon University
Gavin Lee (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts
Ari'el Stachel (The Band's Visit): New York University
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Ariana DeBose (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical): Western Carolina University
Renée Fleming (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): SUNY Potsdam, Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School
Lindsay Mendez (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): Orange County School of the Arts
Ashley Park (Mean Girls): University of Michigan
Diana Rigg (My Fair Lady): Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether (Edward Albee's Three Tall Women): Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design
Jonathan Fensom (Farinelli and The King): Nottingham Trent University
Christine Jones (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Concordia University& New York University
Santo Loquasto (Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh): King’s College& Yale University
Ian MacNeil: Trinity College and Edward Pierce: Ohio University (Angels in America)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Dane Laffrey (Once On This Island): National Institute of Dramatic Art
Scott Pask (The Band's Visit): University of Arizona & Yale University
Scott Pask: University of Arizona & Yale University, Finn Ross: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama & Adam Young: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Mean Girls)
Michael Yeargan (My Fair Lady): Stetson University & Yale University
David Zinn (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): New York University
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jonathan Fensom,(Farinelli and The King): Nottingham Trent University
Nicky Gillibrand (Angels in America): N/A
Katrina Lindsay (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design
Ann Roth (Edward Albee's Three Tall Women): Carnegie Mellon University
Ann Roth (Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh): Carnegie Mellon University
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes (Mean Girls): San Diego State University& New York University
Clint Ramos (Once On This Island): New York University
Ann Roth (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): Carnegie Mellon University
David Zinn (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): New York University
Catherine Zuber (My Fair Lady): Yale University
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Paule Constable (Angels in America): Goldsmith’s College
Jules Fisher: Carnegie Institute of Technology + Peggy Eisenhauer: Carnegie Mellon University (Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh)
Paul Russell (Farinelli and The King): Lancaster University
Ben Stanton (Junk): University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): University of Texas& California Institute of the Arts
Jules Fisher: Carnegie Institute of Technology+ Peggy Eisenhauer: Carnegie Mellon University(Once On This Island)
Donald Holder (My Fair Lady): University of Maine & Yale University
Brian MacDevitt (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): SUNY Purchase
Tyler Micoleau (The Band's Visit): Bowdoin College
Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork (Travesties): University of Cambridge
Ian Dickinson for Autograph (Angels in America): N/A
Gareth Fry (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Tom Gibbons (1984): Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Dan Moses Schreier (Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh): University of Michigan& Columbia University
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada (The Band's Visit): Yale University
Peter Hylenski (Once On This Island): Carnegie Mellon University
Scott Lehrer (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): Sarah Lawrence University
Brian Ronan (Mean Girls): SUNY Owsego
Walter Trarbach: Boston University and Mike Dobson: University of Hartford (Hartt School) & The New School, (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical)
Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott (Angels in America): Hull University
Joe Mantello (Edward Albee's Three Tall Women): North Carolina School of the Arts
Patrick Marber (Travesties): University of Oxford
John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Glasgow University
George C. Wolfe (Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh): Pomona College & New York University
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden (Once On This Island): The Juilliard School
David Cromer (The Band's Visit): Columbia College Chicago
Tina Landau (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): Yale University & A.R.T at Harvard University
Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls): University of California, Los Angeles
Bartlett Sher (My Fair Lady): College of the Holy Cross
Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli (My Fair Lady): Did not attend college
Christopher Gattelli (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): Did not attend college
Steven Hoggett (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two): Swansea University
Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls): University of California, Los Angeles
Justin Peck (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): School of American Ballet
Best Orchestrations
John Clancy (Mean Girls): University of Hartford (Hartt School)
Tom Kitt (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical): Columbia University
Annmarie Milazzo: N/A & Michael Starobin: Bennington College, (Once On This Island)
Jamshied Sharifi (The Band's Visit) :Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Berklee College of Music
Jonathan Tunick (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel): Bard College & The Juilliard School
