If you are feeling a thrill of exhilaration in Manhattan today, it might just be due to the fact that the 2024 Tony nominations were revealed this morning. Renée Elise Goldsberry and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, stationed at Sofitel New York on West 44th Street, formed an incredibly delightful pair as they announced the categories. With a season brimming with numerous electrifying debuts—as well as esteemed revivals, reunions, and other joyful comebacks—the list of actors, directors, playwrights, composers, and additional theater contributors nominated this year was packed with a variety of thrilling names, ranging from emerging talent to seasoned Broadway professionals.
Within the debut category: Jocelyn Bioh, who entered the Broadway playwriting scene with Jaja’s African Hair Braiding last autumn, was elated over her show’s five nominations (for best new play, best scenic design of a play, best costume design of a play, best sound design of a play, and best direction of a play). “This exceeds any dream I could have envisioned while sitting in a Harlem hair braiding salon as a child,” Bioh expressed. “That little girl never dreamed a day like this could happen, but it is a moment I will always cherish.”
Television writer Bekah Brunstetter, who crafted the book for the innovative musical adaptation of The Notebook by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, also received recognition for her initial Broadway presentation. “I’m back in LA, so I was startled awake early this morning by the BEST KIND OF EARTHQUAKE,” she shared in an email. “Collaborating with Ingrid [Michaelson, who composed the music] on The Notebook has been a genuine partnership in every sense; we constructed this together over the years, so I consider this nomination as something the entire creative team can celebrate jointly as a family. I’m deeply thankful to be part of this extraordinary season of talent.”
Kristoffer Diaz, who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2010, made his own Broadway entry this month with Alicia Keys’s Hell’s Kitchen. In response to his nomination, one of the 13 from that show, he stated, “In the mid-’90s I watched three performances that transformed my life: Rent, Crazy for You, and John Leguizamo’s Spic-O-Rama. Somewhere during that time, I decided that this was what I was going to dedicate my life to. The objective was always Broadway. The goal was always the Tonys. And today, I get to celebrate my show directed by Michael Greif (Rent) in the Shubert Theater (Crazy for You), and John Leguizamo was the first to text his congratulations. It’s incredibly meaningful to be recognized for this show alongside this company… and the best partner I’ve ever collaborated with (Alicia Keys!) and hopefully make New York City proud.”