Every triple threat on this list of 2018 Tony Award-nominated musical stars put in a lot of work acting, singing, dancing, and auditioning to get to this point. While some are making their debuts on the Great White Way for the first time, others have been treading the boards for years. Want to know where each of them began and in what roles? Check out this year’s nominees for musical theater’s highest honor (for a list of this year’s nominated actors in plays, click here!).
LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Harry Hadden-Paton, “My Fair Lady”
Playing Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady” marks Hadden-Paton’s Broadway debut, but he is no stranger to theater. On the West End he starred in “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “Flare Path,” and “The Pride.” He is also known for such television roles as Bertie Pelham on “Downton Abbey” and Martin Charteris on “The Crown.” Hadden-Paton has also picked up nominations with the Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards this year.
Joshua Henry, “Carousel”
This Tony nomination could be lucky number three for Henry. Playing conflicted carnival barker Billy Bigelow in Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s poetic musical, Henry shines front and center on the show’s New England shores. Now with eight Broadway credits under his belt, Henry actually made his Broadway debut a decade ago in “In The Heights” in 2008. He was a swing in the ensemble and understudy for the character of Benny.
Tony Shalhoub, “The Band’s Visit”
Now in his eighth Broadway production, Shalhoub stars in his first musical as Tewfiq in “The Band’s Visit.” The masterful actor made his Broadway debut more than three decades ago in “The Odd Couple,” playing Jesus Costazuela in the 1985 Neil Simon revival, which actually starred two women as the unlikely roommates instead of two men. This is Shalhoub’s fourth Tony nod; he received his first nod in 1992 for Best Actor in a Play for Herb Gardner’s “Conversations with My Father.”
Ethan Slater, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical”
Slater is certainly not a “simple sponge” and also far from your average actor, making his Broadway debut in the title role of this new musical based on the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon. Slater comes to the boards from Vassar College and Off-Broadway productions at St. Luke’s Theatre and 59E59.
LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lauren Ambrose, “My Fair Lady”
One of this season’s most exciting leading ladies is rounding out her third Broadway production in Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s “My Fair Lady.” Playing Eliza Doolittle earns Ambrose her first Tony Award nomination. She made her Broadway debut back in 2006 in Clifford Odets’ “Awake and Sing.” Ambrose is also known for her TV role in the HBO series “Six Feet Under,” for which she won two SAG Awards and was nominated two Emmy Awards.
Hailey Kilgore, “Once On This Island”
Kilgore was once “one small girl” but now she is making her Broadway debut in the revival of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s “Once On This Island” as leading lady Ti Moune. Already the 17-year-old actor is making quite a splash. She’s also been nominated for a Chita Rivera, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Award.
LaChanze, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Tony winner LaChanze made her Broadway debut more than three decades ago in “Dreamgirls” in 1987. Now in her eighth Broadway production, the star is playing Disco diva Donna Summer in “Summer,” the new biopic musical. The 1991 original “Once On This Island” brought LaChanze her first Tony Award nomination, but it was her role originating Celie in 2006’s “The Color Purple” that won her the Tony in this category.
Katrina Lenk, “The Band’s Visit”
Now in her fifth Broadway production, Lenk earns her first Tony nomination as Dina in “The Band’s Visit.” Last year she starred in the Tony-winning play “Indecent.” Lenk is also known for her music work in “moxy phinx.” She made her Broadway debut back in 2010 in the revival of William Gibson’s “The Miracle Worker” as an understudy for the roles of Kate Keller and Annie Sullivan.
Taylor Louderman, “Mean Girls”
For playing the meanest of the mean girls, Louderman gets pretty nice recognition with her first Tony nomination for her role as high school queen Regina George. This is her third role on Broadway, after making her debut in 2012 in “Bring It On: The Musical” and kicking up her heels as Laura in “Kinky Boots.” She also starred in the 2014 TV broadcast of “Peter Pan Live” as Wendy.
Jessie Mueller, “Carousel”
If you loved Mueller as Julie Jordan in this “Carousel,” then you will certainly understand her fourth Tony nomination for the role. She earned her first in her 2012 Broadway debut in “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever” as Melina Wells, then went on to star in five other Broadway musicals, winning the top prize in 2014 for her work originating Carole King in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”
READ: Your Official 2018 NYC Theater Awards Calendar
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Norbert Leo Butz, “My Fair Lady”
Butz has had more than a little bit of luck with 11 Broadway shows under his belt. He made his Broadway debut in Jonathan Larson’s “Rent” in 1996, understudying the roles of Roger Davis and Mark Cohen and then eventually replacing as Rodger. His first Tony nomination came in 2002 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Camille Raquin in “Thou Shalt Not.” Butz went on to win two Tonys, for “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Catch Me If You Can.”
Alexander Gemignani, “Carousel”
Gemignani made his debut on the Great White Way back 1996 in “Chicago” as Billy Flynn. Since then he’s done nine more productions. Now as Enoch Snow in his tenth, “Carousel,” he’s finally earned his first Tony nomination. Gemignani is also developing multiple new musicals as a music director with The Public Theater and the Roundabout Theater Company. This fall he will begin work as the artistic director of the National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
Grey Henson, “Mean Girls”
Helping to bring Tina Fey’s film favorite “Mean Girls” from screen to stage is Henson, who plays high schooler Damien Hubbard. He made his Broadway debut in 2011 in “The Book Of Mormon,” where he originated the role of Elder McKinley in the musical’s first national tour. For bringing the house down in the role of Damien, he is nominated for his first Tony.
Gavin Lee, “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical”
Lee knows how to get a leg up on the theater season—in “SpongeBob” he plays Squidward Q. Tentacles. The role comes with a costume complete with multiple legs that makes for a winning tap routine in “I Am Not a Loser.” In his 2006 Broadway debut as Bert in “Mary Poppins,” Lee first became known for taking tap to new heights. For the number “Step in Time,” Lee danced up and around the proscenium of the New Amsterdam stage. That fancy footwork got him his first Tony Award nomination for Best featured actor in a musical. For Squidward, he earns his second in the category.
Ari’el Stachel, “The Band’s Visit”
Stachel is making his Broadway debut in Itamar Moses and David Yazbeck’s quietly powerful musical as Haled. Like his fellow Tony nominees Lenk and Shalhoub, Stachel originated the role Off-Broadway with the Atlantic Theater Company, and earned a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nomination in the process. Stachel has also appeared on the small screen on “Blue Bloods” and “Jessica Jones.”
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Ariana DeBose, “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”
Broadway audiences have been cheering for DeBose since she made her debut in 2012 in “Bring It On: The Musical” as Nautica, opposite Louderman. “Summer” is her sixth Broadway credit. She appeared previously in another screen-to-stage adaptation, the musical “A Bronx Tale.” Debose was also in the original cast of “Hamilton,” but it is her role as the queen of Disco for which she earns her first Tony Award nomination.
Renée Fleming, “Carousel”
Fleming has performed all over the world as a renowned opera soprano. She is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and has won multiple Grammy Awards. But playing Nettie Fowler in “Carousel” is actually her first Broadway musical, and the role has earned her her first Tony nod. Fleming made her Broadway debut in Joe DiPietro’s 2015 comedic play “Living On Love.”
Lindsay Mendez, “Carousel”
Fresh from her run in last season’s “Significant Other,” Lindsay Mendez is back for another Broadway ride as Carrie Pipperidge, earning her first recognition from Tony nominators. Mendez made her Broadway debut more than a decade ago as Jan, a Pink Lady, in the 2007 revival of “Grease.” She went on to star in the revival of Stephen Schwartz’s “Godspell” and play Elphaba in “Wicked.”
Ashley Park, "Mean Girls”
Park not only made “fetch” happen in “Mean Girls” on Broadway, she also got her first Tony nod. Last season she starred in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George.” Now in her fourth Broadway production, Park made her debut in “Mamma Mia” in 2001 in the ensemble and as a replacement for the character Ali.
Diana Rigg, “My Fair Lady”
Dame Rigg is entertainment royalty: the U.K. native was made a Dame in 1994 for work in the dramatic arts. She is known for 1960’s TV series role Emma Peel on “The Avengers,” and she is even a former Bond Girl—and first and only Bond wife. Rigg has also recently starred in the HBO series “Game of Thrones.” On Broadway, she made her debut in 1971 as Heloise in Ronald Millar’s “Abelard and Heloise.” The role garnered her first of four Tony Award nominations—a win coming nearly two decades later for the title role in Alistair Elliot’s translation of Euripides’ “Medea.” Now she’s back for the first time in nearly a quarter century as Mrs. Higgins in the revival of Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady.”
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