Clooney, Denzel, Nicole, Patti: Inside Broadway's big off-stage drama ahead of the Tonys

There's never a shortage of drama on Broadway. However, this Tony season has taken things to a whole new level.
And with records for both ticket prices and box-office grosses having been broken this year, there's more at stake than ever for Sunday's ceremony, which will be held at Radio City and air live on CBS starting at 8 p.m., as well as stream on Paramount+ and Showtime.
Some huge-name stars (hello, Denzel Washington) are said to be hurting from snubs,. while others who are nominated — sorry, George Clooney — already know they won't win.
19 Three-time Tony winner Patti LuPone isn't even nominated for a Tony this year, but she's starred in some blockbuster drama, causing such a stir that 500 Broadway artists signed an open letter condemning her words.
FilmMagic
But even if you are an A-list Hollywood actor, 'Just because you're on stage does not entitle you to a Tony nomination. The disappointment quotient is higher [this year] and it makes it more interesting,' one Tonys insider told The Post.
'In years past, perhaps the caliber of nominees wasn't really as high or exciting. Competition wasn't as great as it is this year.'
Nor were the off-stage theatrics.
Three-time Tony winner Patti LuPone, never known for keeping her opinions to herself, isn't even nominated this year — but kicked off such a storm that 500 Broadway artists signed an open letter condemning her words. And that messy situation might even end up influencing voters in the heated category of Best Actress in a Musical.
19 'Sunset Boulevard' star Nicole Scherzinger, meanwhile, is a frontrunner to take home the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Mike Djordj / SplashNews.com
19 Sources told The Post 'Gypsy' star Audra Mcdonald (left, in 'Mahogonny' in 2007 in Los Angeles) could garner sympathy from Tony voters after LuPone (right) bashed her as 'not a friend' to The New Yorker in May.
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The common expectation until recently was that Nicole Scherzinger, up for 'Sunset Boulevard,' had her Tony in the bag. But in the past two weeks, insiders have been buzzing about McDonald's momentum.
That's because she's been in the headlines for reasons no star wants.
It all began last year, when LuPone — who was co-starring with Mia Farrow in 'The Roommate' at the Booth Theatre on 45th Street — called in a noise complaint to Shubert Organization head Robert Wankel about 'Hell's Kitchen,' the Alicia Keys musical starring Kecia Lewis and playing at the Shubert Theatre on 44th, which shares a wall with the Booth.
19 'Othello' stars Denzel Washington (left) and Jake Gyllenhaal are said to be hurting from snubs.
CJ Rivera/Invision/AP
Lewis, speaking as one 'veteran' to another, posted an 'open letter' video in November, deeming LuPone's behavior 'bullying,' 'racially microaggressive,' and 'rooted in privilege' for calling 'a black show loud.'
McDonald then showed support for Lewis on Instagram, which apparently annoyed LuPone, who she has shared the stage many times.
'That's typical of Audra. She's not a friend,' LuPone told the New Yorker in an interview, published in late May, that totally rocked the Broadway community.
19 LuPone complained about the neighboring show, 'Hell's Kitchen,' for being too noisy last year when she starred in 'The Roommate' at The Booth Theatre.
AFP via Getty Images
When the magazine's writer asked LuPone what she thought about McDonald as Mama Rose in 'Gypsy' — a role LuPone played in a 2008 revival — the actress sat quietly before changing the subject and replying, 'What a beautiful day.'
She went on to trash Lewis, saying, 'She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the f–k she's talking about.
'She's done seven,' LuPone added of the 'Hell's Kitchen' star. 'I've done 31. Don't call yourself a vet, bitch.'
19 Following LuPone's complaint, 'Hell's Kitchen' star Kecia Lewis lashed out at her in an 'open letter' video posted in November, calling LuPone's behavior 'bullying' and 'rooted in privilege' for calling 'a black show loud.'
Instagram / @therealkecialewis
You could practically hear jaws hitting the stages all around Times Square.
'People are thinking that the New Yorker profile on Patti LuPone was akin to the [former FBI director James] Comey emails about Hillary Clinton,' the Tonys insider joked to The Post.
It led to more than 500 Broadway artists, ranging from Tony winners like Wendell Pierce to wild cards like Courtney Love, putting their names to an open letter condemning LuPone.
19 LuPone trashed Kecia Lewis (above) in The New Yorker, saying, 'She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the f–k she's talking about.'
Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
19 McDonald (left) came to Lewis' defense on social media, putting her in LuPone's crosshairs.
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
'This language is not only degrading and misogynistic — it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect,' the letter said. 'It constitutes bullying. It constitutes harassment. It is emblematic of the microaggressions and abuse that people in this industry have endured for far too long, too often without consequence.'
This led to an apology via social media by LuPone, who said, 'I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview.'
'She's [LuPone] a very outspoken person – no news flash there. It's certainly her fault for choosing her words incorrectly,' the Tonys insider said.
19 LuPone issued an apology on social media, saying she was 'deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful.'
19 One Tony's insider told The Post of LuPone: 'She's a very outspoken person – no news flash there. It's certainly her fault for choosing her words incorrectly.'
Getty Images for Disney
Now, a Broadway source explained, the negative headlines might have the consequence of generating Tony voter sympathy for McDonald.
'Pre Patti LuPone drama, I would have said Nicole had [the Tony],' the Broadway source said. 'But after Patti went after Audra, people are saying it may help Audra in the long run.'
Meanwhile, sources told The Post that McDonald, 54, was unhappy last month when she was unwittingly enlisted to present a Drama League award to 'Sunset Boulevard' star Nicole Scherzinger, who is up against McDonald at the Tonys.
19 George Clooney's 'Good Night, and Good Luck' set, then broke, a new record for the highest grossing week for a Broadway play, taking in more than $4.2 million in sales last week.
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
There were 51 actors up for the League's Distinguished Performance honor, meaning there was less than a 2% chance McDonald had to present to her rival.
'They've been pitted against each other the entire season. She [McDonald] felt uncomfortable doing it, but ultimately went about doing it,' the Broadway source told The Post.
Playing Mama Rose — which the Tonys insider compared to 'the 'Hamlet' and 'King Lear' of musical theater roles combined' — apparently hasn't been easy for McDonald, who, sources say, has missed several performances of the grueling show due to exhaustion.
19 The other big earner has been 'Othello,' starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, which made eyes water with box-office ticket prices that went above $900.
Othello
'When Audra misses [a show] it's because she literally cannot perform — otherwise she'd be on that stage. It is Olympian,' the Tonys insider said, adding that Tony-nominated actors are 'doing the shows every night and by day they're campaigning.'
Still, the Tonys insider pointed out one difference between McDonald and rival Scherzinger's 'Sunset Boulevard' run: 'Nicole has never missed a show.'
Scherzinger, meanwhile, had her own mini-scandal when some accused her of being pro-MAGA after she commented on a photo of Russell Brand wearing a hat with the phrase 'Make Jesus First Again' — posting prayer hands and heart emoji and asking, 'Where do I get this hat?'
19 As for Best Actor in a Play, there is apparently no doubt that the 'Oh, Mary' phenomenon, Cole Escola, will walk away with the trophy.19 Escola, 38, wrote and has starred in 'Oh, Mary!' as Mary Todd Lincoln.
AP
The actress later said in a statement, 'I deeply apologize for the hurt caused by my recent engagement with some social media posts. When I commented on these posts, I made the mistake of not realizing that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related and I apologize to anyone who understandably reached that conclusion.'
The Tonys insider called the whole thing nonsense, adding that Scherzinger is 'a devout Catholic. She's all about prayer. Nicole lives in her own world [and] she couldn't be further from the MAGA world. For her to get painted as MAGA is such BS.'
As for Best Actor in a Play, there is apparently no doubt that the 'Oh, Mary' phenomenon, Cole Escola, will walk away with the trophy. In fact, sources said, it's such a sure thing that fellow nominee George Clooney, nominated for 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' threw in the towel a while ago.
19 Nicole Scherzinger had her own mini-scandal when some accused her of being pro-MAGA after she commented on a photo of Russell Brand wearing a hat with the phrase 'Make Jesus First Again.'
Getty Images
19 A Tony's insider said Scherzinger is 'a devout Catholic. She's all about prayer. Nicole lives in her own world [and] she couldn't be further from the MAGA world. For her to get painted as MAGA is such BS.'
Marc Brrenner
'Clooney was campaigning, but then realized Cole Escola has it in the bag, so he stopped,' the Tonys insider said.
Clooney's 'Good Night, and Good Luck' set, then broke, a new record for the highest grossing week for a Broadway play, taking in more than $4.2 million in sales last week.
The other big earner has been 'Othello,' starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, which made eyes water with box-office ticket prices that went above $900. (When The Post's Johnny Oleksinski wrote a column criticizing those prices, he was disinvited from reviewing the show but did so anyway by purchasing a ticket rather than relying on the comps typically given to reviewers.)
19 'Clooney was campaigning, but then realized Cole Escola has it in the bag, so he stopped,' the Tonys insider said.
REUTERS
Gyllenhaal and Washington, however, were not nominated for Tonys — a fact Washington's wife, Pauletta Washington, told reporters was due to 'narrow-minded people that are in charge of making decisions and judgements.'
'This is one of those great years where people who are giving Tony Award-caliber performances didn't even make the cut during nominations. And that's the way it should be,' the Tonys insider said.
Another surprise snub was Kieran Culkin for his role in the revival of 'Glengarry Glen Ross.' But we're told the actor will host a Tonys after-party at Pebble Bar to celebrate his former 'Succession' co-star Sarah Snook, who is said to have a strong shot at winning Best Actress in a Play for portraying 26 characters in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray.'
19 Another surprise snub was Kieran Culkin for his role in the revival of 'Glengarry Glen Ross.'
FilmMagic
19 We're told Culkin will host a Tonys after-party at Pebble Bar to celebrate his former 'Succession' co-star Sarah Snook, seen here.
Marc Brenner
As always, the hottest ticket in town is not the awards show itself, but power publicist Rick Miramontez's legendarily raucous and hard-to-get-into bash at The Carlyle. The Post is told the party will have a tighter, even more exclusive guest list this year
And after the high drama of this season, everyone on Broadway might need a stiff drink or three.
'It's been a fun season but also a grueling season,' the Tonys insider said. 'Everyone will be in the mood to party.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Hill

33 minutes ago

• The Hill

Taylor Mac's ‘Prosperous Fools' skewers wealthy philanthropists in a biting satire

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Mac does not set out to bite the hand that feeds in a new play satirizing cultural philanthropy. The MacArthur 'genius grant' recipient claims to be 'just trying to get some lipstick on it.' Set at a not-for-profit dance company's gala, 'Prosperous Fools' invites questions about the moral value of philanthropy in a society denounced by the comedy as 'feudal.' A boorish patron goes mad trying vainly to wield his lacking creative capital and thus confirms the choreographer's fears of selling out to a sleazy oligarch who represents everything his art opposes. The show, written by Mac and directed by Darko Tresnjak, runs through June 29 at Brooklyn's Polonsky Shakespeare Center. 'I'm not trying to hurt anybody. I'm trying to get people to think differently about the world,' said Mac, whose gender pronoun is 'judy.' 'I just wish that all of the great philanthropists of America, and the world, would lead with, 'This is a temporary solution until we can figure out how to make a government of the people, for the people, by the people,'' Mac added. 'Instead of, 'This is the solution: I should have all the money and then I get to decide how the world works.'' Don't let present day parallels distract you. The fundraiser's honored donor enters atop a fire-breathing bald eagle in a black graphic tee, blazer and cap much like Elon Musk's signature White House getup. He later dons the long red tie popular in MAGA world. But the resemblance doesn't mean Mac is meditating solely on recent events such as President Donald Trump's billionaire-filled administration and tightening grip over cultural pillars including the Kennedy Center. The script reflects personal frustrations with philanthropy's uneven power dynamics navigated throughout a 30-year career spent in what Mac described as 'a million handshaking ceremonies,' first as a cater-waiter and eventually as one of the celebrated honorees who donates performances to help fundraise. Mac's desperate portrayal of the artist at the center of 'Prosperous Fools' only sharpens its skewering of wealthy philanthropists who take more than they give away. When the artist cries 'But why couldn't I have a good oligarch?' and bemoans that 'I should have stayed in the artistic integrity of obscurity,' it feels like a case of art imitating life. Mainstream success came last decade for Mac. 'A 24-Decade History of Popular Music' was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2017 and Mac's Broadway debut play 'Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus' racked up seven Tony nominations in 2019. 'Prosperous Fools,' however, was written 12 years ago before much of the critical acclaim. Mac said 'someone with power' commissioned a translation of French playwright Molière's 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme,' which mocks a status-obsessed middle class social climber. Mac isn't surprised the original commissioner didn't want the final product. Molière is hardly present. And the play essentially advocates for an end to the perpetuation of culture that only the affluent deem worthy of funding. Mac is also unsurprised it took over a decade to land another interested producer. The initial 40-person ballet troupe had to be shrunk to a more affordable ensemble of four dancers. Plus, its style, in Mac's judgment, is still rather 'queer' for a 'heteronormative' theater industry. 'And then the other reason is because I insult donors,' Mac said. 'I don't think I insult donors,' Mac added. 'I ask donors to consider. And the theater is entrenched in making sure their donors feel good about themselves — not that their donors are in collaboration with us for us all to get to a place of better consciousness.' The show's slapstick humor helps break down its fairly cerebral subject matter. In one of several moments of hilarity, the patron and his 'philanthropoid' — the ballet's artistic director, whose primary concern is securing donations — sway around the stage oinking like pigs. Mac's artist delivers scathing and highbrow critiques while pretending to be 'The Princess Bride' actor Wallace Shawn in a puppet costume. The gala's other honoree — a star singer called the 'patron saint of philanthropy' who wears a gown adorned with impoverished children's faces — makes no bones about her lust for Shawn. But, as Mac knows, nonstop humor can have the effect of softening its target. 'Prosperous Fools' foregoes the actors' bows that typically end a play in favor of an epilogue, delivered by the artist in rhyming couplets, that serves as the show's final blow to 'philanthrocapitalism.' 'I want to be a tender heart in this too tough world trying to figure out how to maintain my tenderness and how to create revolution with tenderness. And I'm at a loss for it right now,' Mac said. 'Part of what the play is doing is saying, 'I'm at a loss. Are you? Do you have a solution for me?'' By skipping the curtain call, Mac practically demands that the crowd wrestle immediately with whether charity absolves wealth hoarders' greed — a question boldly put forth at the close of a Theatre for a New Audience season sponsored by Deloitte and Bloomberg Philanthropies. But whether the show's heavy-handed message has reached those financial backers remains to be seen. 'No one's spoken to me,' Mac said. Neither responded to requests for comment. ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit

Associated Press

38 minutes ago

• Associated Press

Pint-size pioneer 'Dora the Explorer' celebrates her 25th anniversary

NEW YORK (AP) — Twenty-five years ago, a little girl with a bob haircut appeared on our TVs, speaking a mix of English and Spanish, with a spunky, can-do spirit. She had an adventure planned, a backpack, a monkey friend and upbeat songs. 'Hi, I'm Dora. What's your name?' she asked. This was, of course, 'Dora the Explorer,' the first Latina to lead a major cartoon series and the girl who helped spearhead the rise of multicultural children's programming in the U.S. on her way to becoming a cultural phenomenon. 'The show allowed Latinos to be depicted on TV as educators, teaching viewers how to speak our language, and yet at the same time, just teaching ordinary things that children need to learn,' said Brenda Victoria Castillo, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. Nickelodeon is celebrating Dora's 25th anniversary with the feature-length live-action movie 'Dora and the Search of Sol Dorado,' a third season of the rebooted animated series 'Dora,' the podcast Dora's Mermaid Adventures, an album of songs and plenty of toys and apparel. 'The great thing about Dora is that, yes, she celebrates Latin culture through every aspect — language, food, dress and music,' says Ramsey Naito president of animation at Paramount and Nickelodeon. 'But she also empowers everybody to be their true self and to be brave. She's not exclusive. She's inclusive.' The original voice Kathleen Herles had a special vantage point to see Dora's influence: She was the original voice of the pint-size heroine, cast in the role when she was 7 and staying until she was 18 and off to college. 'It has been the longest journey and the greatest adventure of my life — no pun intended,' said Herles, who grew up in New York City to parents of Peruvian descent. On the convention circuit, Herles would see firsthand the power of Dora. 'I remember I would make kids cry, not intentionally,' she says. 'Their mind goes to a memory, to a moment, it's just incredible. It's so special, it's magical.' Herles has lately been the voice actor for Dora's mom on 'Dora,' the reboot that started in 2024. It's a full-circle moment for the actor and singer: 'It changed my life forever, twice.' 'Dora the Explorer' led to what Herles laughingly calls the 'Dora-verse' — the spinoff series 'Go, Diego, Go!,' a sequel series 'Dora and Friends: Into the City!' and the 2019 live-action feature film 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold,' starring Isabela Merced, Eva Longoria and Michael Peña. 'Dora' co-creator Chris Gifford has watched his creation age up and down and take human form. 'She has been older and she has been younger and she has a hair clip now,' he says. 'Her essence, her positive spirit, her I-can-do-anything-with-your-help attitude has stuck through.' Dora is firmly part of the culture, as big as her Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. There's a reference to her in 'Inside Out 2,' she's been mocked on 'Saturday Night Live' and if you look carefully at the PBS show 'Alma's Way,' you can see a Dora doll in that heroine's bedroom. TikTok users have embraced the 'Backpack Song.' 'Those kids coming of age now — the ones who 25 years ago were just watching it as little preschoolers — they're out there and they're remembering,' says Valerie Walsh Valdes, co-creator of the original series and an executive producer on the new series and movie. Creating a problem solver Valdes and Gifford originally had the idea for a show about a little girl who was a problem solver. Like 'Blue's Clues,' it would reward kids for figuring out answers posed by the host. 'Preschoolers are the least powerful people in our world,' says Gifford. 'They're not able to button their sweater and not able to tie their shoes, but if they're able to help Dora get to the City of Lost Toys and really feel like they helped, that's something special.' Nickelodeon suggested the girl be Latina and the creators ran with it, making her pan-Latina so no one would feel excluded. Latin representation on TV — then and now — has been a struggle. The Latino Donor Collaborative's 2024 Latinos in Media report found that Latino actors made up 9.8% of the main cast in lead, co-lead and ensemble roles in scripted shows. In non-scripted television, Latino hosts made up only 5% of host roles. That's despite Latin people making up nearly 20% of the country. 'There were few programs at the time that featured Latina protagonists with Dora's skin tone or features, so from that perspective, the representation is valuable,' says Erynn Masi de Casanova, head of the Sociology Department at the University of Cincinnati. Dora was put in an animated world inside a computer, and the creators asked kids to help make the show better. They hired education consultants to tease out the skills Dora teaches, like spatial understanding and interpersonal. They brought in language and culture experts. 'We did it!' became her signature song. Bilingual heroine The series is seen in more than 150 countries and territories and translated in 32 languages on Nickelodeon channels and Paramount+. In English-speaking countries such as the United States and Australia, Dora teaches Spanish; in other markets — including the Hispanic U.S. markets — she teaches English. Samantha Lorraine, 18, who grew up in Miami of Cuban heritage, had the Dora T-shirts and backpack. She laughs that she once even had the Dora bob. In July, she's starring as Dora in 'Dora and the Search of Sol Dorado,' which was filmed in Colombia. 'I've been doing my audition since day one,' she says. 'It's an honor to be stepping into Dora's shoes. It's such a huge legacy,' she adds. 'It's really nice to be able to be a part of representation where it counts. And Dora is the epitome of that.' Castillo, of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, puts Dora up there with Mickey Mouse in terms of an instantly recognized cultural character and says she's relevant more than ever. 'We need more Doras,' she says. 'If people were just open to being educated in other people's languages and cultures and beliefs and not see it as a threat, we wouldn't be in the situation that we're in this country and the world.'

UPI

an hour ago

• UPI

'MobLand' draws 26M viewers, renewed for Season 2

1 of 5 | Tom Hardy arrives on the red carpet at the New York premiere of "MobLand" in March. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 23 (UPI) -- MobLand has been renewed for Season 2 after shattering viewership records, Paramount+ announced Monday. Season 1 of the series, which stars Venom's Tom Hardy, Die Another Day's Pierce Brosnan and The Queen's Helen Mirren premiered March 30, and has accumulated some 26 million viewers since, becoming the streamer's second most-watched original series. The show follows the drama between two warring mob families. "We are elated to greenlight a second season of this global phenomenon, which has dominated both domestic and international charts and soared to #1 in the United Kingdom," Paramount co-CEO Chris McCarthy in a press release. Guy Ritchie's series also stars Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Anson Boon, Mandeep Dhillon, Jasmine Jobson, Geoff Bell, Daniel Betts, Lisa Dwan and Emily Barber. Brosnan and Mirren also star in the upcoming Netflix movie Thursday Murder Club, which arrives on the streamer Aug. 28. Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan attend 'MobLand' premiere Cast member Tom Hardy arrives on the red carpet at the premiere of "MobLand" in New York City on March 31, 2025. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo