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Cosmopolitan
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Fina Strazza's 2025 Tony Awards Getting Ready Diary With Cosmo
At just 19 years old, Fina Strazza is having the kind of moment most actors only dream about. Currently captivating audiences eight times a week in John Proctor Is the Villain, Fina's searing performance as Beth Powell landed her a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play, cementing her status as one of Broadway's brightest new stars. But theater insiders have had their eyes on her for a while. The provocative, modern coming-of-age play has racked up praise across the board—earning seven Tony nominations, along with nods from the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Awards. And not that we're keeping count (we are), but Fina also picked up a Dorian Theater Award win for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play. Broadway is buzzing about Fina, but so is the silver screen. Most recently, she made waves as Tiffany Falconer in Fear Street: Prom Queen, a chilling addition to the cult-favorite horror franchise on Netflix. She also led Amazon Prime's time-traveling teen saga Paper Girls as KJ Brandman, instantly becoming a fan favorite. If it seems like she was born to be on stage, it's because she practically was. Fina made her Broadway debut at the age of 8, stepping into the iconic title role in Matilda the Musical. Whether she's battling monsters, time-hopping through alternate realities, or tearing up the stage with raw, emotional firepower, one thing is clear: Fina Strazza isn't just one to watch—she's one to remember. We caught up with the actor as she got ready at the Mandarin Oriental for her first-ever Tony Awards. It's a lot. But before I answer that, though, I'd like to first confirm with everyone in this room that I have indeed remained grounded. *laughs* I was just having this conversation with my mom the other day. How I feel like I'm in this dream world right now where I'm not in charge of what's happening to me and everything is so much bigger than me. It's almost like I can't possibly even claim these fortunes in a way. You know? I am, I am. *laughs* I mean, it's not like I don't think I deserve them or something. It just feels like I've been given these gifts, and I don't take that for granted. Everything I'm getting to do is so fun. It's like being on a playground. If you're on a playground, you don't act highfalutin and better than everyone else. I'm just playing! All the time. And I love it. Well, it was a little delayed, because I was trying to watch the broadcast, but something was going on with my WiFi. And my computer kept stalling. My category hadn't even come up on my screen yet, but my phone just started blowing up. I got a ton of calls all at once. I picked up my mom's call and she yelled that I was nominated. It immediately felt like the world rushed past me. All in one second. I just kept repeating, 'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.' Nothing else was coming to mind and nothing else would come out of my mouth. That's just kind of where I was for the rest of the day. None! I haven't had the time. Well, Eureka Day and English closed before my show opened so I didn't get to see either of those. I know that Purpose has a Sunday evening show, which I've been meaning to catch. But I've been able to get to know some of my fellow nominees a little bit through all the Tonys press, and everyone is so grounded and welcoming. Tala and Sanaz invited me over to teach me how to do a proper curly hair routine and get chicken and rice bowls uptown. I saw Oh, Mary! and I am obsessed. Loved it. So funny, so fun. And I saw Maybe Happy Ending when it was in a workshop years ago. I'm cheering them on. Not that I have favorites or anything, but I have friends in that show and I'd love to see them win something. I first read this play when I was 17 for a workshop of it with Sadie [Sink] and the director Donna Taymor and the playwright Kimberly Belflower. I remember walking out of that presentation and feeling such electricity leaving the room. The performance was still vibrating in my body. The way Kimberly writes is so authentic and real, and it sets this blazing fire throughout the whole show that just doesn't go out until the blackout at the end. I felt how special it was in my bones. It was a feeling that stuck with me for two years, because I didn't hear anything after doing the reading. So for two years, I thought about that show. Every single day. I would ask my team for constant updates. 'Is there anything new with John Proctor? Anything happening with John Proctor?' And the thing is, I've done tons of readings before so have kind of learned to not get attached to them. Especially as a child, because I'd grow out of the role before it got to production. But there was something about this show where I couldn't see a world in which I wasn't in it. I had to be in it. I can't explain it. Because I don't think Beth and I are super similar, but I do feel a kinship with her. There's a certain energy, you know? We understand each other. No, no, no. *laughs* Tiffany and I are not connected. She was like playing my opposite, which was fun in a different way. I felt very free with Tiffany because I was able to be as absurd as I wanted. She's a whole different beast. I feel like so often when you watch shows or any kind of media with teenagers, specifically high schoolers, whoever is the smartest one is usually the most unlikable. And it's like, why are these intelligent girls always these unlikable human beings? That's not the case in real life. At least I don't think so. I love that about this show. Beth is the person in the room with all the answers, but she also has the most questions. She's often the smartest person in the room, but she is so open to new ideas. She doesn't ever feel like she is done learning. She's intelligent but also very tenderhearted. I think that's very admirable. Yes. We were just talking about this last night! We had this kind of pre Tony Awards seance and stayed in the theater very late last night to share our gratitude with one another and talk about the show. Our entire cast, including our understudies, consists of 15 people. Do you know how rare it is to find a group of 15 people where nobody is an issue and no one has a problem with anyone else? We joke that it's pretty boring sometimes because there's no one to gossip about, but it's really just a very supportive, loving environment where we all have a lot of respect for each other's tracks, which is so important in a show with such emotional weight. It can be very easy to walk off stage and keep yourself in that headspace. If we didn't have someone to lean on, it would be really hard. But luckily that's not the case. We have each other. And the second I walk off stage, I know there's someone there who I can laugh with. We'll be crying on stage one minute and then giggling about someone in the audience who had a weird laugh the next. I feel very lucky that we all enjoy one another. And the head of our social media, Austin Spero, is so great at capturing that. He's also open to any ideas we have. I love that he collaborates with us. I still feel like I'm waiting for it to feel like I'm actually in the show. It all still feels so unreal in a way. I'm kind of waiting for it to kick in, which has me worried that I'm gonna leave the show still in this dream world. I want to make sure I lock in before it's over and feel truly grounded. Because we really have such a cool job. My costar Amalia Yoo reminded me of that the other night. She was washing her face and turned to me with her makeup still smudged on her face and was like, 'Our job is really, really cool.' And I was like, 'Yeah. It really is.' I'm wearing Michael Fausto. He's a New York designer, which I love because I'm a born and raised New Yorker. I told my stylist, Sarah Slutsky, that I've always wanted to wear a ballgown. Tonight felt like the one night where I could get away with it without anyone thinking, Who does she think she is? I told Sarah I wanted to try and nod to the show in some way as well. So there is this slight Puritan aspect to the look where it feels like it could potentially be something in the realm of 1666. There's something a little bit vintage about it. It feels like an elevated version of what the girls wear at the end of the show. I wanted the glam to be like this [Fina feigns an innocent doe-eyed expression caught between surprise and delight] *laughs* I don't know how to put that into words. But my hairstylist Corey Tuttle and makeup artist Amanda Thesen have figured it out. We have the entire family in the room. My boyfriend and my mom and my dad and my sister are all coming. My mom is my official plus-one. Everyone else bought tickets. I haven't seen what my mom is wearing yet, but no one is coordinating. My boyfriend looks like a penguin though! I'm excited to see Jonathan Groff again. I've really enjoyed talking to him through the season at all of our different events. I think Lizzy McAlpine might be at some parties later tonight, and I'm excited to see her again. I've known Sadie for a long time because I was in Matilda with her brother when I was younger. She and her brother both have this incredible nonchalance about them, which helps me find my center. She's very like, 'Whatever happens, happens.' Fated. It all feels like fate. The Tony went to Kara Young for 'Purpose' in what ultimately felt like a wide-open category. Congratulations to Kara, Fina, and all the nominees!
New York Post
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
'Boop,' 'Smash,' fuming Tony Awards 2025 won't let them perform
Usually, the week before the Tony Awards is a joyful time to celebrate the wonderful work of the Broadway season. Not this year! Two big shows were fuming Tuesday that they're being left out of the Tony Awards broadcast on CBS Sunday night: 'Boop! The Betty Boop Musical' and 'Smash.' 5 'Smash,' starring Robyn Hurder, was one Broadway show that the Tony Awards is not letting perform on Sunday night's broadcast. Matthew Murphy The Post can confirm that both productions asked to perform, were willing to pay the $300,000 or so that an appearance costs and were told 'Nope!' by the Tonys' producers. Of course, there is no guarantee any show that was not nominated for Best Musical or Best Musical Revival will get to sing and hoof on the telecast. Neither 'Smash' nor 'Boop!' are in contention for the big kahuna. However, the same is true of two productions that will get highly valuable minutes onstage at Radio City Music Hall: 'Just in Time,' the sold-out Bobby Darin dazzler starring Jonathan Groff, and the struggling 'Real Women Have Curves.' 'It's bizarre,' said one Broadway producer. And it's a pretty catty move. And I'm not talking about Mr. Mistoffelees. Only three currently running musicals were given the brush by the televised ceremony: 'Boop!,' 'Real Women' and 'The Last Five Years' starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren. 'Last Five Years' got squat on nominations morning, so they don't have a case for crooning Jason Robert Brown's mopey songs. 5 Despite receiving four nominations, 'Boop!' is not performing on the Tonys, while 'Real Women Have Curves,' with two, is. Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman But what's weird is that 'Boop!,' with four nominations — including Best Actress in a Musical for its incredible breakout star Jasmine Amy Rogers — has more nods than 'Real Women,' which notched just two. And yet the real women got a slot. The Post has reached out to representatives for the Tonys for an explanation. At the Broadhurst Theatre, everybody is Boop-ing furious. 'Why wouldn't the Tonys want a highly telegenic number from 'Boop'!?,' said a member of Team 'Boop!.' 5 'Boop!' planned to perform the songs 'Where's Betty?' and 'Something to Shout About.' Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman The show had planned to perform the impressive dance number 'Where's Betty?,' which showcases director Jerry Mitchell's choreography and Gregg Barnes' clever costumes. That would then segue into the 11 O'Clock solo 'Something to Shout About' from Rogers, who's so far won the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for Best Actress. She's in a tough Tony race with Nicole Scherzinger ('Sunset Boulevard') and Audra McDonald ('Gypsy'), but I've spoken to plenty of Rogers voters. Considering the Tonys begin at 6:30 p.m. on the app Pluto — which I download once a year like a TV Brigadoon — and continue through 11 p.m. on CBS (four and a half hours!), five minutes would go by quicker than you can say 'Boop!' 5 'Just in Time,' which was not nominated for Best Musical, will perform on the broadcast. Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman The slight has given fans something to shout about. 'What's been amazing and eye-opening has been the public response,' a moved 'Boop!' cast member said. 'When the Tonys announced which shows are performing, 90% of the comments were outcries about 'Boop''s glaring omission. In fact, there is a fan-created petition circling around to include Jasmine in some capacity. The petition has over 100 signatures in the first hour!' At time of publication, that petition had secured more than 800 names. 5 The slight is like something out of 'Smash.' Matthew Murphy Over at the Imperial, 'Smash,' the Susan Stroman-directed musical based on the canceled NBC TV series about Broadway backstabbing, has been quieter. But I'm told they also feel like smashing some things. Actually, the Tonys' totally predictable, self-made mess is a plot-line straight outta 'Smash'!
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Latest Tony Awards odds: ‘Maybe Happy Ending' and ‘Oh, Mary!' maintain their leads, Best Actress in a Musical tightens
With less than three weeks until the 78th annual Tony Awards, the Gold Derby odds have shown some movement, reflecting momentum shifts in the race based on industry buzz and following the announcement of the winners of the Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Awards. Although there is little to no overlap between these awards bodies and the pool of Tony voters — these prizes are not precursors akin to the Oscars and their industry and guild prizes — they nevertheless contribute to the perceptions of the races that swirl among insiders. Based on the predictions of more than 700 Gold Derby experts, editors, and users, here is where the top eight races stand. And be sure to scroll to down for a current tally of wins by show in all 26 categories. Our projected winners are denoted in gold. More from GoldDerby 'Sentimental Value' hailed as a 'masterpiece,' the 'best movie' at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival 'The Daily Show' editor Cathy Trasborg on letting Trump supporters 'reveal themselves' in the edit: 'We just let them play out' 'Beast Games' editor Mack Hopkins on the scene that was inspired by 'Dunkirk' 1. — 31/20 2. Dead Outlaw — 9/2 3. Death Becomes Her — 9/2 4. Operation Mincemeat — 7/1 5. Buena Vista Social Club — 7/1 Maybe Happy Ending continues to lead the Best Musical field and has maintained steady odds of winning over the past two weeks, but there has been movement amongst its challengers. Dead Outlaw takes the lead over Death Becomes Her for second place, even though the latter earned more overall nominations and has been gaining momentum according to industry chatter. The shift makes sense in our projections, though, as our users predict Dead Outlaw will win the more important prize of Musical Book, while Death Becomes Her is only slated to pick up the trophy for Costume Design. Operation Mincemeat has now pulled up to even odds with Buena Vista Social Club and inched its way forward to fourth place. The former is expected to win one prize for Featured Actor for Jak Malone, while the latter will likely claim four for Featured Actress for Natalie Venetia Belcon, Orchestrations, Choreography, and Sound Design. 1. — 39/20 2. Purpose — 7/2 3. John Proctor Is the Villain — 37/10 4. The Hills of California — 15/2 5. English — 17/2 As with Maybe Happy Ending in Best Musical, frontrunner Oh, Mary! retains a formidable lead over the competition. But should there be an unexpected upset in this top category, our users now believe Purpose has a better chance at winning than John Proctor Is the Villain. Both dramas had healthy showings in nominations, earning six and seven respectively, though John Proctor has support across numerous categories including Best Direction for Danya Taymor, whereas Purpose only gained recognition for five of its performers. The largest factor swaying more predictions toward Purpose is undoubtedly its recent win for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Historically speaking, receiving this highest honor in American letters does not necessarily correlate with winning the Tony — the official statistic is less than half — and Oh, Mary! also received a boost to its prospects as it was cited a finalist for the same prize. 1. — 83/50 2. Gypsy — 27/10 3. Floyd Collins — 4/1 4. Pirates! The Penzance Musical — 11/2 This race also remains steady as director Jamie Lloyd's Sunset Boulevard leads over its closest rival Gypsy. The nominations tipped the scales in its favor as Gypsy missed out on a crucial bid for its director George C. Wolfe, though the revival of the classic Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, and Arthur Laurents musical could win support amongst some voters who found this bold production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard polarizing. Even so, Sunset further solidified its frontrunner status with a victory for Musical Revival at the Drama League Awards, besting its three Tonys competitors. 1. — 19/10 2. Eureka Day — 49/20 3. Our Town — 4/1 4. Romeo + Juliet — 9/2 David Henry Hwang's Pulitzer finalist Yellow Face has further solidified its lead in this category, though Jonathan Spector's Eureka Day has a very strong contingent of support. With only one nomination apiece, Our Town and Romeo & Juliet, directed by Tony winners Kenny Leon and Sam Gold, respectively, are not predominant factors in this race for a victory. SEE Tony Talk: Predicting the tricky musical acting categories including Audra McDonald vs. Nicole Scherzinger 1. Audra McDonald, — 11/5 2. Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard — 53/20 3. Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical — 11/2 4. Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her — 13/2 5. Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her — 7/1 Though Gold Derby's ranking of the five nominees in this captivating category has not changed, there have been numerous important developments since the nominations were announced. First, Jasmine Amy Rogers prevailed over three of her fellow Tony nominees in the Lead Performer category at the Outer Critics Circle Awards. Subsequently, Nicole Scherzinger won the Distinguished Performance prize at the Drama League Awards, an honor a performer may only win once in their career. Notably, Audra McDonald was not eligible there as she previously took home the award in 2012 for The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. Although Scherzinger has more overall users predicting her to win, McDonald leads our odds as more experts and editors favor her victory; McDonald has also started to close the gap in the raw total of user predictions, too, as only some three dozen votes now separate her and Scherzinger. Watch our video interview with Boop! The Musical's Jasmine Amy Rogers here. 1. Darren Criss, — 10/3 2. Jonathan Groff, Just in Time — 4/1 3. Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins — 5/1 4. Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard — 11/2 5. Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw — 13/2 6. James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World — 17/2 Maybe Happy Ending's Darren Criss continues to lead this supersized field and might be the Best Musical frontrunner's biggest prize on Tony night. Although they trail significantly, three challengers are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Jonathan Groff, previously third in our predictions, has been gaining momentum and now ranks second for his charismatic and energetic performance as Bobby Darrin, although no performer in the history of the Tonys has won the Best Actor (Musical) category twice in two years. Jeremy Jordan previously ranked second and now falls to third, but maintains a smattering of backers for his harrowing turn as real-life explorer Floyd Collins. Consistent in fourth place but also with a sizable number of predictions is Tom Francis, who has one of the season's standout moments performing the title number from Sunset Boulevard live on camera in the streets of Manhattan eight times a week. Such a splintered field could either produce a shocking upset or mark a clearer path for Criss to prevail. Read our interview with Sunset Boulevard's Tom Francis here. 1. Sarah Snook, — 8/5 2. LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose — 9/2 3. Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California — 5/1 4. Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain — 11/2 5. Mia Farrow, The Roommate — 17/2 Snook now has the most commanding lead amongst all four of the top acting races in terms of overall vote tallies. But Gold Derby users have given further thought to who might win if the Succession star shockingly does not prevail. While our earlier predictions favored Laura Donnelly, she has been usurped for second place by LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Although Donnelly received rave reviews and had a more predominant role in The Hills of California than Jackson in Purpose, the switch makes sense as Jackson's play runs throughout the Tony voting period, so voters attending Broadway performances now before casting their ballots will have her more front of mind than Donnelly. A performer from a closed production occasionally wins this top honor, such as Deirdre O'Connell in Dana H. in 2022, but the category typically favors actresses from running shows. That may also give Sadie Sink in John Proctor Is the Villain an advantage, should that play overperform our expectations with a win for Best Play or Best Direction. Watch our video interview with John Proctor Is the Villain's Sadie Sink here. 1. Cole Escola, — 3/1 2. Jon Michael Hill, Purpose — 9/2 3. Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face — 9/2 4. George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck — 11/2 5. Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow — 13/2 6. Harry Lennix, Purpose — 8/1 Snook may now have the biggest lead of all acting contenders, but Cole Escola is not far behind for their hilarious performance in Oh, Mary! The rest of the lineup has not shifted, with Jon Michael Hill, Daniel Dae Kim, and George Clooney receiving small pools of votes. Hill could receive a boost to his prospects on Tony night if voters favored Purpose for the Best Play prize, though it looks incredibly unlikely that they would opt to not support Escola in either the top playwriting or performing categories. Kim could similarly garner votes from folks supporting Yellow Face for Best Revival, though it looks more likely that the show's featured performance, Francis Jue, could prevail than its lead. George Clooney recently announced that Good Night, and Good Luck will live-stream its penultimate performance on CNN, though this effort to democratize access to the best-selling Broadway play in history will not likely yield enough votes to overcome Escola's lead. Read our interview with Stranger Things: The First Shadow's Louis McCartney here. Buena Vista Social Club — 4 Maybe Happy Ending — 4 Sunset Boulevard — 3 Dead Outlaw — 1 Death Becomes Her — 1 Gypsy — 1 Operation Mincemeat — 1 Oh, Mary! — 5 Stranger Things: The First Shadow — 3 Eureka Day — 1 The Picture of Dorian Gray — 1 Yellow Face — 1 See our official odds for our winner predictions in all 26 categories, updated on May 21. The 2025 Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 8. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Who Needs a Tony to Reach EGOT? Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' 'It should be illegal how much fun I'm having': Lea Salonga on playing Mrs. Lovett and more in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' Click here to read the full article.
CNN
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Glenn Close ‘really bonded' with Nicole Scherzinger over the role of Norma Desmond in ‘Sunset Blvd.'
A luminary of stage and screen is giving praise to a star who is following in her storied footsteps. Glenn Close had nothing but praise for the cast and team behind the revival of 'Sunset Blvd.' after attending a performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical in New York City on Tuesday night, calling the show a 'thrilling experience' on her Instagram. The legend, who played the role of main character Norma Desmond on Broadway in the original 1994 production, had particular praise for the show's current star Nicole Scherzinger. 'Nicole's performance is an act of raw artistry and astounding bravery,' Close wrote. One of the two photos she posted showed Close and Scherzinger posing for a selfie after the show. Close wrote that Scherzinger 'and the entire production blew me away.' 'Nicole and I really bonded over our love for Norma Desmond, arguably THE greatest role ever written for a woman,' she added. 'You can't approach Norma with a faint heart. She tests your metal, demands that you dig deep.' 'Sunset Boulevard' tells the story of a fading screen star who lives in the past when she was queen of the silent film era, as she languishes in her decrepit mansion in Los Angeles on the titular boulevard. Based on the Oscar-winning 1950 Billy Wilder film 'Sunset Boulevard,' the original stage production opened in London in 1993. Close earned a Tony Award in 1995 for her work in the musical, along with several other accolades. She went on to reprise the role in the 2017 revival of the show. This year's revival featuring Scherzinger has been equally critically acclaimed, with several Drama League, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award nominations under its belt and praise coming from the likes of Heidi Klum and Oprah Winfrey.
