My Tony wish list

Since the Tony nominations are a few mere hours away, rather than give my predictions -- which, come on, everybody else are already done -- here is what I would love to see nominated. I've seen almost everything with the exception of "Boeing Boeing," "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" and "Glory Days," which isn't eligible for anything, anyway, so my list is somewhat skewed by the omission of those. I followed my wish list with my realistic assessment, so it's kind of a doubling prediction/wish list thing. So, here goes! I'll grade myself tomorrow.

Best Musical
A Catered Affair
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu
Spoilers: Boy, if anyone had told me this time last year that not only would I be putting "Xanadu" as a pick for best musical, but that I didn't think it was the weakest choice for the slot, I'd have thought he/she was a crazy. No, it, along with "In the Heights" and "Passing Strange," are locks. "Young Frankenstein" might slip past "A Catered Affair," though.

Best Revival of a Musical
Gypsy
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
[no fourth choice]
Spoilers: Yeah, "Grease" will get the fourth slot. Because there's no other choice. As Homer Simpson said: "Default! The two most beautiful words in the English language."

Best Play
August: Osage County
Rock 'n' Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps
Spoilers: Actually, I think this is how it will go down.

Best Revival of a Play
The Homecoming
Is He Dead?
Macbeth
Top Girls
Spoilers: "Boeing Boeing," just judging by reviews, will probably take one of the slots, in most likelihood, the one I gave to the long-closed "Is He Dead?"

Best Director of a Musical
Sam Buntrock -- Sunday in the Park with George
Annie Dorsen -- Passing Strange
Thomas Kail -- In the Heights
Bartlett Sher -- South Pacific
Spoilers: I left out Arthur Laurents. Yes, the "Gypsy" revival is exquisite, but how much of that is really due to any directorial vision that hasn't been used before? If anything, it would be a credit to him finally getting over his Patti LuPone grudge. But, the Tony voters won't leave out Laurents. He'll get it over either Dorsen or Kail.

Best Director of a Play
Maria Aitken -- The 39 Steps
Rupert Goold -- Macbeth
Anna Shapiro -- August: Osage County
Daniel Sullivan -- The Homecoming
Spoilers: Again, "Boeing Boeing" will probably be in one of these slots. I'm guessing Aitken's.

Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Kerry Butler ­-- Xanadu
Patti LuPone --­ Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara ­-- South Pacific
Faith Prince ­-- A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell ­-- Sunday in the Park with George
Spoilers: Nada. This is how it's going down. Bank on it.

Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Daniel Evans ­-- Sunday in the Park with George
Cheyenne Jackson --­ Xanadu
Lin-Manuel Miranda --­ In the Heights
Paolo Szot ­-- South Pacific
Tom Wopat -- A Catered Affair
Spoilers: "Passing Strange" (which I haven't reviewed just yet) owes a lot to its creator and lead actor Stew. He might slip in here, perhaps past Miranda, Jackson or even Wopat. Leaving off Jackson, however, would be a mistake. I saw the show in an early preview when he was not yet in it -- and believe me, him being in it made a world of difference. And I'm not that huge of a fan.

Best Leading Actress in a Play
Deanna Dunagan ­ August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood -- Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson ­-- Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton --­ August: Osage County
Anika Noni Rose --­ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Spoilers: The August ladies are locks, as is Fleetwood. And probably Rose. Merkerson made an otherwise problematic revival of "Sheba," but might be overlooked here in favor of Eve Best ("The Homecoming") or even Frances McDormand ("The Country Girl") or Laura Linney (Liaisons..."). Never underestimate the potential for starstruckness. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing Claire Danes ("Pygmalion") on the list, but it's doubtful.

Best Leading Actor in a Play
Norbert Leo Butz --­ Is He Dead?
Laurence Fishburne --­ Thurgood
Nathan Lane -- November
Patrick Stewart ­-- Macbeth
Charles Edwards ­-- The 39 Steps
Spoilers: Edwards is a long shot. Ian McShane, for "The Homecoming," will probably be named in his stead. Fishburne also is iffy, but like Merkerson, he gave a performance that elevated a mediocre show into something worthwhile. And what I said about McDormand also goes for Morgan Freeman ("The Country Girl,") as incredibly disappointing as his performance was. Kevin Kline ("Cyrano") also would be a worthy nominee, although his show might be long forgotten.

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti ­-- Gypsy
Eisa Davis --­ Passing Strange
Olga Merediz --­ In the Heights
Mary Beth Peil ­-- Sunday in the Park with George
Loretta Ables Sayre --­ South Pacific
Spoilers: This was an incredibly tough category to narrow down, and it killed me not to include Jackie Hoffman ("Xanadu"). But -- she'll probably be on the list in place of Davis, who I thought gave a very understated yet devastating performance. Karen Olivo ("In the Heights") also is a contender, although she doesn't get the killer number that Merediz gets. In a weaker year, Jessica Molaskey ("Sunday....") would have made the list, but unfortunately, there's just too many other greats out there in flashier parts. And a "Young Frankenstein" gal might slip in.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Daniel Breaker --­ Passing Strange
Danny Burstein ­-- South Pacific
Robin de Jesus ­-- In the Heights
Boyd Gaines ­-- Gypsy
Tony Yazbeck -- Gypsy
Spoilers: Yazbeck is the long shot here, but I had to include because he made me enjoy the one scene in "Gypsy" that has always bored the crap out of me. One of the "Young Frankenstein" guys might slip in, or even Tony Roberts ("Xanadu").

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Sinead Cusack ­-- Rock n Roll
Elizabeth Marvel ­-- Top Girls
Sally Murphy ­-- August: Osage County
Rosie Perez --­ The Ritz
Marisa Tomei --­ Top Girls
Spoilers: Once again, it's the ladies of "Boeing Boeing." Cusack is the most likely candidate for a bump, followed by Perez.

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Raul Esparza --­ The Homecoming
Ciaran Hinds ­-- The Seafarer
Jim Norton ­-- The Seafarer
John Pankow ­-- Cymbeline
Tim Treloar ­-- Macbeth
Spoilers: I really went off the deep end with this one. Pankow and Treloar both gave wonderfully memorable performances as some of Shakespeare's more amorphous, forgettable characters. But they ain't gonna get nominated. And neither is Hinds, for that matter, despite his great delivery of what probably is one of the best monologues written in ages. Yeah, look for "Boeing Boeing" and/or "Liaisons" people to fill out this category.

Best Book of a Musical
A Catered Affair
Passing Strange
Xanadu
Young Frankenstein
Spoilers: While I thoroughly enjoyed "In the Heights," it's book was quite weak. While I enjoyed "Young Frankenstein" not so much, it had a better book. But "Heights" will get the nomination.

Best Original Score
A Catered Affair
Cry-Baby
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Spoilers: "Cry-Baby" won't get it. "Young Frankenstein" will. I picked "Cry-Baby" only because it had a few memorable songs I enjoyed, while I couldn't recall a single of "Young Frankenstein's" a mere week after seeing it. Go Mel Brooks and his tape recorder.

Best Choreography
Cry-Baby
In the Heights
South Pacific
Xanadu
Spoilers: "Cry-Baby," despite its deep, deep flaws, was fairly widely praised for its choreography. But, it might be the victim of a shut-out. "The Little Mermaid" might slip in here, or "Young Frankenstein."

And, to keep this post from being ridiculously long, here's a brief rundown of the categories they won't televize. Just call me CBS.

Best Orchestrations
A Catered Affair
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu

Best Scenic Design of a Play
August: Osage County
Macbeth
November
Pygmalion

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
A Catered Affair
In the Heights
South Pacific
Young Frankenstein

Best Costume Design of a Play
August: Osage County
Cymbeline
Pygmalion
Top Girls

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gypsy
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
Young Frankenstein

Best Lighting Design of a Play
August: Osage County
Macbeth
Rock 'n' Roll
The Seafarer

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
In the Heights
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
Young Frankenstein

Best Sound Design of a Play
August: Osage County
Macbeth
The 39 Steps
Rock 'n' Roll

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Gypsy
In the Heights
Passing Strange
South Pacific