Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in 2001. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in 2004. Judy Kuhn, Emily Skeggs and Sydney Lucas in 2015. It鈥檚 not uncommon for multiple cast members of the same show to go head to head in the same category come Tony time. This year there are four groupings of actors who rely on each other to make magic onstage but face off on June 12鈥攌nowing that in order to win, their co-star (and friend) will lose. Even so, if you ask these pairs (and one trio) how they feel about their names listed with their buddies on the ballot there鈥檚 not a bitter tone to be found. In fact, most of the nominees credit their co-stars with elevating their performance to a nominee-worthy level.
Lin-Manuel Miranda v. Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton)
Life imitates鈥ife. Just as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr faced off in a fatal duel in Weehawken, NJ, their stage counterparts, Miranda (the show鈥檚 creator) and Odom, Jr., will battle for the title of Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way,鈥� says Odom, Jr. 鈥淚 depend on Lin every night for so much of my performance.鈥� Odom, Jr. and Miranda鈥檚 performances feed each other. The two were friends before Hamilton fame, and Odom, Jr. feels it only fitting that they be nominated together for the journey they lived side by side. 鈥淚 mean, it鈥檚 built on our relationship, our friendship. It鈥檚 built on love,鈥� he says, 鈥渟o, I鈥檓 certainly happy to be included, but I couldn鈥檛 see being in this category without him.鈥�
Daveed Diggs v. Jonathan Groff v. Chris Jackson (Hamilton)
鈥淚 wish I liked them a little bit more,鈥� Chris Jackson deadpans. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really [like them]. In fact, this just gives me, you know, an opportunity not to speak to them.鈥�
鈥淣o鈥擨 love them both.鈥� The truth comes out. 鈥淚 love their work equally, and miss the hell out of Jonathan, just 鈥榗ause he鈥檚 my buddy, as well.鈥� Daveed Diggs, as a first-time nominee in his Broadway debut, agrees, 鈥淚 was very excited to be nominated with them. They鈥檙e my best friends.鈥�
鈥淥h my god鈥擨 cried when I heard Chris Jackson鈥檚 name,鈥� says Jonathan Groff. 鈥淐ause it鈥檚 Chris Jackson.鈥� Even though Groff has already departed the phenom, the bond between these three is airtight. The three musketeers are nominated for vastly different roles鈥擥roff for his nine minutes of stage time as the whiney King George III, Jackson as wise papa and first president George Washington, and Diggs as ladies鈥� man and rebel Marquis de Lafayette and Hamilton鈥檚 political nemesis Thomas Jefferson. In addition to the other two nominees (Brandon Victor Dixon and Christopher Fiztgerald), it鈥檚 a race between Groff鈥檚 impressive range and comedic timing, Diggs鈥� lightning fast rapping and characterizations, and Jackson鈥檚 smooth vocals and gentle nature.
Jackson feels the presence of three nominees from a single show in his category is 鈥渏ust a testament to the way that Lin and [director] Tommy [Kail] allowed us to all have, you know, time onstage and really complete the story,鈥� says Jackson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty exciting.鈥�
Saycon Sengbloh v. Pascale Armand (Eclipsed)
The race for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play includes the ladies who play Wife #1 and Wife #3 of a Liberian war lord in Eclipsed. The first all-female production (cast and leading creative) to hit Broadway, Armand feels that being nominated alongside her fellow 鈥渨ife鈥� is par for the course. 鈥淲e鈥檝e built a great sisterhood doing this play already. So to hear that another one of my sisters is also nominated alongside me is just,鈥� she pauses, 鈥渋t鈥檚 like icing on the cake.鈥�
For Sengbloh, she wishes she had even more internal competition. 鈥淗onestly I wanted my other two costars to be in the same category as well,鈥� says Sengbloh. 鈥淚 really was hoping we would all get nominated. That would be the best problem to have ever. I feel like these women work so hard.鈥� Of course, Sengbloh would love to win, but 鈥淚鈥檓 like, 鈥業f I don鈥檛 win, I hope she wins. I think she deserves a nomination just as well as I.鈥�
Megan Hilty v. Andrea Martin (Noises Off)
While this is the sixth nomination for Martin, this is Hilty鈥檚 first鈥攖hough she鈥檚 appeared as a leading lady on Broadway two times before. The actress known best for her singing voice earned the nomination for her portrayal of blonde bombshell Brooke in the third revival of the never-gets-old farce, Noises Off. As for being nominated against her co-star, Martin, both women see the double-nod as nothing but wins for their show.
鈥淭his is a real ensemble piece鈥攊t was written as an ensemble鈥攁nd, honestly, I don鈥檛 think any one person would have stood out without the collaboration and expertise of the other actors that we all worked with,鈥� says Martin. 鈥淚 wish the Tonys had Best Ensemble because I think that鈥檚 actually the most appropriate award for this show.鈥� That support still reigns, even though the show closed. Martin received a congratulatory email from Hilty the morning of the announcements May 3. 鈥淭he subject line is Congratulations,鈥� says Martin. 鈥淚t says 鈥楢AAAGH!!!! So well-deserved.鈥�
Hilty truly does have so much love for her co-star. 鈥淚鈥檝e always thought this鈥擨鈥檝e never been nominated before but鈥攖he people who get nominated and the people who win, it鈥檚 really a win for the entire ensemble,鈥� says the first-time nominee. 鈥淣o actor can do what they do without the rest of the cast. The more the merrier. Two nominations is just more love for all of us.鈥�
Now the question is鈥攁s Martin says: 鈥淲hat the heck do we wear?鈥�
