2025 Tony Nominees for Best Featured Actor in a Musical Discuss Their Roles

Spotlight on Tony Nominees for Featured Actor in a Musical

• 🎭 The 2025 Tony Award nominees for Best Featured Actor in a Musical share insights into their groundbreaking roles and musicals.
• 🌟 This season on Broadway is highlighted as an impressively high-quality and quantity year for new shows and performances.

Insights from Nigel Davies in "Smash"

• 🎤 Brooks Ashmanskas, playing Nigel Davies in "Smash," notes the show's relatability, stating that its themes are not as outlandish as they might seem and that audiences connect with the characters' experiences.
• 🎶 Ashmanskas describes the role as vocally challenging but immensely enjoyable, emphasizing the importance of the people involved and the great time they have.

Herbie in "Gypsy" and Career Milestones

• 🌟 Danny Burstein, nominated for playing Herbie in "Gypsy," expresses his joy in bringing the character to life and considers it the best job on Broadway due to the opportunity to fall in love with co-star Audra McDonald eight times a week.
• 💡 Burstein reflects on how the production has been illuminating, particularly with an African-American lead, revealing new insights into the script.
• 🏆 This marks Burstein's eighth nomination, tying him with Jason Robarts for the most nominations by a male performer, an achievement he never anticipated.

The Journey to "Operation Minsmat"

• ✍️ One nominee, a fan of the writers' work in fringe venues, lobbied to join their musical project after being deeply impressed by their ability to create compelling theater with minimal resources.
• 🚀 After graduating from drama school and facing doubts about his career, discovering "Operation Minsmat" led to a cascade of success.
• 🗽 The nominee expresses gratitude for New York's strong appreciation and seriousness towards theater, contrasting it with his experience in London.

"Dead Outlaw" and Musical Innovation

• 🤠 Jeb Brown, nominated for "Dead Outlaw," plays the band leader and a character named Jared, highlighting the show's creation with an honest eye towards artistic integrity rather than pleasing others.
• 🎶 The musical is based on a true story, with songs by David Yasbek that became a narrative piece, incorporating elements of Americana, Bobby Darin, and Gilbert and Sullivan.
• 💯 Brown describes his role as having the best job on Broadway, as he is on stage for the entire 100-minute show, enjoying his colleagues' performances and the variety within the production.

Daring Theater and Career-Best Performances

• ✨ Another nominee feels lucky to be recognized, especially in a year with many friends also nominated, reminiscing about how far they've come since their early days in New York.
• 💡 The current season is praised for its exciting and daring theater, with shows like "Oh, Mary" feeling "punk rock."
• 🎭 A particular performance is singled out for its enormous freedom within confinement, where a spotlight on the actor's face fills the entire theater, suggesting it's a career-best performance.