The wait is over! The list of 2017 Tony nominees is in. We're chatting with the members of the illustrious short list to hear their first reactions to the big news. Look below at some of the responses, and keep checking as more come pouring in.

The following comments have been condensed and edited.

Stephanie J. Block, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Falsettos

I told my husband to go into the other room. I didn't have the gumption to watch live. They were having problems with the livestreaming, and I kept hearing, "Crap, what's going on?" I kept thinking, "Oh, no," but it was because the live feed wasn't good. There's so much love for theater that we crashed the site. He yelled out in excitement [when he heard my name], and then my phone started blowing up. For all four of us [Block, Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells, and Brandon Uranowitz] to walk through this awards season together, it just feels right. We created this show as a family. And when your show closes three or four months before, to get that recognition is extraordinarily special.

Steven Levenson, Best Book of a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen

I was up very early because our one-and-a-half-year-old daughter kept us up all night. I turned on New York 1, so I found out the standard way. Tonight, I'm going to the Music Box and am really excited to congratulate these wonderful people. When we started writing this show, almost six-plus years ago, we never imagined any of this would happen. It's overwhelming and really humbling — and incredibly gratifying.

Rachel Bay Jones, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen

I was watching CBS, and they cut to the weather! They talked about all the nominations Dear Evan Hansen got, only I didn't know that I was one of them. Then I got to watch it on FaceTime with my manager, Jeremy. This character is so, so part of my heart and my DNA, and the show has been so much of my life for the last three years. I'm completely overwhelmed, honestly. I'm just trying to calm my heartbeat.

Christian Borle, Best Actor in a Musical, Falsettos

It feels so weird to call people to tell them about my reaction. I was most thrilled to see the love for my sweet Stephanie, Andrew, and Brandon. We get to have so much fun this month. We're going to see each other tomorrow [at the Tonys press junket], and we have a slumber party planned next week. Today, I'm gonna get some exercise, and then I'm gonna do a rehearsal for Good Morning America with my other sweet show, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Then, I'm gonna bounce around in a purple tailcoat and top hat, which I would do even if I wasn't in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Laura Linney, Best Actress in a Play, The Little Foxes

I am so very proud to be a part of The Little Foxes and this magnificent company. What a terrific year for new plays and revivals. Hooray for all of us!

Eva Noblezada, a 2017 Tony nominee, embraces costar Samuel Li Weintraub in a scene from Miss Saigon.

(© Matthew Murphy)

Eva Noblezada, Best Actress in a Musical, Miss Saigon

I was planning to sleep through it, and my publicist called and yelled at me. It feels really special to have recognition alongside the show as well. I'm kind of beaming. I really don't know what to feel because I've been dreaming of just being on Broadway since I was a child, and I'm not really over that yet, and now it's one thing after another. I'm in limbo right now. I don't know what to think or feel. I'm just in awe. I'm speechless. It's crazy but at the same time it makes my heart so full because I've made so many friendships, and the people that I love have just stood by my side and supported me along the way. We work our asses off and look where it gets us. I'm just over the moon.

Sam Pinkleton, Best Choreography, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

I was in a hotel room in Kansas City crazily refreshing the livestream. It was fully on my mind, and I woke up at 5am. My boyfriend is in Seattle, and he was refreshing Twitter because the livestream didn't work. So I found out via FaceTime from him in Seattle reading Twitter to me. I've never believed in anything more than I believe in Great Comet. It is an utter, utter joy. It does feel like a "good things happen to good people" kind of thing. I don't even say that about myself at all. Every piece of the show has been truly collaborative and creative and completely insane and impossible. I'm celebrating by rehearsing a beautiful new play I'm directing, What Would Crazy Horse Do? by Larissa Fasthorse at Kansas City Rep. It's our first week of previews, so it is a crazy time.

Justin Paul and Benj Pasek, Best Original Score, Dear Evan Hansen

Benj Pasek: I was home watching with one of my best friends, but my livestream wasn't working. I also don't have a TV, so I called my parents and we kept having all these tech snafus. My parents kept calling me back, and I kept saying, "FaceTime the computer!" So they called me from their cell, but they didn't put it on FaceTime. Then Justin actually texted me to say congratulations. So I found out from Justin.

Justin Paul: It's obviously a thrill. The big thing with this is for the show and so many of our colleagues to be recognized in so many areas. It's so thrilling for a group effort. Everyone created this show together. The writers and director and design team and some of the actors have been with this show for years. It's a really special experience for people across so many categories. That's really exciting.

Andy Karl, Best Actor in a Musical, Groundhog Day

It feels tremendous. Groundhog Day is one of my favorites I've ever done just based on the material alone. It's a lot of hard work that's paid off but especially in the last couple of weeks — just getting the show open and getting through previews. It's all been uphill struggles with the sets and then my injury, but what I know is that the material is so good, and it stands on its own so well, and I'm so proud of everyone, and I'm so proud of our show. I had just opened my eyes right before my category came up, so I was a little groggy, but I really just wanted to find out who else was nominated and make sure that the show was nominated because I think it's such a beautiful piece of material. The rest of the day — I'm gonna walk the dog, maybe go to the gym, and then I'm gonna go to physical therapy for the knee and then do the show. So it's a full day of making sure you get to that show. Because you know what — the show must go on.

Mike Faist, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen

I'm still digesting. My knees are still a little weak at the moment. I woke up about 45 minutes before I knew they were announcing. The sun was beaming on me in my bedroom, and I was like, "Why are you waking me up, sun? I'm trying to sleep through this thing!" I couldn't bear to watch, so I went grocery shopping. Five minutes in, I got a call from my agent and my phone blew up.

It's a beautiful role because of what it represents, a culture of people who are misunderstood and who feel like they're not able to express how they feel because the minute they do, it's something that is a taboo. It's not easily talked about in this country. On a personal level, I've been with it for three years, and I've grown as a human with this role. It challenged me, it's shaken me, and it continues to do that. It's a true representation of when your art meets up with your real life, and how you can grow synonymously with one another.

Brandon Uranowitz, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Falsettos

I think that's the best part of the day — that this show and so many of us were remembered and didn't get lost in this really jam-packed, very talented season. My boyfriend, Zach, and I were in bed pretending to be asleep. We decided not to watch because I would've puked everywhere. So we just stayed in bed and tried to keep sleeping, but I couldn't, so we just picked up our phones and were like, "Let's just do this." We were refreshing all the various news outlets, and I guess one of his refreshed before mine, and he just said, "Well, there it is, babe. You got it." [background noises] Oh, it was a text? Zach got a text from a friend — it's all coming out. [laughs] I don't have to do a show tonight, so I can do some day drinking! It seems like it's really, really lovely out, so it's a nice day for Tony nominations.

Jayne Houdyshell and Laurie Metcalf, two 2017 Tony Award nominees, star in Lucas Hnath's A Doll's House, Part 2.

(© Brigitte Lacombe)

Jayne Houdyshell, Best Featured Actress in a Play, A Doll's House, Part 2



The thing that's phenomenal is that we're all in the mix. Of course, Laurie Metcalf, to my mind, is giving the greatest performance imaginable. She carries the weight of the play on her back, and the other three of us are equal supporters of her. I can't imagine any one of us being singled out besides Laurie, so the fact that the three of us got a nod is phenomenal. It's exciting and beautiful. And I'm really, really happy for the play itself. It's really amazing to do, and I feel very lucky to be in it, that's for sure.

Condola Rashad, Best Featured Actress in a Play, A Doll's House, Part 2

Thank you to the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing for honoring our cast and fearless leaders, Sam Gold and Lucas Hnath! I visited my mother on my day off, woke up in my childhood room to this news, and the most surreal and amazing part of this morning was walking downstairs to find my mother and say, "Mom, guess what!" — one of the proudest daughter moments of my life as of yet. Thank you!

Paula Vogel, Best Play, Indecent

I'm feeling on the top of the world…I actually woke at the unusually early hour for me of 7am and went and had a quadruple espresso and then tuned in. So it's been just nonstop…there's just been online jubilation. I'm so honored and grateful that I have this amazing company; every single person in it is just a shining star. I think there may be a bottle popped somewhere in Daryl Roth's office — that's what I hear. So I'm definitely going to make a beeline. Not only did I wake up unusually early, but I'm going to have a drink unusually early in celebration. Today we break all the rules!

David Korins, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, War Paint

I dropped my kids off at school and then I ran right back home and I watched on TV. I never actually watched them before last year, but this year I have three new shows on Broadway so I'm rooting for so many people. It was an extra sweet bonus because Chris Jackson, who is a dear friend, announced it so it just put an extra smile on my face. I've gotten two nominations in my life and it does not get old at all. And this show, when I read it, I thought if I don't mess it up, it has a chance to be really exquisitely beautiful. The time period and the women that we're depicting are just so glamorous and beautiful. And I really feel like this is shared with Michael the director, and the producing team, and Cathy, and Ken Posner whose work is so extraordinarily beautiful. Because really, my set is all about how it's lit. So I feel like our team really succeeded this morning. I'm going to the dentist and then I'm going to my office to celebrate with my incredible team of associates and assistants and we're just gonna take a moment — and then we're gonna go back to work.

Laurie Metcalf, Best Actress in a Play, A Doll's House, Part 2

This is a little bit foreign to me. I've never been in town when these things happen so I didn't know this was a thing that you do on the morning. Scott Rudin called me and told me right away that everybody in the cast had a nomination, and also the play, the director, lighting and costume. I can't wait to go over there tonight and celebrate the show and see everybody. We're already a tight company and we've had a lot of laughs, but this is gonna make it so much more fun.

Johanna Day, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Sweat

Because I'm a Luddite, I don't have New York 1 — I live in Jersey. We saw a part of it on TV and they announced like three of them and then it went off air. Then people just kept texting me saying, "You're in! You're in! You got a nomination!" And my costar Michelle Wilson too! The show being nominated for Best Play makes me happier than anything, actually. It's probably the most important play I've ever been involved with in my life. I might have a sip of champagne just to make it official — then call some more people and probably take a nap and then go to the gym and do this marathon of a show. We are just the closest cast in the world and thank god we are to be able to do this show. I'm sure we'll be raising a ruckus.

Nigel Hook, Best Scenic Design of a Play, The Play That Goes Wrong

I'm amazed and totally thrilled to be nominated. It was beyond exciting to make my "debut" on Broadway with The Play That Goes Wrong company, especially excited to be at the Lyceum with its decades of Broadway Theatre history. I used to joke in my program notes that I had sung and danced on Broadway, at the Met and in La Scala Milan. All true, but mostly when nobody could see or hear. Now I can add "onstage on Broadway," happily the building was nearly empty and the lights were mostly off! A vast amount of work from a huge number of people goes into the production of even the simplest play. This is not a simple play, beware (like Winston) it bites!

Matthew Warchus, Best Direction of a Musical, Groundhog Day

What an absolute delight to receive this recognition in a season so crammed with terrific work. I applaud the huge achievements of the other nominated new musicals — all of which I loved — and feel honored to share the season with them. Groundhog Day's inclusion in today's nominations is a testament to a phenomenal cast and crew who Tim, Danny, and I completely adore.

Michelle Wilson, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Sweat

I keep pinching myself! I actually overslept. I set the clock for 8, and I was like, "I'm just gonna lay here for a second." I woke up with a start because it was close to 9, and all these calls were coming through and all these texts. I thought, "I know Sweat is nominated…" but I had to do the verification. I verified a couple of sources; I could have been a journalist this morning. [laughs] This whole process has felt like it's about something so much larger, so it felt very fitting. My art is my politics, and everything aligned so perfectly with this play being in the zeitgeist of what's going on in this country — and really the world. There's so much fear; there's so much restriction; there's so much anxiety and pain. There's something very ritualistic about what we're doing, and there's something really powerful that we're sacrificing up there every night. And I don't think anyone but Lynn Nottage, who is such a brilliant, courageous observer of behaviors and human beings — and Kate Whoriskey, who is ruthless in terms of keeping you honest and on point and not getting overwhelmed by the density. And then these fellow players. Team Sweat is a naughty bunch already — they don't need much of an excuse to celebrate. Team Sweat criminals, baby! I'm so excited to just be with them today.

Denée Benton has received a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her work in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.

(© Chad Batka)

Denée Benton, Best Actress in a Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

I've been dreaming about this moment since I was a little girl. Dave wrote Natasha as one of those great roles that demands everything of you. It is such a special role for me, for what it demands and what it means to be a black woman getting to have this moment. And then to be nominated this year when the category was so stacked. I said it might not happen this year because all the legends decided to come back to Broadway. So it's an honor, to say the absolute least. My parents are driving up from Maryland to take me to lunch. They dropped everything. These are the moments that dreams are made of.

Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Best Choreography, Groundhog Day

Peter and I are elated — and honored — to be nominated in such a strong season. Working on the show in New York has been a joy. We are truly humbled.

Lucas Hnath, Best Play, A Doll's House, Part 2

This is really exciting, but the thing I got most excited about was seeing the whole cast get nominated. They were so much a part of the evolution of the play. We started working together back in October. They all had an impact on how the play evolved. It feels really right. It makes me want to run up to the theater and see them all. What time do they get there?

Sam Gold, Best Director of a Play, A Doll's House, Part 2

It's my daughter's birthday today, so there's already a party planned. I'm wrapping birthday presents as we talk. You do a play like this, and it's everybody that makes the thing special. When everybody is acknowledged, all is right with the world.

Gavin Creel, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Hello, Dolly!

Jen Simard texted me "YAS," so I said, "Oh, I guess that's good news." I have 109 text messages, and I'm going to check them after we eat. I'm standing at a Bob Evans in Findlay, Ohio, about to have breakfast. We're celebrating with grits. Is there any celebration better than Bob Evans? The Tonys are great, but this is the peak. [laughs] It really is an honor to have the community that you're part of tip its hat in your direction. It will never get old.

Dave Malloy, Best Book, Best Score, Best Orchestrations; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

It's so bizarre and amazing to reflect on this journey. We started off at this off-off-Broadway theater. What's the coolest for me is that Rachel Chavkin and I come from the downtown theater world. This show has so much experimental theater baked into it. We got to Broadway, and we didn't have to compromise that vision. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than to go into a four-hour rehearsal with the family. I'm going on as Pierre on Thursday night. And then I get my show haircut at 5pm.

Tim Minchin, Best Musical and Best Original Score, Groundhog Day

I feel good. My stomach was really in knots this morning…because there have been times with Groundhog Day where, I'm the least superstitious person in the world, but I felt that the gods were against me…but Andy Karl, I mean, what an absolute friggin' legend…I mean, we, just everything — it's just years and years of personal, artistic, and financial investment, and I'm just sitting on a train between Berlin and Paris with my gut feeling like I think I might have a tummy bug, but as soon as the nominations came through, I burst into tears with all these Germans looking at me oddly, and my stomach's fine.

I'm on my way to Paris; I'm on a film at the moment, playing Tuck in a Robin Hood movie, but I think I've got tomorrow off, and I really love the cast members, so hopefully, if they're not shooting tonight, I'll be out with Jamie Dornan and Ben Mendelsohn and Taron Egerton and all these amazing friggin' movie stars that I get to get drunk with — I'm going to bully them into coming and buying me a drink in Paris of all places.

Danny Rubin, Best Book of a Musical, Groundhog Day

You don't know how much you care about these things until it comes down to it. I tried to watch the announcements, but my screen froze on my computer, so the suspense was excellent — great dramatic presentation. But while I was waiting to fix that problem, I got a series of text messages, and the first one was from my son. And of course, I'm most proud of the Best Musical nomination because there were so many good contenders. I wanted it to be good enough to get recognition. I wanted it to be a show that we were proud of and that people who loved the movie would feel like they're getting something at least as good as the movie — not something that's just a recapitulation, and to be recognized this way is very gratifying. I feel like I was the keeper of the flame, and I was responsible for doing a good job with it and not messing with anyone's good feelings about it. So I feel like I did my job, and that makes me very, very happy. I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and my car actually just arrived, so I am going to head straight to New York and deliver my hugs in person.

Kate Baldwin, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Hello, Dolly!

Graham and I woke up, and my son, who just turned six, walked in, slammed the door, and handed me his homemade card, which is the best present. Then we walked him to school, and my phone started buzzing. I'm so happy! Today is my birthday. It's a great way to celebrate, and I don't have a show tonight, so we can really celebrate. We're gonna go out and eat a lot of French food and watch Fargo. I'm very grateful and so proud of everyone who is working so hard to make Hello, Dolly! the extravaganza it is every night. I think the world of Gavin Creel; I think the world of David Hyde Pierce, the nicest man in show biz, and what a way to welcome back Bette Midler. And that ensemble of people is the hardest-working, most joyful group. It's a dream come true.

Jefferson Mays, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, Oslo

A few years ago, I was in a dog run picking up poo when the nominations were announced for A Gentleman's Guide, but this morning was so much more glamorous: My wife and I were planting our spring window boxes with New Guinea impatiens. I was up to my elbows in dirt when the texts and phone calls from well-wishing friends started to come in. We were listening to Bach's Magnificat. So it was a beautiful spring morning to work the land. I generally try to water the plants before the sun is high in the sky. That's my agrarian life here in northern Manhattan.

Danny DeVito, seen here in a scene with Mark Ruffalo, is a 2017 Tony nominee for his Broadway-debut performance in Arthur Miller's The Price.

(© Joan Marcus)

Danny DeVito, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, The Price

I'm speechless — it's thrilling, overwhelming. I got a text from a friend early this morning that said, "Mazel tov," and then immediately my daughter called me, and that's how I found out. I'm just gonna chill today a little bit and then go to work and just go down there and jump on my trampoline. Jump on trampoline first, then eat the egg — that's the rule I've found out.

And it's a really cool thing. I've been having such a great time with Jessica [Hecht] and Mark [Ruffalo] and Tony [Shalhoub] in this great play. It's one of those parts that comes along, and it's just...it's so much fun to work on.

Christopher Ashley, Best Direction of a Musical, Come From Away

I'm in La Jolla, California, in rehearsal for my next musical, Escape to Margaritaville. I'm ecstatic, so happy for everyone involved. It's amazing that this little musical got to this day. As artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse, it's a great day because we have both Come From Away nominated for Best Musical and Indecent nominated for Best Play. I'm celebrating by getting on a red-eye plane to New York. I'll tech all day and fly all night.

Jordan Roth, Best Revival of a Play, Present Laughter, and president of Jujamcyn Theaters, nominated for Falsettos and Groundhog Day

All of us at Jujamcyn are so grateful that Present Laughter, Falsettos, and Groundhog Day have been so warmly embraced by the Tony nominators today. We are celebrating every person who has a hand in making these extraordinary shows and every person in our theaters who creates the remarkable experience for audiences every night. And of course, we're celebrating a thrilling Broadway season!

Rob Howell, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Groundhog Day

I am thrilled. I only wish I was in New York now at the August Wilson Theatre with my Groundhog Day friends. Everyone there deserves a piece of this nomination. Onstage and backstage, champions all.

Michael Greif, Best Director of a Musical, Dear Evan Hansen

The Tony Awards website froze, but luckily my daughter, who is incredible at getting any kind of information at any time, was able to let me know what was happening. Of course, I'm really happy for my colleagues at Dear Evan Hansen and at War Paint for their spectacular work being recognized.

Jenn Colella, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Come From Away

This is a little embarrassing, but I'm in D.C. I thought the livestream was going to happen at 9am, but it was 8:30am. So I missed the live announcement. I went to check my phone, and the number of messages I had let me know that it was probably good news for me and my company. We have an early call, so I'll get to go in and squeeze everybody. Then we get to do this beautiful show, which is the best possible way to celebrate. I couldn't be happier.

Rebecca Taichman, Best Direction of a Play, Indecent

I'm overwhelmed and very excited. It feels like a tremendous honor to be in this extraordinary group. I didn't dare watch the nominations, and [writer] Paula [Vogel] and I were texting from quite early in the morning about our favorite moments along this long road of a process, so I was happy to learn such beautiful news from her. I thought, "What a beautiful thing, just no matter what happens, to be spending some time before learning what the result of this all was just reminiscing about the extraordinary path that we've taken." And it's been such an intimate and profound collaboration that I'm thrilled to share this moment with her and really with our entire company.

I just wrote everybody and said, "Let's raise a big ol' glass!" I'm planning to go and watch the show tonight and then take everybody out for a nice toast.

Richard Thomas, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, The Little Foxes

I was sound asleep. I didn't realize this was the morning they were going to make announcements. My wife looked at my phone and said, "You're getting a lot of calls. I hope one of our kids isn't in trouble." I leaned over and saw all the congratulatory messages. If you've got to wake up early on a day you're doing a show, that's a nice way to do it. I'm having a second cup of tea in a minute, and I will continue to feel stunned. This is such a deeply gratifying day for me. I've been working in the theater in New York for my whole life, so this is a very special time. I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way, but this is really an honor. I'm very surprised and very happy.

Mimi Lien, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

I'm in a hotel room, which is the only time I watch TV, and the first time I watched the nominations live. I'm out of town working on a Debussy opera called Pelléas et Mélisande with the Cleveland Orchestra. And Dave Malloy is from Cleveland, so I'm having dinner with his parents tonight. It's been a long journey, so this feels pretty great. The design is so much about orchestrating how people share space. I'm grateful to all my collaborators and the performers and the audience.

John Douglas Thompson, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, Jitney

Maaan, I tried to watch on CBS this morning, but they just had a few of the categories! Then they cut to the news. I thought they were going to go back to the nominations, but they didn't. My phone was off, and my internet was down, so I didn't know what happened. But then I turned on my phone and found out through various texts that I had been nominated. I was very excited for Jitney to be recognized this late in the game. We closed well over a month ago. That shows the incredible staying power of August Wilson. In addition to Best Revival, we got lighting, sets, costumes, and of course, Ruben's direction. I was really happy for that because it was a major part of the success of the show. Tonight I have to go to rehearsal for Julius Caesar in the park, so I'm going to be dead tired, but I'm going to go somewhere after and have a toast.

Irene Sankoff and David Hein; Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score; Come From Away

Sankoff: We were having a little Tony nomination party in our living room…

Hein: With our agent and our three-year-old daughter…

Sankoff: And there were cookies, and we were absolutely overjoyed.

Hein: Our daughter isn't quite sure what's happening, but cookies for breakfast is always a great thing.

Sankoff: We're just so proud to be here. It's been more wonderful and more intense than I ever could have imagined.

Hein: We didn't set out to write a Broadway show. Six years ago, we couldn't have predicted being here and being part of this extraordinary season. The nominations feel like a testament to how hard everyone has worked on the show.

Sankoff: And they're having their own celebration in Gander, which just makes me so happy.

Hein: We FaceTimed with them this morning. Beulah had made a casserole. Bonnie and Oz were there too. It was amazing.



J.T. Rogers, Best Play, Oslo

I was on the Metro-North coming into the city. My phone went out of range, but when it came back in, all of a sudden my text messages and e-mail exploded. So many people I admire and love told me I was going to get a nomination, but the more people say that, the more you get nervous. So this morning is both a joy and a relief. I have to tell you, seven nominations: the cast, the designers, Bart — I'm thunderstruck. If you had asked me which of my plays was going to be that rare unicorn of a new American play on Broadway, I would not have picked my three-hour deep dive into PLO-Israeli politics. Then to be nominated for seven Tonys — this is a profession where anything is possible. I'm so friggin' honored, I can't stand it.

Bradley King, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

I have not processed any of this. I am still floating on some cloud. For no reason whatsoever, we have had champagne in the fridge for six months that hasn't been touched, and this seems like a great time to open it. So if not now, when?

Denis Jones, Best Choreography, Holiday Inn

I watched it on television. I decided to put on my big-boy pants and sit and actually watch it. I was over the moon to be nominated. Holiday Inn is a show I really enjoyed working on. I felt honored just to be able to create dances to the great music of Irving Berlin. That would have been enough for me, but to be acknowledged like this is icing on the cake. After I got the news, I had a little mimosa in my apartment and went to rehearsal for Mary Poppins at the Paper Mill Playhouse. There's no better way to celebrate a nomination like this than to go to work and create more dance.

Linda Cho, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Anastasia

I tried to stream the nominations. Both my husband and my computer froze, and I started getting congratulatory texts. Theater to me, this year, is really important. I feel like theater is a voice in a time where a lot of voices are being suppressed. I made a decision this year that I'm gonna put my efforts into protecting what I know and love, which is theater. So for me, being acknowledged for the work that I already care about — and feel is extraordinary — is really gratifying.

Corey Hawkins, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, Six Degrees of Separation

Ahhh! I am incredibly honored to celebrate the Tony nomination of Six Degrees of Separation for Best Revival of a Play. I am so grateful to John Guare for giving us this beautiful gem that has stood the test of time and to Trip Cullman for brilliantly leading this powerful production. I'm in awe of this beautiful troupe of talented individuals that comprise this gifted cast — Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey are my family and my foundation. How fortunate are we to call ourselves "storytellers"? I am a lucky guy!

Lucas Steele, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

I am extremely humbled to be part of a community that has supported and guided me over many years. I stand on the shoulders of an incredible team of artists both onstage and off, who inspire me beyond my limits on a nightly basis. To be recognized alongside those whose wonderful work I have admired from afar, is a blessing I will forever carry in my heart.

Mary Beth Peil, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Anastasia

My family was very excited, as was I. I had decided not to watch until everything was in, and so when the phone started ringing my daughter said, "Don't answer it!" She was watching online so she said, "Don't answer it! I have to be the one!" So then she started screaming and then I started screaming and then I started answering the phone. I'm sort of speechless about it all. It's a great honor first off all because I love this show so much and I love everyone in it. I can't help but feel that we were robbed a bit. But I'm certainly more than thrilled to represent the show.