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Will this Bristol native take home a Tony Award for 10-time nominee ‘Death Becomes Her’?

By USA Today via Reuters Connect

June 5, 2025

Singing robots might dominate the Tony Awards June 8.

Starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shin, “Maybe Happy Ending” has already won best musical awards from the Drama League, the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and New York Drama Critics Circle.

The show about a chance encounter between two “helperbots” has been nominated for 10 Tonys, including Best Musical.

It will make for tough competition for Bristol native Chris Gattelli’s “Death Becomes Her,” the musical that also has 10 nominations. Gattelli, who previously won a Tony for his choreography of “Newsies,” is up for directing and choreographing “Death Becomes Her,” an adaptation of the campy 1992 horror/comedy flick starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn.

The 78th annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards take place at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 8, from Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. Hosted by Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award winner and three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, the show is on CBS and Paramount+.

Here’s a look at the competition facing “Death Becomes Her” and Gattelli, a Bristol Junior-Senior High School grad:

Best Musical

“Buena Vista Social Club”

“Dead Outlaw”

“Death Becomes Her”

“Maybe Happy Ending”

“Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical”

Best Book of a Musical

“Buena Vista Social Club,” Marco Ramirez

“Dead Outlaw,” Itamar Moses

“Death Becomes Her,” Marco Pennette

“Maybe Happy Ending,” Will Aronson and Hue Park

“Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical,” David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts

Best Original Score (music and/or lyrics) Written for the Theatre

“Dead Outlaw,” David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna

“Maybe Happy Ending,” Music: Will Aronson, Lyrics: Will Aronson and Hue Park

“Death Becomes Her,” Julia Mattison and Noel Carey

“Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical,” Music & Lyrics: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical,” Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Megan Hilty, “Death Becomes Her”

Audra McDonald, “Gypsy”

Jasmine Amy Rogers, “BOOP! The Musical”

Nicole Scherzinger, “Sunset Blvd.”

Jennifer Simard, “Death Becomes Her”

Best Direction of a Musical

Saheem Ali, “Buena Vista Social Club”

Michael Arden, “Maybe Happy Ending”

David Cromer, “Dead Outlaw”

Christopher Gattelli, “Death Becomes Her”

Jamie Lloyd, “Sunset Blvd.”

Best Choreography

Joshua Bergasse, “SMASH”

Camille A. Brown, “Gypsy”

Christopher Gattelli, “Death Becomes Her”

Jerry Mitchell, “BOOP! The Musical”

Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, “Buena Vista Social Club”

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Rachel Hauck, “Swept Away”

Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, “Maybe Happy Ending”

Arnulfo Maldonado, “Buena Vista Social Club”

Derek McLane, “Death Becomes Her”

Derek McLane, “Just in Time”

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Dede Ayite, “Buena Vista Social Club”

Gregg Barnes, “BOOP! The Musical”

Clint Ramos, “Maybe Happy Ending”

Paul Tazewell, “Death Becomes Her”

Catherine Zuber, “Just in Time”

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Jack Knowles, “Sunset Blvd.”

Tyler Micoleau, “Buena Vista Social Club”

Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, “Floyd Collins”

Ben Stanton, “Maybe Happy Ending”

Justin Townsend, “Death Becomes Her”

Other major categories:

Best Play

“English,” Sanaz Toossi

“The Hills of California,” Jez Butterworth

“John Proctor is the Villain,” Kimberly Belflower

“Oh, Mary!,” Cole Escola

“Purpose,” Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Best Direction of a Play

Knud Adams, “English”

Sam Mendes, “The Hills of California”

Sam Pinkleton, “Oh, Mary!”

Danya Taymor, “John Proctor is the Villain”

Kip Williams, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

Reporting by Bucks County Courier Times / NorthJersey.com

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CATEGORIES: LOCAL PEOPLE
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