The countdown to the Tony Awards is officially on! New musicals Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her and Maybe Happy Ending lead the pack with 10 each. Close behind with seven are Dead Outlaw, Sunset Boulevard, The Hills of California and John Proctor is the Villain. With 30 productions in the running, there’s plenty to dig into: breakout performances, returning favorites and a few unexpected turns. Here’s what stands out in this year’s field of nominees.


Late Openers Don’t Run the Board
Every season, April brings a mad rush of openings as producers aim to keep their shows top of mind for Tony nominators. This season was no exception, with 12 out of the 2024-25 season’s 42 productions opening in April. The strategy often pays off, especially in the Best Musical category: least year, four of the five nominees (The Outsiders, Suffs, Hell’s Kitchen and Illinoise) opened in April, with the fifth nominee, Water for Elephants, arriving just ahead of them in March.

This year, timing mattered less. Maybe Happy Ending and Death Becomes Her, both November openings, earned 10 nominations each, including Best Musical. Buena Vista Social Club (also with 10 nods) had a March opening, along with Operation Mincemeat. The only Best Musical contender to just make the eligibility cutoff was Dead Outlaw, a show that garnered much off-Broadway buzz, suggesting it would be a contender no matter when it arrived. It's also worth noting that Oh, Mary!, now up for Best Play, opened last July—barely after the the 2024 Tony Awards had wrapped.