2024 Tony Award nominations include Dayton connections

The 2024 Tony Award nominations announced Tuesday honoring the best of Broadway’s 2023-2024 season include notable Dayton connections.

Dayton native Dorian Harewood, 73, received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his wonderfully heartfelt portrayal of Older Noah in “The Notebook.” The emotionally compelling adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ novel, co-directed by Dayton native Schele Williams, also received nominations for Maryann Plunkett’s impactful leading performance as Older Allie and Bekah Brunstetter’s charming book. Harewood’s numerous acting credits include Simon Haley in “Roots: The Next Generation” and the titular role in “The Jesse Owens Story.”

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2014 Wright State University dance alumna Tilly Evans-Krueger is the associate choreographer and an ensemble member of “The Outsiders,” nominated for 12 Tonys including Best Musical and Best Choreography. In addition to performing with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company while studying dance, her credits include Broadway’s “Moulin Rouge!,” off-Broadway’s “The Lucky Ones,” “Rent Live!,” the film version of “In the Heights,” and Ariana Grande’s music video “yes, and?” In “The Outsiders,” movingly led by Tony nominee Brody Grant as soul-searching Ponyboy, Evans-Krueger is among the working-class Greasers who brings fierce physicality to an extraordinarily choreographed Act 2 rumble against the privileged Socs.

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The electrifying production of “The Who’s Tommy,” nominated for Best Revival of a Musical, features 2022 Wright State University musical theatre alumna Tassy Kirbas in the ensemble and as the Acid Queen understudy. In 2022 Kirbas delivered a phenomenal portrayal of Charity Hope Valentine in Wright State’s production of “Sweet Charity.”

In addition, three-time Tony Award-winning producer Joey Monda, a 2012 Wright State University musical theatre alum, notably produced the aforementioned “The Notebook” as well as “Days of Wine and Roses,” a new musical composed by Adam Guettel (”The Light in the Piazza”) that received nominations for leading actor and actress in a musical as well as original score.

Also, D’Kaylah Unique Whitley, who studied musical theatre at Wright State, is an understudy for such roles as Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell in “Suffs,” which received six nominations including Best Musical.

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The delightfully entertaining “Hell’s Kitchen,” Alicia Keys’ semi-autobiographical jukebox musical, and the nostalgic “Stereophonic,” playwright David Adjmi’s epic account of a 1970s rock band on the verge of stardom, lead all contenders with 13 nominations.

The 77th annual Tony Awards, hosted by Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, will air live from New York’s Lincoln Center David A. Koch Theater Sunday, June 16 on CBS.

For a complete list of nominations, visit tonyawards.com.

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About the Author

Russell Florence Jr.

Russell Florence Jr. is team leader/coordinator of Lifestyles/Dayton.com. He has been an arts/lifestyles reporter for Dayton Daily News since 2012. He formerly served on the Dayton Daily News Community Board of Contributors and assisted the Dayton Daily News Editorial Board. He received his BA in mass communications from Wright State University.