Despite their "best efforts," the Tony Awards have really stepped in it (not quite as hard as Patti LuPone, but still).
Okay, so not every new musical can be nominated for Best Musical. Do I think BOOP! The Musical should have made the cut? Sure. But that's not what I'm here to gripe about—or why fans are up in arms. The Broadway show's incredibly talented star, Jasmine Amy Rogers (who plays the titular character), is nominated for a Best Lead Actress Tony. And yet, she is the only Lead Actress nominee not scheduled to perform live at the Tonys this coming Sunday. And people are mad.
As Deadline points out, "Performances will include the casts of Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Floyd Collins, Gypsy, Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Sunset Blvd., Just in Time and Real Women Have Curves." If all of these had been nominated for Best Musical or Best Revival of a Musical, the choices would have made sense.
But instead, as the outlet continues, "While neither Just in Time and Real Women Don’t Have Curves received a Best Musical nomination, their respective stars Jonathan Groff and Justina Machado are nominated in performance categories." Wait. So if those non-nominated musicals are performing, why isn't BOOP! The Musical? This has sparked enough backlash that a petition to let Rogers and the BOOP cast perform on Sunday's telecast has been circulating.