New York Film Academy (NYFA) Celebrates Tony Nominations for Instructor Dave Solomon’s ‘Tootsie’

May 3, 2019

Tootsie, the Broadway musical adaptation of the popular 1982 film starring Dustin Hoffman, earned a whopping 11 Tony Award nominations this season. Professional Conservatory at New York Film Academy (PCMT at NYFA) instructor Dave Solomon is the Associate Director on the show.

Tootsie began previews in March of 2019 and opened in April and tells the story of a talented but difficult actor who impersonates a woman to land a role. The show features a score by David Yazbek, Tony-award winning composer of The Band’s Visit, and a book by Robert Horn, writer of 13: The Musical.

Tootsie‘s 11 Tony nominations include Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role, Best Costume Design, Best Direction, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations.

Tootsie
“We’re incredibly proud of Dave’s work on this show,” says Mark Olsen, NYFA Chair of Musical Theatre. “Adapting such a popular film is always a challenge, and this creative team has done a phenomenal job. The show is very deserving of all the accolades it’s received.”

The show is Solomon’s twelfth Broadway play. He was also the Associate Director on Side Show, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Sunday in the Park with George, The Ritz, Pal Joey, 9 to 5, and Curtains. He also assisted Bill Condon on the films Mr. Holmes and Disney’s 2017 live action Beauty and the Beast. In addition, he will be directing the upcoming show Pump Up the Volume at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, which will open in April 2020.

Solomon isn’t the only NYFA faculty celebrating this year’s nominations. PCMT at NYFA instructor James T. Lane is in the cast of the Kiss Me, Kate revival, which is up for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestration, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.

New York Film Academy congratulates PCMT at NYFA Instructors James T. Lane and Dave Solomon on their shows’ success, and looks forward to seeing the winners announced on June 9!

Here is the full list of this year’s Tony Award winners and nominees:

Best Play
Choir Boy
The Ferryman – WINNER
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ink
What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Musical
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Beetlejuice
Hadestown – WINNER
The Prom
Tootsie

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
The Boys in the Band – WINNER
Burn This
Torch Song
The Waverly Gallery

Best Revival of a Musical
Kiss Me, Kate
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! – WINNER

Best Book of a Musical
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Dominique Morisseau)
Beetlejuice (Scott Brown & Anthony King)
Hadestown (Anaïs Mitchell)
The Prom (Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin)
Tootsie (Robert Horn) – WINNER

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Be More Chill (Music & Lyrics: Joe Iconis)
Beetlejuice (Music & Lyrics: Eddie Perfect)
Hadestown (Music & Lyrics: Anaïs Mitchell) – WINNER
The Prom (Music: Matthew Sklar, Lyrics: Chad Beguelin)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Music: Adam Guettel)
Tootsie (Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
Bryan Cranston, Network – WINNER
Jeff Daniels, To Kill a Mockingbird
Adam Driver, Burn This
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Annette Bening, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons
Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
Elaine May, The Waverly Gallery – WINNER
Janet McTeer, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Laurie Metcalf, Hillary and Clinton
Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, The Prom
Derrick Baskin, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Alex Brightman, Beetlejuice
Damon Daunno, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Santino Fontana, Tootsie – WINNER

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show – WINNER
Caitlin Kinnunen, The Prom
Beth Leavel, The Prom
Eva Noblezada, Hadestown
Kelli O’Hara, Kiss Me, Kate

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Bertie Carvel, Ink – WINNER
Robin De Jesús, The Boys in the Band
Gideon Glick, To Kill a Mockingbird
Brandon Uranowitz, Burn This
Benjamin Walker, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Fionnula Flanagan, The Ferryman
Celia Keenan-Bolger, To Kill a Mockingbird – WINNER
Kristine Nielsen, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Julie White, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ruth Wilson, King Lear

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
André De Shields, Hadestown – WINNER
Andy Grotelueschen, Tootsie
Patrick Page, Hadestown
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Lilli Cooper, Tootsie
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Sarah Stiles, Tootsie
Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! – WINNER
Mary Testa, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Miriam Buether, To Kill a Mockingbird
Bunny Christie, Ink
Rob Howell, The Ferryman – WINNER
Santo Loquasto, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Jan Versweyveld, Network

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Peter England, King Kong
Rachel Hauck, Hadestown – WINNER
Laura Jellinek, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
David Korins, Beetlejuice

Best Costume Design of a Play
Rob Howell, The Ferryman – WINNER
Toni-Leslie James, Bernhardt/Hamlet
Clint Ramos, Torch Song
Ann Roth, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ann Roth, To Kill a Mockingbird

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Michael Krass, Hadestown
William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice
William Ivey Long, Tootsie
Bob Mackie, The Cher Show – WINNER
Paul Tazewell, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Ink – WINNER
Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Peter Mumford, The Ferryman
Jennifer Tipton, To Kill a Mockingbird
Jan Versweyveld and Tal Yarden, Network

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, The Cher Show
Howell Binkley, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Bradley King, Hadestown – WINNER
Peter Mumford, King Kong
Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini, Beetlejuice

Best Sound Design of a Play
Adam Cork, Ink
Scott Lehrer, To Kill a Mockingbird
Fitz Patton, Choir Boy – WINNER
Nick Powell, The Ferryman
Eric Sleichim, Network

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, Beetlejuice
Peter Hylenski, King Kong
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Drew Levy, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown – WINNER

Best Direction of a Play
Rupert Goold, Ink
Sam Mendes, The Ferryman – WINNER
Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird
Ivo van Hove, Network
George C. Wolfe, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Best Direction of a Musical
Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown – WINNER
Scott Ellis, Tootsie
Daniel Fish, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Des McAnuff, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom

Best Choreography
Camille A. Brown, Choir Boy
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me, Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations – WINNER

Best Orchestrations
Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown – WINNER
Simon Hale, Tootsie
Larry Hochman, Kiss Me, Kate
Daniel Kluger, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Harold Wheeler, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations

Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-Competitive Categories
Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Rosemary Harris
Terrence McNally
Harold Wheeler

Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
Judith Light

Special Tony Awards
Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company
Jason Michael Webb
Marin Mazzie