Banderas Approved for Tony Award Race

By Stephen M. Silverman

Friday April 25, 2003 10:00 AM EDT

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Yahoo Buzz
• E-mail

Broadway's Tony race this season is shaping up to be more interesting than recent heats, with Antonio Banderas in the hit revival of "Nine" deemed to be the only performer from that show eligible for a lead acting Tony nomination, organizers announced Thursday.

That means that the lead actor in a musical race will probably boil down to The Hunk vs. The Harvey -- as in Fierstein, the hysterical drag queen in "Hairspray."

Until "Nine" opened, with Banderas taking the crowds' collective breath away, Fierstein had what seemed to be a lock on the award, which is Broadway's equivalent of the Oscar.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Nine" producers also asked the Tony board to name the legendary Chita Rivera -- who originated the role of Velma in the 1975 production of "Chicago" and who now has a prison cameo in the movie -- eligible for a leading musical actress nomination.

Such positioning would have eased potential competition with fellow "Nine" performers Jane Krakowski (of "Ally McBeal" fame) and Mary Stuart Masterson ("Fried Green Tomatoes").

But the committee nixed the idea, and all 18 women in the cast will be eligible for featured actress nominations. (Banderas, 42, is the only male in the show, save for a little boy representing his character at age 9.)

That decision means the Tony for lead female in a musical will likely go to Marissa Jaret Winokur, the tireless, plus-sized young star of "Hairspray."

Bernadette Peters, in a soon-to-open revival of "Gypsy," might also be nominated in that category, though advance word of mouth on that show and on her performance is not favorable.