Predictions: What Will Win the Best Musical and Best Play Tony Awards in 2019?

Here are our critics’ predictions for the big awards on Sunday.

| Broadway |

June 7, 2019

The 2019 Tony Awards are almost here, and voting ends at noon today. Here are our critics' predictions for the all-important categories of Best Play and Best Musical. You can read our earlier predictions for revivals, directors, and actors here.

And remember to make your own predictions here , and on Monday check back to see who was right: the critics or you!

Best Play

THE NOMINEES:
Choir Boy
The Ferryman
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus
Ink
What the Constitution Means to Me

David Gordon:
Will win: What the Constitution Means to Me
Should win: What the Constitution Means to Me
This is my boldest prediction of the night. In very fraught times for our country, I predict that Tony voters will put Heidi Schreck's astute, exciting, and hopeful play about the future of American politics above the rest.

Hayley Levitt:
Will win: The Ferryman
Should win: The Ferryman
Heidi Schreck's What the Constitution Means to Me has been building buzz and is probably The Ferryman's biggest competition at this point. But I predict Jez Butterworth's epic Irish masterpiece will hold its spot at the top of the pack.

Zachary Stewart:
Will win: The Ferryman
Should win: What the Constitution Means to Me
The Ferryman looks more like a traditional play and it excels within those limits spectacularly, but What the Constitution Means to Me expands our concept of what a Broadway play can be. Even if it doesn't win the Tony, I hope that it heralds the arrival of even more form-pushing work on our nation's most high-profile stages.

All three of our critics think that Hadestown is the likely winner, but two of them have a soft spot for The Prom. — All three of our critics think that *Hadestown* is the likely winner, but two of them have a soft spot for *The Prom*.
(© Matthew Murphy / Deen van Meer)

Best Musical

THE NOMINEES:
Ain't Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations
Beetlejuice
Hadestown
The Prom
Tootsie

David Gordon:
Will win: Hadestown
Should win: The Prom
Don't count out the crowd-pleasing Ain't Too Proud here, but Hadestown will be living it up come Tony night, despite the lovable scrappiness of The Prom, its neighbor across the street.

Hayley Levitt:
Will win: Hadestown
Should win: Hadestown
There are strong comedic contenders this year with Tootsie and The Prom, but nothing this season comes close to the artistry of Hadestown. And if last year's The Band's Visit sweep tells us anything, it's that Tony voters love an earnest musical.

Zachary Stewart:
Will win: Hadestown
Should win: The Prom
The victory of The Band's Visit augers well for Hadestown, the most serious musical in the race. But if the Tonys are anything like presidential elections, voters will be looking for something radically different from the last winner — and that could bode well for a tuneful, funny, earnest underdog like The Prom.

Those are our predictions for the top awards at this year's Tonys. Do you agree or disagree? Tell us your predictions here.

For the complete list of Tony nominees, click here.