And the Winner Is… Tony Nominees in Their Own Words (Midday on WNYC)

Actors Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff discuss starring in the first-ever Broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God. Jackson stars as James Leeds, an instructor at a New England school for the deaf. Ridloff was recently nominated for a Tony for her role as Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. A fragile romance slowly develops between the two. Candace Penn, an American sign language interpreter for Lauren Ridloff, also joins in-studio. Lauren Ridloff received a Tony nomination for her performance. This segment is guest hosted by Jonathan Capehart.

Musicians from the Tony-nominated Broadway musical “The Band’s Visit” perform live in studio and speak with guest host and creator, three-time Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award-winner David Yazbek. “The Band’s Visit” tells the story of an Egyptian Police Band that arrives in Israel to play a concert, but ends up in a remote village in the middle of the desert. Over the course of the evening, the band gets to know the locals and their lives connect in unexpected ways. "The Band's Visit" received 11 Tony nominations. This segment is guest hosted by David Yazbek and originally aired on May 7, 2018.

Disney's "Frozen" broke records at the box office for highest-grossing animated film. Five years later, it became a Broadway musical. Tony and Olivier Award-winning director Michael Grandage discusses creating and directing the hit "Frozen" on Broadway. He also talks about returning to London for West End revivals of Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmore and John Logan’s Red. "Frozen" received three Tony nominations. This segment is guest hosted by Jim O'Grady and originally aired on March 20, 2018.

Mark Rylance and Claire Van Kampen discuss the Shakespeare’s Globe production of "Farinelli and the King, a new play by written and scored by Van Kampen. King Philippe V of Spain (Rylance), plagued by insomnia, lies awake in his chamber. The Queen, desperate for a cure, hears of Farinelli, a castrato with a voice so divine it has the power to captivate all who hear it. “Farinelli and the King” received 5 Tony nominations. This segment was guest hosted by Martha Plimpton and originally aired on January 26, 2018.

Harry Hadden-Paton and Lauren Ambrose talk about starring in the Broadway revival of "My Fair Lady" at Lincoln Center Theater. It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” "My Fair Lady" received 10 Tony nominations. This segment is guest hosted by Jonathan Capehart and originally aired on May 11, 2018.

We're taking a look at the new Lincoln Center production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The King and I” with star Kelli O’Hara! The show was recently nominated for nine Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical; Sher was nominated for Best Direction of a Musical. The show is running at The Vivian Beaumont Theater. Click here to check out all of our conversations will 2015 Tony nominees!

Tony winner Michael Cerveris, 3-time Tony nominee Judy Kuhn, and Beth Malone talk about “Fun Home,” the musical based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel of the same name. “Fun Home” introduces us to Alison at three different ages, revealing memories of her uniquely dysfunctional family. The play was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, and received the OBIE. It was recently nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Now playing at the Circle in the Square Theater.

The Elephant Man, based on the real life of Joseph Merrick, is the story of a 19-century British man who became a star of the traveling freak show circuit. When the renowned Dr. Treves takes Merrick under his care, he is astonished by the man’s brilliant intelligence, unshakable faith and resounding desire for love and understanding. Patricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola, stars of The Elephant Man on Broadway.

Actors Kristin Chenoweth, Peter Gallagher, and director Scott Ellis, discuss the new Broadway production of “On the Twentieth Century.” The Twentieth Century, a luxury coach travelling from Chicago to New York City, brings together bankrupt theater producer Oscar Jaffee (Gallagher) and Hollywood starlet Lily Garland (Chenoweth), who Jaffee tries to cajole into playing the lead in his new, non-existent epic drama.

In "Hand to God," Jason is a shy, inquisitive student who finds an outlet for his burgeoning creativity at the Christian Puppet Ministry in the devoutly religious small town of Cypress, Texas. Jason’s complicated relationships with the town pastor, the school bully, the girl next door and—most especially—his mother are thrown into further upheaval when Jason’s hand puppet, Tyrone—once soft-spoken—takes on a shocking and dangerously irreverent personality all its own. Playwright Robert Askins and Steven Boyer (Jason) will discuss the play... along with Tyrone!

Ben Miles, Nathaniel Parker, and Lydia Leonard talk about their roles in “Wolf Hall: Parts 1 & 2.” Adapted from Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker Prize winning novels, Wolf Hall is based on the deceit, betrayal, and intrigue of the court of Henry VIII. The production is headed by Ben Miles as Thomas Cromwell, Lydia Leonard as Anne Boleyn, and Nathaniel Parker as King Henry VIII, all under the direction of Olivier Award nominee Jeremy Herrin.

Chita Rivera, playwright Terrence McNally, and songwriter John Kander talk about their new Broadway musical, “The Visit.” It centers on Claire Zachannassian, the world’s wealthiest woman, who returns home to her "wretched birthplace" to confront her former lover who captured her heart, then shattered her dreams. She throws her money, her power, and herself into exacting revenge, mowing over anyone who tries to stop her. Playing at the Lyceum Theater. It was nominated for 5 Tonys, including Best Musical!

16 Grammy winner Sting tells us about his debut as a Broadway composer in "The Last Ship" a new musical inspired by his own childhood. In a close-knit English seafaring town, life revolves around the local shipyard.

Matthew Broderick and Micah Stock discuss their roles in the Broadway premiere of Terrence McNally’s “It’s Only A Play.” Broderick stars as the playwright Peter Austin, who is anxiously waiting to see if his show is a hit. Stock plays a coat check attendant fresh off the bus. The play is alternately raucous, ridiculous and tender, and proves that sometimes the biggest laughs happen offstage

Kenneth Lonergan talks about his critically acclaimed play “This Is Our Youth,” set in New York in 1982. He’s joined by Kieran Culkin, who stars in it. The play follows 48 hours in the lives of three very lost young souls: a dejected 19-year-old who has just stolen $15,000 from his abusive father; Dennis, Warren’s charismatic drug-dealing friend who-helps Warren put the stolen money to good use; and Jessica, the young woman Warren yearns for. The play also stars Michael Cera and Tavi Gevinson

Actors Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy, along with writer David Hare, talk about the new Broadway production of “Skylight.” On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollis (Carey Mulligan) receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant (Bill Nighy), a successful and charismatic restaurateur whose wife has recently died. As the evening progresses, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship, only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires.

Actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson, along with writer Nick Payne, discuss the play “Constellations.” This story begins with a simple encounter between a man and a woman (Gyllenhaal and Wilson). But what happens next defies the boundaries of the world we think we know – delving into the infinite possibilities of their relationship and raising questions about the difference between choice and destiny.

Simon Stephens talks about writing the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” based on the novel of the same name by Mark Haddon. He's joined by Francesca Faridany, who plays Siobhan. "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" is nominated for 6 Tonys, including Best Play. The play is about a 15-year old a boy who is exceptionally intelligent but struggles to navigate everyday life. When he's suspected of killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to a discovery that will change his life forever. The play is playing at the Barrymore Theatre.

Director John Rando, choreographer Joshua Bergasse, and actress Alysha Umphress talk about the new Broadway revival of On the Town, which was nominated for a 2015 Tony for Best Musical Revival. The Bronx is up, the Battery's down, and three sailors are hoping to get just a little bit lucky on their one day of leave in the Big Apple. Umphress plays Hildy, the taxi driver, who can cook, too. Created by the legendary creative team of Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Jerome Robbins, On the Town originally debuted in 1944. The score features the standards “New York, New York,” “I Can Cook Too,” “Lonely Town,” and “Some Other Time” and is played in this production with their original orchestrations, performed by the largest orchestra on Broadway.