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It's Tony time on Sunday, meaning the theater community will gather to honor a bunch of shows that most of America probably didn't see. This year's awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, are pitted as a battle on the musical side between Kinky Boots and Matilda. When it comes to plays there's the question of whether Nora Ephron's posthumous Lucky Guy and its star Tom Hanks will take home any prizes, or whether Christopher Durang's Chekhov-inspired comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will sweep. Though we haven't seen everything, here's our best guess as to who is going to win.
Best Musical
Well, at least part of this category is easy. You can eliminate Bring It On: The Musical and A Christmas Story, The Musical, two shows that didn't get such good reviews that are already closed, right off the bat. Then comes the hard part. Kinky Boots and Matilda are both beloved (though for different reasons), both critically praised (Matilda probably a little more so), and both would win in a year wherein they weren't pitted against each another. Kinky Boots, an adaptation of a 2005 movie, is about the friendship between the owner of a shoe factory and the drag queen who helps him save it. It's a warm, infectious show, that literally has the audience dancing at the end. Cyndi Lauper wrote the music and lyrics, which are poppy and familiar and comforting. Broadway favorite Harvey Fierstein wrote the book. Matilda, on the other hand, is being billed as the more cerebral show, the thinking person's favorite. It's adapted from Roald Dahl's classic book about a mistreated and brilliant little girl. The show is visually stunning, and from a scenery point of view feels more innovative.