Critics’ Picks
By BEN BRANTLEY and CHARLES ISHERWOOD
The Times’s theater critics make their picks in selected categories for the 2008 Tony Awards.

BEST PLAY

Ben Brantley

Will win: “August: Osage County”

Should win: “Rock ‘n’ Roll”

Should have been nominated: “Black Watch” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: “August: Osage County”

Should win: “August: Osage County”

Should have been nominated: None

BEST MUSICAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: “In the Heights”

Should win: “Passing Strange”

Should have been nominated: “The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island or, The Friends of Dr. Rushower” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: “Passing Strange”

Should win: “Passing Strange”

Should have been nominated: None

BEST PLAY REVIVAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: “Macbeth”

Should win: “Boeing-Boeing”

Should have been nominated: “Top Girls”

Charles Isherwood

Will win: “Boeing-Boeing”

Should win: “Macbeth”

Should have been nominated: “Cyrano de Bergerac”

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: “South Pacific”

Should win: “South Pacific”

Should have been nominated: “Hair” in Central Park *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: “South Pacific”

Should win: “South Pacific”

Should have been nominated: None

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY

Ben Brantley

Will win: Patrick Stewart, “Macbeth”

Should win: Patrick Stewart, “Macbeth”

Should have been nominated: Kevin Kline, “Cyrano de Bergerac”

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Mark Rylance, “Boeing-Boeing”

Should win: Patrick Stewart, “Macbeth”

Should have been nominated: Kevin Kline, “Cyrano de Bergerac”

BEST ACTRESS IN PLAY

Ben Brantley

Will win: Deanna Dunagan, “August: Osage County”

Should win: Eve Best, “The Homecoming”

Should have been nominated: Elizabeth Marvel, “Top Girls”

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Deanna Dunagan, “August: Osage County”

Should win: Deanna Dunagan or Amy Morton, “August: Osage County”

Should have been nominated: Elizabeth Marvel, “Top Girls”

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: Lin-Manuel Miranda, “In the Heights”

Should win: Daniel Evans, “Sunday in the Park With George”

Should have been nominated: Cheyenne Jackson, “Xanadu”

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Paulo Szot, “South Pacific”

Should win: Lin-Manuel Miranda, “In the Heights”

Should have been nominated: Cheyenne Jackson, “Xanadu”

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: Patti LuPone, “Gypsy”

Should win: It’s a tie! Patti LuPone, “Gypsy” and Kelli O’Hara, “South Pacific”

Should have been nominated: Alice Ripley, “Next to Normal” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Patti LuPone, “Gypsy”

Should win: Kelli O’Hara, “South Pacific”

Should have been nominated: None

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

Ben Brantley

Will win: Jim Norton, “The Seafarer”

Should win: Jim Norton, “The Seafarer”

Should have been nominated: Jay O. Sanders, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Raúl Esparza, “The Homecoming”

Should win: Jim Norton, “The Seafarer”

Should have been nominated: James Frain or Gareth Saxe, “The Homecoming”

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Ben Brantley

Will win: Rondi Reed, “August: Osage County”

Should win: Sinead Cusack, “Rock ‘n’ Roll”

Should have been nominated: Marisa Tomei, “Top Girls”

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Mary McCormack, “Boeing-Boeing”

Should win: Rondi Reed, “August: Osage County”

Should have been nominated: Mary Beth Hurt, “Top Girls”

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: Boyd Gaines, “Gypsy”

Should win: Boyd Gaines, “Gypsy”

Should have been nominated: Michael Berresse, “No, No Nanette” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Boyd Gaines, “Gypsy”

Should win: Daniel Breaker, “Passing Strange”

Should have been nominated: Colman Domingo, “Passing Strange”

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: Laura Benanti, “Gypsy”

Should win: Laura Benanti, “Gypsy”

Should have been nominated: Mare Winningham, “10 Million Miles” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Laura Benanti, “Gypsy”

Should win: Laura Benanti, “Gypsy”

Should have been nominated: Jackie Hoffman or Mary Testa, “Xanadu”

BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY

Ben Brantley

Will win: Anna D. Shapiro, “August: Osage County”

Should win: Matthew Warchus, “Boeing-Boeing”

Should have been nominated: Trevor Nunn, “Rock ‘n’ Roll”

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Anna D. Shapiro, “August: Osage County”

Should win: Anna D. Shapiro, “August: Osage County”

Should have been nominated: David Leveaux, “Cyrano de Bergerac”

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: Bartlett Sher, “South Pacific”

Should win: Bartlett Sher, “South Pacific”

Should have been nominated: Bob McGrath, “The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island or, The Friends of Dr. Rushower” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Bartlett Sher, “South Pacific”

Should win: Bartlett Sher, “South Pacific”

Should have been nominated: Annie Dorsen, “Passing Strange”

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

Ben Brantley

Will win: Stew, “Passing Strange”

Should win: Stew, “Passing Strange”

Should have been nominated: Ben Katchor, “The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island or, The Friends of Dr. Rushower” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Stew, “Passing Strange”

Should win: Stew, “Passing Strange”

Should have been nominated: Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith, “Adding Machine” *

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Ben Brantley

Will win: Lin-Manuel Miranda, “In the Heights”

Should win: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “Passing Strange”

Should have been nominated: Patty Griffin, “10 Million Miles” *

Charles Isherwood

Will win: Lin-Manuel Miranda, “In the Heights”

Should win: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “Passing Strange”

Should have been nominated: Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith, “Adding Machine” *

*For the “Should have been nominated” category, the critics were allowed to expand the potential nominees to Off Broadway productions that were actually ineligible for the Broadway-only Tonys.