‘Eclipsed’ Makes History! The Broadway Play Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira & More Receives 6 Tony Nominations

Guess it is all about the black girl magic. Eclipsed, a Broadway play featuring an all black female cast has scooped six (6) whooping nominations at the 2016 Tony Awards aka The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre.

The play was written by Zimbabwean native Danai Gurira and starred Kenya’s very own Lupita Nyonyo, Akosua Busia from Ghana, Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Saycon Sengbloh, and was  produced by American TV star Lala Anthony and directed by Liesl Tommy.

Here are the full list of nominees:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

• Gabriel Byrne, Long Day’s Journey into Night
• Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
• Frank Langella, The Father
• Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III
• Mark Strong, A View from the Bridge

Best Performance by an Actress in a Play

• Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey into Night
• Laurie Metcalf, Misery
• Lupita Nyong’o, Eclipsed
• Sophie Okenedo, The Crucible
• Michelle Williams, Blackbird

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

• Alex Brightman, School of Rock
• Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof
• Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
• Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
• Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

Best Performance By an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

• Laura Benati, She Loves Me
• Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
• Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
• Jessie Mueller, Waitress
• Philippa Soo, Hamilton

Best Revival of a Play:

• The Crucible
• A View from the Bridge
• Blackbird
• Long Day’s Journey into Night
• Noises Off

Best Revival of a Musical

• The Color Purple
• Fiddler on the Roof
• She Loves MeSpring Awakening

Best Play

• Eclipsed
• The Father
• The Humans

King Charles III

Best Musical

• Bright Star
• Hamilton
• School of Rock, The Musical
• Shuffle Along
• Waitress

Best Original Score

• Bright Star, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
• Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda
• School of Rock, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater
• Waitress, Sarah Bareilles

Best Book of a Musical

• Bright Star, Steve Martin
• Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda
• School of Rock, Julian Fellowes
• Shuffle Along, George C. Wolfe

Best Choreographer

• Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
• Savion Glover, Shuffle Along
• Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
• Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea
• Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet

Best Orchestrations

• August Eriksmoen, Bright Star
• Larry Hochman, She Loves Me
• Alex Lackamoire, Hamilton
• Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along

Best Scenic Design of a Play

• Jan Versweyveld, A View from the Bridge
• Christopher Oram, Hughie
• David Zinn, The Humans
• Beowulf Boritt, Thérèse Raquin

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

• Es Devlin and Finn Ross, American Psycho
• David Korins, Hamilton
• Santo Loquasto, Shuffle Along
• David Rockwell, She Loves Me

Best Costume Design of a Musical

• Gregg Barnes, Tuck Everlasting
• Jeff Mahshie, She Loves Me
• Ann Roth, Shuffle Along
• Paul Tazewell, Hamilton

Best Lighting Design of a Play

• Natasha Katz, Long Day’s Journey into Night
• Justin Townsend, The Humans
• Jan Versweyveld, A View from the Bridge
• Jan Versweyveld, The Crucible

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

• Howell Binkley, Hamilton
• Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, Shuffle Along
• Ben Stanton, Spring Awakening
• Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Best Featured Actress in a Play

• Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
• Megan Hilty, Noises Off
• Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
• Andrea Martin, Noises Off
• Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

• Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
• Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
• Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me
• Jennifer Simard, Disaster!
• Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

• Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
• Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along
• Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress
• Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
• Christopher Jackson, Hamilton

Best Direction of a Play

• Rupert Goold, King Charles III
• Jonathan Kent, Long Day’s Journey into Night
• Joe Mantello, The Humans
• Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed
• Ivo van Hove, A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical

• Michael Arden, Spring Awakening
• John Doyle, The Color Purple
• Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
• Thomas Kail, Hamilton
• George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along

The Tonys would take place on June 12,