BroadwayWorld's 5th Annual Phonys! 2023 Tony Categories We Wish Existed

Each year, the Tony Awards honor Broadway's best and brightest from the current season. And though the awards are many, each year there are a few shows that bring a little something new and different to the stage that deserve their own brand of recognition.

Check out our picks for some of Tony's most overlooked honors of the 2022-2023 Broadway season. This is the 2023 BroadwayWorld Phonys.

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Coolest Coup

New York, New York, Sweeney Todd, A Doll's House

In a Phonys first, we have a three-way tie! Some shows choose go out with a bang, others a whimper, and some pull some sh*t you never saw coming, a feat known in the biz as a coup de théâtre. This season saw not one, but three shows pull off jaw-dropping final moments that have had the rialto a-buzz all spring long...none of which will be spoiled here. As the kids say, IYKYK. And if you don't, then follow your curiosity to the box office to find out what all the fuss is about.  

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Most Gosh Darn Adorable Featured Actor In A Musical

Kevin Del Aguila as "Osgood" in Some Like It Hot

While Mr. del Aguila has received his due in the form of a Best Featured Actor In A Musical nod from the actual Tonys, we just couldn't resist expressing our singular affection for the most singularly adorable love interest currently inhabiting a Broadway stage. From his uke-fueled introduction to his endearingly nerdy dance moves to his steadfast devotion to his beloved Daphne, Kevin is winning hearts nightly with his achingly sweet and frequently hilarious portrayal of an heir who finds himself hopelessly beguiled by a very special lady. 

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Winningest Singing Voice

Caroline Innerbichler in Shucked

It will come as a shock to no one that 'Shucked' star Caroline Innerbichler is a former Disney princess. As the original Anna in the national tour of Frozen, Caroline showed her heart, determination, humor, and crystalline singing voice in her take on Kristen Bell's spunky heroine. All of those skills translate naturally to her new role as Cobb County's resident ingenue where her twinkling, twangy mezzo-belt is the perfect match to her solo anthems 'Walls' and 'Woman of the World'. Imbuing each song with just the right mix of earnest sincerity and belty bravado, Caroline's sweet but strong instrument gives the show its heart (and earned some major kudos from country legend Reba McIntire). We don't have a 'Yee-Haw' Disney leading lady just yet, but we should, and when we do, the Mouse needs to put in a call to Caroline to fill out those animated cowboy boots. 

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Most Stunning Showstopper

Alex Newell for "Independently Owned" in Shucked

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Bonnie Milligan for "Better" in Kimberly Akimbo

The 2023 Broadway made our shitty lives better with not one, but two showstoppers from two of Brodway's brassiest belters. Bringing to life the casually criminal Aunt Debra and Cobb County's resident distillery diva Lulu, Alex and Bonnie are bringing the house down and audiences to their feet (while serving up some much-needed Broadway body positivity to boot!) with their sky high ranges and powerhouse pipes eight times a week.  

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Most Unexpected Tearjerker

Pictures From Home

The premise of Sharr White's stage adaptation of the landmark photo memoir by Larry Sultan is pretty simple. Larry is an artist in the midst of a years-long photo project to mine his parent's day-to-day existence for some elusive, yet essential truth about their lives. While the play primarily concerns itself with fascinating and often funny arguments about the nature of reality vs. fiction and the ways in which images can shape our perception of our lives, Larry's increasingly obsessive study of his parents and their growing frustration with him ultimately leads to one sobering realization: he simply wants them to live forever. Though played mostly for laughs, this dramedy wraps up with a dropkick to the heart that left numerous audience members dabbing their eyes on the way up the aisle and I'm certain had countless more putting in a call to mom and dad on the way home. 

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Best Broadway Debut By A Vegetable

Corn in Shucked

From the cannabalistic confections at Sweeney Todd to the dancing omelettes of Something Rotten! to Jenna's sweet treats in Waitress, Broadway is no stranger to the food-friendly show. This season, however, one vegetable grew tall above the rest and harvested a whole crop of enthusiastic fans in the process: Corn. As the sole driving force behind the narrative of the new musical hit, Shucked, Corn has proven that its got the juice to distill a truly wild concept into the smash of the season. 

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Dreamiest Baritone In A Musical

Jordan Donica in Camelot

Theatre Twitter found its new boyfriend this season when Jordan Donica's jaw-dropping rendition of, "If Ever I Would Leave You" hit the collective consciousness. Jordan instantly won our ears and hearts with an assured tone and old school verve remniscient of great Broadway baritones including his Lancelot predecessor, Robert Goulet, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Norm Lewis. Coupled with his imposing stature and leading man appeal, Camelot's resident knight in shining armor has given Broadway a brand-new bari to fall in love with . 

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Best Opening Number

"Sit Down, John" in 1776

It's remarkable how a song with the words "sit down" in the title can make you want to leap to your feet but that's just the case with the opening number in this season's revival of 1776. Diane Paulus and Jeffrey L. Page's innovative new staging jolts to life in the midst of a Congressional debate sung passionately by a soaring chorus of all-female, trans, and nonbinary voices. The power of a reimagined history with women at its forefront is matched expertly with updated, rock-influenced orchestrations from Kimberly Akimbo Tony-nominee John Clancy and cascading vocal arrangements by AnnMarie Milazzo. To this thrilling update on a classic, audiences vote Yes!

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Scariest Orchestrations

Jonathan Tunick, Sweeney Todd

Conducted by Alex Lacamoire

I don't know that I'd ever seen an audience physically react to the power of a pit until I witnessed the initial blast of Alex Lacamoire's 26-piece orchestra from the beneath the stage of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. My hands involuntarily flew up to clutch my chest. The dude across the aisle threw his arms in the air like he had just hit the first drop on a rollercoaster. Several people around me lurched as Sondheim and Tunick's musical jump scare caught them off guard. In that moment, I fully understood that when it comes to setting Sweeney's scene, size matters. While many favor a sizeable orchestra for the added grandeur, and recent, more minimal productions of the show have been successful, Sweeney's psychosis, sorrow, and pitch black humor are heightened to a thrilling degree thanks to Jonathan Tunick's utterly massive original orchestrations played by a jam-packed pit of prodigies. 

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