NEW YORK (AP) ― The members of the Tony Award nominations committee better look out: They’ve snubbed four girls who play a tough little telekinetic heroine on Broadway.
Administrators for the awards met Friday for the fourth and final time to determine the eligibility of certain shows and ruled that the quartet of actresses who rotate as the lead in “Matilda’’ are not eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical category.
The group did rule that the four ― Sophia Gennusa, 9; Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro, all 10 ― will receive Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre, a non-competitive commendation. “The Tony Awards Administration Committee wishes to recognize their outstanding performances this season,’’ the committee said in a statement.
A publicist for the Tonys did not immediately return a request for clarification. It remains to be seen if the girls will perform on the June 9 telecast.
The use of four rotating Matildas in New York echoes the way it was done in Britain, to huge success. All four actresses in London were jointly declared best actress at the Olivier Awards, the most prestigious honor in British theater.
