Hamilton has been at the center of Broadway hype for its ingenuity and crazy-good hip hop music, but for those of you who are less familiar with shows taking place on The Great White Way, there has been a STUNNING revival of The Color Purple happening, with Dreamgirls actress Jennifer Hudson making her Broadway debut in the production. This year’s Tony Award nominations were announced yesterday morning, and surprisingly, Hudson’s name was missing from the list. Say whaaaaat?
According to Refinery29, the Oscar and Grammy winner apparently chalked her Tony snub up to the fact that she’s a celebrity, based on a now-deleted tweet.
Her performance as Shug Avery has received unprecedented praise from critics, and yet she was left without a nod, while two of her costars did receive nominations. In her tweet, Hudson hits the nail on the head in pointing out that the Tony Awards tend to leave celebrities unacknowledged for their work. Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Craig, Ian McKellen and James Franco are just a few among many.
While Hudson’s name is certainly a draw for audiences, she still deserves recognition for her hard work on the revival of this incredible musical. She graciously congratulated her costars and is set to leave the show on May 8th. We love you, Jennifer!