Brian d’Arcy James (‘Into the Woods’) hoping to break decades-old Tonys curse

You wish to have the curse reversed? You’ll need to win a Tony first! Brian d’Arcy James gave an impressive performance as the Baker in the recent revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s “Into the Woods.” Despite an impressive stage career, James has never won a Tony Award. That could all change thanks to one of the biggest hits of the 2022-23 Broadway season, and he would break a major Tony stat in the process.

James has amassed a whopping 15 Broadway credits over the course of his career, including “Into the Woods.” He scored his first Tony nomination for the musical “Sweet Smell of Success” in 2002 before picking up additional bids as the titular ogre in “Shrek the Musical” (2010) and for the farce “Something Rotten!” (2015).

The actor also had a hand in shaping characters from two Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning musicals. He originated the roles of Dan in “Next to Normal” and King George III in “Hamilton” in their Off-Broadway productions. Those parts scored Tony nominations for J Robert Spencer and Jonathan Groff, respectively, who would open those shows on Broadway. James eventually stepped into the Broadway productions as a replacement.

SEE 2023 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 1): ‘Kimberly Akimbo,’ ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘1776’ and a change in voting procedure

Winning a Tony Award for playing the Baker might look like an uphill battle on paper. After all, Chip Zien was snubbed for the original 1987 production and Stephen DeRosa was similarly skunked for the 2002 revival. But the role allows the actor to explore a full character evolution as the Baker learns how to be a better partner and father as he endures great losses.

In this season’s revival, James displayed dynamite chemistry with Sara Bareilles as the Baker’s Wife. This was particularly apparent in their endearing duet “It Takes Two,” which melted hearts and wrought plenty of laughs. But it’s the Baker’s Act 2 showstopper “No More” that kicked the actor’s powerful voice into full throttle. The song serves as an emotional high point as the Baker faces his father’s legacy and grapples with the overwhelming reality of a life without his wife. It’s a number that screams “this is your Tony moment” and will surely secure James votes from the Tony nominators.

There is one pesky statistic standing in James’ path to Tony victory: it’s incredibly difficult to win the Lead Actor in a Musical category for a closed production. “Into the Woods” closed on January 8, 2023. If James were to win this year, it would be the first time in 24 years that someone was able to win for a closed production. The last person to pull off this feat was Martin Short, who won for “Little Me” back in 1999. Despite the revival of that Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh tuner closing in February of that year, Short’s celebrated turn was able to best Brent Carver (“Parade”), Adam Cooper (“Swan Lake”), and Tom Wopat (“Annie Get Your Gun”).

Besides Short, there are only three other men who have won this category for a closed production. Barry Bostwick picked up the Tony for “The Robber Bridegroom” in 1977, Christopher Plummer won for “Cyrano” in 1974, and Bert Lahr won for the short-lived “Foxy” in 1964.

Gold Derby users seem certain that the limited run of “Into the Woods” will not prevent James from being nominated at least. Our exclusive combined odds put him in fifth place for Lead Actor in a Musical at the time of this writing. Besides a stellar performance, there’s two likely reasons why our users feel comfortable predicting him.

First, “Into the Woods” was one of the biggest events of the season. It earned rave reviews, smashed the box office (a rarity for Sondheim shows), and a rotating cast of Broadway stars made it must-see theater.

Second, James remained a fixture in the show during its multiple extensions. James left the production in early September along with several costars, but he returned at the end of October and continued through January 1. Plenty of voters would have returned to the show (as many of us theater fans did during the fall) to see what new actors like Stephanie J. Block, Joaquina Kalukango, and Cheyenne Jackson brought to one of their favorite musicals. Voters who returned for second and third viewings of this monster hit would have had additional chances to take in James’ thoughtful performance. Perhaps this will be enough for James’s Baker to be remembered when winners are unveiled this June.

PREDICT the 2023 Tony Award nominees through May 2

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