2020 has been a wild year for all of us, but especially for Aaron Tveit. He survived contracting COVID-19 during the big New York City outbreak in March, and now he is the only person nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Musical for the 2020 Tony Awards.
How did this happen, you ask? This year’s Tony Awards will already be different than the rest. The initial June ceremony was cancelled due to the pandemic. Now that it’s back on, the eligibility requirements and Broadway shut-down left slim pickings. The only other actor eligible for a nomination was Chris McCarrell for the Percy Jackson musical, “The Lightning Thief.” But no dice for McCarrell puts Tveit in a unique situation.
Aaron Tveit is nominated for his role in the “Moulin Rouge” stage adaptation. It’s his first nomination with zero competition. But does he automatically win?
Technically, no. Tveit must receive at least 60% of the votes to win.
Now I’m a personal fan of Tveit and would love to see him take home the gold. Especially for his first, long overdue nomination. But how funny would it be if he lost? To no one. Food for thought. 2020 keeps getting weirder and weirder.
The Tony Awards will air virtually, the date TBD.
