What a year it was on Broadway: there was cross-dressing, tragedy, iconic female singers, magic lamps, gangster musicals, friendly murders, and let’s not forget Rocky. Now, after a year of playbill hoarding, theatergoers are gearing up for Sunday’s Tony Awards. Vanity Fair photographed a selection of nominees who captured the year’s most electrifying performances, from Audra McDonald’s uncanny, heartbreaking reincarnation as Billie Holiday to James Monroe Iglehart’s show-stealing, belly-laughing genie in Aladdin. Below, see them out of makeup, glitter, and girdles—and learn about the mishaps, favorite lines, and the grueling preparations Broadway actors endure for their art. Read more…
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/06/tony-nominee-portraits-2014