Bette Midler, Leo Tolstoy, ‘Oslo’ and ‘Indecent’ Lead Tony Noms

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
The 2017 Tony Award nominations have been announced and that’s good news for Israeli politics, Yiddish theater, Leo Tolstoy and Bette Midler. The nomination leaders were “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” Dave Malloy’s loosey-goosey adaptation of a portion of “War and Peace,” (12 nominations) and “Hello, Dolly!” (10 nominations including Bette Midler for Best Actress in a musical). Meanwhile, “Oslo,” which concerns backroom dealings in the Oslo peace process came away with 6 nominations and Rebecca Taichman and Paula Vogel’s play “Indecent” received three. Both “Oslo and “Indecent” were nominated for best play. The full list of nominees, which also Josh Groban, Andy Karl, Ben Platt and Rachel Chavkin can be found here.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
