The 4 Actors (and 4 Shows) That Should Win a 2026 Tony

• Nominees: Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!; Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show; Caissie Levy, Ragtime; Marla Mindelle, Titaníque; Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
• Who Should Win: Marla Mindelle, Titaníque

This is a seriously competitive category and, TBH, Levy is likely to win the statuette in the end. But, there were a few stellar performances here. Hsu is surprisingly fabulous and nuanced as Janet in Rocky Horror. Pitts helps carry the charming Two Strangers on her talented shoulders. And yet, my favorite of the bunch has to be Mindelle, who has been playing the role of Céline Dion Off-Broadway for years, now finally bringing the part to the Great White Way. Mindelle is so freaking funny in this part that is flashy, imaginative and “kooky crazy.” She’s so good, in fact, that I’ve gone to see her in Titaníque three times over the years, and I never get sick of her genius accent, her powerhouse vocals and her brilliant storytelling.