Tony Awards 2019

The 73rd Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden, took place on June 9, 2019 at Radio City Hall, New York, New York.

Nominated for Best Musical:

"Hadestown: The Myth. The Musical" is a musical adaptation of the 2010 folk opera by Anais Mitchell.  It premiered on off-Broadway on May 6, 2016.  It tells a version of the ancient Green myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, where Orpheus journeys to the underground to rescue his fiancee Eurydice.

It won: Best Musical, Best Original Score (Anais Mitchell), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Andre De Shields), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Rachel Hauck), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Bradley King), Best Sound Design of a Musical (Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz), and Best Orchestrations (Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose).

"Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations" is a jukebox music with music and lyrics by The Temptations and the book by Dominique Morisseau.  It is based on the story of the Temptations.  It premiered on August 31, 2017.

It won: Best Choreography (Sergio Trujillo)

"Beetlejuice" is a musical by Eddie Perfect, with book by Scott Brown and Anthony King.  It premiered on October 14, 2018 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.  It is based on the 1988 film Beetlejuice about a deceased couple who try to haunt the new inhabitants of their former home with the help of a devious bio-exorcist ghost name Betelgeuse, who is summoned when you call his name three times.

"The Prom" is a musical by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, with a book by Bob Martin and Beguelin.  It is based on an original concept by Jack Viertel.  The musical is about four former famous Broadway actors who travel to Edgewater, Indiana, after reading about a lesbian student who is not allowed to bring her partner to the high school prom.  They want to help, but also get good press for themselves.

"Tootsie" is a musical comedy by David Yazbek and book by Robert Horn.  It is based on the 1982 American comedy film, written by Larry Gelbart, Barry levinson, Elaine May and Murrary Schisgal from the story by Gelbart and Don McGuire.  It premiered at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago on September 11, 2018.  It tells the story of a talented but volatile actor who is difficult to work with and forces him to adopt a new identity as a woman in order to get a job.

It won: Best Book of a Musical (Robert Horn), Best Leading Actor in a musical (Santino Fontana).

Other Awards:

Best Revival of a Musical ("Oklahoma!")

Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Stephanie J. Block) "Oklahoma!"

Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Ali Stroker) "Oklahoma!"

Best Costume Design of a Musical (Bob Mackie) "The Cher Show"

Teen Books With Adult-Appeal

Ever wonder why adults love to read teen books?  There are so many to choose from, and often there are many interesting crossover titles that bring us back to our youth.  Subjects vary, and characters are often richly drawn and interesting to an older audience.  All listed are located in the Teen Scene.

Here are some that you might like:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas



After witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.




Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein



Rose Justice is an American pilot with Britain's Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. On her way back from a routine flight she is captured by the Germans and sent to Ravensbrück, a notorious concentration camp, where she meets an unforgettable group of women, and vows to tell her fellow prisoners' stories to the world.



Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein



After crash-landing in France in 1943 and being captured by Nazis, a female wireless operator for the British (who goes by Queenie, Eva, Verity, and various other aliases) reveals bits of code in exchange for reprieve from torture...and to postpone her execution. 



Wise Young Fool by Sean Beaudoin



A teenaged guitarist in a rock band deals with loss and anger as he relates the events that landed him in a juvenile detention center.



Dear Evan Hansen:  The Novel by Val Emmich




Evan goes from being a nobody to everyone's hero and a social media superstar after a chance encounter with Connor just before his suicide leads others to believe Evan was his only friend.



The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater



Blue Sargent's gift seems to be that she makes other people's talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the Aglionby Academy, she discovers that together their talents are a dangerous mix.  First in Raven Cycle series.



History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera


Secrets are revealed as OCD-afflicted Griffin grieves for his first love, Theo, who died in a drowning accident.

A Universe of Stories - 2019 Summer Reading

Discover a Universe of Stories this summer with our 2019 Summer Reading Programs for all ages! The program began on June 1 and runs through August 3. Challenge yourself to read a variety of genres and formats (books, eBooks or audiobooks), log your books, and complete activities for the chance to win prizes throughout the summer. Stop in the library and register or log your books (Reader Services desk for Adults and Teens and Youth Services Desk for Birth-8th grade). You can also participate online using Beanstack. For more information visit our Summer Reading page.

Women's Prize for Fiction

The UK's Women's Prize for Fiction published its shortlist for 2019:

I find the books on lists like these are all good reads, not just the winners. But this year I'll go straight for the prize-winner named at the end of this list. It has just the kind of complexity that keeps me intrigued. Happy reading!


Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
In her own take on the events of The Iliad, Barker explores the Trojan War from the perspective of women, who served mainly as slaves or prostitutes, or those who lay out the dead. The story focuses on the battle between Achilles and Agamemnon over Briseis, once queen of a kingdom near Troy.




 Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe, born without the power of her father Helios or the astonishing allure of her mother, turns to mortals for companionship and discovers her own tremendous power of witchcraft that can menace the gods themselves. Will she suffer retribution?



Ordinary People by Diana Evans
Evans follows two couples who are dealing with changing values and commitments. Melissa and Michael, still engaged after 13 years, are grappling with the changes the come with their role as parents of a seven-year-old and a new baby. Melissa misses her job as a fashion editor, and Michael feels ignored and is in danger of being unfaithful. Their friends Damian and Stephanie realize 16 years into their marriage that they both want very different lives.




My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Realizing that her beautiful and favored sister Ayoola is actually a sociopath, Koreda tries to help her cover up the murders of her boyfriends until the doctor that Koreda works with, her long-term secret love, asks her for Ayoola's phone number. ("The wittiest and most fun murder party you've ever been invited to." -- Marie Claire)




Milkman by Anna Burns
In Northern Ireland in the Troubles of the 1970s, an unnamed narrator, who stands out because she reads while walking and takes French night classes, finds herself pursued by a high-ranking paramilitary known as Milkman, though she does not want the danger such attention could bring. (Milkman won the 2018 Man Booker Prize.)




An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Celeste, an artist on the brink of success, marries Roy, a young executive. Soon Roy is arrested for a crime and sentenced to twelve years in prison. Celeste knows he did not commit the crime, but eventually she takes comfort in Andre, her dear friend from childhood. When Roy's sentence is suddenly overturned, Celeste must find a way to face the past and move forward.


The Winner: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.