Tony Awards 2024 predictions: ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ or ‘Outsiders’ — which will win Best Musical?

nypost.com:

“Illinoise,” “Suffs,” “Water For Elephants” and “The Outsiders.” But the real competition, as it has been since the day the nominations were announced back in April, is between Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” and the twangy adaptation of S.E.

Hinton’s young-adult novel “The Outsiders.” I’ve spoken to voters for all of these shows, and it’s the Greasers and Socs that get the most impassioned responses.“Everyone says ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ but I say ‘The Outsiders,’” one voter told me. “It’s a work of art.”More blasé was a “Hell’s Kitchen” advocate who was not as effusive about the reason they clicked the box next to that show. “Not sure why!” they said.The “Outsiders” voter also made a historical observation: “It’s so much better.

It’s like ‘Wicked’ and ‘Avenue Q’ — everyone predicted ‘Wicked’.” Broadway still talks about the Tonys 20 years ago when the hilarious puppet musical scored a shocker win against Elphaba thanks to a shrewd “vote your heart” campaign.But what this battle reminds me more of, though, is “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” vs. “A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder” a few years later: a jukebox juggernaut against a book adaptation that’s building momentum.