Theatrely’s Broadway Fan Guide to the 2023 Oscars

This weekend, Broadway stars will head out to LA for Hollywood’s biggest night: The Oscars! To make sure you’re ready to go, we’ve got the perfect one-stop shop to help you be the nerdiest film buff at the Oscars party. Check out who’s nominated, presenting, and performing below.

For example, you don’t need us to tell you that Stephanie Hsu is nominated this year—but who knew Tony Kushner is up for an award?! Did you know that Brian Tyree Henry is a Tony-nominated Broadway alum? Exactly. We got you covered.

The 2023 Oscars will take place March 12 at 8 PM in a televised ceremony on ABC, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Coverage begins on ABC at 1 PM ET; you can also stream on ABC News Live, with the official pre-show kicking off at 6:30 PM. There is a break from 4-6:30 PM for local programming, during which you can head over to E! to watch red carpet coverage, led by Laverne Cox. For a complete list of nominees, a printable ballot, and more, visit Oscars.com. 

Who’s nominated from the theatre community?

Best Actress features Tony nominees Cate Blanchett for Tár and Michelle Williams for The Fablemans. The category also includes Andrea Riseborough for To Leslie, Ana De Armas for Blonde, and screen legend Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once. 

The genre-bending film scored the most nods of any movie with 11, including two supporting actress nods, one for stage and screen favorite Stephanie Hsu and the other for SAG winner Jamie Lee Curtis. They’ll go head-to-head with Broadway alum Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Hong Chau (The Whale), and Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin). 

Among the film’s additional nods, EEOOA is competing for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), and Costume Design. 

Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin tied for the second-most nominations with 9, including Best Picture. The Hangmen playwright scored his first-ever nod for directing as well as his third for original screenplay. The film saw a Best Actor nod go to Colin Farrell, with the Supporting Actor category featuring Brendan Gleeson (a Dublin theatre stalwart) and Barry Keoghan. Those two will compete with Lobby Hero Tony nominee Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway), two-time Tony winner Judd Hirsch (The Fablemans), and Quan.

In the Best Actor category, Broadway alums Austin Butler and Brendan Fraser earned nods for their performances in Elvis and The Whale, respectively, alongside Tony nominee Bill Nighy, nominated for Living. They’ll face Farrell and Aftersun star Paul Mescal, who will soon star in the London West End transfer of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Behind the scenes, Tony Kushner scored a nod for the second time in a row after last year’s West Side Story. He and Steven Spielberg will compete in the original screenplay for The Fablemans. Tony winner Catherine Martin is in two categories for her work on Elvis this year: Costume and Production Design. In the former, she’ll compete against Tony nominee Jenny Beavan for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. 

Who’s presenting? 

A slew of recent and current Broadway stars will grace the stage at the Dolby Theatre to hand out awards, including Jessica Chastain, now in A Doll’s House. The lineup also includes recent The Piano Lesson player Samuel L. Jackson; Oscar winner Ariana DeBose; Tony winners Antonio Banderas, Andrew Garfield, Glenn Close, and Mindy Kaling (the latter as a producer of A Strange Loop); and Tony nominees Danai Gurira and Sigourney Weaver. Other Broadway alums hitting the stage include Paul Dano, Pedro Pascal, Elizabeth Olsen, and John Travolta.

In addition, Vanessa Hudgens is a co-host for ABC’s Countdown to the Oscars, covering the red carpet and celebrating the past year in film.

Who’s performing? 

As is tradition, the Oscars will present the Best Original Song category by having each of the nominees sing on stage. Among those performances, Stephanie Hsu and David Byrne will perform the song “This Is A Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once. In addition, Rihanna (whose song “Work” featured prominently in Slave Play) will sing “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. No word yet on Lady Gaga singing “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, but this article will get updated as the big night approaches.