#jan maxwell

Not even the greats have Tony Awards on their shelf. Here are just a small selection of women who have earned three or more Tony nominations, but have yet to (or never will) receive a win. These egregious losses keep me up at night and time is ticking.

*deceased at the time of this poll

Dana Ivey: 5 Tony losses, 2 categories. 82 years old, alive, retired

1984 Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Sunday in the Park with George)

1984 Best Featured Actress in a Play (Heartbreak House)

1997 Best Featured Actress in a Play (The Last Night of Ballyhoo

2005 Best Featured Actress in a Play (The Rivals)

2007 Best Featured Actress in a Play (Butley)

Jan Maxwell: 5 Tony losses, 5 categories, 61 years old, deceased (2018)

2005 Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)

2007 Best Featured Actress in a Play (Coram Boy)

2010 Best Leading Actress in a Play (The Royal Family)

2010 Best Featured Actress in a Play (Lend Me a Tenor)

2012 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Follies)

Laura Linney: 5 Tony losses, 1 category 60 years old, alive, active

2002 Best Leading Actress in a Play (The Crucible)

2005 Best Leading Actress in a Play (Sight Unseen)

2010 Best Leading Actress in a Play (Time Stands Still)

2017 Best Leading Actress in a Play (The Little Foxes)

2020 Best Leading Actress in a Play (My Name is Lucy Barton)

Elaine Stritch: 4 Tony losses, 3 categories, 89 years old, deceased (2014)

1956 Best Featured Actress in a Play (Bus Stop)

1962 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Sail Away)

1971 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Company)

1996 Best Leading Actress in a Play (A Delicate Balance)

*2002 Special Theatrical Event (Elaine Stritch at Liberty) - Won a special non-competitive Tony.

Judy Kuhn: 4 Tony losses, 2 categories, 66 years old, alive, active

1987 Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Les Misérables)

1988 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Chess)

1994 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (She Loves Me)

2015 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Fiddler on the Roof)

Carolee Carmello: 3 Tony losses, 1 category, 61 years old, alive, active

1999 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Parade)

2006 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Lestat)

2013 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Scandalous)

Julie Andrews: 3 Tony losses, 1 category, 88 years old, alive, semi-active

1957 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (My Fair Lady)

1961 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Camelot)

1996 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Victor/Victoria)*

Marin Mazzie: 3 Tony losses, 2 categories, 57 years old, deceased (2018)

1994 Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Passion)

1998 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Ragtime)

2000 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Kiss Me, Kate)

2018 posthumous Special Tony Award for her legacy as an advocate for women's health.

Rebecca Luker: 3 Tony losses, 2 categories, 59 years old, deceased (2020)

1995 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Show Boat)

2000 Best Leading Actress in a Musical (The Music Man)

2007 Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Mary Poppins)

i asked @droughtofapathy about the possible kind of characters jan maxwell and marin mazzie would play if they were cast in the gilded age, and we came up with the idea of marin being part of the old money elite and jan her loyal lady’s maid.

and yes, because i designed jan, she wears glasses and i actively consider it a part of her wardrobe.

+ a bonus jan sans glasses below the cut

Jan Maxwell - The Story of Lucy and Jessie from Sondheim's "Follies" in 2011

The dear Maggie Larkin is producing The Jan Maxwell Festival, a celebration of plays featuring a woman or femme-identified person over the age of 50. The festival will take place in October; exact dates and venue to be announced.

*Plays must star a compelling woman or femme-identified person over 50. *Plays can be any length and in any stage of development

Three selected plays will be presented in unstaged or semi-staged readings this fall at the inaugural Jan Maxwell Festival.

The Jan Maxwell Festival retains no rights to future productions of any submitted work.