5 Tony Award-Nominated Shows to See Now

We see a lot of theater. A lot. The five wonderful shows listed below have been nominated for Tonys in various categories, and are still running (though a couple are closing soon). I'm giving you a heads up so you can get tickets before the Tony Awards ceremony this coming Sunday and beat the crowds.

I highly recommend each and every one. Click on their titles for their websites:

Cats: The Jellicle Ball: A reimagining of the classic musical, set in the queer Harlem ballroom scene. Vibrant and heart-tugging, with dancing like you've never seen before on Broadway. The enthralled audience can't help but participate, jumping to their feet and clacking their fans. Watch 80 year old Andre De Shields hold them spellbound through sheer force of will while hardly doing anything (photo above).

Chess: Okay, the plot about Russian vs. American intrigue set against international chess tournaments doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but the banging anthems by Abba's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, innovative staging, and full-out performances by Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit, and Nicholas Christopher will send you home soaring. Closes June 21.

Fallen Angels: Noel Coward's 1925 comedy about two married and bored socialites who once shared a lover caused a scandal when it first opened. Watching Kelli O'Hara and Rose Byrne's characters get progressively drunker over a long evening had me laughing so hard my sides hurt. Closes June 7.

The Rocky Horror Show: If you're a fan of the film (or even if you're not), you won't be disappointed. Luke Evans brings a menacing sexiness to Frankenfurter (plus he can sing!), Rachel Dratch is hilarious as the narrator, and the rest of the cast provide lots of thrills, chills, and laughs in this semi-immersive production. And yes, some audience members will yell the callbacks.

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York): You will be totally charmed by this two-person musical rom-com. A wedding in New York City brings together two young people - one from England, one from Brooklyn - with lots of baggage (in case you don't get it, baggage is the main component of the imaginative set). Sam Tutty (a Tony nominee) and Christiani Pitts are terrifically talented, with real chemistry.