Four graduates of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts have been nominated for Tony Awards.
Paul Tazewell is having a good run this year. In March, he became the first Black man to win an Oscar for costume design for his work on the film Wicked.
Now he’s up for Broadway’s most prestigious prize for his work on Death Becomes Her. During his wait to find out if he’s won, he’ll give the commencement address at UNCSA.
It’s a perfect time for students to hear from him, says Dean of the School of Drama John Langs.
”The way that he has embraced his role as an alumni at School of the Arts, and coming back here to just pass a little of that sunshine off to these students who are embarking in the world, we couldn't be more pleased or grateful to him,” he says.
Tazewell previously won a Tony in 2016 for Hamilton.
Death Becomes Her is one of three shows to get 10 Tony nods this year. Another is Buena Vista Social Club. UNCSA High School alum Orin Wolf is nominated for the award as a producer of the musical.
Alums Camille A. Brown and Holly Pierson are also among the nominees.
Winners will be announced on June 8.