One of the big questions heading into Sunday’s Tony Awards is whether Denver’s Annaleigh Ashford will win her second statue (and first as a leading actress) for her widely praised turn as the human piemaker Mrs. Lovett in the Broadway revival of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

Another is how did David Byrne manage to so quickly turn from Broadway’s darling to its pariah?

Ashford, who is only in her 30s, won something of a lifetime Achievement Award from New York’s Drama League last month. But the Best Actress in a Musical category is stacked, as always, and she is not a favorite to win – at least according to those New York theater scribes who … well, ascribe such things.

Nominated alongside Ashford are pop superstar Sara Bareilles for “Into the Woods,” Micaela Diamond for “Parade,” Lorna Courtney for “& Juliet” and presumed winner Victoria Clark for “Kimberly Akimbo” – that’s a new musicalized version of a popular play about a girl who has a disease that causes her to age into an elderly body while still a teen.

The Variety staff predicts a second win for Clark, a five-time nominee who won in 2005 for “The Light in the Piazza.” The New York Times’ Jesse Green went so far as to say Clark both will win – and should win. I scanned seven presumed experts’ predictions, and only one is forecasting an Ashford win. But as they say in sports … that’s why they play the game.

It was a big year on Broadway for film stars, and we might see lots of them delivering thank you speeches on Sunday. The nominees include Wendell Pierce (“Death of a Salesman”), Josh Groban (“Sweeney Todd”) and Samuel L. Jackson (“The Piano Lesson”). Leading Actress in a Play is another all-star category, with Jodie Comer of “Killing Eve” the fave for “Prima Facie,” alongside Jessica Chastain (“A Doll’s House”), Laura Linney (“Summer, 1976”) and Linda Lavin (“You Will Get Sick”). If you recognize that last title, it’s because little Benchmark Theatre in Lakewood somehow got the rights to stage that same play last year, with local legend Edith Weiss playing the role that Lavin is now nominated for in New York.

The New York Times predicts the best new musical will be “Kimberly Akimbo,” the best revival will be “Sweeney Todd” and the best new play will be “Leopoldstadt.” That would give Colorado two proxy wins: Ashford for “Sweeney Todd,” and the top-billed actor in the “Leopoldstadt” ensemble (by alphabet, anyway!): Cherry Creek High School graduate Jesse Aaronson. (Apologies to actual leading man Joshua Malina.)

“Leopoldstadt,” Tom Stoppard’s 19^th Broadway play since “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” opened 56 years ago, would give him five Best Play Tony Awards. “Leopoldstadt” begins in the last days of 1899 and follows one extended Jewish family deep into the 20^th century.

By the way, there is always at least one local connection to the Tony Awards. They’re named after Denver East grad Antoinette Perry, who directed “Harvey” on Broadway, a play written by Denver West grad Mary Chase.

Byrne, who brought his considerable cool cache to Broadway in 2020 with “American Utopia,” is now in the hot seat because his Imelda Marcus tuner with Fat Boy Slim (“Here Lies Love”), opening July 20, is about to become the first Broadway musical in history with no live orchestra. The labor union that represents Broadway musicians says the show is in violation of its contract that requires all musicals at a Broadway theater to employ at least 19 musicians. Byrne says “Here Lies Love” is not intended to be seen as a traditional musical.

Watch at the Sie Film Center

The Nuggets aren’t the only Watch Party in town! Denver Film is hosting a Tony Awards viewing party on the big screen at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Sie Film Center, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. It’s in partnership with the Denver-area Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA Colorado Local and the Colorado Theatre Guild. The party will feature drink specials, special ballots, swag and a food truck. It’s free, with donations that will be accepted for the Denver Actors Fund.