Rachel Dratch is back in the Tony conversation. The Lexington native and Saturday Night Live alum earned a 2026 nomination for best featured actress in a musical for her portrayal of the narrator in Cats: The Jellicle Ball.
Her nomination matters now because it lands in the 79th annual Tony Awards cycle, when Broadway’s top prizes are being sorted and a cluster of New England-connected nominees has pushed regional ties into the spotlight. Dratch had already been there once before, when she was nominated in 2022 for best featured actress in a play for POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.
This time, the role is very different. Cats: The Jellicle Ball is a revival that reimagines Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical in New York’s queer ballroom scene, a setting far removed from the world of the original Cats. The production itself also drew recognition, earning a nomination for best revival of a musical.
That contrast is part of what makes Dratch’s nomination stand out. She is best known to many viewers for comedy, but Broadway voters placed her in a musical field that includes a high-profile crop of contenders this year, including Schmigadoon! and The Lost Boys, which each received 12 nominations, and Chess, which premiered on Broadway in November and brought Nicholas Christopher a nomination for best actor in a musical. Christopher Abbott also landed a nod for best featured actor in a play for his portrayal of Biff Loman.
For Dratch, the result is straightforward: she has turned a supporting turn in one of the season’s most unusual revivals into another Tony nomination, and she remains in the race heading into the 79th annual Tony Awards. The only question left is whether that broad New England presence on the ballot becomes a footnote or a factor when the winners are announced.
