Disfigured by Mace Windu, deposed by his own apprentice, mocked as Montgomery Burns-like by Entertainment Weekly — Palpatine’s shortcomings are insignificant next to Ian McDiarmid’s 2006 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.  McDiarmid appeared in Faith Healer, starring Ralph Fiennes (who, coincidentally, was this correspondent’s choice for the young Tarkin) and directed by the genre-friendly-named Jonathan Kent.  Faith Healer, a revival of a 1979 Broadway play, was McDiarmid’s Broadway debut.

This makes three Tonys for the Sith:  James Earl Jones has two (1969, 1987).  The Jedi only have one, thanks to Alec Guinness (1964).  Liam Neeson was nominated twice (1993, 2002) but did not win. 

Previous intersections between the worlds of comics and Broadway have included Hugh Jackman’s 2004 Tony for Best Actor in a Musical (The Boy From Oz) and fellow X-Man Alan Cumming’s 1998 win in the same category (Cabaret).  Ian McKellen has been nominated twice (1981, 1984) and won once (1984 Best Actor, Amadeus).  The 1999 revival of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown was nominated for four Tonys and won two (Best Actor in a Musical, Roger Bart; Best Actress in a Musical, Kristin Chenoweth).  The 1966 musical It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman was nominated for three Tonys (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress) but won none.

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