Grade the 2006 Tony Award musical performances- Page 2

[Derangedactor]

Posted: 6/11/06 at 11:51pm

Jersey Boys: B
The Color Purple: A
The Wedding Singer: B+
The Drowsy Chaperone: A-
The Threepenny Opera: F-----
The Pajama Game: A-
Sweeney Todd: B+

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 6/11/06 at 11:55pm

Jersey Boys: A+
The Color Purple: C - the first song was kinda annoying.
The Wedding Singer: A++++ AMAZING.
The Drowsy Chaperone: B+
The Threepenny Opera: No ranking. It was not good at all.
The Pajama Game: C-
Sweeney Todd: C (It was alright).

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 6/11/06 at 11:59pm

It was sort of sad that "Show Off" came off badly. It works much better in the theatre, for sure, with an intimate audience. Not 6 000 people looking at video screens.

[HeartandMusic]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:01am

Jersey Boys:B (Nice song choices, but the first part had low energy)
The Color Purple:A (well done!)
The Wedding Singer:A ( Great energy, I felt it brighened up the whole show, and Stephen Lynch rocks my world. I sort of wish they'd chosen a different song, though.)
The Drowsy Chaperone:A+ (Sutton Foster was delightful as always!)
The Threepenny Opera:C+ (Poor song choice, the energy was so low by the end of the number I was getting sleepy! But the chemistry between Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper was interesting and it held my attention. Plus, Alan Cummnig is awesome.)
The Pajama Game:B+ (Harry Connick Jr. was really stiff, but I think he was just nervous, and overall it was a good performance.)
Sweeney Todd:C+

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:01am

OH COME ON PEOPLE. Even if you are Sweeney Todd fans, you can't possibly say that their performance tonight was anything above a B-. They were all off (voices some, instruments especially), and the song choice was poor.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:05am

I really liked The Wedding Singer's A LOT more than I thought I would, definitely the best out of the bunch, made me want to see the show more than any of the others. The Drowsy Chaperone, second, cute and fun and I liked it a lot... made me excited because I AM seeing this show in a month.

I HATED The Threepenny Opera's, and Sweeney... well that was a weird choice of songs, I wish they had done a bit of A Little Priest instead of My Friends & The Worst Pies in London. I love those songs don't get me wrong, but My Friends seemed a little random and both Patti and Michael do such a phenomenal job with ALP... it's so fun and sexy and of course one of the best songs in the show.

[emg_sound]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:08am

Jersey Boys A
Wedding Singer A Both of these shows should sell a bunch of tickets based upon these performances (Which is the function of having your show on the telecast)
Drowsy Chaperone B+ A good showcase for the Man in the chair and Sutton.
Sweeney B Tried to cram in too much from the show.
Pajama Game C See Sweeney note (esp. w/ Hernando's, which in context was totally show-stopping!)
Color Purple C- "Hell no" a smidge repetative for my taste, and the choreography seemed quite stale.
Threepenny Opera C- a for boldness in choice, d in context of the telecast

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:10am

I actually thought Threepenny was great -- since they don't have a real crowd-pleasing number, they probably figured "Pimp" (which showcases both Cumming and Lauper) would be the best choice. I loved the show and the number, so maybe I'm a little biased. Color Purple, Drowsy, and Jersey Boys were all very good, Wedding Singer was energetic if derivative musically, Sweeney was a bit of a mess, and Pajama Game (especially the Hernando's Hideaway section) didn't wow me like it did in the theater.

[Lenexajones]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:13am

Jersey Boys: B- (pretty much what I expected
The Color Purple: A (glad they chose this number which focused on the entire cast)
The Wedding Singer: B- (could see why it is popular, but was somewhat bored)
The Drowsy Chaperone: B+ (just because of Sutton -- the rest was a bit manic for my taste)
The Threepenny Opera: C- (I can see the talent, but just not my taste)
The Pajama Game: B (Fun number but a bit rushed)
Sweeney Todd: C- (loved the show, but from this number how could anyone see what the buzz was about. Botched beyond belief)

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:18am

Jersey Boys: B
The Color Purple: B+
The Wedding Singer: A
The Drowsy Chaperone: B
The Threepenny Opera: D +
The Pajama Game: B+
Sweeney Todd: B+

Jersey Boys was better in the second half, the dancing girls were just funny. I thought JLY's solo was very cheesy, and a lot of the dialogue was silly.

The Color Purple was very enjoyable, was to go LaChanze with the crazy-ass belting there at the end.

MY favorite performance. TONS of energy, and such a catchy tuunnee - I had low expectations and it completely knocked me for a loop, in a good way.

Drowsy was ok, it was better when I saw it, I didn't feel the energy I felt in the theater.

Threepenny was just stupid. It was a stupid idea to pick a song no one knows, and in the number, I saw why it was panned by a lot of reviewers, the fact that a lot of the strange, sexual occurences don't make sense and are just there for shock value.

The Pajama Game was very good, but it felt rushed. They should have picked one or the other (preferably "There Once Was a Man").

Same with Sweeney. Cerveris really pulled me in though with "My Friends". "Worst Pies in London" was unnecessary, would have been better to do "Poor Thing" into "My Friends".

[peggyandvelma]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:19am

Jersey Boys: A
Good choices of song & totally made me happy seeing the Boys. So happy for Christian and John!
The Color Purple: B
Good vocally, but I'm not familiar w/ the songs. It was good, though.
The Wedding Singer: A
Totally rocked. I loved the choreography.
The Drowsy Chaperone: A
I've had "Show Off" stuck in my head all day.
The Threepenny Opera: F
Gah, I couldn't care less. It was soooooooo slow and boring.
The Pajama Game: A
Harry did seem nervous, but it was really energetic and fun to watch.
Sweeney Todd: B
I don't like Sweeney, but Michael gave me chills with that last part.

[florida theatre kid]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:30am

Jersey Boys- A: Love the two songs they chose.
The Color Purple- B: Wasn't a fan of the first song, but loved the second one.
The Wedding Siner- B+: WOW SOOO much energy, it was almost overwhelming.
The Drowsy Chaperone- B+: Would like to have seen more of the featured cast.
The Threepenny Opera- C: Just didn't make sense to me, but it interested me enough to want to see it.
The Pajama Game- A+: LOVED IT! Kelli and Harry sound great together. And how cute is Jen Cody in the ensemble?!
Sweeney Todd- B-: Was expecting much more.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:39am

Jersey Boys - A
Drowsey - A
Sweeney - A
Color Purple - B
Wedding Singer - B
Threepenny -C
Pajama Game - D

Jersey Boys - they were excellent and though im sad about the tony wins not being sweeneys they did wonderful and deserved everything.

Drowsey - Sutton was amazing as she always is. It "showed off" the shows wit and love of theatre and was wonderful.

Sweeney - Sweeney had amazingly smooth transitions and there is not a bad thing about this production to give them anything less than an A

Color Purple - It didnt really wow me but Hell No was performed wwell and it showed off the show well I thought.

Wedding Singer - Much better than I thought it would be. The song was catchy and the choreography wasnt as bad as i thought it could be and it made me want to see the show sort of which those performances are supposed to do.

Threepenny - I was surprised they didnt do the opening though Im thrilled they did Ballad of the Pimp because it was in my head all day. I think though the performance is so out there and i dont understand alot of it cuz it confuses me to hell I loved the song choice however it works so much better when the lighting from the show is actually used with pitch black and blue on the faces it gives a stronger feeling to it imo.

Pajama game - Harry Conick JR CANNOT SING!!!!! He was off key and what the hell was he saying? DICTION!!! its a term harry, use it! HE was terrible and made me feel as if the winning of its tony was more undeserving than it already was.

[Corine2]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:45am

The Color Purple A
Jersey Boys A
Drowsy A
Wedding Singer B
Sweeney B

Pajama B-
Updated On: 6/15/06 at 12:45 AM

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:51am

Although I have a feeling my opinions may be unpopular, I'm posting them anyway.
(I base these grades on how much a performance made me want to go see the show)

Jersey Boys: B
The Color Purple: B-
The Wedding Singer: A
The Drowsy Chaperone: A-
The Threepenny Opera: D+
The Pajama Game: B
Sweeney Todd: D-

I'm shocked. I expected Wedding Singer to blow, but I was ready to dance after watching that. And I'd heard such great things about Sweeney Todd, but I disliked that performance perhaps more than any other Tony performance I've ever seen.

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 12:51 AM

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:56am

I don't know if I can grade them, but I can write what I thought!

The Drowsy Chaperone- I thought "Show Off" came off quite nicely! And Bob Martin was funny as usual. I watched it with a friend who hadn't seen any of this year's performances and she thought it was funny. hehe

The Threepenny Opera- I thought they did the best they could have done. I enjoyed it, having seen the show, and they picked one of the most accessible pieces to perform. I wish they would have done a song with the man who plays Lucy- he's amazing! But Alan and Cindy are what people will watch.

Sweeney Todd- I haven't seen it, but I wasn't blown away. It seemed oddly arranged, and there were pitch issues, but hey, no one can be perfect all of the time. :o) I enjoyed Patti though!

The Wedding Singer- I love this show for the performances and the fun factor, and both were right on tonight!! I love Stephen Lynch and he warmed into it. Hopefully this'll bring in some ticket sales, though I do wish they would have done another song.

Jersey Boys- I like the other songs they've been using to promote the show better, but probably because they're more familiar. But it was a good performance, though I wasn't thrilled.

The Pajama Game- It was well done, but I wish they would have featured less of Harry (who I adore) and more of Megan Lawrence during the "Hernando's Hideaway" number, like rocker05 said. She has some great comedic timing, and that would have been just as enjoyable and a great showcase, more than the 30 seconds of improv piano, which we all know Harry can do.

The Color Purple-
I thought it was great. The voices were incredible; it was a nice shift in genre; that room needed some gospel!!

:o)

[LostLeander]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:58am

Drowsy - A- Great, solid performance. Nothing terribly special though
Color Purple - B. Odd choice to showcase Felicia, and odd song. Group sounded nice, felt bad for LaChanze.
Threepenny - C WTF? I would not want to go see this show. Cyndi looked hot though.
Jersey - B+ Sounded great. That's all.
Sweeney - B You can't make an audience understand that concept in 4 minutes. It would've looked confusing and kind of boring if I hadn't seen it.
Wedding - B+ Looked GREAT. Very misleading as to the rest of the show.
Pajama - B- Kelli didn't sound too great. :-/. Harry was whatever. Dancing looked fun. Overall, looked like a lot of fun.

Audra McDonald - A+++ When did she get to be so strikingly, devestatingly GORGEOUS? I mean she was always pretty, but DAMN.

[musicman89]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:05am

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE: A-
-"Show Off" is definitely a highlight of the show, but I feel that much of what makes the number so funny and energetic is seeing it live and much of that was lost in the translation onto television.

SWEENEY TODD: B+
-The arrangment of the medley was not quite as good as I had hoped and it came off as being very rushed and did not give outsiders a real meaty sample. "My Friends" was also a poor choice to include into the medley.

JERSEY BOYS: A
-I thoroughly enjoyed how they featured Young first, then had the three others join him for "Who Loves You". Certainly one of the more better presented showings of a musical of the evening.

THE WEDDING SINGER: B-
-While the number was fun, it still made prominent what a terribly mediocre show it is. I was not entertained by anything other than the rabid choreography.

THE THREEPENNY OPERA: C+
-Did not come across the television very well and Cyndi did not sound her best tonight. Without the context of the show, it was a very boring and nonsensical performance that left me cold.

THE PAJAMA GAME: B
-"There Once Was a Man" went well, but "Hernando's Hideaway" failed to be the energetic number that it was in the theater. Connick was also very stiff in his movements. O'Hara proved once again what a talent she is.

THE COLOR PURPLE: A
-Excellent performance that will surely make more people interested in seeing the show. I do think that it focused too heavily on Fields when LaChanze was their big star and winner, but phenomenal, nonetheless.

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:05am

The Drowsy Chaperone - A
Sweeney Todd --------- C
The Threepenny Opera - B
The Wedding Singer --- A
Jersey Boys ---------- C
The Pajama Game ------ B
The Color Purple ----- A

I'll write a more detailed response tomorrow, I need to get to bed! Oh and just a note, I've never seen any of these shows live.
Updated On: 6/12/06 at 01:05 AM

[itstheM]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:15am

Jersey Boys: B+ -it told audiences what the show was
The Color Purple: B- -didn't showcase anything, except it's big cast
The Wedding Singer: A- -this was the show the people I was watching with were most excited to see
The Drowsy Chaperone: A- -the number was great just not amazing
The Threepenny Opera: F -nobody understood what the hell this was about and I couldn't explain it even though I've seen the show
The Pajama Game: C+ -Harry Connick Jr. has no facial expression
Sweeney Todd: C -Very rushed, confusing, short, I felt like Patti was screaming her mic was up so high

Opening Number: F -Harry is not a good performer plus he was nervous as hell. Loved Patti singing along on the platform!

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:07am

Did Michael Cerveris remind anyone else of Salad Fingers?
It wasn't really demonic so much as it was "ew, gross, stop that".

[TheatreDiva612]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:11am

Jersey Boys: B-
The Color Purple: B
The Wedding Singer: B
The Drowsy Chaperone: B
The Threepenny Opera: C
The Pajama Game: B
Sweeney Todd: A-

[mabel]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:19am

I give whoever decided it was OK for so many shows to do TWO songs a big FAT F!!! Jesus! I know it's musicals that sell, but I think it's lame, and rather rude to let Jersey Boys, Pajama Game, and Color Purple perform two songs each. Sure they may have been a smidge edited, but they were definitely closer to being two fulls songs to being medleys (a la Sweeney).

I can't believe the Best Play nominees barely got ONE LINE of filmed coverage shown, while all these musicals got two numbers. I'm not in the city, so I can't watch a playback to see just how long these musical performances lasted, but I'm guessing they're up around 7-8 minutes. That's a bit much, if you ask me. I remember a few years ago they did live performances from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and King Headley II (there may have been others, but I specifically remember those two) and (even though it was a bit of a mess) that melding of the nominated shows with the actors from Beauty Queen of Leanane, Iceman Cometh, Death of a Salesman, and Side Man.

I know it's to be expected, but I still don't think it's even remotely fair.

ETA: I just went through and read the thread and saw that ACL2006 said that each show was only given 4 minutes. Boy, some of those certainly felt a hell of a lot longer than that!!!

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 02:19 AM

[Come Back to Me]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:20am

Jersey Boys: A+
The Color Purple: B
The Wedding Singer: B-
The Drowsy Chaperone: B
The Threepenny Opera: C
The Pajama Game: B-
Sweeney Todd: B+

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 8:54am

Sweeney was just too rushed. I LOVE My Friends. But I don't think it was needed.

I wish they could've started with Tobias being released from his restraints, it's a very powerful moment.