The 74th Annual Tony Awards (2021) - News & Discussion Thread- Page 28

[sng]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 2:41am

Jake Gyllenhaal was right there in the audience and they let Ben Platt sing Move On. 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 4:05am

For anyone who missed it, here's Aaron Tveit's touching Tony speech ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eCulwaHJWQ

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 4:28am

Ben has an incredible voice obviously, but he is not the most versatile actor. He could risk getting over exposed. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 5:46am

Yes, as has been said....perhaps he was asked and declined. (This was in response to the poster that asked about Gyllenhaal not performing.)

Updated On: 9/27/21 at 05:46 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 6:09am

What a night! I am beyond thrilled for Moulin Rouge!, but I think my favorite part(s) of the night was The Inheritance taking home 4 awards, including Best Play. I was not expecting that, and I could not be happier as it is one of the best plays I have ever seen.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 7:08am

They should have replayed Jennifer Hudson on the CBS broadcast along with some of the award winners from part 1 on Paramount Plus

That was Jennifer Holliday not Hudson.  Hahaha.  

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 8:40am

 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 8:45am

Add me to the list of angry Canadians! I bought a VPN, and tried streaming the first show from Australia, as it seemed it was the only other country where it was being shown. (FYI: the Paramount Plus service in Canada is a total of about 20 shows, so no where near what others have. I found it interesting that even the UK couldn't watch it.

I say, if you want to do an award show then concert, go ahead. I didn't mind. Just don't award Best Musical with 15 minutes left in your show, because I've seen what I wanted and now don't care (I mean, in reality I loved the duets, but you get what I mean).

I said to my partner, "Can you hear the angry tweets?" when Jagged Little Pill won Best Book? 

I just don't agree with making the show inexcessable to many, many people. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 8:46am

 

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 9:40am

northlandfan said: "Can someone please tell me if the performances of Moulin Rouge , Jagged little pill and Tina the musical that were done in their own theaters were live or pre-recorded?
There was an audience there. If live, did they get a full audience in for one song?
"

THEIR OWN THEATERS MOST DEF

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 9:42am

BrodyFosse123 said: "They should have replayed Jennifer Hudson on the CBS broadcast along with some of the award winners from part 1 on Paramount Plus

That was Jennifer Holliday not Hudson. Hahaha. "

So was it LAST night’s Jennifer Holiday that Cynthia Erivo took swipe and and experience to being cast in THE COLOR PURPLE revival? If so, she should show more respect and thank her for allowing her to stand on her shoulders. 

 

Jennifer Holliday holds on to the title for the BEST TONY AWARDS PERFORMANCE EVER!

Updated On: 9/27/21 at 09:42 AM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 10:23am

Jordan Catalano said: "Yuuuuup. As far as the Tony Awards go - bigger isn’t always better. And I really do hope they keep the show performances how they did them tonight - filmed in their own theaters with all the sets and costumes that truly can highlight the show they’re trying to sell. The argument that it’s less exciting for those in the audience there is moot since it’s not “for” them and they’re much better for everyone watching at home."

That, and the sound mixing has never been quite right when they did it live. While it start to get better when they moved to the Beacon Theatre, I didn't mind it at all being pre-taped. I think in the future shows should be given the option, I'm sure many would be happy to take them up on the offer.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 10:59am

A great show overall marred only by too many dull duets before we got to the firepower of the closing three pairings.

[Tag]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 11:00am

I wish like 1/10th of Rachelle Rak's energy and enthusiasm had rubbed off on Leslie in the opening number.  I mean sure he can sing, and at least we didn't get his Hamilton whiny/lisp thing.  But I just don't understand his appeal.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 11:04am

The song was great but the whole “Should we sing” thing with Leslie and Nicolette was pure cringe.

[ViniFromBrazil]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:24pm

I watched only the CBS show and frankly was not disappointed. Bravo Audra!

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:35pm

Viewership from last night was - as expected - disastrous. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/THE-TONY-AWARDS-PRESENT-BROADWAYS-BACK-Special-Scores-265-Million-Viewers-20210927

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:41pm

At least the reviews were great:

Deadline:

"Broadway, you might have heard, is back, and, miracle of miracles, it seems to have figured out how to present a truly excellent television awards show.

Splitting the traditional three hours into four and somehow coming up with the right math, Tony organizers, Paramount+ and CBS presented a two-hour livestreamed 74th Annual Tony Awards and, immediately following, the two-hour broadcast concert special The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!. The approach worked remarkably well. The no-nonsense presentation of award announcements and acceptance speeches was followed by a lively special that impressively showcased contemporary Broadway musicals on their home turfs and classic reunions that felt fresh and welcome.

Perhaps best of all, both portions of the evening were emceed by hosts who avoided entirely the tired combination of snark, smarm and insider smirk that has been de rigueur on the Oscars and Emmys for more than a decade now. Audra McDonald hosted the awards portion with elegance and charm, while Leslie Odom Jr. handled the CBS special with a likability and panache that was perfectly suited to Broadway’s homecoming.

 

"...The livestreamed awards presentation hosted by McDonald was the most efficient such contest in memory, free of bloat and grandstanding. Winners kept their remarks brief and on-point, and bypassed any for-the-camera histrionics. Even so, the ceremony never felt bloodless. Jagged Little Pill actress Lauren Patten accepted her Tony and addressed the recent controversy over the musical’s treatment of her once-non-binary, now-not character Jo, and did so without pandering or cowering. Aaron Tveit, the sole nominee in the lead actor/musical category, accepted his inevitable award with humor and sincere emotion.

The few musical numbers presented during the livestream portion were all the more impactful for their scarcity, including Ali Stroker’s “What I Did For Love” from A Chorus Line, original Hairspray cast members performing that show’s “You Can’t Stop The Beat.”

The concert special on CBS and Paramount+ began with host Odom performing an original opening number that could have signaled a rather old-school awards show approach, but was concise enough to get out of the way before wearing out the welcome. All the better since the first musical number from a current Broadway show was a scorching “Burning Down The House” from David Byrne’s American Utopia. And Jennifer Holliday did some house-burning of her own with the showstopping performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from 1981’s Dreamgirls.

"Even the In Memoriam segment was, by and large, well handled. A few of the names and faces of those lost over the past year were impossible to see on the TV screen when the cameras cut to long-shots. But the roster appeared to be inclusive – no glaring omissions, at last on first notice – and the accompanying performances of “The Impossible Dream” by Brian Stokes Mitchell and “Somewhere” by Norm Lewis and Kelli O’Hara were stirring.

So, was anyone watching? Ratings will tell that tale soon enough, but I suspect even potential viewers who skipped the show – or shows – tonight will be seeing the reverberations on other award shows soon enough. Going in, I was skeptical about the split livestream-broadcast format. Not anymore."

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:45pm

The CBS was, indeed, a special and most people has not returned to Broadway yet. Let's see how the ratings will be for the 2022 Tonys, but given that most awards lost 50% of the pre-pandemic numbers, I think the Tonys will go for something around 3-4M next year.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:08pm

Show wise, fun. Awards wise, dumb. Jagged got best book?? Barf.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:41pm

I watched the fabulous first 2 hours on Paramount + and it truly was perfect in every possible way. It just flowed so smoothly and the glorious energy coming thru was beautiful.

I have the CBS broadcast on my DVR. I’ll get around to it eventually. Judging by the comments, I ain’t missing anything. The first 2 hours were THE true Tony Awards ceremony. CBS can wait a month.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:43pm

I’ve watched that “Wheels of a Dream” so many times. I just adore how obvious the love between Audra and Stokes is.

[BwayStarlette]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:49pm

Is it possible to watch the performances from the Paramount+ telecast online somewhere? Or can you watch it still on Paramount+?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:51pm

A lot of them are on YouTube.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:56pm

Another great review from Variety! In part:

"The Tonys deserve to win multiple Emmys next year. A night married with celebration, inclusivity and in what can only be described as the realization that Jesus Christ returned to save us all in the form of Jennifer Holliday — it was a sensational awards ceremony that may have offered all the critical clues to constructing a new age of honoring top achievements in entertainment.

“You can’t stop the beat (of Broadway),” said McDonald following a joyful rendition of one of the marquee numbers from “Hairspray” with members of the original cast, including Marissa Jaret Winokur, Matthew Morrison, Kerry Butler, Chester Gregory and Darlene Love (no Harvey Fierstein was probably the only disappointment from the evening). “We’re a little late, but we are here. Tonight feels like a homecoming.”

Indeed, it was. It took a near extinction of our beloved Broadway not only to have us appreciate the value of live theater but to provide its other three prestigious counterparts in the entertainment space – Oscars, Emmys and Grammys – a near flawless and detailed blueprint on how they should assemble their future ceremonies to bring forth an inviting place for people of all backgrounds, and an impeccable pace to keep your attention. Of course, film and television might most of the headlines. Still, the soul of acting and the arts were in the corridors of the famous theater that’s housed notable productions such as “42nd Street,” “Mamma Mia!” and the upcoming revival of “The Music Man” in 2022.

The show’s producers ensured the evening was playful and yet always sincere and optimistic. “Masks” and “inclusivity” were the theme of the evening as McDonald spoke passionately in her opening monologue, referencing the 560 dark nights that Broadway endured since the beginning of the pandemic, leading to its long-awaited reopening of many shows that began early last week."