"I still don't want to make a call on Best Musical. I simply can't read the voters' minds (as can no one). While one can think...one can HOPE...that after awarding what was the only completely original AMERICAN musical the Best Musical prize last year (I'm talking about GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE..., of course), that perhaps they've come to and have realized what "Best Musical" reallY means. And if they have, there's no denying that FUN HOME will win."
But... if we're talking completely original... we're looking at Something Rotten, no?
The Visit has a book and film, AAIP has a film and Fun Home has a novel.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're making this argument then SR! is the most wholly original musical this year.
I think voters should pick The Visit just as a social experiment. It would be fascinating to see a show with such dreadfully poor box office numbers actually wind up turning a profit on the sole merit of an awarded distinction.
I would agree with that statement, but The Visit is just not that great. But definitely I'd love to see a flop win the Tony. For sure.
My money is on Something Rotten! A fresh wonderful new musical.
Fun Home and American are not that original and not that entertaining either.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
You're right, I meant to say that American is not that original and I was not entertained by Fun Home and American. Edit*
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
Personally, I would rather a good musical based off of a movie or book than Something Rotten, which manages to be the least original "original" musical in recent memory.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
I guess it's just the skeptic in me that is foreseeing AIP taking home the big prize. Similar to how it happened to Lion King over Ragtime, Phantom over Into the Woods, and Billy Elliot over Next to Normal. Fun Home is a shoe-in for best book and score which should logically mean it also gets Best Musical. But the Tony's are filled with politics just as anything else is, and something tells me that they will want to spread the wealth around a bit more than Fun Home winning everything (though in my opinion, it deserves close to it). If Fun Home DOESN't win Best Musical, I think fans need to know that its impact will still be just as treasured and its legacy just as strong without the title. AIP will be in the spotlight now. Fun Home will be remembered as one of the most important musicals of this century.
I have not seen An American in Paris yet, but it just seems odd to me that Fun Home is a frontrunner in the writing, directing, and at least one performance awards, and still could lose Best Musical. I know that sort of thing has happened before, but it never makes sense to me- if all the elements that make up the musical are excellent, how does the musical not win the top prize?
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
For me, it was the Times that made me start to think American in Paris might win, but it was talk here about other years when great shows took score and book but lost Best Musical to something flashier/more of a crowd-pleaser (a la Millie/Urinetown; Lion King/Ragtime; or even Phantom/Into the Woods) that made me think it really could go that way. It's also just me being pessimistic as I would personally rank American below not just Fun Home, Something Rotten, and The Visit but also The Last Ship in terms of best musicals of the season. Then again, it's one of my favorite movies, so the degree to which I disliked it may be negatively affected by that.
American is not really a musical, it's more of a ballet to me. Fun Home failed to entertain me and I think they are not deserving of the award. Yet again, Once and many others weren't worthy of best musical award.
Don't count Rotten out quite yet.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
I got over 90 of my nomination predictions right, even with the unpredictability of how many slots would be ultimately allowed in some categories.... So here goes it
Best Actor in a Musical: Will Win: Michael Cerveris
Should Win: Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
Best Actress in a Musical: Will Win: Kelli O'Hara, The King and I
Should Win: Beth Malone, Fun Home
Best Play: Will Win: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Should Win: Curious Incident
Best Actor in a Play: Will Win: Steven Boyer, Hand to God
Should Win: Alex Sharp, Curious Incident
Best Actress in a Play: Will Win: Helen Mirren
Should Win: Elisabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Will Win: Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!
Should Win: Brandon Uranowitz, An American in Paris
Best Performance by An Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Will Win: Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
Should Win: Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
Best Revival of a Musical: Will Win: The King and I
Should Win: On the Town
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Will Win: Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall
Should Win: Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall
**Should have been nominated: Bryce Pinkham, The Heidi Chronicles
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Will Win: Annaleigh Ashford
Should Win: Sarah Stiles, Hand to God
Best Direction of a musical: Will win: Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten
Should win: Christopher Wheeldon, American in Paris
Best Direction of a play: Will win: Marianne Elliott, Curious Incident
Should win: Moritz von Stuelpenagel, Hand to God
Best choreography: Will win: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Should win: Christopher Wheeldon
Best scenic design (musical): Will and should win: Bob Crowley and 59 Productions, An American in Paris
Best scenic design (play): Will and should win: Bunny Christie and Finn Ross, Curious Incident
Best costume design (play): Will and should win: Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall parts I&II
Best costume design (musical): Will win: Catherine Zuber, The King and I
Should win: William Ivey Long, On the 20th Century
Best lighting design (play): Will and should win: Paule Constable, Curious Incident
Best lighting design(musical): Will and should win: Natasha Katz, An American in Paris
Best orchestrations: Will win: not sure
Should win: Rob Mathes, The Last Ship
Best score: Will win: Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick, Something Rotten!
Should win: Sting, The Last Ship
the artist formerly known as dancingthrulife04
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In my opinion, if any show pulls off an upset and beats Fun Home, it will be Something Rotten, not AAIP. And The Visit has no chance. Even the Tony voters aren't showing up.
CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.
Best Play: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Tony voters are conservative unless it has something to do with their culture specifically. Although this is expertly directed, I have a hard time calling this a play. The script is second rate at best.
Should win: Disgraced. This Pulitzer Prize winner is the best written and most relevant play of the season. It just didnt get enough press behind it unfortunately.
Best Musical: An American In Paris. Again, Tony voters are conservative. This will tour basically because of the brilliant film. It's nice that dance is highlighted here but this is the least "musical" of all the nominees.
Should win: Fun Home. This is the boldest musical to come along since Falsettos. Brilliantly crafted score, the book is modern and breaks all formulas, and its fascinating story that we haven't heard much...a lesbian daughter and a gay father who can't really connect.
Best Play Revival: You Can't Take it With You. Conservative voters is the name of the game here.
Should win: Skylight....the best production of this show that has ever been produced. A+ from top to bottom....You Can't Take It is also very good though
Best Musical Revival: The King and I. Again, a production of this show that has never been more poignant.
Should Win: The King and I. Experts working on every aspect of this show. On the Town is a close second...talk about making an old show look brand new again.
Best Book of a Musical: Fun Home...hands down the most modern book of the last ten years. Breaks the mold in every way.
Best Musical Score: Fun Home. Its stunning, moving, modern, just enough art and class, also brutally honest. Plus it's Jeanine Tesori's turn. The Last Ship is a close second. The score is major regardless of what you thought of the show itself. Some of those melodies are the best Broadway's heard in years. I hope Sting returns, he is a musical genius.
Best Actor Play: Alex Sharp. Hes that good and its flashy role. Plus he's young and has a great story. He'll bring a whole new audience to the theater.
Should win: Bill Nigh. It's a real performance, he's gotten to the center of the character and you feel as though you are watching a real person up there.
Best Actress Play: Helen Mirren. DUH!
Should win: to be honest, i think every other woman in this category is giving a better performance than her. Geneva Carr's in Hand to God to me is the MOST interesting. The sex scene she has with her student...i mean, on the floor hysterical.
Best Actor Musical: Michael Cerveris, Fun Home. Yet another masterful, fully committed, intense character. He is not scared of anything as a performer BRAVO
Best Actress in a Musical: Kristin Chenoweth. Its the definition of tour de force. She is doing everything she can do here. The stuff of legends. Plus she is literally a house hold name because of her work in the theater...one of MAYBE five in the world that can say that.
Should win: it should be a tie between her and Kelli O’Hara for the King and I. Kelli is not making a false move as Anna. She is perfection in this produciton.
Featured Actor Play: Micah Stock. He's got buzz still almost a year later
Featured Actress in a Play: Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You. She's had it coming for a while now. And she is truly scene stealing in this.
Featured Actor Musical: Toss up...Andy Karl for 20th century Max von Essen for Paris. Both have been around forever, are true Broadway Babies, and are seriously talented.
Featured Actress Musical: Ruthie Ann Miles. I've never seen anyone sing Wonderful like her. Plus she has the ethnic advantage that the theater so wonderfully embraces. Judy Kuhn, Fun Home is right behind her. Her singing Days and days and days...will break your mutha' f'n heart.
Scenic Design Play: Bunny Christie and Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Surprising in every way
Scenic Design Musical: Michael Yeargan, The King and I. He is never short of Genius...NEVER
Costume Design Play: Toss up Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two and Bob Crowley, The Audience.
Costume Design Musical: Catherine Zuber, The King and I. I'm speechless it's so good.
lighting design play: Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Magical, sentimental, mental, you feel like you are inside this kids head.
Lighting Design Musical: Donald Holder, The King and I. I mean come on, when the boat comes in to Siam...WTF!!!!!!!
Direction of a play: Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. So fantastically conceived. The train idea is bloody genius.
Direction of Musical: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris is getting all the attention for making a ballet relevent...I think this is the wrong choice
Should win: Toss up Bartlett Sher, The King and I (digging deep to find the new subtext and meaning to classics is his TALENT) Sam Gold Fun Home, doing things in the round that have never been done Bravo!
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris. Again wrong choice
Should win: Joshua Bergasse, On the Town not cookie cutter in anyway. Still so fitting for the production. Romance and loneliness passion and humor....YES!
orchestrations: toss up Rob Mathes, The Last Ship or John Clancy, Fun Home
I feel like the winner of Best Leading Actress in a Musical could be correlated with Best Featured Actor in a Musical. This theory only holds up if this year's Tony's spread the wealth across the board so all the deserving shows go home with at least one award though. And really who's to say? It's possible that Something Rotten, On the Town, and even OTTC (though MUCH less likely) could leave the night empty handed. So know that this theory/prediction of mine has no credibility, it's all speculation at this point because I'm going crazy with the slow anticipation of next Sunday.
BUT...here's what I'm thinking.
If Kelli wins, I think Best Featured Actor should go to Andy Karl (so OTTC doesn't go home empty handed).
But if Kristin wins, I think Best Featured Actor should go to Brad Oscar (so Something Rotten doesn't go home empty handed).
If Kelli wins, tough luck for Something Rotten. Though it's good, it's not fantastic, and of any of the currently-running nominated musicals I'd be the least surprised to see this one go home with nothing.
And if Kristin wins, The King & I will still get Best Musical Revival. That one is a no brainer.
I think Christopher Wheeldon has a VERY strong chance of winning Best Director of a Musical. Frankly, I think direction, orchestrations, and set design SHOULD BE the only Tony's given to AIIP.
I'd really like to see Joshua Bergasse of On the Town win best choreography over Wheeldon, especially if he's gonna get Best Direction. I'm not sure how good the chances of this wish coming true though......I really would like to see On the Town be recognized though.
I'm not foreseeing any Tony's for The Visit. Sorry, Chita. I just wish Kander & Ebb would have been recognized for The Scottsboro Boys. It's sad to see this legendary team not be recognized but this is not their strongest score by any means. The Scottsboro Boys, however, is a career highlight of theirs - up there with Cabaret and Chicago IMO. Oh well. Just goes to show that sometimes the Tony's just don't get it right.....
Fun Home is the best new musical of this season and arguably of the past few seasons IMO. AAIP is more commercial, though......so at this point I think it's a toss-up between the two. Only 7 days, 22 hours, 37 minutes, and 35 seconds will tell. (I'm loving this Tony countdown).
Now, there is a buzz that the little girl from Fun Home will win supporting actress in a musical instead of Judy or Victoria...
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-