Pajama Game Deserved to Win Over Sweeney- Page 2

[Christoph]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:56am

I am thrilled to see PG win. I think this show needed the push far more than ST, which everyone had been pushing and heralding ad nauseum. One could not say anything even remotely critical about ST without a barrage of defenders coming forth to declare it the definitive version of the show. Don't get me wrong - I love ST - just not this version. I have had the rare chance to several versions and I have loved them all, except this last one. By contrast, I saw a touring version of The Pajama Game many years ago and have heard the original cast recording, both of which underwhelmed me. I went to this latest PG revival reluctantly, but was really surprised at how well done and energetic the production was rendered. The cast was really quite extraordinary and to find the kind of mature sexual chemistry between the leads of a musical comedy that existed between Harry Connick and Kelli O'Hara was all but unknown to me. This was a case where they took an original and improved on it. I cannot say the same with ST as I don't think it held a candle to the original production, so it did not qualify as an equal or an improvement in my book. I AM bummed that Manoel Felciano did not pick up the Featured Actor nod. Admittedly, I have not seen Christian Hoff as yet (will be seeing JB in the next few months), but Felciano just blew me away with his interpretation and he really WAS an improvement over the prior Toby's that I saw. The other members of the nominated ST cast are pretty much veterans who will be affected minimally by the losses, but I truly thought he had it in the bag and was really rooting for him here.

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 11:14am

I was infuriated by the win defeat! Sweeney Todd had a whole new spin. It was beaming with originality! That cast was FABULOUS! The performances were fabulous!

Pajama Game might be bright and fun. But the impression I get (I admit I haven't seen it) is that it brings nothing new to the table which the original lacked (besides some extra technology and money maybe).

Last year I was pleased because I got the impression that the Tony's were being judged based on originality of the production. That is the reason that I believed Avenue Q won over Wicked. Because nothing like Avenue Q had ever been done before. But this was a total upset. If they are going to give the Tony to Pajama Game, they might as well have given it to Wicked as well!!!

(sorry if this appears more rude than opinionated --- I am really pissed off about it)

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 11:16am

Another great upset of the night. The Pajama Game was my favorite musical (including new shows and revivals) of the season!

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 11:23am

Oh, hell no. I've never been so upset.

I think the reason Pajama Game won is to promote the show once the stars have gone. And now instead of "see Harry Connick, Jr" they will say "see the Tony Award winning Best Revival." AND, I'm sure there is now a tour in the works. F*cking Tony voters had to go with their wallets. It's the same way they f*cked Bernadette Peters and Urinetown.

[Toon]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 11:26am

I am just dissapointed for the cast of Sweeny Todd- Who many of them learned to play instruments for the show and overcomed incredible challenges to be able to present Sweeny Todd in this new light. None of their performances were recognized as brilliant with the Tonys.

I didn't think that way at all. The show was recognized with numerous Tony Award nominations. That shouldn't be overlooked. Because of all the award nominations they were honored and recognized and attention was placed on the show in ways it wouldn't have been without any nominations.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:27pm

I am very happy "Pajama Game" won. I said prior to the award ceremony that the one big upset I would like to see was PJG beating out "Sweeney," but I never thought it would actually happen.

I agree with another poster in that "Sweeney" isn't really a revival. If it's reviving anything, it's John Doyle's London production, but really nothing more. For me (and this is personal opinion here,) I would think the "Best Revival" would be one that does something in the same vein as it's predecessor but changes things and reinvents to the point of improving on it, as "Pajama Game" did. In a sense... modifying an old idea to function even better than it did in it's older format (but they keyword is MODIFYING, and still keeping aspects of the previous product... not changing it completely, as "Sweeney" did.)

"Sweeney" doesn't really attempt to "revive" anything about the previous incarnation in the least, and not just with the actors playing the instruments. Alot of the performances are also complete 180's from their predecessors (Lupone being the obvious one in that area,) When so many things are done SO different, it is hard for me to give a "Best Revival" Tony to Sweeney, because there are so many things disconected from the original. I think it would have been alot smarter to just use an orchestra and at least relate back to the original in some form while still doing new things. I actually prefered the 2001 San Francisco concert production to this one, because I still believe that Doyle lost alot of the humor in the show. "A Little Priest" is a PERFECT example... Hearn and Lupone made it just so hysterical, using alot of really great facial expressions, but Patti is so held back and Cerveris never lets up from his dreary mood that alot of that humor is lost (although both still turn in great work here.) Patti especially dissapointed me, because she was so hysterical in that concert, from her manerisms to her delivery, and although I understand that she wanted to try a different approach to the character this time around, I felt the other one worked much better.

For the people who say "Sweeney" had so many more challenges to face than "Pajama Game," I completely disagree. Yes "Sweeney" had the daunting shadow of the original production, but that was about it. The concept and staging of this production had already been tested with a London run to great success, and they pretty much knew the show would work if they could find an audience. By getting names like Lupone and Cerveris, they could get their audience. "Pajama Game" had a unique challenge that "Sweeney" didn't that I find a little more difficult: could a show so stuck in the past still ring true for modern audiences? For a show talking about raises for "seven and half cents" and just being so old fashioned, "Pajama Game" really had to work to get people to still enjoy it and still find the great things about the show even today. They also got names like Connick and O'Hara to find their audience, but I think the challenge they faced of making this show still relevant and still something audiences would want to see today should be recognized too.

Regardless, as someone else said, we should be happy that we had revivals good enough this year to spark such a fierce debate. Let's hope next years are just as great!

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 12:27 PM

[Katecab99]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:32pm

"Pajama Game Should've Won Over Sweeney"

Absolutley not.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:40pm

See, when I think of "Best Revival" I would have voted for Sweeney Todd. It took a relatively well-known work and reinvisioned it. IMO, Pajama Game looks and sounds just like it did when it first opened on Broadway. There didn't seem to be anything new about it. I like that John Doyle reinvisioned the show. Though, I do agree with the people who said it was hard to follow because it is. I'm still not sure what the story line is exactly, but it's a beautiful show that was beautifully directed and acted.

[SporkGoddess]

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

allofmylife: AMEN.

Remember, people, this isn't Best Musical. It's Best Revival. Frankly, I think the revival of Sweeney is a disgrace to the show and completely overrated. I was very happy that TPG won.

Posted: 6/12/06 at 12:55pm

How is the revival of Sweeney Todd a "disgrace" to the original?So, in the future should all revivals of a musical strive to be carbon copies of the original production?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:00pm

No, but I hate the concept of it. I dislike the idea of the actors playing their own instruments; it's distracting, removes the ability for suspension of belief, and takes away the gorgeousness of the orchestrations. Also, I believe Sweeney's story is too strong on its own to be made into a Man of La Mancha-ish reenactment. I'm not very fond of the cast, either. I've never been big on Cervaris and LuPone always drives me up a wall.

I know I'm in the minority in this. It's just my own personal opinion.

[joshy]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:03pm

SporkGoddess, have you actually seen the revival? Not just from video clips or bootlegs etc.

I'm kind of sickened that Pajama Game won over Sweeney. It's just wrong wrong wrong, on every single level.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:13pm

No, admittedly I haven't. But I haven't seen the original Sweeney, either, by those standards (or any show on Broadway, for that matter.) I'm not sure if I would enjoy the Sweeney revival if I were to see it, but either way I still wouldn't think that it deserved an award. I just don't find the concept of the revival as brilliant and innovative as the rest of you guys do.

[EdmundOG]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:58pm

...I dislike the idea of the actors playing their own instruments; it's distracting, removes the ability for suspension of belief...
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Do yourself a favor and read about the work of Antonin Artaud and Bertolt Brecht. Suspension of disbelief is not even a slight concern of this Sweeney. You're not supposed to believe a thing. This device, called the verfremdungseffekt, is intended to make the audience actively involved, not passively watching.

[wicked4life51]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:23pm

shoudlve been sweeney handds down

and yes edmundog , i do know a think or two about bertolt i was in a production of caucasion chalk circle, and thats how threepeny opera is , in brecht style
but sweeney is really original and you dont ever see anything like it now on broadway

thats why it won BEST DIRECTING lol
so theres youre answer

and harry connick is horrible, next time bring someone who has technique and who can stay on key
i love keli but hate him

[sally1112]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:26pm

No way!

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:26pm

I still wouldn't think that it deserved an award. I just don't find the concept of the revival as brilliant and innovative as the rest of you guys do.

- But how could you say these if you haven't seen it? Does anybody else see the irony in this?

If you haven't seen the show, you have NO IDEA how the concept works live for 2 and a half hours.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:29pm

How about she forms her own opinions after seeing the show before bashing a concept she clearly has no understanding of. If you have no interest then that is fine, but don't even think your opinion holds any credibility if you haven't seen it and say it is a disgrace.
I admittedly have not seen the Pajama Game, but at least I won't go around embarrasing myself by bashing a show I have yet to see and nor will I call that a disgrace to the original. I just maintain that it must have been pretty good to beat Sweeney and leave it there.

[wicked4life51]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:30pm

THANKS SAW THE SHOW 2 TIMES (SWEENEY)DONT CARE FOR PAJAMA

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:31pm

Evidently the Tony voters and many people on this board feel that people should be punished for reinvigorating theater and putting a creative new spin on a show, and people should be encourage to bring back an old show with hardly any changes and just a great deal of fluff.

I feel sick...

[wicked4life51]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:32pm

youre not talking about me company right? ididnt say anthing about the original

[jv92]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:35pm

It's a shame. I know I sound lame but Sweeney Todd is the way of the future. The Pajama Game was well staged and performed, but no where near as brilliant as Sweeney Todd.
And I feel badly for Patti LuPone. It must have felt awful to loose an award to someone with half the talent, half the voice, half the skills and half the guts that you have.

[SeptemberKel]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 3:41pm

I don't think you sound lame jv92, I completely agree with you!

[JustABroadwaybaby2]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 4:23pm

No, I haven't seen Sweeney Todd. Yes, I have seen The Pajama Game.
I still understand the great orchestrations, the great acting, and all of the talent the actors have, in the beloved revival of Sweeney Todd. I don't want to bash it.
I was screaming when PJ won. I was jumping up and down. I was ecstatic. Nothing could bring me down. Not even the fact that none of them won featured or leading. I was ok with that. I was so, SO happy. It deserves it. Not because Harry Connick is sexy,(but, yeah, he is not because their chemistry is enough to light up broadway,(But, you know, that helped) not because Kelli O'Hara is a goddess, and is so talented. Not even because Kathleen Marshall is so amazing. It is all that, and how they managed to put it together, and edit it into a sexier, newer, fresher, and smarter revival, making it still poignant today. Thids is my favorite show of the season. The cast is amazing, and it really transported me to somewhere i really like to be in, the 50s funk. When I sat in row J of that theater, I still felt like I was right next to them. The characters were real, believable. I could believe that Harry and Kelli had fallen in love, despite everything. The ensemble is extremely talented, and witty, and just downright hilarious.
Congrats, Pajama Game, for a job well done.
Anyone else see where I'm coming from?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 4:44pm

"Evidently the Tony voters and many people on this board feel that people should be punished for reinvigorating theater and putting a creative new spin on a show"

So not receiving a Tony is direct "punishment"? Are they all forced to wear a big "P" on their sweaters? Did they get a spanking or just a time-out?

Nobody was "punished". The voters just preferred one production over the other. Actually, Sweeney was rewarded for its creative new spin with a Tony to the director who created the new spin. It just wasn't their favorite production of a revival this season. Being upset that they did not choose your favorite is one thing (I felt the same about Into the Woods, Falsettos, Parade and Urinetown), but calling it a "punishment" not to receive the award is just an embittered fabrication of the voters' motivations. I doubt any of the voters demanded the producers of the revival stay after the ceremony for detention.