Larry Kert's COMPANY Tony Nomination

[americanboy99]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 9:19pm

Can someone explain to me how Kert was nominated for COMPANY in 1970 rather than Dean Jones when Kert was the replacement of Jones? I know Jones left the show quite early, but he originated the role. Why didn't the nomination go to him?

Discuss.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 9:24pm

I think what happened was that Jones was there for such a short time, that there would be no voters able to see his performance if he was nominated. So, the Tony comitee made an exception for Larry Kert and they allowed him to be nominated.

Correct me if I'm wrong, however.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 9:28pm

Dean Jones worked out a deal (with Hal Prince while out-of-town?) where he would do the Cast Reocrding and the opening night show, and then he would step aside. (Supposedly, Jones was unhappy and was having marital problems.)

As Jones only performed one official performance, and Larry Kert stepped in right after the show opened, the Tony Committee considered him to be the actor eligible for the Tony Award.

The only time in history where a Replacement was eligible for the Tony, but, of course, it was far from an ordinary situation.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 9:33pm

I read somewhere that Kert was scheduled to head the touring production and then the London production. Why would they have him do the recording if they knew he would be gone very soon?

[jewishboy]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 9:41pm

They had Jones do the recording because he was the originator and Harold Prince really wanted his Bobby to be preserved. I must say that even though he does not have the best voice his Being Alive is the most real and most human version I have heard (though not quite as riveting as raul esparza's). Updated On: 2/24/07 at 09:41 PM

[americanboy99]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 9:43pm

I agree. On my recording, where Jones's and Kert's recordings of "Being Alive", Jones's comes off as the richer, fuller, and just better recording.

[wiggum2]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 10:12pm

quote:As Jones only performed one official performance, and Larry Kert stepped in right after the show opened, the Tony Committee considered him to be the actor eligible for the Tony Award.


I thought Jones stayed in about 3-4 weeks before leaving


edit: I just checked with IBDB and they say Kert started on 5/29. Opening night was on 4/26 Updated On: 2/24/07 at 10:12 PM

[sparrman]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 10:14pm

Not true that Dean Jones only played one official performance; the book "Sondheim & Co." states Jones withdrew "a few weeks" after opening. And indeed, according to www.ibdb.com, Kert took over almost exactly a month after opening.

[Shiloh]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 10:29pm

watching the DVD of the recording of Company. I could not get passed Dean Jones "beinging alive" I must have watched it more then a dozen times in a row. I loved Raul Larry, & Boyd Gaines but Dean Jones had something they didn't. I hear more of lyrics coming to life in his version then any other. Dean Jones recording made see the Excellent new Broadway 2006 show and put my heart back into making Company one of my favorites.

Updated On: 2/24/07 at 10:29 PM

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/24/07 at 10:40pm

I could've SWORN I have read many places that Jones played only one official performance. My bad. I apoligize for the error.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 2/25/07 at 1:01pm

That seems so odd that if he was in the show for two weeks, he wouldn't get a nomination. I mean, some shows only last for 2 weeks and their leads still are eligible.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/25/07 at 1:51pm

From what I've read Jones hated working on Company for a couple of reasons, first he said it was a thankless role and then there was the fact that he was going through his own divorce so it was tough to go through that emotional journey 8 times a weekk. He did play the role for a couple of weeks, Kert replaced him and then transferred to London.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 2/25/07 at 2:13pm

in some ways, it does make sense. Why nominate a guy everyone knows wants out? Nobody who votes is going to go see the show to catch is performance if he's not there, so it would have been unfair to have a category where only a select few voters had seen his performance (not that it hasn't happened before, I suppose. People have been nominated from flops....)