Spring Awakening Choreography Tony

[FrontRow]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:10pm

Both Time Out NY and Entertainment Weekly, among others, have predicted 'Spring Awakening' to win the Tony for choreography. Excuse me, was there dancing in that show? (I saw it 3 times.) I just noticed a few bursts of jumping around.
Granted, none of the nominated choreography was brilliant, but at least the other shows had several large, extended dance numbers. I'd say 'Pirate Queen' deserved a choreography nom more than 'SA.'
It will be a bad omen for Broadway musicals if the choreography Tony goes to a show with NO ensemble.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:14pm

What does good choreography have to do with having an ensemble?

It sounds to me like you're just stupid.


The choreography in SPRING AWAKENING is pretty creative, and it perfectly suits the mood of both the story and the method in which the story is being told. The movement is not specific, yet very specific - kind of like the timelessness of the story that's being told.

It WILL win the Tony for best choreography, and I'll be happy with that. The only choreography I don't like in the show is during the end of "Totally F*cked" when the entire cast is standing at the edge of the stage and they look like they're receiving ECT. Otherwise, it's great.

Personally, I would vote for CURTAINS - but a win for SPRING AWAKENING wouldn't upset me in the least.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:15pm

I have said this before, touching yourself and stomping is not Tony worthy.

[scooter38432]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:17pm

"It will be a bad omen for Broadway musicals if the choreography Tony goes to a show with NO ensemble. "

I'm assuming this was typed incorrectly...

SA has one of the best ensembles currently on Broadway, IMHO.

Regarding the dancing, the first time I saw SA, one of the things I remember commenting on with my group of friends was how much we enjoyed the movement/staging/choreography. Very effective.

I know, some diehard dancers or choreographers have a problem with Tony recognizing Bill T. Jones' work for SA, but I think it's just fine.

It would be much less of a crime for Jones to win a choreography award this year as it was when CONTACT won for Best Musical.

[scooter38432]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:18pm

"It sounds to me like you're just stupid."

Necessary?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:20pm

I totally agree with FrontRow and Becoz_i_knew_you21. The choreography in SPRING AWAKENING was practically non-existent. It did not deserve a nomination and certainly does not deserve to win.

[jg4892]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:22pm

Choreography does not necessarily equal dance. It also equals movement, etc. The choreography in SA perfectly suits the story, and it serves it better than most of the other shows' choreography do.
Updated On: 6/7/07 at 02:22 PM

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:23pm

I thought it deserved the nominations but not a win.

EDIT: The show does have an ensemble. How could you not notice the choreography, if you have seen it three times? Updated On: 6/7/07 at 02:23 PM

[Kalimba]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:36pm

Munk, I usually like reading what you write, but calling someone stupid is uncalled for.

I understand choreography, movement, etc., but what I saw at Spring Awakening does not warrant a Tony. Just like their nomination for costume design.

As much as I didn't like Pirate Queen, I thought it most certainly deserved nominations for both its choreography and costumes.

[mint0621]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 2:40pm

There is an interesting NY Times article about Bill T. Jones, and how he was perfect to be the choreographer for Spring Awakening. I've grown up watching Jones' choreography and love the angst, emotionality and sexual issues he addresses in his work.

"Mr. Jones’s choreography for “Spring Awakening” creates a seamlessly integrated, vivid gestural vocabulary that gives force and life to the repressed physical urges of its teenage characters. Only their bodies, it suggests, can express those feelings, for which they have no words. In some ways it’s a perfect fit for a choreographer concerned with storytelling, the power of gesture and sexual identity."
NY Times Article

[FrontRow]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 3:20pm

The performers billed as SA's "ensemble" are four people sitting with audience members and occasionally providing backup vocals, never actually going on stage. That's pretty much the same as not having an ensemble.

Virtually every classic musical has an ensemble that is important to the show, and the work of the ensemble figures in the show's most memorable numbers. The Jets and Sharks in West Side Story, sailors in South Pacific, villagers in Fiddler, Cagelles in La Cage, Ascot Gavotte in My Fair Lady, to name just a few. Dance numbers and ensembles have always been a part of great musicals. That's why I think it's not good to give a show with no ensemble a Tony for choregraphy.

Nor is it to give the Tony for choreography for movement rather than actual dance. By that account, Coast of Utopia deserves a choreography Tony for its curtain call, or Journey's End for its final moments.

Thanks to those who agree with me. I was getting afraid everyone had jumped on the SA should/will win for choreography bandwagon. Let's keep our fingers crossed. (Ooh, we crossed our fingers--somebody give us a Tony for coordinating that movement.)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 3:24pm

The choreography for the show is subtle at times, over-the-top other times, however ALL the time it's perfectly suited and works brilliantly.

I don't think it will win, nor should it over LEGALLY BLONDE or MARY POPPINS. I hope POPPINS takes it.

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 3:28pm

Just because most of the people in Spring Awakening have names parts does not make them an ensemble...and also does not mean they don't dance.

I think Spring Awakening has more choreography in it than many shows that have "ensembles" by your definition. In SA, even the smaller numbers have choreography, Mr. Groff's movement in "Mirror Blue Night" comes to mind. Every musical moment in the show is staged with a HUGE emphasis on creating images to enhance the meaning of the song. To me, that's what choreography is, and what broadway needs a whole lot more of. And I also think choreographing in that style is a hell of a lot harder to do well than to put people in a kick line.

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 3:33pm

The entire cast is part of the ensemble. Those without named roles are usually credited with just "ensemble" in the program by default. I have seen shows with huge dancing casts where everone had had least a small character role, and no one credited as "ensemble".

In SA, how is, say, Otto not part of the ensemble, but Toro in West Side Story is? I'm looking at the cast for WSS right now, and no one is billed as "ensemble."

[i-heart-bway]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 4:23pm

I agree...just because the characters in SA have names does not mean that they're a principle character. I recall listening to a Rent podcast where they (meaning actors playing Mark, Collins, Mimi and Roger) all introduced themselves as ensemble members.

And the choreography is suited beautifully for the tone and mood of the show. The show has it's outrageous moments...as does the choreography that goes with that part...for instance, The Bitch of Living...its an overwhelming, out-there song, that has the exact same movement in it, its overwhelming and its hard to watch everything all at once. Although I love SA a lot..I don't think it should win. But it VERY WELL DESERVED that nomination.

[scooter38432]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 4:50pm

Yes, FrontRow, I think that you're assuming "ensemble" means "the chorus". The entire cast can be an ensemble, even if some roles are larger than others.


Here's dictionary.com's definition of "ensemble"...

the united performance of an entire group of singers, musicians, etc.


Here's their def of "choreography"...

the art of composing ballets and other dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers.

(This choreography definition can certainly apply to Jones' work on SPRING AWAKENING. He gave the actors steps, patterns and movement.)


End of vocabulary lesson. Continue discussing...

Updated On: 6/7/07 at 04:50 PM

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 4:53pm

Before I saw the show, I watched the Bitch of Living video over and over, and really loved the movements on and around the chairs. I remember thinking "I like this innovative choreography." I know that the rest of the show is not like that, and maybe it shouldn't get the award (I haven't seen the other shows), but it's still choreography that grabbed me (and apparently many others). And I haven't heard much about which show should have gotten a choreo. nom slot instead...

[scooter38432]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 5:00pm

"And I haven't heard much about which show should have gotten a choreo. nom slot instead"

Exactly.

The pickings were pretty slim. I have not seen PIRATE QUEEN, but apparently people like that River Dance crap. I suppose it can be impressive when done well.

However, the choreography for POPPINS and BLONDE were completely forgettable. (Bert tap dances upside down on the procenium in POPPINS, but it was the fact that he was upside down that was cool, not the dancing itself.) BLONDE's choregraphy was laughable -- and not in a good way. There was some completely unneccesary Irish jig and a jump rope aerobics number that just took up time.)

I'd be fine with Jones winning the Tony, personally.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 5:57pm

Yuck, POPPINS' choreography is one of the elements that make the show so disappointing.

[dramaqueen2]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 6:30pm

i'm sorry, but where is it defined that choreography has to be huge "extended dance numbers"? been there, done that. i understand for some of you classic bway lovers, that is what it is to you, but choreography is the MOVEMENT. during the songs. no where is it written that there have to be high kicks, piroettes, and shuffle ball changes in the choreography. that's just what we're used to because it's what always wins.
and i say good for tony to finally nominate something that isn't broadway common and jazz-hand filled.

it is because of the innovation of spring awakening's choreography that it was nominated, and may even take home a win. but to those of you who said that stomping and touching is not choreography, you must not be looking hard enough. and maybe that was the goal of the SA choreographer anyway, to get the audience to look and understand the meaning behind the movement, because it's there, you just have to open your mind a bit to get it.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 8:16pm

So we need another rant about the greatness of Spring Awakening form you?

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 8:20pm

CURTAINS should just take Choreography. But it won't happen. And the choreography in CURTAINS was great, but again, probably not Tony worthy in mind.

None of the nominees' choreography was all that great. I really think THE PIRATE QUEEN should've been nominated, and sorry if I annoy you all with my PIRATE QUEEN love, but it really did deserve at least a nomination for choreography...

[XOXOXO]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 8:25pm

ok first of all...... weird flailing movements and jumping off of chairs and ladders does not deserve you a tony nomination. nothing against the show, i loved it like a billion!, but the "choreography" in that is nowhere near tony deserving.

oh and the curtains choreography i guess is the best guess for the award, but i though the dancing in that show wasnt as good as it could have been. but then again i just had some problems with that show.

[Christoph]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 8:28pm

I like Spring Awakening, but I must admit I think this nomination is the caboose at the end of the train of nominations for this show. I think this was an innovative show and destined to get a lot of nominations, and this one just fell in line with the rest. Of the majority of the people I personally know that have seen the show (and that is quite a few), both the ones that have liked it and hated it have either not commented at all on the "choreography" as they did not recognize it as such, or bellyached about the lack of and/or non-existence of actual "dancing" in the show.

While some posters are correct in that choreography can also apply to something like action scenes, fight scenes, crowd scenes, etc., where musicals are concerned I doubt that the people who initially defined this category would have classified merely "moving" people around the stage as "choreography" since even non-musical plays rarely have actors stand stationary for their running times, and they would not warrant a "choreography" nomination. By that definition, my walking across my bedroom or walking upstairs would be considered nomination-worthy choreography.

I must admit I see Spring Awakening getting lots of love from the Tonys, but this is one category that they are off-base on. I know a lot of people here seem to be impressed by the movements around the stage by the cast, but I personally have a hard time remembering anything memorable about the "movements" in the show to classify it as award-worthy choreography. And no offense to the posters who claim people are not looking hard enough or have not branched out intellectually enough to understand the amazing choreography - I will go out on a limb here and say that if someone needs to point out that there is choreography in a Broadway show nominated for best choreography, much less have to resort to defining the word, then that right there is the best reason why said show should not be under consideration in that category. Many may not like the production numbers from Curtains or Mary Poppins or even Legally Blonde, but there is no question that the choreography in those shows do not need to be pointed out to any of the audience members.

[jg4892]

Posted: 6/7/07 at 8:30pm

becoz- that was uncalled for. She wasn't ranting, she gave very well explained thoughts on the show.