2025 Tony Awards Reactions Thread — Page 20

akhoya87 said: "Mr. Wormwood said: "
For the show performances, I felt like this was one of the weaker years broadly speaking:
- Death Becomes Her: underwhelming and messy
- Just in Time & Real Women Have Curves: not a great song choice
- Sunset & Gypsy: maybe these work better in context? I am seeing both this summer but haven't seen either yet. They were interesting but also not quite the moments I feel like people thought they'd be
- Dead Outlaw: wild but fun
- Maybe Happy Ending: maybe not the best song choice but I still found it charming
- Pirates & Floyd Collins: meh
- Mincemeat & Buena Vista: both were OK but I haven't seen these shows and this didn't make me change my mind on wanting to see them"

I was fortunate enough to be in the room tonight. The song choices seemed ... odd, for the most part.

Buena Vista and Just In Time had an electricity to their performances that I don't think would've translated well on television. (Also, folks were texting me about sound issues?)

Sunset and Gypsy were both incredible, although I don't ever recall Audra belting Rose's Turn like she did during tonight's performance. Something seemed ... different. (And I've seen her twice.)

Hamilton was incredible. Dead Outlaw didn't grab me at the beginning but had me at the end.

What a tough season."

We were there as well last night. I actually didn't think Audra's performance was all that different than it was in the theater, other than that her voice sounded much more tired.

If anyone wants to see BOOP or Real Women.., grab those tickets. Neither will be around in July.

I thought it was cool that Arden utilized Radio City's stage for Maybe Happy Endings. Not sure I've ever seen another show do that.

It was a little upsetting to me that that Just in Time and RWHC got to have featured moments in the broadcast, especially considering neither were nominated for Best Musical. Yes, I understand the mechanics/politics involved with securing a performance slot, but it was completely unfair to BOOP and Smash - even more so knowing they were ready and willing to pay for the opportunity. They could've easily shortened their performances to make room for shorter numbers from the other 2 shows. And Just in Time isn't hurting for audiences in the slightest.

I also thought the placement of the RWHC number in the broadcast was super bizarre, given they only received 2 nominations. It pays off to have LMM in your corner!

Updated On: 6/9/25 at 09:31 AM

My Bests and Worst Moments.

Best:
Audra Finally belting! I am a voice teacher. I have been saying since the beginning that Audra is able to belt, she is choosing not to, or she doesn't know how to. I know that sounds crazy, but I have seen it so many times. Very Legit female singers are often told from an early age to never belt and they are scared and afraid to do it. It's a real thing.

Hamilton
Cynthia was charming and much funnier than I expected her to be.
Nicole
Closing number (not the opening)
Maybe Happy Endings looked wonderful (I have seen it)
Buena Vista

Worst Moments.

Oprah showing up. Why? Why do powerful people like Oprah, who really don't have that much to do with Broadway, get to show up and give out a major award? Oprah should have never mentioned the feud. It wasn't needed AT ALL. Clearly she was there because shee wanted to be the one to hand Audra her Award.

Not showing some of the preshow awards... like Best Score.

Not nominating Helen J Shein and seeing her sitting there.

The Ice Tea Commercial

The sound! awful.

I am a GAY man and the Tony's were pretty gay last night. Grindr jokes aren't funny to me. Middle America tuned out pretty quickly. I would love to see the ratings.

Biggest Shock of the Night:
Learning Darren Criss was straight!!! I had no idea. lol

MemorableUserName said: "singerunlimited said: "They could've easily shortened their performances to make room for shorter numbers from the other 2 shows. "

No, they really couldn't have. RWHC's number was 2 minutes and 28 seconds. Just in Time ended at 2:38. A major problem with most of the numbers were that they were so rushed. RWHC in particular could have used more time to breathe and come off less frantic. (For those who think they should have done the title song, it clocks in at 3:46. How were they supposed to do that and provide the necessary context for why these women are taking their clothes off so it didn't seem exploitative?)

Those non-nominated shows also received less time than the nominated shows, most of which got three and a half minutes. Audra got 4:10.

"

Fair enough. I guess my feelings are irritation that they purposefully excluded BOOP and SMASH, both of whom were ready and willing to pay, while making room for these other two performances.

Musical theatre is a very gay dominated art form - and many of the elite directors, producers, composers, costume designers, actors etc. are in fact gay. Additionally, some of the most important and challenging gay-related work tends to appear on Broadway or associated channels before and faster than it appears in the popular culture.

I don’t think we should have to apologise for ourselves or appeal to ‘middle America’ just because. I also think especially in an arena as commercial as Broadway or the Tony Awards we are typically very reasonable and balanced with how our community express itself. If suddenly the Broadcast become like a pride after party in a dark room maybe we should be a little concerned, but we seem to be very reasonable.

CurtainsUpat8 said: "Oprah showing up. Why? Why do powerful people like Oprah, who really don't have that much to do with Broadway, get to show up and give out a major award? Oprah should have never mentioned the feud. It wasn't needed AT ALL. Clearly she was there because she wanted to be the one to hand Audra her Award."

Oprah has produced two Broadway shows and has long championed theater. People with far less connection often are included as presenters for a variety of reasons.

She also plays to the CBS audience which skews more affluent and older.

Updated On: 6/9/25 at 10:32 AM

Maybe I’m crazy but I love those projections/screens. They provided excitement, movement and were incredibly well designed. Honestly, some got it better than the actual show (the simple “ROSE”). More interesting to watch those than some of the dreadful performances. And I’ll be honest, Cynthia was so bad people didn’t know when she was joking. It was like there was a massive delay on an “applause” or “laugh” sign to direct the audience. The thing I’m most disappointed by was nobody will rewatch clips of these performances because technically, these weren’t up to quality. As others have said, audio & tempos and all kinds of tech issues made these second to other show appearances on late nite, etc. I miss the old days where the definitive performances were always captured on the awards show making them truly unique and iconic.

ColorTheHours048 said: "MCW1227 said: "Glad to read I’m not the only one who thinks this. Glenn Close personified Norma Desmond. I never felt that way about Nicole. A dynamic vocal performance and maybe I had I not seen Glenn I would feel differently. I also think Audradeserved the Tony last night."

Nicole isn’t trying topersonifyNorma Desmond in a traditionalsense. The entire production is stylized - especially her performance. Whether or not that stylization works for you is your perspective, but her portrayal is perfectly calibrated to Jamie Lloyd’s vision. She’s not entirely human; she’s almost literally a monster. It’s a strange performance, for sure - but for those it resonates with, it really works. Clearly."

Exactly. The best way I think about it is to say that Nicole is not literally playing Norma Desmond - she is playing an abstract representation of Norma Desmond that has been modified by Jamie Lloyd to better reflect the sensibilities of what a faded beauty/fading star would look and feel like in the 21st century - using the music (BEAUTIFULLY orchestrated and performed), and script of Sunset Boulevard to guide the proceedings - but everything is taken in completely new and unexpected ways.

I wouldn't even know how to start comparing Nicole's performance with Glenn's. Ok they do share a similar script and score and might have the same character name but besides that they have basically nothing in common with each other anymore.

DrMonicaDeMoneco said: "mshalo18 said: "singerunlimited said: "MemorableUserName said: "singerunlimited said: "They could've easily shortened their performances to make room for shorter numbers from the other 2 shows. "

No, they really couldn't have. RWHC's number was 2 minutes and 28 seconds. Just in Time ended at 2:38. A major problem with most of the numbers were that they were so rushed. RWHC in particular could have used more time to breathe and come off less frantic. (For those who think they should have done the title song, it clocks in at 3:46. How were they supposed to do that and provide the necessary context for why these women are taking their clothes off so it didn't seem exploitative?)

Those non-nominated shows also received less time than the nominated shows, most of which got three and a half minutes. Audra got 4:10.

"

Fair enough. I guess my feelings are irritation that they purposefully excludedBOOPandSMASH, both of whom were ready and willing to pay, while making room for these other two performances."

Or just maybe, we could have skipped Hamilton and give new shows a chance to be spotlighted."

Agree!

I enjoy Hamilton… but so what who cares 10 years … all it did for me was say out loud… everyone’s gotten old"

The Hamilton number was the most lively and exciting performance of the evening though, so I can understand why it was there.

Only thing I didn’t like about the Hamilton performance was the design, like the lcd background and the costuming. Felt like it was a Jamie Lloyd show.

The most frustrating thing about the Maybe Happy Ending sweep was the lack of recognition for Helen J. Shen. The nominating committee could remember James Monroe Iglehart, but couldn’t give Shen a nomination? She will certainly be nominated in the future, but she deserved the recognition this season.