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Adam Feldman's "The 40 best Tony Awards performances from Broadway shows"?

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#5

Adam Feldman's "The 40 best Tony Awards performances from Broadway shows"?

That's a pretty solid list. A few others that stand out to me:

- Chenoweth's coming out party in "My New Philosophy" from Charlie Brown in 1999 (immediately followed by a quick costume change when she won)

- Ragtime in 1998. A great trimmed version of the opening number

- The Prom in 2019. Joyous and the response the kiss of the lead characters was really fun. It also had a magnificent transition between the two songs they did

- Matilda in 2013. Great medley (and medleys don't always work, in fact it seems like they more often don't work)

I wouldn't put them on this list but for some reason, I've also enjoyed going back and watching Romance Romance from 1988 and The Civil War from 1999

#8

Adam Feldman's "The 40 best Tony Awards performances from Broadway shows"?

Here’s the list if you don’t want to click through all that:

  1. Dreamgirls, “It's All Over” / “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going” (1982)
  2. Grand Hotel, “We'll Take a Glass Together” (1990)
  3. Gypsy, “Everything's Coming Up Roses” (2008)
  4. A Chorus Line, “I Hope I Get It” (1976)
  5. Promises, Promises, “Turkey Lurkey Time” (1969)
  6. The Lion King, “Circle of Life” (1998)
  7. Anything Goes, “Anything Goes” (1988)
  8. Les Misérables, “At the End of the Day” / “One Day More” (1987)
  9. Gypsy, “Rose's Turn” (2025)
  10. Gypsy, “Rose's Turn” (2003)
  11. The Will Rogers Follies, “Will-a-Mania”/“Favorite Son” (1991)
  12. Purlie, “I Got Love” (1970)
  13. Cats, “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats”/‘Memory” (1983)
  14. The Color Purple, “Mysterious Ways”/“I’m Here” (2016)
  15. Pippin, “Magic to Do” (1973)
  16. Dancin’, “Sing, Sing, Sing” (1978)
  17. Evita, “A New Argentina” (1980)
  18. Hamilton, “History Has Its Eyes on You”/“Yorktown’
  19. Fun Home, “Ring of Keys” (2015)
  20. Annie, “Tomorrow”/“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”/“Easy Street” (1977)
  21. Hairspray, “You Can’t Stop the Beat” (2003)
  22. Chicago, “All That Jazz”/“Hot Honey Rag” (1997)
  23. The Band's Visit, "Omar Sharif" (2018)
  24. The Life, “My Body” (1997)
  25. Next to Normal, “You Don’t Know"/“I Am the One” (2009)
  26. Grey Gardens, “The Revolutionary Costume for Today” (2007)
  27. The Wild Party, “Welcome to My Party”/“When It Ends” (2000)
  28. Spring Awakening, “Mama Who Bore Me”/“The Bitch of Living”/“Totally ****ed” (2007)
  29. Black and Blue, “T’Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do"/"That Rhythm Man” (1989)
  30. Company, “Being Alive” (2007)
  31. Thoroughly Modern Millie, “Forget About the Boy” (2002)
  32. Guys and Dolls, “Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat” (1992)
  33. La Cage Aux Folles, “We Are What We Are”/“I Am What I Am” (1984)
  34. Merrily We Roll Along, "Old Friends" (2024)
  35. Once on This Island, "Mama Will Provide" (2018)
  36. The Book of Mormon, “I Believe” (2011)
  37. Paradise Square, “Let It Burn” (2022)
  38. Dear Evan Hansen, “Waving Through a Window” (2017)
  39. Jelly’s Last Jam, “That’s How You Jazz” (1992)
  40. 42nd Street, “Lullaby of Broadway” (1980)
#9

Adam Feldman's "The 40 best Tony Awards performances from Broadway shows"?

That Grand Hotel performance really is something. It's no wonder we haven't seen a major revival, given the demands of that lead role. 

You need someone who can play the gentle tragedy of a dying (strongly strongly implied to be closeted) middle-aged man who has only just begun to live and love, but can also play wild physical comedy as he gets drunker and drunker and makes an endearing ass of himself. A living cartoon character who can break your heart... I mean, in twenty years it'll be Ethan Slater headlining a revival, probably.

#10

Adam Feldman's "The 40 best Tony Awards performances from Broadway shows"?

darquegk said: "That Grand Hotel performance really is something."

yes, yes, yes.

Although the number is joyous and buoyant, I always feel a sense of melancholy that two of the original actors (David Carroll* & Michael Jeter) were gone before they deserved to be.

I also always appreciate, and never tire of watching the energy of the ensemble performing behind them. 

Michael Jeter's performance in "The Green Mile" broke my heart as well. Even though it's a bad capture, you can still see the expression and eye contact on Mr Jingles' face when Jeter says, "je t'aime, mon petit". 

* (That's Brent Barrett in the video)

 

Updated On: 6/10/26 at 11:14 AM

#13

Adam Feldman's "The 40 best Tony Awards performances from Broadway shows"?

OhHiii said: "I know this is unpopular, but Audra's Gypsy performance being that high is...a choice."

It may be a more "popular" choice than you think.

I feel like you were referring to the song's key when you wrote, "that high", but:
Although I appreciate the educated, applicable and informed reasons for her choices in her performance as Rose, I just didn't/wasn't able to square them with the book as written. "Rose's Turn", as performed on The Tonys, seemed overly desperate and even a bit OTT. I think that's because the needs/ambitions of Audra's Rose were so different from those [that might have been] intended in the book.

For me, I thought LuPone's Rose best fit the brief.

Updated On: 6/10/26 at 03:21 PM

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