Adam Guettel deserves to win

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 2:17pm

His score for Days of Wine and Roses is absolutely exquisite. It’s a beautiful musical that pushes the boundaries of what a musical can be.  No other score is as worthy.  Some score filled with stupid pop songs does not a score make; as nice as they are, Stereophonic absolutely should not win.  Let’s hope the Tony voters have taste and do the right thing. 

[Ensemble1713124420]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 2:44pm

Broadway Flash said: "His score for Days of Wine and Roses is absolutely exquisite. It’s a beautiful musical that pushes the boundaries of what a musical can be. No other score is as worthy. Some score filled with stupid pop songs does not a score make; as nice as they are,Stereophonic absolutely should not win. Let’s hope the Tony voters have taste and do the right thing."

I couldn’t agree more (although sadly I don’t think Tony voters are going to make it happen)!!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 3:07pm

I'd be ok if either DOWAR or Stereophonic won, to be honest.  I loved them both, in context - but do not enjoy just listening to DOWAR.  

And, btw, your "definition" of what a score is, or isn't, is pretty ridiculous.   

[yyys]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 3:27pm

Suffs will win.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 3:35pm

I couldn't agree more. I saw it twice, and believe it's the finest score of the season. 

We're decidedly a minority. 

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 4:19pm

I couldn’t disagree more.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 4:31pm

I would be happy if Suffs won.  But days of wine and roses is the truly best score of the season.  Stereophonic isn’t even close. 

[Jeff Tupolski]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 4:44pm

I’d be happy with a Guettel win, but if I was voting for a musical I’d go with Here Lies Love. Still, Stereophonic is my choice and think that’s gonna take it.

Maybe it’s just cause I find Suffs’ score to be far less interesting than these three, but I really don’t think it wins here.

[DaveyG]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 6:42pm

I'd be delighted to see Stereophonic or Wine and Roses win score. 

[BdwyFan]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 7:04pm

Suffs will win book and musical.  Maybe not score. 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 7:19pm

I imagine he will.  He's Broadway royalty and the show was an underdog.  I don't think Sucks has a chance.

[BJR]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 8:47pm

I think Stereophonic wins score.

[MsPiety&Rectitude]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 9:00pm

I loved the music in Stereophonic, but it was... about three and a half songs? For this reason alone, it feels to me like it would be a slap in the face to musical theatre composers to give the Best Score Tony to Stereophonic. I personally wanted to see Lempicka nominated in this category, but I think DoWaR is a very deserving winner. While Suffs is plucky and unusual for Bway, I think that the DoWaR is much more sophisticated and dramatic -- qualities that I think should be rewarded in this race.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 10:29pm

He is Broadway royalty and did hell of a job here.  I’m so looking forward to his next show and happy he’s still going strong.  His music is just so sophisticated, he comes in the musical theatre tradition of Richard Rodgers and Sondheim we are so lucky to have him

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 10:41pm

He has 3 Bway credits as composer. Hardly "royalty".  (And if your talking about his family, that has no bearing on whether he should win.) Your constant hyperbole is why you get such pushback. 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 10:03am

Suffs seems like the safest consensus choice for the win- unobjectionable, timely, written by a rising star female composer. 
Stereophonic has to overcome the bias against plays in this category- it’s not clear to me how entrenched that is, but it is obviously there (I personally think it’s silly and reductive). I think it has the most momentum, though- in a season without a lot of passionate feelings, people really love it. 

I have doubts that Guettel could pull off a Bridges-style win here. Wine and Roses has its fans, of course, but it doesn’t seem to have even won over a great number of people in the industry- there was and is a marked lack of enthusiasm for it outside of BDJ and Kelli. It seems destined for cult status. 

 

Updated On: 5/12/24 at 10:03 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 11:13am

Kad said: "Stereophonic has to overcome thebias against plays in this category- it’s not clear to me how entrenched that is, but it is obviously there(I personally thinkit’s silly and reductive)."

I don't think there should be a bias against plays, exactly, but I think there should be a recognition that effectively telling a story through songs (as happens in good musicals) is usually a greater achievement than providing effective accompaniment for a dialogue-driven play. This doesn't mean there can't be a season where the latter truly does outshine (all of) the former.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 11:43am

I personally think there should have been seasons other than 2021 where a nominated play deserved the Tony. That said, I think Guettel’s score is quite an achievement and an artistic triumph. I would not be sad at a Stereophonic win, however. 

[BJR]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 11:43am

Kad said: "Suffs seems like the safest consensus choice for the win- unobjectionable, timely, written by a rising star female composer.
Stereophonic has to overcome thebias against plays in this category- it’s not clear to me how entrenched that is, but it is obviously there(I personally thinkit’s silly and reductive). I think it has the most momentum, though- in a season without a lot of passionate feelings, people really love it.

It's that last part for me. There are few scores (or musicals) folks are passionate about. (Look at the Best Musical race!) But nearly person I hear mention Stereophonic gushes about it. I wouldn't underestimate that.

[jagman106]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 11:51am

Although I enjoyed the score to DoWaR, I didn't find it as lush as Piazza, and I wonder if the recent Encores production reminds people of the beauty of that score. It may be recent enough for voters to draw comparisons, although they should vote based on a score's own merits. As far as Guettel being royalty, the Rodgers family hasn't been a dominant force on Broadway in years. I don't think his DNA will be a factor if he wins.

I love the songs in Stereophonic, but as others have pointed out, the songs are part of the story, but they don't move the story forward. so that may be a deterrent in garnering votes. I wouldn't mind either score winning, but I don't think there is a clear winner. We'll find out June 16.

Updated On: 5/12/24 at 11:51 AM

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 11:56am

dramamama611 said: "He has 3 Bway credits as composer. Hardly "royalty". (And if your talking about his family, that has no bearing on whether he should win.) Your constant hyperbole is why you get such pushback."

Gonna start calling Adam a nepo-baby

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 12:09pm

Days of Wine and Roses dared to be musically complicated in an era of spoonfeeding.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 2:23pm

It has been a long time since a cast album rewarded repeat listening for me like this does. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 4:16pm

There was a rumor that Lincoln Center is going to produce a production of Floyd Collins at the Beaumont.  I really hope that’s true. Plus his new musical Millions that will premier this time next year in Atlanta.  Yay for Adam

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 5/13/24 at 6:58am

It's wonderful that people harbor longtime passion projects, no matter that they themselves are in no position by way of talent or gifts, to actually create them.  It's also great that these ideas are finally fulfilled, giving the dreamer his or her own personal rewards.  It is a time of supreme triumph for good intentions.