Assassins. . .revival?

[OasisBroadway]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 9:37am

I'm sure this has been discussed and I searched for it but could find nothing. Why does the search function no longer have an option to search in titles only?

Anyway. . .

Why was Assassins considered a revival for the 2004 Tonys? It played off-Broadway in 1991. Was supposed to come to Broadway in 2001, but was canceled. So it came to Broadway in 2004. Am I missing something?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 9:42am

Same thing happened with Little Shop, even though there had never been a Broadway production before -- only off-Broadway.

[Barihunk]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:28am

The Tony Awards regulations state:

"A Play or Musical this is determined by the Tony Awards Administration Committee (in its sole discretion) to be a "classic" or in the historical or popular repertoire shall not be eligible for an Award in the Best Play or Best Musical category but may be eligible in the appropriate Best Revival category..."

In other words, if THEY decide a show is in the "popular repertoire", it is a revival. And so they decided with Assassins and Little Shop...

It will be interesting to see where "Three Days of Rain" lands this year...

[OasisBroadway]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:40am

Thanks. That is interesting. I wonder why the have that rule as opposed to a more straight-forward one like "If a show has never been on Broadway it can be eligible for Best Play or Musical. If it has been on Broadway, it can be eligible for revivals only."

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:48am

Because the Tony committee does nothing the straightforward way.

[Barihunk]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:52am

It used to be that straightforward. This stipulation of "classic" and "popular repertoire" was just a recent addition to the rules. I'm not quite sure exactly when it was added, but I think discussion of adding this distinction began when "True West" was nominated for Best Play in 2000. It had won the Pulitzer in 1983 and had been widely produced. People thought it would be more appropriate in the Revival category. Then "La Boheme" arrived in 2003 and though it technically had not played on Broadway it was deemed a "classic" (and rightly so). Then "Little Shop" arrived and that is when I believe the "popular repertoire" stipulation was added. I may be wrong in the timeline.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:55am

Ha, I remember I was bitter about that. I had wanted Assassins to be recognized on the caliber of the new musicals--but then again, I was positive it would win for best revival and knew that it definitely wouldn't win if it was in the best musical category (which, at the time, I thought would be won by Wicked, even though I hoped it would be C,oC... and then was ultimately won by Q, heh).

[OasisBroadway]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 11:04am

I think it would have beaten Avenue Q.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 11:08am

It might've, but considering what an upset Q's win was (I mean, I wasn't a Wicked fan but I was about 99.9% sure Wicked was going to get the award for Musical), the competition in Best Musical seemed a lot stiffer than in Best Revival.

As far as I was concerned, though, Assassins was the best thing on Broadway that year, period.

[timote316]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 11:09am

I don't think it would have beaten Avenue Q. While Assassins was clearly the best of the three shows (Wicked and Avenue Q as the others), its certainly not accessible to the general public as the other two were; it doesnt have the same potential to be a long-running hit as they do. This was another issue with Caroline.

Plus, when have the Tonys been known to award excellence?

[Plum]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 11:20am

The distinction got added when people were afraid that La Boheme would win for Best New Musical.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 11:23am

It wasn't the best "new musical," but I sure did love it.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 12:58pm

I was hoping it would be a "new" musical at the Tonys simply so Sondheim would be eligible for his score. I think it's one of the best scores of modern musical theater, I really do.

[OasisBroadway]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 1:00pm

"I think it's one of the best scores of modern musical theater, I really do."

I agree with you. I am amazed everytime I listen to it.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 1:04pm

I was kind of glad it got put in the Revival category as I was sure it would win. Also thinking Wicked would take the New Musical Prize. If it was considered a new musical, I wonder which show would have lost the nomination in that category. I saw Wicked, Assassins and Caroline or Change the week before the Tonys and I would have been torn between Caroline and Assassins as best musical. Assassins was incredible. I think I will pop it in my player now!

[OasisBroadway]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 1:26pm

Yeah, I guess the only good thing is that in the revival category, it was certain to win. Best musical I think it definitely COULD have won. I would think that it would have knocked Caroline out of the category. Actually, maybe it would have taken some votes away from Avenue Q and that would have pushed Wicked through to win.

[timote316]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 1:41pm

I whole heartedly agree with Baritone's statement.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 1:47pm

Me too, uncageg. I was all about Assassins and Caroline that year. Q, as much as I loved it, didn't even register for me as far as best musical went. Had Assassins and Caroline been in the same category, I'd be a little divided (but ultimately choose Assassins).

And it's sort of unfair that Assassins wasn't eligble for best score, because they stuck it in the revival category; obviously it wasn't eligible for the award during its first run, so they removed the possibility of it ever winning the award. It's such a fantastic score, too, and easily the strongest of the year.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 2:06pm

I am sometimes stunned that Sondheim has such enormous musical range to be able to write music about the assassins (would be or no) of US presidents.

[OasisBroadway]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 2:17pm

I am still pissed at myself that I never got to see this on Broadway. I hope that the Signature Theater in Arlington does a good job with this. I am making a trip there in June just to see it.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 2:23pm

He is amazing. And I agree, Assassins is one of the best scores of modern musical history. I must say that when those voices started in on "Something Just Broke", I got goosebumps. I enjoyed the entire score, but when that song started, I remember thinking to myself, that's right, this is a Sondheim show and here is the signature Sondheim song for this show!! It's like he took you somewhere and then brought you back and whispered a hello in your ear! The arrangement and the Phrasing just made me think back to Sweeney and Into the Woods.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 2:26pm

I really think "Something Just Broke" is an amazing addition. I'd been a fan of the amazing recording for years but once I'd seen the revival and was introduced to "Something Just Broke", it clicked with me that although the score had been amazing before, it was now perfect.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 2:45pm

I agree. I mean, the show has a Sondheim stamp but once that song hits, it just kind of jumps out at you and yes, makes it a perfect score.