Best Actress in a play??

[TheaterJunkie]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 4:14pm

I haven't seen any of these plays but I know the actresses that are nominated. I was just wondering who people think will win the tony for best actress in a play? I love Swoosie Kurtz, Vanessa Redgrave, and Angela Lansbury.

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 4:15pm

I'd say it's between Vanessa and Eve--edge goes to Eve. But Julie White might just pull it out too

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 4:17pm

I think it's between Lansbury, White, and Best.

Lansbury will win.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 4:47pm

With Jennifer Ehle put into the featured category, the race is open.

If you look at the category, Lansbury is fine but not prize-worthy in a terrible play, Swoosie closed months ago and the conventional thinking says the race boils down to Vanessa and Eve Best.

But Julie White made a lot of people laugh very hard. And in an open race her ballot position is last which can act like an exclamation point.

[TommyTunesSon]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 4:48pm

Julie White is going to win

[folkyboy]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 4:50pm

i REALLY wanna see Julie White win. i'm thinking crazily though. i'm willing to say that i think Lansbury is going to win, but god wouldn't it be glorious to see Julie's acceptance speech!

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:01pm

If DEUCE had gotten even half-way decent reviews, I'd agree Munk, but Eve and Julie got love letters from Ben Brantley--that's the kind of thing that sticks...and Redgrave IS the show and it's a very high-profile literate production.

I doubt Angela will win--but wouldn't that be awesome!?!

[fflagg]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:04pm

The winner is prob Eve for a perf in a play that no one really cares about.

Julie closed and should have been in Supporting; Vanessa already won a few years ago; Angela is awesome in a crappy play.

It is between Eve and Angela; although Angela could win for the sake of the fact that MOON is one, long bore. I am sure poor Kevin drowns his sorrows at the Townhouse after each perf.

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:14pm

Miss Spacey is all about Stella's methinks...

I think Angela could win too--I'D vote for her no matter what!

[TheaterJunkie]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 4:32pm

I haven't read much about DEUCE, did it get bad reviews?????

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 4:37pm

oh hon--please do a search before someone yells at you...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 4:41pm

It's a Tony for best actress in a play, not for the "who forgot the most lines" award.

I predict that White will take the Tony.
Im still sad that Julianne Moore didn't get the "celebrity" Tony nomination. I mean, Christina Applegate got nominated for best actress in a musical a few years ago, and she sucked.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 4:41pm

I don't think Best will win. The Tony voters probably saw Cherry Jones do the part a few years back (and most probably thought that she did it better than Best). If Cherry Jones gave a better performance than Best in this role and still didn't win the Tony (granted she lost to the flawless Jennifer Ehle for Real Thing), I don't think the committee will want to award Best the Tony this year. I think it's between Lansbury for her name and Julie White for her actual performance.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 4:42pm

Julie should have been supporting? On what planet?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 4:54pm

I know, seriously.


That is good logic re: Eve Best.

And for those saying that Lansbury won't win because of bad reviews (or forgotten lines, muscle, i bet you didn't even see DEUCE), think again. It is in all probability the last time Lansbury will be eligible for a Tony award. She's a legend, and I think many will find it difficult to pass by her name without checking it off. Despite her 4 Tonys, she does not have one for a play. That might also come into play. Never underestimate the power of an old Broadway legend making a big return.

I do believe that Julie White has a near perfect chance if winning, though. I cannot imagine that voters who saw her performance would not vote for her - she was flawless and brilliant. So even if enough out of town voters didn't get to catch the show (which they might have - many come to NY in the fall and then in the spring to split it up and to catch the limited engagements), I think there are enought tri-state area voters that will remember her performance or might have even seen her off-Broadway in the role last season.

I think that Julie White's chances are great.

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 5:43pm

I'm praying that it's Julie White.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:39pm

I have faith that Julie White will win for her performance in THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED. I'm glad that the Nominating Committee gave a Best Play nomination to THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED. That makes Ms. White the only Best Leading Actress contender whose production is nominated as well, which is a way of saying that the production is award worthy in addition to her performance.

Eve Best's performance (in her Broadway debut) is the main reason to see A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN. Vanessa Redgrave's performance is the sole reason THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING is selling tickets, and she didn't even receive such great reviews. Angela Lansbury was nominated solely for the fact that she is Angela Lansbury, and she just happens to be in the worst play of the season. Swoosie was fabulous (as always) in a fabulous production of HEARTBREAK HOUSE, which, in my opinion deserved a nomination for Best Revival of a Play over TALK RADIO or INHERIT THE WIND -- but, it didn't get nominated.

Julie White got hands down, the best reviews of any leading actress in a play this season, plus her play, a new work, was nominated for Best Play, which it won't win because of the inevitable UTOPIA sweep. It would be an absolute travesty for Angela Lansbury to win her first Tony Award for a role in a play (she's a musical actress) for the absolute piece of dreck that is DEUCE.

Julie White has been on the Off-Broadway and regional scenes for years, and finally she was given the chance to shine in a starring role on Broadway, and she tore up that stage every night.

This is the way I see it, metaphorically:

If the character of Diane were running for office against the character of Leona Mullen, who would win in a landslide? Diane would zing past Leona before she was able to get a word out. Think of Diane and Leona in a tennis match. Diane wouldn't even need a racquet. She would catch that ball with one fist, tear it in half, shake Leona's hand, and take her out for a cobb salad.

Bring it home, Diane!

Updated On: 5/17/07 at 11:39 PM

[Elphie3]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:43pm

Eve

[D2]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:48pm

Julie

[Bwaydiva12]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 8:49am

I want Eve to win. Brilliance

[jordangirl]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 8:55am

Eve.

But I'd be equally thrilled if Vanessa took it. :)

[bschneid76]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 9:20am

I shall be rooting for Ms. Lansbury. Even though the show wasn't "great" she made it enjoyable for me and really knocked my socks off with her performance.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 11:40am

Elphie3, Bwaydiva12, jordangirl, bschneid76, did you see all five nominated performances?

Updated On: 5/18/07 at 11:40 AM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 11:56am

*waves a little flag for Julie White*

I hope she takes this; she was a force of nature in that show!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 2:02pm

Wanna Be a Foster, why do you CARE?