Best Choreography - 2012 Tony Award- Page 2

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 1:29am

Well put about Ashford's work Matt2. Brantley also pointed that out in his review of EVITA in London. What ashford thinks is tango dancing he got from a cigar label.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 1:44am

Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark is a lock for sure.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 1:55am

I actually agree with your comments about Ashford's work, Matt2, even though there were definitely parts of Curtains and How to Succeed that I thought were incredibly well choreographed. I thought some of the work in Buenos Aires (the only part I've seen, since I never saw the show in London) was great, but don't necessarily think Eva should be the participant he has her being.

My post was simply pointing out that Elena Roger is a very strong dancer and is really utilized in this production.

[willep]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:43am

I agree with the people above who mentioned Once. It had some stunning movement choreography and would love to see it get a nomination.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:56am

adamgreer, I disagree that LYSISTRATA JONES will be receiving zero nominations. At the very least, I'd say Liz Mikel has a hell of a chance of getting nominated in Featured Actress in a Musical.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 11:52pm

I actually completely forgot aboout SpiderMan -- and because of the aerial effects in the show, it could very well be nominated.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 12:16am

I'm glad others agree with me about Ashford. The more I see of his work, the more disappointed I am (even small things like the ridiculous 60s Hullabaloo work for the Barbara Cook segment of this year's Kennedy Center honours). I have loved some routines he's done--I remember loving the tap jail number from Cry Baby on the Tonys though I've heard that was the best part of that show... That performance of Buenos Aires seems choreoographically so ill conceived--even down to the oddly mechanical choreography (at parts it looks like they're doing the robot to four corners of the stage) which mixed with the huge smiling faces is just odd and doesn't give me a sense of the feel of getting wrapped up into a thrilling, exciting city like Buenos Aires should...

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 7:58pm

I would say Newsies may have it in the bag.

[littlebutterfly10]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 8:23pm

Could a show like Peter and the Starcatcher, which credited Steven Hoggett with "Movement" off-Broadway, receive a nomination? I'm assuming that "movement" is different than "choreography," but thought I'd ask anyways.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 10:55pm

"Musical Staging" has been nominated multiple times in the past (South Pacific and Urinetown come to mind) so ya never know...my guess is that Starcatcher would only get a nom if there were very few eligible choreo musicals.

[CukorLover]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 12:39am

NEWSIES will win-no question. It's Christopher Gattelli's year !

[AndersonTours]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 11:16am

Agreed. It's Christopher Gatelli's year. Saw this at Papermill. Or rather I was dragged to it at Papermill. Walked out humming the choreography. It's not art, it's just fun. Kinda sorta. But the choreography embraced the spirit and elevated the piece and made it better. The last show I felt this way about was In The Heights. Sweet show, made special by the choreography. The Tony will go to Gatelli. Please no more rewards for Kathleen Marshall's basic 1950's choreography. Time for the new breed of innovators. I really think he may be one. I have loved everything he's done. And it's all been different! Does he direct Broadway shows? Anyone know if he's slated to? Enough with the Rob Ashford sameness, get someone in there who serves the piece. Just MHO.

Updated On: 1/25/12 at 11:16 AM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 11:37am

Walked out humming the choreography.

Um...what?

[AndersonTours]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 2:00pm

Lol, I guess I'm much older than you. It refers to the old adage that in order for a show to be successful, you always want the audience to go out humming one of the tunes. Rogers & Hammerstein were especially adept at making sure this happened by reprising motifs and melodies throughout their shows so that the audience would get a tune or theme stuck in their heads and actually hum it on the way out of the theater. My reference was an allusion to that idea. Sorry if it was too esoteric. Sondheim made fun of that notion in Merrily We Roll Along when he had the producer tell the young writers that they must write a "...hummable melody". Anyway, what I meant was that show's score was okay, but the choreography was what I especially remembered.

Updated On: 1/25/12 at 02:00 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/25/12 at 3:05pm

A critic stole your line years ago when he ended his review Of a new musical saying he was "humming the scenery".
I think (could be wrong) iT was HERE'S WHERE I BELOMG?

[goldenboy]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 8:47pm

From the clips I've seen of Newsies.. it will win hands down
choreography looks terrific.

[PopAria]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 8:58pm

are aerial stunts considered choreography?

I mean someone had to choreograph those flight scenes no?


If that doesn't count, then Newsies for sure, but Spiderman deserves a nom for all that craziness goin on on stage and in the air.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 1/27/12 at 10:30pm

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they have 3 people billed - one "Choreography by", one "Additional Choreography by" and one "Aerial Choreography by"

[PopAria]

Posted: 1/28/12 at 12:13am

Interesting.

Thanks for that.

Now what does that mean?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 1/28/12 at 12:47am

Lol, I guess I'm much older than you. It refers to the old adage that in order for a show to be successful, you always want the audience to go out humming one of the tunes.

Um... really? That's hardly an old adage. People still say it. You're supposed to walk out humming the tunes. But "humming the choreography"? That just doesn't make sense. I think the witty analogy you were going for didn't really work out for you. It wasn't esoteric. It just didn't make sense.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 1/28/12 at 9:00pm

Um... really? That's hardly an old adage. People still say it. You're supposed to walk out humming the tunes. But "humming the choreography"? That just doesn't make sense. I think the witty analogy you were going for didn't really work out for you. It wasn't esoteric. It just didn't make sense.

There's an old witticism (discussed in detail above) about leaving a show "humming the scenery" - meaning that the scenic design was great but the music was nothing to write home about. This is just an adaptation of that, replacing "scenery" with "choreography." It makes sense.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 2:15am

kdogg, I've heard of that... but used sarcastically. Not in actual praise of the scenery. I don't think that was the intention of the post.