Best Musicals to not win Best Musical (Tony Award) — Page 2

I would just like to thank Margo and Robbie for their consistantly erudite, informative and well-presented posts. Besides which, their icons are the most fabulous

FYI re: Dreamgirls -- it is VERY difficult to get permission to view the tape at Lincoln Center. Normally, to see a tape in the collection all one has to do is give a reason for wanting to view the tape on the request form (you can make up just about anything) and the request is pretty much automatically granted. For Dreamgirls, you have write a letter to the lawyer for the Michael Bennett estate and request permission and unless you have a damn good reason to see it (ie, you have been hired to direct/choreograph a PROFESSIONAL production of the show and can prove it), your request will be denied. His lawyer (his name escapes me at the moment -- he's a entertainment law partner with Paul Weiss, a law firm that, among many other things, represents several of the bigger not-for-profit theatres in the city) is unfortunately VERY overprotective about the Dreamgirls property. He personally scuttled the inclusion of the "And I Am Telling You" scene from the 1982 Tonys which was to be in the PBS special and DVD on the Greatest Tony Moments that came out last year -- no reason was given officially, but it had something to do with rights issues and the fact that a revival of the show was in the works. I don't know, perhaps he wants to create an aura of mystique around the show so he doesn't want it shown too frequently, who knows? I really don't get his logic.

It's a shame too, looking back over the 500+ professional productions I have seen since I saw Dreamgirls back in '82 (and I went back a half dozen times afterwards), I have yet to see a better piece of staging and direction than Bennett's work on the show. Nothing even comes close (though certain elements have been copied by other directors and other shows). And add to that the score, the ingenius design elements and a few legendary performances and you have piece of theatrical history that begs to be seen and seen again by every lover of the theatre (especially those who missed it the first time around).

Rumors abound about the status of the revival (last I heard -- and I don't think it's true -- was that the version that did a mini-tour of the west a few months ago with Frenchie Davis might be brought in to fill the Shubert during the months it'll be dark after Gypsy closes and before the next tenant comes in in early 2005 ....I really doubt that). I heard Jerry Mitchell's name attached at one point, but he has such a full plate (three or four shows in the next 18 months including the West Side Story revival) I'm not sure he will be able to. Brenda Braxton (who was in the chorus of the original cast) recreated some of the Bennett staging and choreography for the concert version that played at the Ford Center a week after 9/11 back in 2001. Perhaps she can do a "Baayork Lee" and just put the original Bennett staging back on its feet (Lee oversees all professional productions of A Chorus Line, recreating Bennett's original staging and choreography).

A new concept by a first rate director might be fine, but I have to say, I really doubt that anyone can improve on the original. We'll see. My guess is that we'll see Dreamgirls back in NY in one form or another sometime in 2005.

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In addition to shows like Miss Saigon, Ragtime, ITW, and Wild Party, I would like to add Pippin, Tommy, and Grand Hotel.

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Updated On: 5/20/04 at 06:11 PM

ASSASSINS.

sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...never had a chance....

-d.b.j-

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"The Sound of Music" (as much as I love it) and "Fiorello!" over "Gypsy"?
"The Lion King" over "Ragtime"?

The biggest travesty of them all was "The Sound of Music" beating "Gypsy." "The Sound of Music" was a good show, though sticky sweet, and in many years its winning wouldn't have been so ridiculous. But over "GYPSY"!!! Criminal.

Jesus Christ Superstar- definately.

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I've always been resentful about Ragtime losing the Tony because I think that had it won, it would have been more likely to stay on Broadway despite Livent's financial difficulties (or perhaps its win would have alleviated those difficulties, for the short term). The local prodiction I saw last year in Evanston, IL was decent but it hurt to have to introduce my best friend to the show that way. Although she loved it, I know she would have been mesmerized by Evelyn Nesbit performing a trapeze act for "Crime of the Century" rather than just standing on a platform singing it, as she was in the local production.

Deena's gonna do what?

We finally get the chance to have our own group and Deena's gonna sing lead?

No One can SEE her on a RECORD!

DREAMGIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

James Joyce's The Dead
Urinetown
Ragtime
Sunday In The Park
Into The Woods
Dreamgirls
Gypsy

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The Producers beat out Jane Eyre and The Fully Monty.

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oooh, yes, I agree about The Full Monty

Here are famous plays that did not win Best Play:

1956 - Bus Stop, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, both beat by Diary of Anne Frank

1960 - A Raisin in the Sun, beat by The Miracle Worker

1962 - The Caretaker and The Night of the Iguana, both beat by A Man for All Seasons

1963 - A Thousand Clowns and Mother Courage and Her Children, both beat by Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (my fav play)

1965 - The Odd Couple and Tiny Alice, by The Subject Was Roses

1978 - Chapter Two, Deathtrap, and The Gin Game, beat by Da

1980 - Bent and Talley's Folly, by Children of a Lesser God

1981 - Fifth of July by Amadeus

1982 - Crimes of the Heart, The Dresser, and Master Harold..., by ...Nicholas Nickleby

1983 - 'Night Mother and Plenty, by Torch Song Trilogy

1984 - Glengarry Glen Ross, Noises Off, by The Real Thing

1985 - As Is, Hurlyburly, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, by Biloxi Blues

1990 - Lettice and Lovage, Prelude to a Kiss, and The Piano Lesson, by The Grapes of Wrath

1991 - Six Degrees of Separation, by Lost in Yonkers

1993 - The Sisters Rosensweig, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, and The Song of Jacob Zulu, by Angels in America: Millenium Approaches

1994 - The Kentucky Cycle, by Angels in America: Perestroika

to name a few...

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Updated On: 5/21/04 at 12:11 PM

I agree with Ragtime! Not only cuz I love the show but I jsut saw Lion King for the first time and I felt like I could have seen the openings of act 1 and 2 and been satisfied. It didn't draw me in, I mean visually, yes it was stunning, but beyond on that there wasn't anything that reeled me in. Maybe having known the story going in because I grew up with the movie made it different for me, but compared to Ragtime which had a compelling storyline and wonderful score, Lion King looked like a big parade of animals set to music.

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