Best Revival of A Musical

[broadwayman17]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 6:09pm

Since people have seen 3/4 in some form (out of town try out, off-broadway) anybody have any predictions. The four are at this point:

Pal Joey (in by default)
West Side Story
Guys and Dolls
Hair

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 6:10pm

I have only seen WSS, but, at this point, I think it has the greatest shot :)

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 6:18pm

I think it will be between Hair and West Side Story. I have not seen Guys and Dolls yet, but the other two are definitely under the spot light.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 6:30pm

Better question... what gets in as Best Revival of a Play?

Potential nominees:

Accent on Youth
All My Sons
The American Plan
Blithe Spirit
Desire Under the Elms (if it comes in)
Equus
Exit the King
Hedda Gabler
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
A Man for All Seasons
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests
The Philanthropist
The Seagull
Speed-the-Plow
Waiting for Godot

[bjh2114]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 6:40pm

Are they ruling White Christmas as a revival or new musical?

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 6:58pm

Why would White Christmas be considered a revival?

[CateBroadway]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 7:45pm

Good heavens that's a lot of play revivals!

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 2/6/09 at 8:02pm

As White Christmas has not had a major NYC production before this one and is still a relatively new title in terms of licensing I would guess that it will be considered as a new musical.

[rjjn]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 12:41am

I agree, I don't think White Christmas is old enough (or well known for regional productions) to be considered a revival.

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 1:59am

In regards to Revival Play - I guarantee that Speed-the-Plow and Equus will be two of the noms... and I expect one of the two to win.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 2:11am

Speed-the-Plow might be nominated. I don't think Equus will. But if any of the fall's revivals get nominated, I'd expect it to be The Seagull. At least three of the revivals coming in this spring earned excellent reviews in London and Australia - Mary Stuart, Norman Conquests and Exit the King. And Joe Turner's Come and Gone is a wonderful play, and Bartlett Sher is directing, so I expect that one to be great as well. With only four available slots, something very good is going to get left out.

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 2:19am

Yes, your last sentence is very true!

The main reason I think Equus will be nominated is to (even though it is closing) keep the concept of for lack of a better phrase, naked Harry Potter in the non-theatergoer's mind. I think it was a good show but more importantly has enough pop-culture appeal to keep it in the nominations to hopefully keep Bway seem as up to date as possible. but we'll see...

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 2:36am

They can keep Daniel Radcliffe in mind just as easily by nominating him for Best Actor, though with such performers as John Lithgow, Frank Langella, Raul Esparza, James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Geoffrey Rush, Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, Matthew Broderick, David Hyde Pierce, Stephen Mangan, Richard Griffiths and whoever plays Herald Loomis in Joe Turner, that's a tough category too.

There is a perception that Equus underperformed at the box office, which might also work against it getting in for Best Revival. Plus, just in my opinion, I thought this production proved the play to be a bit of a clunker.

[dg22894]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 10:46am

I think Hedda Gabler will be nominated too.

I think Hair will win best revival. West Side has a chance.
Updated On: 2/8/09 at 10:46 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 11:04am

I think HAIR will win Best Revival of a Musical and THE SEAGULL will win Best Revival of a Play...unless they decide to award a show that is still running at Tony time, which is a very real possibility.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 5:36pm

Hair? The campy, dated musical that wasn't all that good forty years ago to begin with? Not a chance. Sorry.
West Side Story is going to win. It has the name value, Sondheim on its side and is beloved by basically everyone that works in the theatre. The new twist Laurents is giving to it seems interesting and it looks to be a big hit. The Tonys are all about the money, right?
Updated On: 2/7/09 at 05:36 PM

[pli1018]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 6:20pm

This is a bit off, but the White Christmas category question made me think of the 1999 "revival" of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. How was that considered a revival?

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 6:44pm

um.. because charlie brown WAS a revival

"In 1971, a Broadway production featuring an entirely new cast opened at the John Golden Theatre, but closed a month later after only 15 previews and 32 regular performances"

[scaryclowns2232]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 6:52pm

The only problem with predicting HAIR right now is that it still remains to be seen how it will work in an indoor theatre. Part of the appeal of the Park production was its location.

Honestly, West Side tours the best and actually seems to be good, so thats got the best shot. (Although don't count out Guys & Dolls in that respect.)

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 6:54pm

Little Shop of Horrors was considered a revival.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 7:13pm

By the time LSOH opened on Broadway, everyone and their mom had been in or seen a production of the show. It would have not been very fair to anyone to rule it as a new musical.

If The Fantasticks, for example was to open on Broadway, it would probably be eligible as a revival. White Christmas is not up there at all.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 7:17pm

>I think Hedda will be nominated too.<

I feel safe in predicting that won't happen.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 8:03pm

Little Shop and Charlie Brown had both had major New York productions, despite being Off-Broadway. They were also deemed to be a standard entry in the current musical theatre repertoire. As stated previously, if a show such as The Fantastiks were to be mounted on Broadway it would fall under these same guidelines.

White Christmas has never had a New York production before. In addition, the show is still fairly new in terms of being introduced to the repertoire. I would be willing to place large amounts of money that it will not be deemed a revival and will be eligible to compete for Best Musical.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 8:04pm

I cannot believe someone said HEDDA would be nominated.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/7/09 at 9:12pm

WEST SIDE STORY already has a U.S. and European tour planned.
The name will sell, TONY or not.