Sunset Boulevard’s book reads like they put the movie quotes into ChatGPT and instructed it to write a two act musical. But that year, the only other new musical was the revue, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, so it was a very uncompetitive year. While SB is one of my favorite shows and many productions have overcome the book, it remains incredibly weak.
Awards season that year was a mess. Out of all the questionable wins for Sunset, it didn’t snag best costume design, which actually was award-worthy.
OhHiii said: "Diablo Cody's win for JLP is truly a blemish on the legitimacy of the award."
You just have to chalk it up to a weak season and the infuriating decision by the Tonys not to cut the number of nominees per category in half for that year. In any other year, that show only gets nominated for Actress, Feat Actress, Orchestrations, maaaaaaybe book just because it was an original story, and maaaaaaybe a 4th-slot Best Musical nom. But that's it.
It is almost impossible to underestimated how important and difficult this job is.
My hats off to those who do this work."
Agree. And it's oftentimes a very thankless job as well - if the show is good, the book writer often gets overlooked while everyone praises the songs. And if the show is bad, the book writer is often the one blamed, while people are sometimes more forgiving with the score.
As far as worst Best Book winners, for me Jagged Little Pill comes to mind.
The book for Spelling Bee was exceptional. So much so that I sometimes thought the songs got in the way.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
djjd007 said: "Sunset Boulevard’s book reads like they put the movie quotes into ChatGPT and instructed it to write a two act musical. But that year, the only other new musical was the revue, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, so it was a very uncompetitive year. While SB is one of my favorite shows and many productions have overcome the book, it remains incredibly weak.
Awards season that year was a mess. Out of all the questionable wins for Sunset, it didn’t snag best costume design, which actually was award-worthy."
Sunset Boulevard drives me crazy because it's like watching the movie at three quarters speed, particularly in the second act where you're just kind of waiting around for the inevitable conclusion. If they were able to shave fifteen minutes off, it would be a killer one-act, and a much better vehicle for those incredible melodies.
BEST - to me these work even in a lackluster production. I also think A Strange Loop should be included but need a little more time and some more productions.
A Little Night Music
A Chorus Line
Into the Woods
Ragtime
Urinetown
The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee
The Drowsy Chaperone
Passing Strange
WORST
Sunset Boulevard
Memphis
Jagged Little Pill
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
It says something that when I think of JLP, I don’t remember the book or the characters or even the Alanis songs… I just remember the choreography and physical staging. It kept me saying “whoa, I’ve never seen anyone do anything like this in a musical” again and again.
Which means non-replica productions are going to be dire.
djjd007 said: "Sunset Boulevard’s book reads like they put the movie quotes into ChatGPT and instructed it to write a two act musical."
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. I've read quite a few books and have much to compare it to. The result lacked originality and depth, relying too heavily on familiar lines instead of creating a compelling narrative. As an educator, I am concerned about the potential use of AI in student texts, books, and other forms of creative work. While it has benefits, I believe genuine human creativity and experience should be valued. That's why I appreciate platforms like https://ca.edubirdie.com/buy-an-essay where qualified authors write quality texts. It's important to balance using technology and ensuring that it enhances our creative efforts, not diminishes them.
Though already mentioned a little bit above, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is one of the best, we take it for granted now but there was a 95% chance that a musical about a frigging regional spelling bee contest simply ended being a complete uninterested disaster. It's amazing how it puts the focus in the actual spelling part of the show and doesn't take the route of something like Chess, while also letting character interaction and development happen between all the jokes and songs without brute changes in the pacing.
Best (both great books & very deserving the year they won): Fiddler on the Roof Into the Woods Ragtime The Producers Avenue Q Spelling Bee Drowsy Chaperone The Book of Mormon Matilda
Worst: Cats Rent (sorry...) Spring Awakening (should have been Legally Blonde or Curtains) Tootsie (should have been The Prom)
This year (2023) had 2 extremely strong books (Kimberly and SLIH), and two shows that largely owe their success to the book & original story (& Juliet and Shucked).
Thankfully they stopped there and didn't nominate a 5th book........
DaveyG said: "The book (and score) for Tootsie - total dreck. Awarding it Best Book was a low point for Tony voters IMHO."
I remember that spring that everyone seemed to be RAVING about the Tootsie book. Then I saw that and The Prom in the same weekend that summer and was like "um, did I miss something here?" The Prom was so superior in general including Book & Score. I would have still given Hadestown Best Musical & Score but I would definitely have given Book to The Prom.
I think it was the sheer joke-density of Tootsie that captivated everyone. When upon further examination, The Prom and even Beetlejuice had more sturdily-constructed books.
There's one great song and I liked the supporting performances but the rest was meh (Isn't the show they do inside the show basically the storyline for &Juliet?)
Tootsie has a brilliant film script that didn't get recognized when the film version came out so maybe that was why it was awarded in addition to wealth spreading?