Best/Worst Performance at the Tony's? — Page 5

Sweeney--better you realize now that "Xanadu" isn't your thing rather than spending a lot of money and then hating it. It's definitely a love it or hate it show...having seen it four times, I guess I'm in the latter group.

Best: In The Heights, Sunday, Gypsy, Xanadu

Worst: Passing Strange and the non-nominated medley. Sierra has a really pretty voice, but I felt embarrassed for Megan. As for "Strange," it came off as an unpleasant crossbreeding of "Light My Candle" from "Rent" with the lighting and spaz dancing from "Spring Awakening."

1. tie Xanadu and Gypsy (liked Xanadu's performance and Patti blew the roof off of Radio City)
2. Sunday in the Park with George (it was an appropriate way to honor Sondheim and it was a great performance)
3. South Pacific
4. In The Heights
5. Young Frankenstein
6. Cry Baby
7. Rent
8. Little Mermaid
9. Passing Strange (should have done a different song)
10. Grease + A Catered Affair (AWFUL)

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BEST: Gypsy
Runner-Ups: In the Heights, Sunday in the Park with George

WORST: A Catered Affair
Runner-Ups: Grease, The Lion King

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Updated On: 6/16/08 at 08:59 AM

BEST:
Gypsy (Patti at full throtle - amazing)
In the Heights
South Pacific
Xanadu (Cheynenne Jackson - nuff said)

WORST/BORING:
Cry Baby (their set didn't keep them tight. all of a sudden they are dancing on this HUGE stage with nothing keeping them from being sucked up by it).
Passing Strange (just made me think - what's the big deal)
Catered Affair (sorry Faith - you couldn't hear the orchestra and went very off pitch).
Grease (why did they sing that stupid song from the movie?)
Sunday in the Park (should have done "Sunday". the abbreviated duet felt too small on that huge stage).
Lion King (please hire some people who can SING the role of Rafiki and those opening African solos).

I'm very glad that the show was so performance heavy. Definitely a treat for those of us who couldn't get up to see the season. Whoopi was wasted in those lame clips and the awards need to get back to being in a THEATRE, not Radio City. It's just too big and the performances get lost.

As a side note, I could just imagine Anthony Rapp's inner monologue when he heard the current Mark sing "La Vie Boheme" essentially mimicking his vocal style/mannerisms. The current cast just looked inauthentic and ridiculous. the tribute was kind of moving though.

OH - and I liked Steve Sondheim's comments via Patinkin.

BEST (2-way TIE)

**** XANADU

**** Gypsy

WORST

** Catered Affair (sorry Faith,I love you! But,you had vocal problems)

*1/2 Passing Strange (sorry Stew, not the best showcase for PS)

* Grease (completely ameturish)

Updated On: 6/16/08 at 09:30 AM

Sunday was good.
ITH was one of the worst things I have ever seen.
Cry-Baby was boring.
LuPone disappointed me.
Passing Strange couldn't pass for anything.

If the Tonys are a commercial for New York, I am going to New Orleans.

I thought the performances from the non-nominated shows were pretty bad. I thought the cuts to "Part of Your World" were terrible. The bad Megan Mullaly sounded pretty bad and poor Faith Prince was just sad.

XANADU is the only show, besides GYPSY! that made me really go, "I must see this!".

Faith Prince, I love you, but what happened?!

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Overall, I'd say the performances on the telecast were FAR better than last year. They had energy, were well presented and shot well for TV. Even Grease and Cry Baby looked good going strictly by the broadcast. Good choices for the numbers, too.

I had only a few disappointments, one of them being Sunday in the Park. The set projections looked wonderful on TV, and I thought the mix of media on the stage was terrific. It looked fresh and surprising, even if it wasn't totally innovative. For Broadway, it's pretty innovative at least. The leads were kinda boring though. She had trouble holding pitch and exuding anything that looked like genuine warmth for George. And he looked like he was "high school crushing" on her. No real chemistry.

Faith Prince and the Catered Affair number were a washout too.

Gypsy was the only musical number that had any really "good acting" in it. And I think that's very risky on a Tony show. It's so hard to get into character, into a specific (and usually pivotal) moment in the show and manage to be convincing in that "barn" of an intimate space known as Radio City Music Hall. That's why I found Patti, Laura and Boyd so terrific. They were able to do it, and my hat's off to the three of them. Tonys all around!

South Pacific was good in the big numbers, but again the quieter "acting" moments of their medley fell flat.

I guess that's the lesson to be learned. Big and splashy is easier, and it works. Small intimate acting moments are definitely a risk. Proceed with caution, and don't try this at home. If you nail it, great! People will love you for it. If you miss the mark, people outside of NY will wonder what the fuss is all about with your heralded show and your nominated performers. The Tonys are basically a commercial to celebrate a given show, but also to (hopefully) sell more tickets for it. We don't have Ed Sullivan now, so this will have to do. And I think most shows will see a boost in sales after last night's telecast. Even Grease and Cry Baby.

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Gypsy, In The Heights, and Passing Strange did their job of making me want to go see them.

South Pacific, Crybaby and Grease did not.

I really want to know what it was like for Laura Benanti. "Hey Mom, I'm performing on the Tony Awards... but I don't get to say anything."

Ah, well Patti belting in her face is a great consolation prize in my opinion.

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Best: In the Heights, Sunday (Gypsy being the runner up)
Worst: Grease (what was that? seriously), Passing Strange, and A Catered Affair/ the rest of that one minue segment

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Best: Xanadu

Worst: A Catered Affair

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I loved Xanadu's performance. I kind of want to get the OBCR now.

I wasn't really into Grease's performance, Cry-Baby's performance, or Passing Strange's performance.