Best/Worst Tony Awards Performances- Page 3

[bwaydreamer]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 7:32pm

Light in the Piazza's number was one I remember being completely wowed by and needing to see the immediately after they performed it. 

[Steve C.]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 7:33pm

It's great to scour YouTube for all of these and more. I love

My One And Only - Twiggy and Tommy Tune and cast

Grand Hotel 

Anything Goes - (though it was shortened)

A Christmas Story - all the actors and kids just beam! 

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 9:09pm

Laurapattifan said: "I feel On the Twenthieth Century was a little rough 

 

"

I agree. Loved the show too! It was flashy, colorful, funny...and absolute stellar performances top to bottom. Couldn't wait to see them do it on the Tonys. It just felt...meh. Seemed too choppy, jumping from one song to the next...like they tried to put too much into it.

 

[bway1497]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 9:29pm

For me, the ones that I can come back to again and again are Grand Hotel, Me and My Girl, Hedwig, Walking Happy, A Christmas Story, Catch Me If You Can, and what I think to be the best Tony Awards performance of all time: The Full Monty.

Personally, I also love the 2009 Guys and Dolls performance, but it's definitely an acquired taste. 

Updated On: 4/4/16 at 09:29 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 9:39pm

I agree about "Lot's Wife" and Pinkens. She left it all on the stage.

 

[jfg729]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 4:12pm

How has no one mentioned Chita Rivera doing "Where You Are" from Kiss of the Spiderwoman?! She is simply perfection in this number.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUQlQGH1fhc

 

 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 5:29pm

Forgive me as my memory is not what it was[seriously] but I can remember watching over and over on VHS and I THINK it was the Tonys-Dorothy Loudon sing [screaming-in a nice way] Broadway Baby, Raquel Welch and ? The Grass is always Greener [and picking up her stool and running off with it. I also think Raquel did some number with dancing boys[men[ that had me enthralled.

Also Chita & Liza doing something ??

Come back memory, but at least parts are still there.

 

SL...............x

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 6:37pm

jfg729, that video of Chita is incredible and one of my all time favorites too. 

The one in recent memory that made me most excited about seeing a show was Hedwig. The arrangement of "Sugar Daddy" is great and exciting and Neil sold the number incredibly well. I had bought tickets to see it that August and couldn't wait to go after the performance.

[Steve C.]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 10:58am

I was listening/watching the YT vids again. Not only do Michael Jeter, especially, and Brent Barrett give an absolutely stellar performance of "We'll Take A Glass Together", but in the intro Jane Krakowski  is one of the ingenues in the cast. I think "Grand Hotel" was 1991. She is definitely drinking her orange juice! I just saw "She Loves Me" and she looks exactly the same! I just wish I could have seen that production.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNtatAToFo8&list=PL2i61Ve2ByXKkMOHml0fMjlubCWaGKfwB&index=9&nohtml5=False 

[rjm516]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 11:19am

Reading this thread, I was forming my response in my head with all all my faves and all my disagreements with the above, but then someone mentioned NPH and yup that's it. His "It's Bigger" opening was SPECTACULAR. 

[Patash]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 2:05pm

SteveC., When I saw Grand Hotel on the Tony's I HAD to see it.  I immediately booked tickets to NYC (we lived in Florida at the time) for July 4 weekend, and got great seats for the night of July 3.  But the house was late opening -- seemed an usher had fallen sick and they delayed opening the house until almost 8.  We got our programs opened them and out fell replacement notices like confetti.  5 of the 6 leads were out -- only Rex Smith who had just taken over was there.  No Michael Jeter or others.  Many people left before the curtain -- but it was already 8 so what was our alternative.   The show was OK, but I couldn't get over my disappointment -- particularly at missing Jeter's performance.

 

Follow up.  A few weeks later I was looking at something like People Magazine and there were pictures of a huge party Tommy Tune threw for Fourth of July on Fire Island -- yep, there was the cast.  Then I knew why none of the regulars went on that night.

[BobBenson]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 3:48pm

My vote for the Best (Or rather my fave) performances are the CHICAGO revival and THE LIFE from the 1997 Tony Awards. And also, HAIRPSRAY and NINE in 2003.

[Steve C.]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 9:23pm

Hi Patash, that is really really something that could have been pre-arranged or scheduled. Everyone deserves a day off or a vacation, but when you have a hit show and people are anticipating and even traveling to see not only the show but the cast too, It's a shame when that happens. In my opinion I guess it's partially box office or the producers' "business decision" or greed? But then they are giving the understudies their shot at stardom. (at least Rex Smith was there and he's always great). Let's thank the theater gods for YouTube and Theater Fans that are posting.

Let's hope that won't happen to you again.   

[@z5]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 9:35pm

It Shoulda Been You from last year was pretty damn great.

[gmhots]

Posted: 4/7/16 at 11:49pm

At the risk of sounding like a broken record...

 

1) Grand Hotel. Nothing is beating this one in my book!

2) Dreamgirls

3) Hedwig

 

I also remember seeing Ragtime somewhere on there... or maybe it wasn't the Tonys. Separately, Finding Neverland was rather cringeworthy.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/8/16 at 6:59am

Best:

Dreamgirls
Grand Hotel
A Chorus Line (original)
A Christmas Story
Thoroughly Modern Millie (Sutton's best by far)
Once on this Island
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Fun Home
Evita (original)
Sunday in the Park With George (original)
Gypsy (Bernadette Peters)
The Apple Tree
Annie (original)

[Jay94]

Posted: 4/8/16 at 7:10am

Who could forget Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney's show stopping performance from Sugarbabies?

[sarahb22]

Posted: 4/8/16 at 12:48pm

Wick3 said: "Other favorites: Secret Garden 1992 (practically told the entire story but loved John Cameron Mitchell as Dickon and Mandy Patinkin as Archibald Craven)"

 

I loved that performance too! It totally bums me out that if they ever make a movie version of the musical (and they should), John Cameron Mitchell is too old now to play Dickon.  He was PERFECT, and nobody can match his vocals on the two songs he sings (and they're great songs to boot.)  I wish there was a bootleg of him in 'The Secret Garden', because I would have loved to see him in the whole show.  And yes, Patinkin was great too, actually the whole cast was great.

[BwayDreamer00]

Posted: 2/15/17 at 9:28pm

Best

For Openings I cant decide between the 2009 opening and the 2013 opening. Neil Patrick Harris made it super iconic and also that song was super catchy and the ending deserved that 5 minute standing ovation. The 2009 opening was also amazing and explains perfectly why I love theater.....for worst openings I really didn't like the 2014 opening with Hugh Jackman, it was pretty boring watching him bounce around Radio City Music Hall

For Shows

Best-Matilda-So clever and a great medly

Promises Promises (original)-Not many people have heard of this show, this performance makes you want to see it

Fun Home-Just beautful

The Wedding Singer-The show itself is pretty dumb, but when the curtain rose and everyone bounced around in their 80's dresses and suits I got chills

Annie (Original)-EASY STREEEETTTT

Next To Normal-Why I love rock musicals

The Color Purple (Original)-I didnt like the beginning of it, but the second part was perfect

Miss Saigon-Yes, the pre recorded at the beginning is really weird but afterwards The American Dream was brilliant

Ragtime-"And people called it ragtime" CHILLSSSSS no wonder this show won best score

Once On This Island-(this show is too underated)

Worst

West Side Story (Revival)-Karen Olivo is amazing as is the dancing but they picked probably the least iconic number in the entire show

American Idiot-It was censored, which made it so awkward??

The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas-I love this show, but why would they choose the dirtiest song to perform that was so awkwardly censored?

 

 

 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 2/15/17 at 10:07pm

Best performance was Kristen's lightning-fast costume change from Sally in YAGMCB to her gown to accept the Tony seconds later. Silly me thinking how fabulous and perfect her long straight hair looked after being in her curly Sally wig. Uh, yeah, her long hair was a wig too. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/15/17 at 10:16pm

The Color Purple revival performance at the 2016 Tonys was sensational. Best performance that night.

[blm2323]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 12:14am

The Life was awesome on the Tony Awards show. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 12:40am

Doody Fisher said: "Worst: Patti LUpone (Anything Goes)"

WTF is this blasphemy, that performance of Patti LuPone's was fantastic.

[dianamorales]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 9:18am

Grand Hotel (especially with Michael Jeter's speech) is truly one of the greatest performances of all time. I tear up every time. I also love 42nd Street and Ragtime. It Shoulda Been You was completely show-stopping (even if the show wasn't).

[TNick926]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 3:30pm

I loved the number from THE FULL MONTY with your average joes as strippers singing "Let It Go!" - my 2 young sons (maybe 8-10 at the time) got up and started imitating the "pull your belt back and forth through your legs while doing a sexy swing back and forth" motion - hilarious, and a little shocking! 

Agree with many of the other posts here, both best and worst lists.  One more to add for me: I was so enthralled with Liza Minnelli at the time of THE ACT, and when she opened the show that year with "City Lights" I was thrilled and exhilarated...she was such a brilliant live performer in those days, especially in concert.