Biggest "Best Musical" Tony Upset of all time?!?!

[Zimmy]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 10:58pm

This hasn't been talked about in a long time and since the buzz for this year is starting to begin I thought it would make good chat.

I'd have to say 1991 when Will Rogers Follies won over Once On This Islans, Miss Saigon and Secret Garden! WHAT?

Anyone else?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:00pm

Lion King over Ragtime. C'MON!!!!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:01pm

TLK shouldn't have won the Tony even if it was the only show nominated.

[TimeSuckage]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:04pm

I agree about Will Rogers Follies. Ridiculous.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:06pm

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE over URINETOWN.

I almost cried.

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:12pm

Will Rogers Follies winning
Millie winning over Urinetown
Music Man winning over West Side Story...I know it TMM was so much more popular over WSS...but what were they thinking?

[children&art]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:12pm

1958 - The Music Man over West Side Story
1960 - Fiorello (in the tie) over Gypsy
1972 - 2 Gentlemen of Verona over Follies
1976 - A Chorus Line over Chicago or Pacific Overtures
1984 - La Cage over Sunday in the Park...
1997 - Titanic over Steel Pier
1998 - The Lion King over Ragtime
1999 - Fosse over Parade
2000 - Contact over The Wild Party (LaChiusa)
2002 - Thoroughly Modern Millie over Urinetown
2004 - Avenue Q over Caroline or Change
2005 - Spamalot over The Light in the Piazza

[bjivie2]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:12pm

The Lion King wasn't the only show nominated that year. It was between Lion King, Ragtime, Side Show and Scarlet Pimpernel. I wouldn't say that it was an upset. The theatricality of Lion King is pretty tremendous. Both shows deserved to win.

I'd say the year of Will Rogers, Once on this Island, Secret Garden and Miss Saigon was close, but I wouldn't call it an upset b/c all four deserved (in some way) to win.

Urinetown should have won of Millie, most definitely.

This last year was very close between the four, all of which were deserving if they were in different seasons.

Another extremely tight race would be in 1961, when Sound of Music, Fiorello!, Gypsy and Once Upon A Matress were all nominated the same year. It ended with a tie between SoM and Fiorello.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:19pm

1955 - THE PAJAMA GAME over PETER PAN

[jam_man]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:21pm

Avenue Q over Wicked. I'm not saying (in any way, shape, or form) that Wicked should have won, but if you asked ANYONE who knew anything about the race in the weeks leading up to the Tonys who would win, they would have said that Wicked would, though with the clause that it wasn't the most deserving. I remember my mouth was hanging open from the moment Nathan Lane said "Avenue Q" to the end of the broadcast. Glad they voted their hearts, but I didn't see that one coming.

A Chorus Line is one of the best musicals ever, combined with one of the most successful, and it was considered such almost from the time it opened. Chicago and Pacific Overtures are great shows, but neither were near as loved as A Chorus Line early on, especially PO.

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:35pm

I agree with Bjivie2 about Will Rogers, Secret Garden, Once on This Island, and Miss Saigon. I think all of those shows deserved to win, and there would probably be just as many people upset regardless of which show won. What a great year that was!

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:40pm

Wow good list c&a, except I agree with the win of Chorus Line

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:46pm

I'm pretty upset about Will Rogers Follies winning over Miss Saigon... I mean Miss Saigon should have at least won a Tony other than for the performers...

[Testing1232]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:46pm

LK over Ragtime !!! Nothing will ever top that fiasco !!!

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:53pm

LK over Ragtime of course.

2000 was the worst year for me, Lachiusa losing so much with his two most amazing shows. That was disgusting.

When Parade lost was another one.

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:56pm

I agree with children&art's list, except for A Chorus Line, which deserved to win. Chicago is a great show, but it way ahead of its time- people just didn't want to see a dark satires like Chicago.

[tim10086]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:11am

Have any of these issues ever been addressed by people from the American Theatre Wing? Like, "Yes we made a mistake" kinda thing?

[Maryjoannejean]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:13am

you all are trippin'

[tim10086]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:15am

Can you elaborate?

[James885]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:18am

I would have to agree with everyone who said Lion King over Ragtime. I enjoy The Lion King, but i don't think it can ever compare with Ragtime.

[luvSteph]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:20am

This is not the Tony's because I am British but for the SWET Awards (Society of West End Theatre - now the Olivier Awards) I am still gobsmacked that 'Annie' beat 'Evita' in 1978 and 'Me and My Girl' beat 'Les Miserables' in 1985. Both wrong decisions in my humble opinion.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:31am

Cases in which the other musical(s) should've won or at least tied:
1958- Music Man over West Side Story
1960- Fiorello and Sound of Music over Gypsy
1964- Hello Dolly over Funny Girl and She Loves Me
1966- Man of La Mancha over Sweet Charity
1969- 1776 over Hair (WTF!!!!!!!)
1970- Applause over Purlie
1982- Nine over Dreamgirls
1984- La Cage Aux Folles over Baby and Sunday in the Park with George (WTF!!!!)
1991- Will Rogers Follies over Miss Saigon, Once on this Island and Miss Saigon
1992- Crazy for You over Falsettos (WTF!!!!)
1993- Kiss of the Spiderwoman over Blood Brothers
1998- The Lion King over Ragtime (WTF!!!!!!!!!)
1999- Fosse over Parade
2000- Contact over The Wild Party
2001- The Producers over The Full Monty
2002- Thoroughly Modern Millie over Urinetown (I do love Millie but WTF!!!!!)
2005- Spamalot over Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Spelling Bee

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:35am

I know this thread is for Best Musical upsets, but I just want to jump in and say THE PRODUCERS' win over THE FULL MONTY for Best Score was quite an upset. I think THE PRODUCERS deserved to win Best Musical, but MONTY's score was clearly the best.

[RustyJusty830]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:36am

SPAMALOT. Period.
I don't know exactly why I feel this way. I very much enjoyed Spamalot and had an excellent experience with the show, however, it just didn't seem like "Best Musical" material to me. If I were forced to choose, I think the honor should have gone to Piazza.

[jam_man]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 12:38am

I don't think that Spamalot winning was itself a travisty (I saw it in Chicago and loved it), but since the Wing gave 7 other awards to Piazza, I thought it was almost spineless not to give them Best Musical.