Oh! And... 2003-2004's Little Shop not getting a 'Best Musical Revivial' nod. Joe Mantello not being nominated for his fantastic work as Wickeds director (for which he recieved a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award.)
Robert Lindsay for "Me and My Girl" beat Colm Wilkinson (who was also competing against fellow cast member Terrence Mann's Javert in the lead actor category). Not really an upset -- Lindsay gave a wonderful comedic performance and was the centerpiece of his show (Lindsay rarely left the stage -- Wilkinson's is a supporting role by comparison).
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Jerome Robbins' Broadway winning Best Musical was not crazy at all. Against Black and Blue and Starmites, the only other nominees for Best Musical that year, it WAS the Best Musical of 1989.
Not really. If everyone knew he would win for Assassins, how come he won the other two awards for his helming of Wicked???? And Little Shop was a flawless production, and deserved way more than 1 Tony nod.
ellie2: What is your problem? Does my liking Wicked affect you any? If so I'd love to know how and why, but I still wont fix it for you.
Updated On: 7/6/04 at 04:01 PM
Well, this one may seem obscure, but it's one of the ones I always questioned when it comes to my field. In the '58 season, there was a lot of great scenic work onstage. Just look at the list of contenders for the Tony that year:
Boris Aronson - J.B. Ballou - The Legend of Lizzie Ben Edwards - Jane Eyre Oliver Messel - Rashomon Donald Oenslager - A Majority of One Teo Otto - The Visit
The Aronson and the Messel designs are classics, studied to this day because of their innovative use of stage space. But it was the Oenslager that took home the award.
And I have never understood that one.
"That duck was a sexual toy, and it was on display!" -- an unknown Nashville town leader
I agree with the Urinetown and Mamma Mia! facts. They were both great shows, and a lot better than Millie, which I liked, but not loved. Urinetown DID win for it's book, score, and direction I believe, which is not bad. It was robbed of Best Musical, though. Mamma Mia! deserved at least two or three awards. It won NOTHING! That was surprising to me when I watched the Tonys for that year.
There is no rule that a show without a book can't win Best Musical - Ain't Misbehavin' is Exhibit #1. The "bunch of moments from other shows all thrown together," as you describe it, makes Jerome Robbins' Broadway sound artless, which it wasn't. Sure, the West Side Story, Fiddler, The King and I and Gypsy numbers had all been seen before and were well documented, but Robbins went to elaborate lengths to recreate the numbers from On The Town, Billion Dollar Baby, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and High Button Shoes, among others, with a massive company, huge orchestra, and the original sets and costumes recreated on a gargantuan scale. Fosse (Exhibit #2), it wasn't.
And Rathnait, were you saying that Black and Blue (also bookless) or Starmites were more deserving of Best Musical?
Ethel Merman ("Gypsy") losing the Tony to Mary Martin ("The Sound of Music") "Nine over "Dreamgirls" for Best Musical "Avenue Q" over "Wicked" for Best Musical - not that I"m a "Wicked" lover; it is more ambitious in scope. So what if it occasionally faulters??
I really loved "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" -- it really set a new standard for musical revues and featured some terrific performances of some of the greatest scenes in musical theatre history. A memorable, one-of-a-kind event.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
I agree with Margo. I have a question, though. Was "Crazy For You" liked by critics? Cause it only won 3 Tonys I believe. And what about Nine and Dreamgirls? How were they recieved?
1) The Best Musical category only has four nominees. 2) In 1989, because of lack of competition, there were only three nominees -- Jerome Robbins, Starmites and Black and Blue.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney