Biggest Tony Upset ever?- Page 3

[wickedmenzel318]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 10:51pm

Jay,
They performed "This is not over yet" from Parade. But I agree that was a biggest one for me.

[mastachen2]

Posted: 5/13/08 at 11:20pm

When Follies, Parade, Ragtime, and Grey Gardens lost their best musical Tony, those were the 3 biggest upsets.

Sorry, but Ave. Q was beloved by critics wayyy more than Wicked, and you could have seen it coming all night. Head-to-head, Avenue Q beat out Wicked in every single category except for some technical stuff and the acting category.

That year, and the year Miss Saigon lost Best musical (92 or 91, can't remember), gave me hope that the Tony Awards was not a popularity contest.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 2:43am

Another mention, though not an upset even though I personally was upset, was The Producers winning best score over Jane Eyre.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 5:54am

I agree with Broadway Local. For the 1959-1960 season, GYPSY lost for best musical to a tie for THE SOUND OF MUSIC and FIORELLO, both of which were very good shows--I saw all three of them--but they were not in the same league as GYPSY.

And Ethel Merman lost to Mary Martin for THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Ethel's retort to Mary's winning: "How can you buck a nun?"

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 6:08am

Well, of course David Hyde Pierce over Raul Esparza comes to mind, an upset that made this boy happy.
On the play front, I remember everyone sort of gasped when Bill Irwin won the Tony over Brian F. O'Byrne.
It was known that SPRING AWAKENING would win the Tony way before Tony night, and on Tony night when they swept the awards even in categories that they had no reason to win (Orchestrations and Choreography immediately come to mind...Best Score as well), it became clear to everyone that they were set to win Best Musical.
LION KING was not an upset either.
I think Menzel winning over four stronger performances, particularly those of Tonya Pinkins and Donna Murphy (who had won just about every NY-theater based award she was eligible for that season), was not only an upset but a travesty.
Wasn't Joanna Gleason winning over Patti LuPone considered an upset at the time?
And I remember Audra McDonald said that the year she won for MASTER CLASS, even Zoe Caldwell told her that she was not going to win and that it was okay. McDonald also says that she wasn't even nominated for a Drama Desk for RAGTIME so she never expected to win that award either.

Updated On: 5/14/08 at 06:08 AM

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 8:20am

Mary Martin (SOUND OF MUSIC) beating Ethel Merman (GYPSY).

[defyinggravity42694]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 12:30pm

I actually think one of the Biggest tony upsets is right now...
Sierra Boggess not being nominated for Best Actress in a Musical... like seriously, c'mon?!?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 12:53pm

All of these are more surprises than actua upsets. An upset would be when the majority of industry experts and fans expect a certain show to win and it doesn't. (Example: If in 1975 CHICAG had won over A CHORUS LINE, THAT would have been an upset. If BELLS ARE RINGING had beat MY FAIR LADY, THAT would have been an upset.)

For me it's always more interesting going in not knowing what show may take the award. 1997: I had no idea which show was going to win. STEEL PIER had the best set of reviewes and the most nominations, but it came away empty-handed. TITANIC had gotten terrible reviews but had been gaining support in the weeks before the awards thanks to the Rosie factor. The only award every knew fo sure was that CHICAGO would take Best Revival.

The 1998 Tonys went pretty much as expected though many journalists (not all of them) thought RAGTIME would win Best Musical. The fact that it didn't was a surprise but hardly an upset.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 1:05pm

Remember when "Two Gentlemen of Verona" beat out "Follies"?

Yeah...

Upsets don't get worse than that.

Actually, that made perfect sense. Follies was not loved by the critics or audiences. Only die-hard Sondheim fans. Follies won Best Score, which it deserved, but has flopped both on Broadway and the West End. It's a good concert show, but fails to work as a full production, mainly due to its cynicism and its weak book. But Two Gentlemen of Verona was a frothy clever crowd-pleaser, upon which Tony voters (especially pre-1980s) usually prefer to bestow the prize. It was not that huge of an upset and it does get worse than that.

Updated On: 5/14/08 at 01:05 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 1:54pm

Idina over Pinkins for me too. And Avenue Q over Caroline or Change still has me reeling. I was a bit shocked when Jersey Boys won also. I didn't see it, I hear it is good, but I was thinking Drowsy or Color Purple migght win. Drowsy more than Color Purple. (Although I loved both shows)

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 2:30pm

Alan Cumming in Cabaret over Brian Stokes in Ragtime
And Lion King over Ragtime

[jaystarr]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 2:35pm

How about Natasha Richarson in Cabaret?


Gosh! she cant barely sing to win a TONYS!

J*

[caitlinette]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 3:46pm

the role of elphaba won... not the overrated actress who played her.

This is an interesting point, one which I was thinking about earlier today and was wondering what fellow BWWers had to say about it. It's how I felt when Jennifer Hudson won the Oscar; I feel it was her character -- the big-voiced underdog -- that people liked rather than her portrayal.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 3:48pm

Jay, Sally isn't supposed to be a good singer. She was brilliant anyway.

[misschung]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 4:13pm

"Alan Cumming in Cabaret over Brian Stokes in Ragtime "

Really?

[sparkleplenty]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 4:16pm

I agree with Lion King over Ragtime. Lion King was beautiful to look at, with some nice songs...but Ragtime was great in every department.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 4:39pm

I agree with Lion King over Ragtime. Lion King was beautiful to look at, with some nice songs...but Ragtime was great in every department.

Except for the staging and design, which was all over the place. And the book was somewhat problematic. I totally agreed with Lion King winning Best Musical. Had I not actually seen Ragtime, then I might agree with you based on popular opinion, but Ragtime was something of a disappointment.

[springstagemanager]

Posted: 5/14/08 at 4:47pm

It's a tie between:

1. Cheyenne not being nominated for Best Featured Actor... WHAT?!

and

2. David Hyde Pierce winning Best Actor over Jon Groff.

and

3. Lion King over Ragtime.

and

4. Alan Cumming in Cabaret over Brian Stokes in Ragtime

and

5. Steel Pier coming away with absolutely nothing. I know that it isn't the greatest, but I love the show and I think it should have gotten something.