Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time? — Page 3

#51

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 11:17am

I'm not saying that Gleason wasn't talented in the role, I love this woman and I love Patti. But from what it sounds like LuPone gave one of those performances that are considered legendary as Reno Sweeney.

#52

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 11:19am

Actually...Gleason gave one of those legendery performances as well. And I was thrilled I got to see it live. Her presence and her character's arc were just too strong to be considered supporting. And I believe she was the favorite at the time.

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"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."

#53

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 11:21am

Of course...to play devil's advocate, who can say that Cerveris' performance in Sweeney is not new and different? I mean how many former Sweeneys have acted, sung, and played an instrument? I actually think Cerveris and this new Sweeney Todd are going to be viewed like 1998's Cabaret.

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

Updated On: 2/27/06 at 11:21 AM

#54

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 11:21am

Nine over Dreamgirls,
Will Rogers over Miss Saigon and
Lion King over Ragtime

#55

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 11:28am

Doll, this is the acting thread. The musical thread can be found below.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=888389&dt=40

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"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

#56

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 11:57am

Definitely Christine Ebersole over Marla Schaffel.

Marla was on stage the entire show minus a few minutes. I think people said it was the opposite for Christine. Can someone back me up on that?

#57

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 1:02pm

Ebersole's role was much smaller, but she was outstanding and voters go for quality, not quantity of stage time. Schaffel had the misfortune of starring in an 80s style epic show at a time when they had gone out of favor with critics and audiences (not to mention that the consensus was that the show was a boring, mediocre example of that subgenre). Aside from its small rabid fan base, the show was disliked and dismissed by most and there was no way Schaffel or anything else about the show had a prayer of winning anything on Tony night (and with Blythe Danner, Faith Prince and Randy Graff -- all previous Tony winners -- also in the category, I would bet Schaffel didn't even come in second in the voting) .

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"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

#58

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 1:14pm

Cherry Jones over KT.

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"You've gotta have a swine to show you where the truffles are."

#59

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 1:20pm

Marla was on stage the entire show minus a few minutes.

Last time I checked, the Tony wasn't handed out for endurance.

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Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.

#60

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 1:27pm

With the whole Bernadette/Marissa situation, I feel like the argument is turning into "which is the better character" rather than "best actress". Every once in a while an amazing actress doesn't hit the mark, and every once in a while a lesser-known will surprise us. Do I think Tracy is a profound character? No. Do I think the character was better-written than mama rose? No. However, I do believe that Marissa deserved the Tony. Not every good actor does a good job every time, which is how I feel about Bernadette's Rose. It's all just opinion, but for argument's sake...

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I hold a degree in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University. It is useless. Now I'm funny for money. Oh, and I sing.

#61

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 1:38pm

For the record, Bernadette was not missing because of "family issues". She missed several preview performances because she was deathly ill.

#62

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 1:38pm

But it's not, TabooFan. That would be more like the Idina Menzel/Tonya Pinkin situation. Both characters go through pretty intense journeys, but one is horribly written, the other brilliantly.

However, Tracy just is no comparison to Momma Rose. The journey of one character is just far more demanding to act than the journey of another. Mastery in each role would find the actress in the more demanding role coming out on top.

#63

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 1:44pm

That would be, assuming you felt that the actor mastered the role. Hence my argument.

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I hold a degree in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University. It is useless. Now I'm funny for money. Oh, and I sing.

#64

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:15pm

I'd have to say Sara Ramirez over Joanna Gleason. After seeing both performances, I just felt that Joanna really shone, and Sara was just okay. And although I love Victoria Clarke, I still would have liked Sherie Rene Scott to win Best Actress.

#65

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:22pm

Also put me down in the category of not being wowed by Sara Ramirez. She wasn't terrible but I didn't think she brought much to the show. Of course I'm not a big fan of the show either and don't understand all the hype so perhaps that causes me to unfairly judge Ms. Ramirez.

#66

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:26pm

Sara was front runner from day one. I saw a late preview of Spamalot and as we were leaving and talking about the show, I said to Bwaysinger, "Sara Ramirez, here's your Tony".

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Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.

#67

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:28pm

Therefore, it's not technically an upset, although very upsetting.

~Steven

#68

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:28pm

bernadette was ROBBED of the tony for "Gypsy" when marissa won it. the role of tracy has no arc, it's a single cartoon that sustains through the show whereas bernadette as rose was another fresh, modern interpretation of a classic role that had not only a dramatic arc but she belted out some great songs filled with emotion and pathos.

Exactly. Tracy is a character that requires energy, but you cannot compare to it Mama Rose- which is THE greatest female role. Rose is so much more layered and complicated, while Tracy is a one-demensional caraciture.

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There's a lot I am not certain of...

#69

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:30pm

As far as Tonya v. Ms. Menzel, I think it's borderline absurd to say that this was one of THE "biggest upsets of all time." People seem to forget that good material will make you look better. Taking a well-written role like Caroline and showing her layers is not nearly as difficult as taking the sad excuse for a character that the creators of Wicked made for Idina Menzel and turning it into something incredibly layered, complex, dynamic, real, and powerful. And she did it. Perhaps you felt Pinkins deserved it, but there is no denying the level of work that Menzel did with that role.

Idina did deserve that Tony. She worked her ass off in that role and her hard work payed off. Enough said.

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There's a lot I am not certain of...

#70

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:43pm

I wasn't the slightest bit surprised that Cumming beat Stokes in 1998, but I was vERY surprised when Natasha Richardson beat Ripley/Skinner.

#71

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:53pm

Haha. Did they have a shot at winning? I don't remember that logistics of that race.

~Steven

#72

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 4:54pm

Richardson was the favorite

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

#73

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 5:00pm

All right, I thought she would be, especially over the bizarre Ripley/Skinner nomination.

~Steven

#74

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 5:05pm

What Tonya did each night - compared to Idina....come on.

Yes, Idina did a great job. But why should Tonya be screwed out of a Tony because she is in the better show?

If Idina did nothing with the role - it would have been obvious that the script is faulty. If Tonya didn't do well, it would have shows she couldn't handle the part.

The fact that Pinkins was able to make an extremely complex character her own shows a whole lot more.

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The smallest stream is a valent river. It will drown me if it can.

#75

re: Biggest Tony Upset for Acting Awards of all time?

Posted: 2/27/06 at 5:07pm

Carol over Barbra, 1964
Mary over Ethel, 1960
Judy Holliday over Julie Andrews, 1956
Donna McKechnie over either lady in Chicago, 1975

Dustin Hoffman not nommed for Death of a Salesman

With names like these, it is pretty sad to include wannabees like Idina, Marissa, Sutton, and all the other B-level socalled divas on Broadway.

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Do you know what happens when you let Veal Prince Orloff sit in an oven too long?