Biggest Tony upset of all time? — Page 2

There are also different levels of "upset" depending on the timeline of the season.

On the last day of the Broadway season, Matilda still seemed like the frontrunner over Kinky Boots. Leading up to the Tonys, Matilda won the Drama Desk and Kinky won the OCC. On the night of the Tonys, before Best Musical was announced, Kinky had 5 and Matilda had 3, so the wind was blowing in Kinky's direction.

>Going way back to 1971: Two Gentlemen of Verona over Follies for Best Musical. Even the presenters and winners were stunned. And while I love some of Galt MacDermot, how the hell did that happen? How many revivals have there been of Two Gentlemen?<

Steven Suskin, reviewing the CD for Two Gentlemen of Verona some years back at Playbill.com, gave his own explanation for why Two Gents won over Follies.

"Two Gents is best remembered in some circles as the show that bested Follies for the Best Musical Tony Award. Sondheim won the Tony for his score, as well he should have; but Two Gents, as a show, was infinitely more enjoyable and satisfying than Follies. I was a teenager selling orange drink in the balcony at the time, and let me tell you: People streaming out of Two Gents were for the most part ecstatic. (The exuberant finale, with cast members tossing Frisbees over the heads of the audience, contributed to the carnival-like atmosphere.) Audiences slinking out of Follies were for the most part sullen. Especially people over forty. While audience-happiness and entertainment value are not synonymous with quality — and while the Sondheim show has had far more of an afterlife — Two Gentlemen of Verona, in the theatre, in 1971, worked; Follies did not."

Smaxie said:

"Going way back to 1971: Two Gentlemen of Verona over Follies for Best Musical. Even the presenters and winners were stunned. And while I love some of Galt MacDermot, how the hell did that happen? How many revivals have there
"Two Gentsis best remembered in some circles as the show that bested Folliesfor the Best Musical Tony Award. Sondheim won the Tony for his score, as well he should have; butTwo Gents, as a show, was infinitely more enjoyable and satisfying thanFollies. I was a teenager selling orange drink in the balcony at the time, and let me tell you: People streaming out ofTwo Gentswere for the most part ecstatic. (The exuberant finale, with cast members tossing Frisbees over the heads of the audience, contributed to the carnival-like atmosphere.) Audiences slinking out ofFollieswere for the most part sullen. Especially people over forty. While audience-happiness and entertainment value are not synonymous with quality — and while the Sondheim show has had far more of an afterlife —Two Gentlemen of Verona, in the theatre, in 1971, worked;Folliesdid not."

So, 'Two Gents' worked because people felt they were leaving a carnival, and Follies was undoubtedly not. He says that happiness does not equate quality, yet that is the only justification he gives as to why the former "worked".

Clearly, time has proven that Follies "works" just fine.

JudyDenmark said: "Not sure if it would be considered an upset, but I was pretty shocked last year when Itamar Moses won overTina Fey for Book of aMusical. Band's Visit obviously had the momentum of a sweep (deserved, imho), but I was pretty floored that Tina didn't take that one. Actual book aside, I thought it would be like Cyndi Lauper winning for the Kinky Boots score - all about the name."

Also a big surprise from last year: Once on this Island beating My Fair Lady for Best Revival.

1. Lachanze winning Best Actress was a big shocker.

2. Wicked losing Best Musical.

Tony Shalhoub winning over Joshua Henry. He had one song that he spoke, what a joke. Joshua was the only good thing about Carousel (besides the choreography). His "Soliloquy" alone made him deserving. Laziest year for the American Theater Wing I have ever seen.

You didn't see him in the role. Could have just stopped right there. Everything else after that does not matter.

LuPita2 said: "You didn't see him in the role.Could have just stopped right there. Everything else after that does not matter."

Not really, you were slagging off the fact that in your (wrong) opinion the role wasn't important enough because he only sang one to warrant winning a Tony award for playing it. It was an award for best performance in a musical, it wasn't for best singing in a musical.

Of course you are clearly wrong as it did win and you now have to suffer in your bitter wrongness for an eternity of wrong x

7thbighero said: "To this day it makes my blood boil that Will Rogers Follies won Best Musical over Secret Garden, Miss Siagon, and most of all Once on this Island"

Same here. I would have voted for Miss Saigon, but WRF was a distant fourth of that group for me.

Updated On: 3/18/19 at 08:10 PM

carolinaguy said: "Impossible2 said: "LuPita2 said: "Tony Shalhoub winning over Joshua Henry. He hadone song that he spoke, what a joke. Joshua was the only good thing about Carousel (besides the choreography). His "Soliloquy" alone made him deserving. Laziest year for the American Theater Wing I have ever seen."

I didn't see Shalhoub in the role, but the part itself was fantastic and I'd have given the Tony to the actor I saw playing it as well."

I saw Shalhoub and Henry and would have voted for Shalhoub in a second. Just watching him listen and react to his fellow actors was amaster class. Henry sang well but never really made me believe he was Billy. That was most likely more the fault of the lack of meaningful concept in that unfortunate production rather than the actor, though."

Henry's vocal performance was amazing that can't be denied. His acting however....and the production itself was a total mess x

LuPita2 said: "Tony Shalhoub winning over Joshua Henry. He had one song that he spoke, what a joke. Joshua was the only good thing about Carousel (besides the choreography). His "Soliloquy" alone made him deserving. Laziest year for the American Theater Wing I have ever seen."

That song is meant to be in classical Arabic style, and that is how it ought to sound. It's not just "spoken" like Tony Shalhoub is lazy or bad at it or something.

"Anyone remember 2 Gents."

Yes.