Bitch about the 2009 Tony nominations here ! — Page 8

Also why "The American Plan" (gay character) got all the play nominations instead of "God of Carnage" (no gay character) this year.

I did see Billy Elliot and what bothers me a great deal about how everyone fawns over it is that it could have been the great show I keep reading it is but the director never trusted his initial work to get to that point.

Time after time in that show a poignant moment is hammered home, or a simple moment is made too big. Examples: Billy and Michael sing Express Yourself and do a nice dance together...then they have to bring down a mylar curtain and giant dancing outfits on clothes hangers (has the show suddenly become Beauty and the Beast?); Billy dances alone to a stirring rendition of the pas de deux from Swan Lake...then they bring on the fog and an "older version" of Billy, but not trusting that to land the ovations, they move on to a flying effect. In his big song Billy likens his love for dance to the feeling of electricity flowing through him, not a feeling of flight.

It's very frustrating for me that the same director of the emotionally satisfying film couldn't understand what made the story so touching in the first place. Also frustrating is the way everyone is praising this overproduced show, encouraging more directors to pander to the baser desires of an audience. Sure, people are leaping to their feet, but I felt many times in the show the reaction I had (a lump in the throat) was squashed under the feeling of being manipulated into feeling more excitement than I felt would be honest to express.

But I see I'm very alone in that reaction.

bwaybabe2 is 100% correct... To leave James Barbour (Arguably the best performance this past tony year) out of this category is a travesty!

We have the Fans Nominating the Shows: look at the first entry on the Broadway World Message Board.

But you raise a good point: WHO are the nominators, and exactly WHAT is the legal nominating process?

Can someone point to a site where this is spelled out?

I think they should get fans to nominate the shows. That way the right shows would be picked

thats the dumbest ****ing thing I've ever heard.

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Zoneace whats your problem! It my opinion not yours

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To Zoneace Whatever! yOU'VE NUTIN BETTER TO DO BUT SAY NASTY THINGS

To anyone who cares 9 to 5 shud have got set design and best musical

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It was like they were trying to distract you from looking at the show so you wouldn't realize how bad it was

Maybe that's what made the lights so good!

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Thank You Calvin
and uhhh I don't think I'm totally wrong.
Look at all the musicals that have won over the last few years (Minus IN THE HEIGHTS)
but its true Gay theme= in the words of Carmen Ghia "TONY TONY TONY"

Look at all the musicals that have won over the last few years (Minus IN THE HEIGHTS)
but its true Gay theme= in the words of Carmen Ghia "TONY TONY TONY"

Except that it's not true. We already provided far more examples than yours. And having a token gay character is not a "gay theme". That's like saying Annie is a show about a dog. Billy Elliot is not a gay show or a gay-themed show. It is a show with one gay character.

Past Best Musicals over the last 33 years:

1976 - A Chorus Line (two gay characters)
1977 - Annie (no gays)
1978 - Ain't Misbehavin' (no gays)
1979 - Sweeney Todd (no gays)
1980 - Evita (no gays)
1981 - 42nd Street (no gays)
1982 - Nine (no gays)
1983 - Cats (no gays)
1984 - La Cage aux Folles (gay theme)
1985 - Big River (no gays)
1986 - The Mystery of Edwin Drood (no gays)
1987 - Les Miserables (no gays)
1988 - The Phantom of the Opera (no gays)
1989 - Jerome Robbins Broadway (no gays)
1990 - City of Angels (no gays)
1991 - The Will Rogers Follies (no gays)
1992 - Crazy For You (no gays)
1993 - Kiss of the Spider Woman (gay theme)
1994 - Passion (no gays)
1995 - Sunset Boulevard (no gays)
1996 - Rent (gay characters; gay theme debatable)
1997 - Titanic (no gays)
1998 - The Lion King (no gays)
1999 - Fosse (gay characters in "Take Off With Us")
2000 - Contact (no gays)
2001 - The Producers (gay characters)
2002 - Thoroughly Modern Millie (no gays)
2003 - Hairspray (no gays)
2004 - Avenue Q (two gay characters)
2005 - Spamalot (two gay characters)
2006 - Jersey Boys (no gays)
2007 - Spring Awakening (two gay characters)
2008 - In the Heights (no gays)

Nine shows in 33 years with gay characters won Best Musical. Only three with gay themes. A "gay-themed" show has won in over ten years. Unless you believe the inclusion of any minority is the theme of a show? In that case, any show with an African American in the cast MUST be an African American musical, right?

You are totally wrong.

My honest reaction to CRock of Ages & the AI loser being nominated is WTF?? (I haven't seen the show and I know it fared quite well with the critics - it's just not my kind of thing at all and I don't know what exactly about it makes it so Tony-worthy compared to, say, Ace Young in Grease)??

Perhaps you were thinking "WTF" because you haven't seen it? Just a hunch.

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I'm not commenting on Constantine's talent or performance in Rock of Ages because I haven't seen it yet, but at least he does have musical theatre training and experience. He's not just an Idol has-been. Clearly, the production team thought it was a good idea to have him create a role in a musical on Broadway, and clearly it was a good idea because he got a Tony nomination out of it. Then again, you said it yourself that it's not your kind of show, so what's to complain about? It's the nominating committee's kind of show and their opinion counts in this case.

~Steven

No nomination for Carla Gugino in Elms

A travesty

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