Breaking News: Final 2014 Tony Awards Eligibility from LADY DAY to CABARET!- Page 2

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 1:50pm

skyboy where are you seeing that about Aladdin? The article does not say that.

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 1:51pm

Idina Menzel and Michelle Williams just breathed a sigh of relief.

I'm thinking our Tony nominees for best actress in a musical will be:

Sutton Foster
Idina Menzel
Jessie Mueller
Kelli O'Hara
Michelle Williams

Foster for the win.

[Jamie Pierce]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 1:52pm

I've never understood why an Off-Broadway show receiving a new Broadway production is considered a revival vs an Off-Broadway transfer eligible as new? Is it a statute of limitations thing? I just feel that if they've never had a shot a Best Score, etc why deny them the opportunity?

[tazber]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 1:54pm

The article was updated with this:

UPDATE: Michelle Williams, and the other cast members of Cabaret will be eligible in their respective acting categories, Alan Cumming will be ineligible, having previously won for playing the role. The production will be eligible as Best Revival of a Musical, but none of the production elements will be eligible.

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 1:55pm

J52-I am of the opinion that revivals which are in that category under the 'classics' rule (this started when shows like Assassins and Little Shop, which had significant off-Broadway and regional lives, made their way to Broadway) should indeed be eligible in the book and score categories-they have never been eligible for those before, so why not give them a chance to compete as well? (At least that is my logic. Some books have been deemed eligible, such as Cinderella and Flower Drum Song, but I guess I think that for reasonably 'new' shows (i.e., under 25 years old) they should be allowed a chance to compete int hose categories.)

[skyboy]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 1:55pm

If they did not specifically deem the score as ineligible, then it is considered eligible. For it not to be eligible, they have to rule it as such. Precedent for this was set with ONCE just two seasons ago. BULLETS was not included bc it contained no new material so it is obvious, but when certainty is in doubt or when new material is included - they will make a ruling on the score's eligibility.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:02pm

Well, in the case of Flower Drum Song and Cinderella, those were entirely new books for pre-existing shows. They straddled the line between new and pre-existing.

Shows like Hedwig or Violet have had revisions over the years, but nothing as substantial. Their scripts are still recognizably the ones that they debuted with.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:04pm

Thanks for posting that update, Taz.

This might be taxing task, but I would love if the Tony website had a list of every possible nominee in each category listed.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:16pm

"And it seems like they deemed Cabaret eligible just to have it on the telecast... "

Or because it is a good production and qualifies under the rules they have set to be eligible.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:22pm

Regardless, it will be interesting to see which revival gets left out. I don't see there being a 3 vote difference between the final two. My guess? Les Miserables.

[skyboy]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:23pm

I also think, if there are only 3 nominees, CABARET stands a great chance of shutting out LES MIS.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:23pm

Why wouldn't all four revivals be nominated?

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:35pm

I was wondering the same thing, Kad.

I'd say:

Cabaret
Hedwig
Les Mis
Violet

There are the nominees. Had Lady Day been named a musical that would've been a case of needing the necessary votes to get the fifth nominee.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:36pm

I am glad Lady Day is in the category it belongs in. Calling it a musical is as ridiculous as the Golden Globes calling films like Ray, Walk the Line, Whats love got to do with it, Selena and Crazy Heart musicals.

Updated On: 4/25/14 at 02:36 PM

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:38pm

I think it's a musical, and I did see it, but I could see it either way.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:39pm

Why wouldn't all four revivals be nominated?

As per the Tony Award website:
-Where there are five or fewer eligible shows in a Best Show category, at the Tony Nominating Meeting, the Nominating Committee will be instructed to cast one vote each for three eligible shows as nominees on his/her secret ballot. Such ballot shall be collected and tabulated by a representative of the Accounting Firm. The three eligible shows with the highest number of votes will automatically be the nominees in such category. The Accounting Firm will determine if a fourth nominee shall be added to the category in the event that the difference in votes between the third highest ranked show and the fourth highest ranked show is three votes or less.




Updated On: 4/25/14 at 02:39 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:40pm

Cabaret being eligible for revival isn't that different from the multiple revivals of The King and I or My Fair Lady that were recreations of the original productions being eligible.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:47pm

I see why one could think Aladdin would be eligible for best score, and indeed it may be.

But it's surprising that they didn't specify that only certain songs could be considered. The lack of clarification is odd.

[carlodowd]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:49pm

As stated about Cabaret "The production will be eligible as Best Revival of a Musical, but none of the production elements will be eligible.” aka they can get a Revival Nom. but not costume, set, etc

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:50pm

@dreaming and @tazber, Cabaret didn't win Best Direction the last time. Mendes lost to Julie Taymor for Lion King. Sounds like he will be ineligible regardless, though.

[cknick]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 3:13pm

Lady Day should have been considered a musical. Audra's performance relies on the music and she is singing most of the time. Cherry's role, as with all true plays, relies on text and monologues...NOT music. Upsetting, to say the least. Not that I don't think both actresses deserve wins, but it all feels a little too planned to me.

Updated On: 4/25/14 at 03:13 PM

[theatreguy]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 3:15pm

Tazber - the "only new songs can be considered" thing applied before the 50% rule came around (which was in 1996 or so - shortly after Beauty and the Beast and State Fair). With the current rules, if the score is at least 50% new then the entire thing is eligible.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 3:33pm

There's only four new songs that were written for the stage, I would think Aladdin would be ineligible for Best score since the bulk of the songs were written for the film,

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 3:50pm

Very happy with the way the eligibility rulings came out. Good for Audra. Very glad ALADDIN's score will be eligible and glad to see it picking up a lot of steam toward the Tonys - it could very well win. As another comment said, GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE just doesn't seem like a "Best Musical" winner (call it the x factor, "it" factor, chutzpah, whatever). ALADDIN and BEAUTIFUL's commercial appeal will help them standout among certain voters compared to the other offerings IMO.

Also count me in the camp that if we only see three nominees for Best Revival of a Musical, LES MISÉRABLES will be the one left out.

Regarding ALADDIN's score - it has long been up for debate that when scores like this are deemed eligible, is the ENTIRE score then eligible or is only the new material eligible? I have always thought that if a score is ruled eligible, then that ENTIRE score must be taken into consideration and is eligible as a result. It does not seem fair to vote on the entire score of one musical but only vote on say, half or 3/4 of another.



Updated On: 4/25/14 at 03:50 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 4:01pm

Asking Re: Aladdin: but if 50% of the score is NOT new, wouldn't it automatically be INeligible? Would they have to state that since it wouldn't be inconsistent?