Breaking News: Outer Critics Circle Announces 2015-16 Award Winners - SHE LOVES ME; LONG DAY'S JOURNEY Lead Pack
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:04am
I would have gone with Waitress over Bright Star, but regardless, I'm so happy that Michael Arden and Christopher Fitzgerald won!!
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:06am
Seems pretty much as expected, with some exceptions.
Bright Star winning best musical makes me feel about the same way as The Humans winning best play. Those who have seen my other posts about The Humans will know what I mean by that.
C'est la vie.
Updated On: 5/9/16 at 12:06 AM
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:08am
Wow! Congrats to Bright Star and Dear Evan Hansen! Loving the She Loves Me love as well!
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:24am
Yay for original musicals
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:25am
So pleased for Bright Star! I still can't believe John Doyle wasn't nominated for directing The Color Purple.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:45am
Really... She Loves Me over The Color Purple...
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:56am
Im actually good with all those except for Best Actress in a Musical. I'm between Cusack and Cynthia. They're both so damn good in their shows.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 12:57am
If they tied at the Tonys, I'd be so thrilled. They gave my two favorite performances this year.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 1:01am
@z5 said: "Really... She Loves Me over The Color Purple..."
I haven't seen SLM yet so I might be out of line, but it seems LITERALLY as vanilla as you can get (even if it's incredibly high quality and charming) and I will be very disappointed if it wins the Best Revival Tony over The Color Purple and Spring Awakening.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 1:14am
Not sure why being Vanilla is such a negative. She Loves Me is absolute perfection. It's just a great revival of a great show, whereas the others are great revivals of problematic shows. Color Purple has great moments, but I think the story is more sweeping and grand than the she lets on. As a first time viewer, I didn't even realize a great deal of time had passed until the end.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 1:25am
^^^^ why is this the actress's fault and not yours? There's many indications to tell the viewer that time has passed.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 1:32am
Having seen both SLM and Color Purple, I think Color Purple is far superior. Not even close, imho. SLM was neat and tidy but it seemed to lack some of the sincerity needed for such a "vanilla" show as you guys noted (aside from Zachary Levi who was really superb and lovable). The Color Purple was so raw and simple, and Cynthia Erivo deserves every bit of praise and more. Super strong cast all around and seemed very organic where I've heard the original came off more contrived. Left me sincerely weeping in the theatre as few shows have every done. Okay, I'm done singing praises now but I could go on forever...
Posted: 5/9/16 at 1:34am
Hellob said: "^^^^ why is this the actress's fault and not yours? There's many indications to tell the viewer that time has passed.
"
I'm with RippedMan here. This revival of TCP was not my first time viewing it but the story is still oddly directed where I can see how a first time viewer might be confused on some of the timeline or events unmentioned and only assumed or inferred. Such as things that happen before the show starts or even offstage.
Nothing wrong with being 'vanilla,' but She Loves Me, in my opinion, was a HUGE bore. I almost left at intermission. But we're all entitled to our opinions.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 4:44am
GreenSharpie said: "
I haven't seen SLM yet so I might be out of line, but it seems LITERALLY as vanilla as you can get (even if it's incredibly high quality and charming) and I will be very disappointed if it wins the Best Revival Tony over The Color Purple and Spring Awakening.
I have seen both SLM and CP. I agree that SLM is charming, high quality and has a great cast but in my opinion CP should win the Tony. I'm surprised Bright Star won especially with it beating Waitress for best score, although I haven't seen it. Just going off of what I've heard. Oh well it's nice for the love to spread around. Paints a picture of what the Tony awards would have potentially looked like without Hamilton
"
Posted: 5/9/16 at 5:55am
Delighted for Bright Star- even if it doesn't manage to sustain an audience its sincerity and desire to tell a story in its own way have been recognized.
Naturally, delighted for She Loves Me and the divine Miss Krakowski!
Posted: 5/9/16 at 6:24am
Danny B is great in Fiddler but c'mon- that should have gone to Ben Platt. It's a star making role and he gives everything he can, every night. Awarding the latest Teyve isn't very forward thinking.
And Cynthia Erivo winning shows all you have to do is belt out big numbers to win, even if you don't bother with the acting bits inbetween. That should have been awarded to Carmen Cusack.
Still at least they had the sense to award Bright Star.
Color Purple was badly directed and absolutely doesn't deserve a best revival award. The storytelling is all over the place. When I saw it, the couple next to me (very intelligent and regular theatre go'ers -we chatted in the interval ) didn't know what was going on and I agreed.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 6:45am
I'm surprised by the recent wave of awards love for Bright Star (winning this and the Tony noms for book and best musical). I actually liked Bright Star but that was in spite of its flaws. I loved Carmen Cusack and love much of the score (have to skip a few songs) but that book has so many problems. The twists are transparent and some dialogue is really pedestrian and forced. I feel like you have to sit through actively bad parts to get to the actively good parts (some of which are fabulous), which to me doesn't make for a best musical.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 6:45am
Double post.
Updated On: 5/9/16 at 06:45 AM
Posted: 5/9/16 at 6:50am
I am actually THRILLED with these winners!
Posted: 5/9/16 at 7:04am
"Bright Star winning best musical makes me feel about the same way as The Humans winning best play. Those who have seen my other posts about The Humans will know what I mean by that. "
I haven't read your posts, as I try to avoid reading anything that will remind me of that inept grotesquerie --- sitting through it was bad enough! But I can guess what you mean, and if I guess correctly, I feel exactly as you do.
"C'est la vie."
Oui. Et c'est aussi la mort --- du bon goût, et du bon sens.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 7:53am
I'm a little sad Daddy Long Legs didn't actually win anything, but I'm thriller for Bright Star. It's such a beautiful show, but with zero name recognition (beyond Steve Martin as writer) to pull in audiences, and I really hope that the awards love (which will hopefully continue at the Drama Desks) will put it onto the list of shows to see for more people so that I can stick around! Waitress is great show with a great score as well, but it doesn't need the awards, it's selling tickets well on its own.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 7:55am
Delighted for Bright Star!
Also very happy that SLM won best revival.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 7:59am
brian1973 said: "Danny B is great in Fiddler but c'mon- that should have gone to Ben Platt. It's a star making role and he gives everything he can, every night. Awarding the latest Teyve isn't very forward thinking.
And Cynthia Erivo winning shows all you have to do is belt out big numbers to win, even if you don't bother with the acting bits inbetween. That should have been awarded to Carmen Cusack.
Still at least they had the sense to award Bright Star.
Color Purple was badly directed and absolutely doesn't deserve a best revival award. The storytelling is all over the place. When I saw it, the couple next to me (very intelligent and regular theatre go'ers -we chatted in the interval ) didn't know what was going on and I agreed.
"
This entire post is LAUGHABLE! This is some of the most raw, smartly directed, moving, life changing piece of theater Broadway has seen in years. Sorry this Musicsl was too intelligent for your liking. Go see Sponge Bob when it comes out. Seems to be more your speed.
Posted: 5/9/16 at 8:52am
Color Purple was messy and unfocused. I thought that She Loves Me was a much funnier, more charming, and overall better show.
