CONGRATULATIONS SCOTTSBORO BOYS!!!- Page 3

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 11:59am

Has a closed show ever received this many nominations before?

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 12:03pm

I was thinking the same thing, Jordan...

[jv92]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 12:06pm

As long as K&E win Best Score, I'll be happy. They've never done anything better, and it'd be a sweet victory.

As for a closed show getting this many nods-- Hmm... I know Passion had the shortest run of any Best Musical winner though.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 12:08pm

As long as K&E win Best Score, I'll be happy. They've never done anything better

This is a joke, right? The scores of Chicago and Cabaret are worse than that of The Scottsboro Boys? Interesting, considering that half of the score for Scottsboro is ripped right from Chicago.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 1:05pm

I think that "The Scottsboro Boys" is their best score as well.

[jv92]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 1:44pm

I'll always love Chicago and Cabaret (and most of their other shows), but Scottsboro is Kander's Falstaff.

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 3:50pm

Scottsboro was definitely my favorite musical of the season, and I'm hoping the nominations turn into awards.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 11:04pm

All I can think of is Hallelujah, Baby!, which won Best Musical despite having closed 3 months earlier.

That was, however, a crappy season.

[Performer]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 11:18pm

This is so well deserved and such great news. I hope it wins all of its awards. It was my favorite musical of the season as well.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 11:50pm

I bet Fran and Barry are kicking themselves right about now.

Kicking themselves for what, exactly?

Closing a show that was losing them money every single week it was running? They're producers, business people, and not running a charity organization.

If Scottsboro had been making them money, they'd have kept it open. It wasn't, so they closed it. Simple as that.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 11:52pm

They may be regretting opening in the fall instead of waiting for the spring. If they had opened this month or even last month, they would have gotten a nice surge in sales today.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:04am

If it could have been, it would have been. And THAT'S show business.

[anyanyanyany]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:17am

i remember after seeing the show in november, I went home to read up about the scottsboro boys and I remember finding that the musical mislead people on their fates at the end when they announce what happened to each one. I keep repeating the word remember because I may be incorrect.

If I remember correctly the musical:
1. Said that Haywood died in prison, which is true but they made it seem like he was still in prison in connection to the scottsboro case when he was really in prison because he was arrested later for killing someone in a bar fight (he claimed self defense)
2. the musical said that one of the boys joined the marines and committed suicide after, which is true, but it was a murder-suicide. He killed his girlfriend (wife?) first. The musical never mentioned the murder part, only the suicide.

Can someone else who saw the show confirm that my memory is accurate? Anyway, I remember that that left a bad taste in my mouth. During the musical I was moved, but afterwards I felt somewhat manipulated. Given the real and sensitive subject matter, I thought they should have been completely accurate even if it somewhat detracts from their moral (though some would say it doesnt detract and that what happened afterwards is irrelevant).

[PopAria]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:40am

Hey ANYANYANYANY

You should check out the Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording. There you'll find the answers.
Here's what the song says:
One of them shot themselves. (he gave up hoping)

After 22 years Haywood died in jail. He wrote it all down in a book, he told the truth. There's nothing more he could have done.


That's really interesting info about the real truth of the Scottsboro Boys, thanks for posting.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:54am

The "epilogues" differ in some cases from the Off-Broadway cast recording to what made it into the final Broadway version.

The only two instances I can think of are:

Eugene Williams: On the cd, he talks about how his nightmares never did stop. In the Broadway show, his epilogue was about how his mom put him in seminary and no one knows what happened to him.

(I think it's) Roy Wright: On the cd, he talks about how he just gave up hoping and shot himself. In the show he talks about joining the Military and how it felt good to finally have a gun in his hands. He shot himself.

It doesn't really help answer your question about feeling manipulated, but those were two interesting changes I noted between Off-Broadway and Broadway.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 1:25am

anyany, you are correct about those omissions from the musical. The show also skips over a lot of the legal battles and retrials for some of the individual victims. Still, I don't fault the show for misrepresenting history; I think they condensed a very complicated set of trials into an emotionally truthful telling.

[Donthatecongratulate]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 8:50am

the show would have been 3 hours.

artistic license.

[Pippin]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 11:48am

"Forrest McClendon? Really?

Yes, really. Maybe it wasn't your cup of tea, but he is a consumate professional, worked and laboured over his multiple parts in the show every night during all three runs (Vineyard, Guthrie, and B'way) in both rehearsals and during the runs. He never rested on his laurals and he crafted multiple individual characters along with Colman, while the other boys in the show only had to have one character. I saw alot of this first hand, and can tell you that he more than deserves a nomination, recognizing the admiral work he put into this show.

Really.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 11:52am

But you don't give Tony awards for working hard. I'm sorry. Actors are EXPECTED to work hard. That's part of the deal. If you're going to be in a show, you're expected to commit yourself to the rehearsals and the development of your character. I'm sure he is a lovely person, and I am happy for you that you saw much of this first hand. But being a good person and a consummate professional should not a Tony nominee make. It needs to be something more than that. And there were other people who gave better performances this year. If the category were 15 people, or even 10, I would say good for him. But he did not give one of the top 5 featured actor performances of the year. I'm sorry if you disagree, but it's just how I feel.

[Pippin]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:12pm

Understandable,

but, IMO, his performance as Samuel Leibowitz singing "That's not the way we do things" was one of the highlights of the show, and the season in general. But that's what's great about art. different people see different things, and neither is wrong.

But he IS nominated now, it can't be changed, and complaining is only making you come across as if you just ate some sour grapes, especially in a congratulaions thread.

Updated On: 5/4/11 at 12:12 PM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:34pm

different people see different things, and neither is wrong.

Right, which is why I said "that's how I feel." I don't expect everyone to agree with me.

But he IS nominated now, it can't be changed, and complaining is only making you come across as if you just ate some sour grapes, especially in a congratulations thread.

I'm not saying that I'm not happy for him. Obviously he is thrilled. I just think it's sad that many other worthy performers were overlooked as a result of the Scottsboro pants-wetting party. Like I said, it did deserve some nominations, but 12 is overboard. And yes, congratulations to all involved. I am not trying to diminish your excitement and happiness at all. I am just trying to express sorrow for the people who were unfortunately left out as a result.

[Brick]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 1:40pm

"pants-wetting party"?

It was a wonderful and memorable show, and it was nominated for 12 Tonys. People were shortlisting it for a potential Pulitzer nod: clearly people had high opinions of this show.

And what constitutes a "pants-wetting party"? Many nominations? Well then, was there one for BOOK OF MORMON? Or is it because you disagree with the nominators, in which case who cares?

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 2:12pm

I agree Brick, I think the Tony nominating committee did an amazing job this year. The Scottsboro Boys was met with thunderous reception by the New York theater scene on both an emotional and artistic level. They helped prove that just because something is a finical flop doesn't mean that the carefully crafted performances and design should be forgotten about. I couldn't be happier for for Joshua Henry, Colman Domingo, and Forrest McClendon who all gave the epitome of triple threat performances. And of course I wish all of the nominees the best of luck on on Tony night regardless of what show they worked on.

[Donthatecongratulate]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 2:30pm

Best show of the season. I think people who are upset are so because they sand about "Jew Money". I'm sure that hurt a few hearts.

Best show of the season. Period. BOM may be the funniest show of the season, but SB is the BEST show of the season. Period. Deserved all nominations. Besides great preparation & hard work, all of the actors poured their heart & soul into the show and it showed. If there was a best ensemble award, they would have won.

[julesboogie]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 3:56pm

either bjh2114 really likes pushing buttons, or he/she had money riding on sbb failing. geez oh pete.