Cady Huffman winning her TONY.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 1:36am

Who saw her performance? It just seems odd that she beat out such other great actors for such an underwritten part? Was it because she turned a horrible character into something extraordinary?

[mc1227]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 7:51am

Cady was wonderful in the Producers and very deserving of her Tony. She played Ula with the perfect combination of sexiness, sweetness and boy, she could belt!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:07am

She was a delight to behold. Totally worthy of a Tony win.

In the movie? Yikes, she was not good. Don't judge one medium by the other.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:10am

I thought Uma Thurman played Ula in the movie.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:20am

Brain Fart. (And my apologies)

Ula in the movie WAS terrible....but then so was the whole film.


Advice still holds: don't judge the role by film. It was much better on stage.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:40am

With the exception of Uma, I loved the film. Makes me laugh every single time.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:50am

I was going off of the play. I saw it when Roger Bart was playing Leo, and the girl playing Ulla just didn't stay with me. It just is a pretty stock character type, Cady just seems to have made it work.

[followspot]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:55am

Huffman blew the roof off. Totally expected (clean sweep — Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Tony) and deserved win.

See for yourself:

Cady/Ulla

Updated On: 4/17/13 at 08:55 AM

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 8:56am

I still find it odd that Kate Levering was placed in Featured that year for playing Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street while Christine Ebersole WON the Tony for Leading Actress for Dorothy Brock. I think if Ebersole was in Featured, Huffman would not have had a chance.

[ullabelt]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 9:12am

E.DAVIS...she is a stock character...they all are. Thats sort of the point.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 9:23am

I know she is a stock character..nevermind.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 10:06am

I'm with the camp that she deserved the Tony.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 10:07am

Huffman was the only entertaining thing about that unfunny overhyped musical.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 10:11am

I felt like she was fine, but got swept up on the tony landslide for "The Producers". I would have rather seen Freeman or Bergen win that year.

Wanda Richert was also nominated as supporting for playing Peggy in the original "42nd St.". Ebersole was delicious as Dorothy, but many argue that it is a supporting role and Schaffel deserved the Tony that year.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 10:16am

I really wish the Tony Committee would revamp their process for determining categories. Enough with this 'above the title' crap. They need to only consider the role itself...not the salespower of advertising.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 10:27am

I don't remember Ebersole being above the title, though. I assume the producers petitioned her to be considered lead, which worked out for them since she did win. Then they got Levering and Mary Testa noms for supporting.

I did see the original and Ebersole was so much better than Grimes, who didnt leave much of an impression. She made the revival for me.

That said, Peggy should be considered the lead, and Dorothy supporting.

[nealb1]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 12:04pm

I saw the original Broadway cast twice, and was quite surprised when she won the Tony. Didn't really see what the big deal was about her performance.

[behindthescenes2]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 3:57pm

She was lucky. I know I saw her do it twice on broadway. the stupid tony voters acted like lemmings to the sea that year - idiots. Yes I enjoyed The Producers, I thought it a very good show, but not the end all, and Andre DeShields and Kathleen Freeman were robbed of the Tony. Listen the point of a featured actor is to do your 20 minutes in the show - stop the show, pick up all of the applause and walk off the stage, which Deshields and Freeman absolutely did in Full Monty, and that is definitely what Huffman and Beach did not do in The Producers. There will always be undeserved winners in awards, Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love) winning over Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station). It is what it is as frustrating as it is.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:06pm

Hoffman and Beach stopped the show when I saw The Producers. I have no qualms with those lil paperweights on their mantles.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:08pm

But all these things are simply OPINIONS. Who wins as well as what individuals think of those wins is nothing but opinion.

[behindthescenes2]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:12pm

The question was asked and answered. What else is there but opinions in award giving? Your point about opinions would be what? An opinion about giving an opinion?
Is this stressed because others disagree with your opinion?

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:26pm

"Listen the point of a featured actor is to do your 20 minutes in the show - stop the show, pick up all of the applause and walk off the stage, which Deshields and Freeman absolutely did in Full Monty, and that is definitely what Huffman and Beach did not do in The Producers."

That's not presented as an opinion. That's presented as a statement of fact, what with the 'absolutely' and the 'definitely'. And since both Huffman and (especially) Beach certainly did stop the show the night I saw it...well, it would appear that you're wrong.

Like the performance, or don't like it. Hate or love who won the Tony. But the idea that either Huffman or Beach were so far afield from what a Tony-winning performance looks like is just absurd.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:29pm

This^.

I have no problem with people having different opinions, but you seem to have to "prove" yours with ridiculous statements.

[behindthescenes2]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:33pm

It is my opinion that those two in The Producers did not stop the show. You have your opinion that they did and good for you and the others that share your opinion. It is also my opinion of what a featured actor does and does not represent fact, as there are directors or others who probably disagree with that. So now, my opinions are being called fact and absurd and ridiculous. If you think these individuals did what I consider a featured actors job is - great. I just don't think they did. Smooth your ruffled feathers ladies - it is just an opinion.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:45pm

Argue whatever point you'd like as forcefully as you'd like. I've seen people stop shows with what I would consider either a weak performance or weak material. I've sat in a theater dumbfounded, wondering if everyone around me was on psychotropic drugs. But I'd never say that the performance didn't stop the show. I just didn't like it or get it. Those are different things.