Can Kiss Me Kate Upset Oklahoma! for Best Revival Of A Musical? — Page 2

I personally found the choreography of KMK to be like a lowest common denominator form of choreography in which we make an amazing energetic ensemble of dancers do stupid **** that has nothing to do with the song in order to wow the crowd and get the choreographer a tony. And the complete mistrust of Porter’s lyrics (resulting in the impulse to physically indicate the joke of Tom Dick or Harry is like the lowest of the low in terms of creativity and grasp of material).

This one would be interesting, and perhaps the only suspense on Sunday. I heard/read in a few places that the more familiar you are with the original Oklahoma! the more you would likely dislike this revival - certainly this was the case for me (having worked on 3 prior productions and disliking this revival). I have to believe many Tony voters have a substantial amount of exposure with the original material. That said, I have not seen Kiss Me Kate - I wonder if some older voters will compare it to the last revival and hold it to a higher standard.

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HeyMrMusic said: "Last time this show was up for Best Revival, they voted for an okay production of Into the Woods (in a two-nominee race). We could likely see a repeat."

I would point out that the last production of Oklahoma was a critical disappointment, so that doesn't say much. While this one was divisive, most of the critics who actually know how to write thought it was revelatory.

Ironically, I have hated every production of Oklahoma I have seen (3 or 4, plus the movie), and I am really looking forward to seeing this one (not until October), because the revisions sound to me like the type of changes that are required to make it (for me) tolerable).

In the end, who knows, but I think it will be a shame if a mediocre revival of a not-great-in-the-first-place-aside-from half-the-score show wins because it aspires to Summer Stock quality, albeit with a Tier 1 leading lady.

Ironically, I must admit that I have always had mixed reactions to KMK; I generally enjoy the theatre story, and am hopelessly bored during the Shakespearean scenes. So I am not a fan of either show in earlier incarnations (and of KMK in this one).