Chilina Kennedy from Paradise Square should have won the Tony for best supporting actress in a musical. Not Patti. — Page 2

The screaming of every line was unbelievably grating. I also worry for her instrument.

I'm enjoying this thread; especially the instructions on grammar and punctuation.

Please continue....

Not denying Patti's talent, but I also thought she was just playing herself in Company- well! But herself. Well directed, sounds great. But I would have given it to Simard. Patti's performances in Sweeney Todd and War Paint were way more deserving.

STILL, Chilina Kennedy has done some fine work, and I love her voice. But in Paradise Square? A Tony? Whaaaa?

Not for that "Irish accent"

"And now our headliner. You've loved him on BroadwayWorld since 2004. Give it up everyone... for Muscle23ftl and his theatrical opinions."

"Thank you, thank you everyone. Let me start off with a few ratings of shows I've seen. Hamilton... one star. Come From Away... two stars. Diana....... 5 STARS!

< Crowd absolutely erupts in laughter. >

"Wait, I have another one for you. Chilina Kennedy should have won the Tony award instead of Patti LuPone.

< Crowd is silent for a moment processing that Chilina Kennedy wasn't even nominated... then the room explodes in laughter. Several people in the front about to pass out cause they couldn't breathe from laughing so hard..>

"Thank you everyone. Well, that's my time. You've been an incredible audience. I'll be here all week and as always, try the veal."

< Crowd rises to their feet as one. Room literally vibrating from the applause and cheers.>

Junior comic watching from the back of the club, to the guy next to him... "Damn, I wish I could work a room like that."

What an uninformed / immature statement!

There was no reasonable doubt Joaquina Kalukango deserved the Tony. The power she unleashed was almost unprecedented.

I also have had the pleasure of meeting Chilina who is a fine actress and a good person. She was not awful but her role lost some definition between Chicago and New York. The awesome power of Kalukango needed the balance of toughness/softness that Chilina gave it (kind of playing herself, too). Kalukango was a clear no-brainer. Supporting actress was not a clear choice. And here the balance that existed in Chicago was thrown out of whack in New York as the show was tightened.

Chilina's class as an actress and person was demonstrated by her being part of the glue that held this show together on and off stage. Hopefully she will get the chance to be in a class by herself in another show.

I saw both Sharon and Joaquina (albeit only in Chicago for the latter, so I didn’t get to see her take on the new Act 1 finale or the rewritten book scenes in Act 2). I liked both performances immensely. It’s been said here before, but it comes down to: vote for a great performance in a great role, or for a performance that’s holding a flawed show together and elevating it? Personally, I was rooting for Joaquina but I am gobsmacked that neither Caroline won the Tony. (But neither should have won because that was Katrina’s award. Lol)

And as for Chilina, I have to agree that she lost some of the softness she had in Chicago, not that she was ever particularly soft. But it felt just a hair more over-the-top in New York.

ChiDoc said: "I saw both Sharon and Joaquina (albeit only in Chicago for the latter, so I didn’t get to see her take on the new Act 1 finale or the rewritten book scenes in Act 2). I liked both performances immensely. It’s been said here before, but it comes down to: vote for a great performance in a great role, or for a performance that’s holding a flawed show together and elevating it? Personally, I was rooting for Joaquina but I am gobsmacked that neither Caroline won the Tony. (But neither should have won because that was Katrina’s award. Lol)

And as for Chilina, I have to agree that she lost some of the softness she had in Chicago, not that she was ever particularly soft. But it felt just a hair more over-the-top in New York."



I thought Caroline was more of a dramatic play than a musical. Sharon's dramatic performance was quite good. Paradise Square was more complex of a production. I thought Carolina was a bit flawed as well and perhaps a bit underwhelming given the buildup. Thought it was better than Company, though. Paradise Square, despite its warts, was one where the good parts were very good, the excellent ones quite excellent and then some were "what the Hell were they thinking?" If you excise that from Paradise Square you still have the knockout punches.

Nellie's role is supported by Annie's which was diluted in New York.

I do believe there is some fine print in the Tony rules that states an actor or actress needs to be nominated in order to win the actual award. Just sayin’


Simard shoulda won!

It needed to go to Patti. I say that as a person who is decidedly not a Patti LuPone fan. But that award was both a summation of a career and of a moment of pause at a changing of the guards, of more than one changing of the guard. Last show she's likely to do. Last revival of the show that made Sondheim's career actually supervised by Sondheim himself. Landmark revival in its own right. There are a lot of emotional connections to this win, and I think they are all deserved. It was a brilliant final bow on many levels.

Damn, I'm getting a little misty-eyed typing this. Must be in a very sentimental mood today...