"Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life" to be considered a Musical by the Tonys

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:27pm

http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=7112

[aegeusrocks]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:30pm

...what in the world would be considered for Special Theatrical Event if this isn't? Honestly, what will they nominate in that category? Without Chita's show there, it's going to look pretty empty as this season stands so far...

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:32pm

bridge and tunnel maybe...

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:34pm

Or they'll just do away with the category altogether, as they have done in the past. If they considered Latinologues a play, then they'd likely consider Bridge and Tunnel a play, too.

[aegeusrocks]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:37pm

::sighs:: And this is how shows that deserve nominations don't get nominated.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:39pm

They're also considering jessica Boevers and Christopher J. Hanke (of the now-defunct "In My Life" for best leading actress/actor)

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:40pm

Strange, strange decision.

Without Chita to compete against and Martin Short pushed back to next season, they can just hand Sarah Jones the Tony right now. And Latinologues is eligible for Best Play? An evening of stand-up comedy? They're going to have to clarify just what the heck IS a Special Event, because none of these decisions make ANY sense.

This also makes the Best Actress-Musical race even more cluttered. Add Chita to an overcrowded field that already includes Patti Lupone, LaChanze, Maria Friedman, Kelli O'Hara, Laura Benanti, Carolee Carmello (featured?) and maybe Cyndi Lauper. With Chita The Legend added to the mix, all bets are off.

Updated On: 1/26/06 at 06:40 PM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:45pm

I'm probably the only person who feels this way, but I thought Bridge and Tunnel was mediocre, at best.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:46pm

is sweeney getting any nominations? you think they wouldve announced them...
and are there DEFINITE nominations, or just "this MIGHT be eligible for this..."?

oh dear...

[aegeusrocks]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:48pm

Margo, there seems to be a constant of them simply avoiding having to define Special Event every single season...without fail. Will they really change their ways now?

As for Chita's nom, maybe they'll be kind and increase the number of Leading Actress nominations, as the Golden Globes seemed to have done this year for the Best Actor in Musical/Comedy (though I sure as hell don't know why they bothered). But I doubt it, as they're going to end up excluding marvelous performances as it stands anyway...Oy.

::edit:: These aren't nominations, this is just eligibility requirements. The nominations themselves won't be announced until May, I believe. And Sweeney would be Best Revival.
Updated On: 1/26/06 at 06:48 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:55pm

Well, Sweeney is obviously a revival, Lupone and Cerveris are leads and the rest are featured.

This is the press release of the Tony nominating committee's eligibility decisions. They meet throughout the season and then periodically announce what categories individual shows and performers will be eligible in. The nominating committee meets in May after the season is over to decide the actual nominees in each category. So, for example, while Jessica Boevers will be eligible for the Best Actress-Musical category, it is highly unlikely, due to the amount of competition if nothing else, she will get one of the 5 nominations when the committee decides them in May.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:12pm

Wow. Odd.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:35pm

So Chita is going to be nominated for a Tony for Best Actress for playing herself? That's odd. There are enough musicals to fill out the categories. This really should be a special event. She'd have a better chance.

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:37pm

I agree Bobby...

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:42pm

I think this is the most surprising news in a while. Chita is bound to get a Tony nod. in the Best Actress category because she has the respect of everyone in the community, but I find extremely unfair that this show should be considered for Best Musical, because there are other actresses who had much better material to work with than Chita and who are not legends and yet deserve the "Tony-nominated actress" on their resume. Mind you, I found Chita's show to be great because she is Chita Rivera but I'm a little bothered with this new Tony award ruling. I wonder if the producers of Chita's show had anything to do with this, now Graciela Danielle is eligible for Best Director/Choreographer, and I wonder if Ahrens and Flaherty will be considered eligible for Best Score.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:43pm

Chita Rivera
LaChanze
Patti Lupone
Maria Friedman
_______?

So there really seems to be only 1 slot up for grabs at this point. I think Carmello and Lauper will be featured.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:53pm

this is not fair to Chita at all...she had the special theaterical event Tony for sure (due to no competition). now, she has less of a chance of winning...this sucks!

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:56pm

poor chita
darn tony committee...

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:56pm

Well at least it'll be a tight race this year. Last year's winners were so obvious. Good to have a bit of tension going into the ceremony.
Updated On: 1/26/06 at 07:56 PM

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 8:06pm

yeah, good point
but i'd love to see her perform! i wonder what song/songs she'd do...?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 8:12pm

i'll tell her what NOT to do: "dancing on the kitchen table" or "garbage."

[boxers7]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 8:28pm

How could this be considered one of the best NEW musicals of the season. Although I haven't seen it, I hear it is simply songs from Chita's shows with a few new numbers added in.

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 8:39pm

Remember the show was only classified as eligible for Best Musical which has other consequences like eligibility for Best Direction, Best Book, acting awards, all sort of technical awards too. Even with Chita being nominated as Best Actress in a Musical, the likelihood of the show being nominated for Best Musical is very small. Not so much because the show only has about a couple of new songs, which wouldn't matter because Ain't Misbehaving, Fosse, and Jerome Robbins' Broadway were all revues and they all won Best Musical awards; but Chita's show is not worthy of a nomination. Again, I love the show, but that doesn't mean it should be nominated for a Tony over new material that at least tried.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 9:21pm

Sorry for my stupidity, but what is Cindy Lauper in? I've completely forgotten.

[boxers7]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 9:23pm

The Threepenny Opera