The thing that may hurt Ebersole is that, for some voters, the nostalgia of her performance may very well have worn off. While she is terrific and delivering work for the ages, she's also been playing this role (to wide notice and acclaim) for what.. the last two years (including Off-Broadway)?
McDonald and Murphy are beloved stars getting rave reviews in shows that are newly opened and fresh to the voters. This could prove a formidable obstacle for Ebersole to overcome (particularly the threatening opposition of McDonald.)
People point to the gushing reviews as proof of Ebersole's victory, but let us remember that most of the critics who wrote such glowing notices won't be voting when the time comes to cast the Tony ballots (not to mention the fact that, to me, Audra's notices were almost equally as praising.)
For me, I'd give the Tony to McDonald. She, as Brantley put it, is an overwhelming presence in an underwhelming (though admirable executed) piece. She is giving a profound performance on par with Ebersole and Murphy using material that isn't giving her near as much to work with.
Keep in mind that Edie and Lotte Lenya were real people. That alone gives the actresses playing them tons to work with, where as Audra is discovering a fictional character from scratch (though I don't mean to discredit Christine and Donna's work by saying that.) It just, for me, proves McDonald's talent all the more.
It's all going to come down to endurance. If the voters aren't tired and over Ebersole, then she is in just as good standing as she has always been, but if what sticks in their mind most is what they've seen most recently-- McDonald may just trump her.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 5/13/07 at 01:04 AM
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
