Drama Desk Awards Tonight- Page 3

[junglered]

Posted: 5/16/04 at 11:44pm

Congrats to "Wicked" - winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical! Woo-hoo! And a great acceptance speech!

-Thanks for the info. on the live feed, folks!

[Plum]

Posted: 5/16/04 at 11:46pm

Murphy won because she's absolutely great. She didn't need any "cancelling out" to get her award- she's amazing on her own terms.

And I don't believe in "cancelling out" anyway. Each performer competes individually. It's not like voters are saying, "Oh, I want to honor someone from Wicked but I don't know who," then going by eenie-meenie-miney-moe to pick their winner. Each actress in this category is standing on her own, regardless of the show she's in.

Congratulations to all the winners. :)

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 5/16/04 at 11:46pm

I agree NYCbabe.

I was REALLY pulling for Idina here, and I still am for the Tonys.

And I'm hoping that if Idina doesn't take the Tony, it's Tonya.

[junglered]

Posted: 5/16/04 at 11:52pm

I can't wait to see Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town next month when I get up to NYC for a few days!

[bythesword84]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 12:38am

You know the first time I saw Wicked, I thought Idina was fantastic. I still think she is, but I also saw Eden in the role and it made me realize that as good as Idina was, Eden was just as good, to the point where you didn't (or I didn't) even feel like I was watching an understudy. The minute that happened I decided I didn't think Idina needed the Tony for it. I usually think the Tony should go to the person who plays their part in such a way that it would utterly disappointing not to see them. I still think Idina's performance was excellent, I'm not taking away from her talent here, but I think that Donna deserves it more.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:51am

If you missed it you can watch a rebroadcast on 74 IN NYC.
Harvey was incredible as the host this year and did anyone catch Jai making out with Rod? The highlight of the show for me.
Harvey said some very funny things including Charles Bush would make a better president. The man is a god.
Anyone there tonight except moi.

[StraightToHeaven]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 7:24am

Rod was making out with Jai? How could he do that to Chris Seiber?

I love Wicked's music but I was surprised to see it win lyrics.I wish Idina had won but I'm biased so don't listen to me...

[Gypsy Rose Me]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 8:16am

Anybody know if the award show is going to be available to view on the internet anywhere??

Thanks

[Ruffian]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:00am

Sending my congrads out to RAUL, he is an AWESOME performer

TABOO had wall-to-wall wonderful performances

[BwayLover]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:27am

NYCbabe, can I ask you something? Have you even seen "Wonderful Town"? Because every time I see your posts you claim that Donna's role isn't as "demanding" or "complex" as some of the other roles. I beg to differ!!
The physicality of the part is one thing; add the comedic timing necassary as well; on top of that, there are all the different types of music she sings; and the tender, moving moments to top it all off. How can you say that it's not demanding? Please, "Conga" alone should win her the award.

I, too, think Donna would have won even without the "Wicked" women cancelling each other out, which I don't think happened anayway. She gives a great performance and she desreves every accolade she gets for it, period. Don't diminish her achievements just because your favorite performer didn't win.
Oh, and I've also seen both Eden and Idina, and I agree with the opinion expressed that Eden was just as good in the acting department, which is what the award is really about. Vocally, of course, Idina is amazing- but I don't think that it's the issue. The awards are given for the overall performance.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:29am

Corine2- Tell us about your outfit!!

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:36am

I wore a black two piece dress with silk ruffles.'
My hair was done by Colin Lively who is a genius and my makeup was done by Chanel.
Congratulations to Jeanine Tesori for her win for Caroline Or Change, Donna Murphy for Wonderful Town and Harvey for being himself. He was the greatest Diva the Drama Desk has ever had.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:40am

Also congrats to Rod for getting lucky.
Rod's kiss was so cute. Jai told me at the party that it was his idea to do that. Very cute.
J Tartaglia was excellent wish he could have performed Rod's Turn or Rod's dilema.

[magruder]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:57am

No one asked me, but personally, I am tired of the Drama Desk snubbing Off-Broadway. 27 competitive categories - and only three winners from Off-Broadway shows? The Drama Desk takes great pride in nominating Off-Broadway shows alongside Broadway shows, but with very rare exception, Broadway almost always rules the night. Could it be that some of the voters don't
make as much an effort to catch the Off-Broadway entries? I wonder...

[Phantom2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:08am

magruder- Your **** is so cute.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:16am

I wanted the Normal Heart to win best revival of a play.
But at least it was nominated.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:28am

Please. Best lyrics to Stephen Schwartz? Please.

Bragging about being the only award ceremony that honors Broadway and Off and then trying the old "well, it's an honor just to be nominated" line? Please.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:31am

What was the line from the producer of HENRY IV about the Vivian Beaumont Theatre finally having a show worthy of the space? TACKY, to say the least.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:40am

Well Jeanine Tesori won for Caroline or Change that made my day.
I just wish they could bring Violet to Off Broadway or Broadway.
In a full staged production.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:42am

HENRY IV was produced BY Lincoln Center FOR Lincoln Center. That was Bernie Gersten OF Lincoln Center speaking of the fact that the Vivian Beaumont has always been a very problematic space -- it's always been way too large with a thrust stage that has always made sightlines problematic and enormity of its design has typically swallowed up everything that's been staged there since it opened in the late 60's. Gersten, as head of the theatre, was just acknowledging that the Beaumont has given every director (and designer) who's worked there in the last three decades fits and headaches. Jack O'Brien's ingenius staging of HENRY IV may very well be the best use of that god-awful barn of a space in its entire history (it was somehow epic and intimate at the same time -- brilliant). That's what Gersten was saying -- nothing tacky about it.

Updated On: 5/17/04 at 11:42 AM

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:49am

Thanks for clearing that up, Margo. I took it as a slam against any previous show that was ever produced there. I knew when he said it that was not what he meant, but it just sounded so self-cngratulatory the way it came out.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 12:12pm

Funny thing is, there have been lots and lots of great shows at the Beaumont, but if you weren't sitting in the center section of the orchestra, you missed a lot of them (you could spend half the play looking at actors' backs if you were seated on the extreme sides). Or the director would stage everything all the way downstage front, thereby wasting 2/3 of that enormous playing area. And if the sets weren't tall enough, everything on stage looked insignificant (imagine THE FANTASTICKS playing on the Metropolitan Opera Stage and you get the idea). O'Brien (who as head of the Old Globe in San Diego knows a few things about staging the classics) and his first-rate design team actually managed to fill the space and gave the production a style and epic sweep that was exhilarating (and having Kevin Kline, Michael Hayden, Richard Easton, Ethan Hawke, Dana Ivey, Audra MacDonald et al didn't hurt). The battle sequences were the most realistic I've ever seen on a stage -- every scene in fact was paced and blocked with maximum efficiency. A remarkable production in every respect (even that hateful old curmudgeon John Simon called it "the finest American Shakespeare production I've ever seen").

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 12:16pm

"Jai making out with Rod"

I would pay to see that. But no! How could Rod do that to Christopher Sieber?! Shame on you, Rod.

[Corine2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:09pm

Jai kissed Rod.
So does that make Rod a HUSSEY?
Updated On: 5/17/04 at 02:09 PM

[Phantom2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:13pm

Another point for Corine2! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!