Drama Desk & Now Outer Critics Circle! Go Take That Tony, Prima Donna Diva! — Page 2

Well said, bwaygal1.

---

Lotte Lenya, from the plot of LoveMusik, comes out of an abusive childhood as a child prostitute to achieve a career even in a foreign country and be a muse for her husband's music and become considered the greatest interpreter of his work despite the battle scars of her youth and having to flee Nazi Germany. I see women as capable of accomplishing great things, not as useless self-obsessed idiots to be made fun of or pitied.

Lotte Lenya accomplished goals.

The Beales could have gone out and become actresses or had careers in this free country; other women did. They didn't have the talent or guts to accomplish goals and careers. They just used up their money and became recluses.

I have a history MA and have done tons of research on social/cultural history, which is my specialty.
They were repressed by the constraints of society. It was a different time and place. Women born into the upper classes were expected to get married and keep house, not become Broadway actresses or models or anything like that. It would have been disgraceful. And what society thought of you was very important to them-remember, they were 'upper crust'.

They also probably had no idea how to fend for themselves. They were waited on and never had to do anything for themselves.


Keep in mind the country they lived in at the time in which they lived in it wasn't so 'free' as you make it out to be. (Still wonder if it is.) Women, in particular, have had very few choices and opportunities. And being born into wealth comes with burdens, as their stories clearly illustrate.

---

You're pretty much stating, that because Lotte Lenya was such an inspiring figure and Donna Murphy is so talented, the Tony should be hers? Granted, I'm sure she's incredible, but if you're going to argue why Donna should win, talk about her actual friggin performance. Not the woman she is portraying.

---

Well, in studying all those societal constraints and expectations it seems your studies failed to lead you to all the fine women in this country, even from privileged backgrounds who overcame all those constraints and went on to achieve careers and great works. they had dynamic personalities that fought, rebelled or sailed right through societal expectations to create lives and careers for themselves.

Who? The ones who did what GG suggested Little Edie was going to do-Marry the future President???
(Or Eleanor Roosevelt-married a future President. Great lady, but wouldn't have been anyone if she hadn't married FDR.)
How many entertainers do we really know of that came from wealthy backgrounds???
(Or for that matter entertainers in general. It just wasn't acceptable. Politicians have emerged in recent years from the upper classes, as have other professions like business. But, entertainment is frowned upon and always has been.)

---

..and this is why Donna Murphy should win the Tony?

- Amen.

Calling the Beales "self obsessed idiots" is like saying Lenya shouldn't have been able to escape Nazi Germany. It's ignorant.

Mrs. Edith Beale was very intelligent and full of wisdom.

But nondeplume, that's EXACTLY what you're doing. You haven't yet explained to me what about Donna Murphy's performance makes her Tony worthy. She's talented. Yes. Lotte Lenya is a great character to be playing. Yes. From the sounds of it Alfred Uhry did nothing to bring out the incredible personality of Lenya. If you were to say that Murphy managed to bring out the incredible characteristics of Lenya when the script and direction did not, I would respect your opinion of her taking the Tony.

However, all you've said is how inspiring a figure Lenya is and how talented Murphy is. You've separated her talent from her role. Exactly what you said could not be done.

---

There were loads of women in America from various economic backgrounds, nationalities and races who broke through barriers and accomplished goals. I'm surprised you don't know of them. Women broke barriers in the professions, becoming doctors and lawyers, and this goes way back, even before suffrage. They became writers and artists, social reformers, university professors, owned and ran businesses. They became pilots way back when, think Emilia Earhart.

Nomde is going to be in for a big suprise Tony night if he really expects Donna to win. It's one thing to want her to win, but it's another to flat out say she will win. Which is just stupid to say when Christine and Audra received even stronger reviews.

If anything I see the category like this, from most likely to least likely chance of winning.

Christine Ebersole
Audra McDonald
Donna Murphy
Debra Monk
Laura Bell Bundy

Updated On: 5/20/07 at 05:09 PM

Hey everyone-what do nondeplume and a broken record player have in common?

---

You can argue Little Edie had the goal to leave the mansion to start her own career, but last minute she realized her mother couldn't survive without her care.