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Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

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#1

Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 4:38pm

Now I know the show hasn't even opened yet, but the video previews on both this site and broadway.com have me excited that I'll be visiting New York sometime in late April and might get to catch the show. It seems like a lot of people's wishes for some sort of "return to the golden days" of Broadway might get fulfilled if just a little with this show. If it indeed turns out to be as fun and charming as it looks in the previews, does anyone think it stands a chance against the big, spectacles like Tarzan? Or any other new show for that matter? The Tony's Best Musical winners have been very unpredictable the past few years (to some people's point of view); Mille over Urinetown, Avenue Q upsetting Wicked, and Spamalot walking away with the award last year. I'm not trying to say none of these shows are Best Musical material, but it just seems like every time there's an opportunity to give the award to a show that's not only worthy but whose win would instill something into the theatre world or help boost popularity even more, they miss out. Or am I looking too much into this? lol
#2

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 4:55pm

It's coming to Broadway at a time when most new musicals are taken from other source material (Lestat, The Color Purple, The Wedding Singer and Tarzan) or a particular songbook (Jersey Boys, Hot Feet and Ring of Fire), so it has a great shot.

It's a totally original concept and that is it's strength. I would say it's a close one between DROWSY and PURPLE with THE DROWSY CHAPERONE waking up the Tony crowd and taking home BEST MUSICAL!
#3

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 5:02pm

Right now the edge for Best Musical Tony goes to Jersey Boys. Color Purple is a lock to get a nom and I believe Wedding Singer is as well. The final slot will go to Drowsy, if it is any good, or Tarzan if they can clean it up enough. Clearly though Tarzan is the show that will be bumped by Drowsy and not the other three. It is rare to have 4 or 5 musicals all with a chance to win, but this is the case this year. In my opinion, the show with the least shot of winning is Color Purple, and without Oprah would not even be nominated. My opinion so don't shoot me.
#4

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 5:02pm

I think Purple and Drowsy is what it will come down to. Drowsy is an original peice but Purple is quite moving.
#5

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 5:03pm

I wouldn't neccesarily call WS a lock.
"We don't value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life's bounty is in it's flow, later is too late. Where is the song when it's been sung, the dance when it's been danced? It's only we humans who want to own the future too." - Tom Stoppard, Shipwreck
#7

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 5:27pm

Wedding Singer gets a nomination for sure in my book. I think if they spend the preview period wisely it could even win. No shot for Color Purple or Tarzan in my opinion. JB and WS are far more enjoyable, if not classical theater, for my taste.
#8

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 5:34pm

I dunno... TARZAN could pull a LION KING. re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
#12

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 6:02pm

I hope Tarzan doesn't get a nom.
Those poor actors. In every Disney show, but especially this one, the show is shaped so that nobody in the audience even pays attention to them! And most of them- especially Jenn Gambatese- are great!
Tarzan is not a show, it is a PRODUCT.
Tony committee, please don't reward this.
[title of show] on Broadway. it's time. believe.
#13

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 6:02pm

The nominees for Best Musical will be:
The Wedding Singer
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Color Purple
Jersey Boys

with a very possible nod for Tarzan taking the place of either Wedding Singer or Chaperone.


From what I hear, Chaperone will most likely get mixed to positive reviews (a la DRS) unless it reworks a lot; TCP got mostly positive reviews; Jersey Boys got positive reviews; Tarzan's reviews are up in the air (Reviewers usually aren't partial to Disney shows to say the least but this ones supposed to be incredible), The Wedding Singer will get pretty positive reviews I predict, and everything else is obviously not even in the race to get a nod (Woman in White, Lestat, In My Life et al).

I think it will come down to Jersey Boys VS The Color Purple and I think TCP will take it simply because of its edge against Jersey; it has an original score. And a pretty damned good one at that.

Jersey will win Best Book and Best Actor.
TCP will win Musical, Featured Actress (Fields), Sets, Orchestrations, Lighting, and Choreography
Director will probably go to John Doyle for Sweeney as will Best Revival and Best Actress for LuPone.

These predictions, mind you, are as of now and will most definitely change when the other shows open.


I don't think Chaperone has much of a chance unless it will turn out to be a "Producers" (BIG hit, GREAT reviews etc) opposed to a "DRS" (mixed to positive reviews, well liked by audiences). Chaperone needs some kind of amazing push (ie great ticket sales or great reviews or great word of mouth) to win. Whether or not this will happen is yet to be seen.....

Updated On: 3/31/06 at 06:02 PM

#14

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 6:15pm

I saw Drowsy Chaperone in Los Angeles last year. The audience loved every single minute of the show (me included).

Expect very, very good reviews in NY.
#16

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 6:55pm

Whether Drowsy gets a favorable review from the NYT really depends on Brantley's mood that day. He's not a big fan of Sutton Foster's (if memory serves me correctly) so he may not give it a good review. I expect raves from most other reviewers.
"It does what a musical is supposed to do; it takes you to another world. And it gives you a little tune to carry in your head. Something to take you away from the dreary horrors of the real world. A little something for when you're feeling blue. You know?"
#17

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 7:07pm

I would say either DROWSY or PURPLE should win. I would personally love for PURPPE to win, but that is just me...

this is going to be such an interesting year for Tonys!
#19

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 7:42pm

Michael Bennett, you've got Billy E. coming to Broadway in the wrong season. Nice try though. Have you even seen it yet?

Updated On: 3/31/06 at 07:42 PM

#20

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 7:42pm

It seems pretty stupid, frankly for a lot of people to get on this board and pontificate about shows you have not yet seen. "The Drowsey Chaperone" is exactly the type of show that should win best musical at The Tony Awards for several reasons. Talk about a crowd pleaser. It's like "Avenue Q" without the filth but with the humor (and I love "Q). It's fun from the opening to the ending. It's the little show that could, a wedding present to a pair of actors, written and mounted by their friends in a tiny (60 seat) theatre behind a bar in Toronto that so wowed the wedding party guests that they mounted it again and again in bigger-and-bigger incarnations; and now Broadway. It deserves to win because the producers had the ironic humour to cast Sutton "Came Out of Nowhere" Foster in the come-out-of-nowhere musical. AND IT DESERVES TO WIN BECAUSE IT IS ORIGINAL. It's not based on some singing group's library or a 1980's movie, it is totally, utterly absolutely original. Go see it, laugh your asses off, then come back to this board and admit how good it is and cheer for it to win.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=972787#3631451 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=963561#3533883 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955158#3440952 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954269#3427915 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955012#3441622 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954344#3428699
#21

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 7:50pm

Well said 'allofmylife', I heartily agree. Kinda sad though that one has to continually point out that DROWSY is a completely original musical, as if that was something radical.

Does make one harken back to the old days, when originality was the norm.
#22

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 8:03pm

"I saw Drowsy Chaperone in Los Angeles last year. The audience loved every single minute of the show (me included).

Expect very, very good reviews in NY."


Um, that's exactly why I don't expect good reviews for DC. Color me a cynic. I have a feeling that because DC had its pre-Broadway run in LA the show will not sit well with some (not all) NY'ers, particularly with the NY press and certain Tony voters. There have been exceptions, but I expect an uphill battle for DC.
#23

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 8:48pm

"Sometimes you can tell just from tne title that a show is going to be amazing. ... This is not one of those times",
as the mailer states. Well who knows?
I, for one will be pulling for this show, being a big Sutton fan, and "my mouth has been selected", but I'll try to be objective, and I'll report back after the 1st preview Monday night.
#24

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 8:49pm

I worry that critics who love to find shows on their own, and hate to have anyone tell them what's good, will dismiss Drowsy Chaperone. It's not a Sondheim type score at ALL. It's not "art" in the sense of "moving the artform forward" as many scholastics prefer. It's "populist" writing in the best and most sincere form of the term. It also wears its heart right out on its sleeve, and many critics also hate that. They want things murky and hidden and obscure. There's also the sad fact that many NY critics will automatically hate something because it was very popular in LA. (If THEY loved it, it CAN'T be good). So who knows?

I will tell you this, though, for all of you who live in New York and haven't seen it yet. There is one secret weapon in this show that absolutely cannot be denied -- and you can't know what it is until you see it, but that secret weapon is Bob Martin, the lead actor and writer. The character he has created is so original, so heartbreakingly authentic, so hilarious and pathetic and snobby and sincere -- honestly, you'd have to be a cold-hearted steel armored block of ice to not love him.

I cannot wait for all of you here, who really love theatre to see this brilliant man on stage.
#25

re: Drowsy Chaperone's Best Musical Odds?

Posted: 3/31/06 at 10:37pm

Kinda of off-topic but is to those who have seen Drowsy Chaperone in LA, do you think it is appropiate for a 13 year old?

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