Fantasia Wins Theatre World Award — Page 2

Virgo, what Drama Desk award would Fantasia win?

---

"Wow, this is kind of surprising, if a bit disappointing. If the latest Celie replacement had not been an American Idol winner, would that actress be given a Theatre World Award?"

Oh come on, so now she won because she's an American Idol winner? Please, have you not read the reviews? Have you not seen the box office? Being an american idol winner doesn't guarantee anything especially for acting. She won because she's great in the role.

"Virgo, what Drama Desk award would Fantasia win?"

She'll probably win the "Special Award" that Reba won, if it's still in existence. Her reviews have been so good, I can see her winning something.

Updated On: 5/21/07 at 05:27 PM

Oh come on, so now she won because she's an American Idol winner? Please, have you not read the reviews? Have you not seen the box office? Being an american idol winner doesn't guarantee anything especially for acting. She won because she's great in the role.

What reviews? Critics were invited back? Did I miss something? Someone post a link to the Times review, please.

The box office? I saw THE COLOR PURPLE through a papering service last week, so it can't be raking in TOO much cash if they're giving out freebies. And why would she deserve an award because of a box office boost anyway?

Have you seen Fantasia in THE COLOR PURPLE, Virgo? I found her to be less than servicable in a very challenging role.

---

Updated On: 5/21/07 at 05:32 PM

Wanna Be, it was papered last week because the critics were there.

Here are a few reviews from Theatre World Award committee members:

Matthew Murray: For the monumental Broadway debut currently in progress at the Broadway doesn’t just transform the winner of season three of American Idol into the most capable, most assured, most innately gifted new stage star to appear in years. It’s also effected a metamorphosis on an entire musical that last year ranked a solid “can miss,” but is now an emphatic “must see."

Michael Sommers: Fantasia's poignant acting looks effortless while her strong, supple vocals land powerfully on the ear. Let's not discount the Tony Award-winning performance by LaChanze as the original Celie, but Fantasia possesses an actuality so convincing it doesn't appear as if she's performing at all but is simply being real.

Linda Winer: a phenomenal stage debut . . . With a startling mixture of subtle delicacy and raw power, she dares us to take our eyes off her. . . . However theater-trained professionals may feel about the invasion of newcomers from TV talent contests, they will have to admit that Fantasia, named for a fantasy, is the real thing.

Updated On: 5/21/07 at 05:50 PM

Thanks, jg4892. I was completely unaware that the critics were invited back. I do wish that Brantley had written the review, though, since he did do the original. Isherwood seems to be pretty fair grounded, putting some blame on the show and giving her credit for pulling something out of hard to work with material. Well, as I said, congratulations to Fantasia. The reviews make sense as a way of reasoning for giving her the Theatre World Award.

---

LOL munk. Yes, I agree.

One person we can cross off the winner list (or else the Color Purple site would have announced it) is NaTasha Williams, who made her Broadway debut as Sophia. I thought she was excellent in the role.

Updated On: 5/21/07 at 05:59 PM

Some of us? Or ONE of us?

---

Well, looks like Foster just got told.

---

I'm suspecting that your suspicious are wrong.

---

Nope not on her payroll. Just know talent when I see it.

It was directed at Foster - if you must know - didnt want to totally single him out.

According to the Theatre World website, here are the winners:

Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Mary Birdsong, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Erin Davie, Grey Gardens
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Johnny Galecki, The Little Dog Laughed
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Bill Nighy, The Vertical Hour
Stark Sands, Journey's End
Nilaja Sun, No Child...

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108210.html

Some odd choices for the Theatre World Awards. Of course, Fantasia looks like she is crying in that pic, AS WELL, anyways, Im sure she is great in the role, I thought LaChanze was ok(yet, the most deserving actress for the Tony that year, despite terrible attendance), but maybe Fantasia did embrace this role better, unfortunatly I disliked the show, so I couldn't get through it again.

---

Updated On: 5/22/07 at 07:07 AM

"Of course, Fantasia looks like she is crying in that pic, AS WELL, anyways,"

I'm curious, why do you keep knocking her for "crying"? And when did crying become a national offense? Furthermore, she isn't even crying in that picture, that's a smile, as far as I can see. I guess since we can't say the boring and highly overused "how can she play someone else when she couldn't even play herself". Now were just going to nitpick the girl for being able to show "true" emotion. Please let the crying thing rest plus you're being offensive to people who are sensitive and aren't afraid to show emotion when they are happy or sad. I guess the world is full of such fakers that it's hard to accept someone who comes along who is "real". Do you know how some people try to force up tears and would do anything to get them but can't because they are faking it? At least she's showing that she's touched and isn't taking anything for granted.

Really you sound slightly jealous since you've commented on crying and not just commented you are making it out to be a federal offense in that other thread. Is there a rule that you can not be an Award Winning Broadway Actress and cry at the same time? Where's that in the union book? If so, we must get together and dry up every last tear in her body so that she can look like most "phony".

Updated On: 5/22/07 at 08:31 AM