Final Tony Eligibility Rulings?

[BwayFan832]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:11pm

Does anyone know when these are set to come out? It's hard to predict much without knowing how the performers from Hair, West Side Story, and 9 to 5 will be ruled. They're really getting down to the wire- less than two weeks till nominations come out!
Updated On: 4/22/09 at 10:11 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:13pm

I think all the shows need to open before they rule.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:27pm

I believe they have till April 30th/May 1st to be officially open.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:30pm

My guess would be that if there has been no ruling on West Side Story by now, then there were no petitions by the producers to move people around, since there has been at least one committee meeting since it opened.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:31pm

The final meeting(which will be for every show that wasn't covered in the last meeting) will take place on April 30.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:32pm

I am sure they petitioned Matt and Josefina for lead.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:40pm

With Carol Lawrence and Josie de Guzman both being nominated as a featured actress the odds of the committee deciding that Josefina can be considered as a lead are considerably lessened, since precedence does play a part in the consideration when dealing with revivals.

And quite honestly, I just don't see Mr. Cavenaugh getting nominated, no matter which category he is considered in.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 10:47pm

I'm currently predicting him. Best Actor is so weak this year, he or Bierko is making it in.

[BenKaye]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 11:06pm

If TSOML was still open, I would say Will Chase and Malcolm Gets would be major Best Actor contenders.
But who knows now...

[singtopher]

Posted: 4/22/09 at 11:35pm

My guess would be that if there has been no ruling on West Side Story by now, then there were no petitions by the producers to move people around, since there has been at least one committee meeting since it opened.


In the most recent meeting, WSS was not on the agenda.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 3:36am

Concerning 9 to 5, is everyone thinking Block and Janney will be lead and Hilty featured? Yes, no?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 5:23am

The reason why WEST SIDE STORY and HAIR were not considered at the last meeting was because two weeks hadn't passed yet following their openings. Producers have a two week window following their opening to petition their actors to be placed in different categories. So those shows will be discussed at the final meeting.

And STORY OF MY LIFE was ruled ineligible for nominations at the last meeting because it only played five performances.

With Carol Lawrence and Josie de Guzman both being nominated as a featured actress the odds of the committee deciding that Josefina can be considered as a lead are considerably lessened, since precedence does play a part in the consideration when dealing with revivals.

No, it doesn't. Donna McKechnie won the Tony Award for creating the role of Cassie as Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Charlotte d'Amboise played the same role in the revival and was nominated as Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 9:45am

The committee met on April 2, exactly two weeks after opening night of West Side Story. I guess it's possible that the producers waited until the very last minute to submit any petitions that they may have had, and thus missed that morning's meeting, but it wouldn't be a bet I would be willing to lay money on.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 10:01am

I also feel that this production of WEST SIDE STORY prominently focuses on the love story which I think will also make a case for Cavenaugh and Scaglione to be considered lead actors. I can't imagine the producers would want Scaglione and Olivo going to head to head on the featured actress race.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 10:17am

InfiniteTheaterFrenzy, I disagree.

Really, all three of them should go in Lead. They all split the final bow, all appear on the cover art for the show, and all have equal significance to the storyline.

That being said, if there is going to be any division amongst them, the only thing that makes sense to me is to put Janney in Lead and Block and Hilty in Featured (alongside Kathy Fitzgerald.)

Janney's character is the veteran of the office, the leader of the trio, has the big monologue at the end, has the most direct plot significance, and seems to anchor any scene and situation she is involved in. For those reasons, I could see a semi-plausible reason to argue that her role goes above the other two women in size.

Outside of that scenario, I see no justification to split them up in any other way. While Block is terrific, her character is not on-par by a long shot with Janney's in terms of stature, regardless of her big eleven o'clock number.

Updated On: 4/23/09 at 10:17 AM

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 11:03am

I think Tony and Maria will be petitioned by the producers as leads especially since Olivia got such great reviews. I doubt they would want to put the two of them head to head. Also I figured Megan would be the producers vote for leading actress since she is recreating Dolly's part but I could be wrong. I could see any of them being any of them. As for leading men, I think we might be seeing BE winning this one.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 11:34am

No, it doesn't. Donna McKechnie won the Tony Award for creating the role of Cassie as Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Charlotte d'Amboise played the same role in the revival and was nominated as Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

wasn't there some resentment among cast members of the OBC because Donna won for Leading Actress as opposed to Featured?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 11:54am

According to the books I have read on it the resentment started with Bennett's treatment of McKechnie as the leading lady, and his eventual pushing for her to be considered for that category. I think the resentment had more to do with how she was seem by Bennett and of course the fact that she was nominated in the leading category when the point of the show was that they were all "equals."

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 11:55am

givesmevoice-
Actually, in that instance there wasn't. If they hadn't pushed Donna into Actress (Which, arguably, the role is the largest female role, and typically the most coveted), she would have been going head to head with Kelly Bishop and Priscila Lopez (who should have been declared a tie), which would a) have diminished their awards and b) probably caused more drama.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 11:59am

I know Kelly Bishop and Donna McKechnie tied for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical. I don't know if I think it diminishes an award to be nominated against, or tie, costars. I could imagine they'd cancel each other out, if that's what you meant to say.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 12:23pm

There was also some talk at the time that Chita and Gwen were upset that Donna was in that category since her name was not above the title as theirs were for CHICAGO. I can't imagine Gwen Verdon who already had like what 4 TONYs by then, sitting around complaining, but the producers of CHICAGO on the other hand knew they were up against A CHORUS LINE and needed any award they could get that year.
I say stick with the rule, if you want a leading Man or Woman in that category when the TONYs come up, put their name above the title!
It's probably a $$$ thing anyway.

[mikem]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 2:31pm

Were the lead/featured determinations still done strictly by the above the title/below the title distinction in 1980 (when Josie de Guzman was nominated for featured actress for playing Maria in West Side Story)? Because I'm having a really hard time understanding how one could argue that Maria is not a leading role. It seems pretty open-and-shut to me.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 2:46pm

I say stick with the rule, if you want a leading Man or Woman in that category when the TONYs come up, put their name above the title!
but then people would be entitled to a refund when that actor is out, and producers might not want to take that chance on an actor.
[although I definitely agree with your line of thinking]

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/23/09 at 7:32pm

You'd think so mikem, but this will probably be the first time in a Broadway WEST SIDE STORY that Maria is considered lead Actress, and it's not because Laurents has made the parts more important.
And Remember Yul Brynner and Mr. C..
Have the TONY people ever not accepted Producer's requests to move an actor?
Joel Grey does not count.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 4/24/09 at 1:05am

Good question. Obviously you hear about the successful petitions, but I don't think I've ever seen them release a "so and so was denied." They just throw out the blanket "all other nominations will be consistent with opening night billing" statement. So who knows how many petitions are received and denied.