Hear me out

As much as I love Cynthia and I think her rendition of "I'm Here" is absolutely stunning, but I think Carmen Cusack deserved the Tony Award. The role of Alice Murphy requires a versatility in age which makes the acting hard to play and Carmen absolutely acts the hell out of the role. Like Cynthia, Carmen literally carries the show on her shoulders. Maybe I'm just depressed it's closing since it didn't take home an award on Sunday. Just tell me on not ENTIRELY crazy.

Updated On: 6/18/16 at 08:28 PM

I personally think Jessie should have won but that's just my opinion. Like Carmen and Cynthia she also carries the show on her shoulders.

I would think a tie between Carmen and Cynthia would be more appropriate, but Cynthia has the edge here, and Carmen will be nominated for MANY more Tony Awards. In fact, I'd wager her to be nominated for every appearance she has on Broadway, at least for the next two or three roles.

It was just a great year for the leading ladies. You could make a case for any of them, and others not nominated.

I am just curious, how many of y'all had the opportunity to see each of the ladies live in performance?



I was fortunate enough to be able to see them all, and I have my opinions on who should have won, but I am genuinely curious to know if all of you are making this determination on seeing the performances live or in promotional appearances. As some one who spends half her time in New York and half her time elsewhere, I always find it interesting to see how Broadway shows and performances are perceived elsewhere.

asmith0307 said: "I am just curious, how many of y'all had the opportunity to see each of the ladies live in performance?"



I saw 4 of the 5 ladies and still think Jessie should have won.

I really think that all 5 were deserving of a Tony. I don't think that I've seen a stronger year for best lead actress.

funhamilton_rent said: "Why does no one appreciate Phillipa's performance? I recently saw Hamilton for the second time, and I still think she has the best performance in the whole goddamn show. She WRECKS me in Burn, Stay Alive Reprise, It's Quiet Uptown, and WLWDWTYS. She is phenomenal, and way underrated on these boards."

Agreed, she gives my favorite performance in Hamilton too. She also had the least to work with out of all the leading actress nominees (or potential nominees) and yet still gave an incredibly effective performance.

As others have said, it was the toughest acting category this year and you could make cases for all of them. I'm fine with it going to Cynthia, she truly is giving a brilliant performance.

I saw all 5 (and Audra). All were absolutely fantastic. My vote would've been with Carmen if I were a Tony voter but I certainly can't fault anyone for having a different opinion, and I think Cynthia's performance is wonderful and deserving.



speaking of bright star deserving performances, after seeing it again on Tony day, I don't know how Paul Alexander Nolan wasn't nominated for best featured actor. I just saw Waitress again and I definitely think he should've gotten in above Christopher Fitzgerald (who gives a tremendous comedic performance). But everyone has their own opinions and I guess mine is different than the nominating committee members.

Updated On: 6/18/16 at 11:49 PM

So hard to compare a comedic performance to a dramatic one. Incidentally I personally would've put Paul Alexander Nolan above all the nominees except Diggs and Jackson. But it's all so subjective. Glad I got to see them all.

And just when I was so proud of the board for not splintering into multiple threads on the Tonys!

I saw them all. Loved them all. There is no way Erivo didn't deserve that award. In another year, Cusack might have won.

Celia starts at 14 and ends the play middle aged.

Updated On: 6/19/16 at 09:12 AM

My only gripe with Cynthia, and she slays the part, is that it's a part we have seen before and know it's a tough show. The last Celie won a Tony, and I'm sure the next one will too. I didn't see the previous Color Purple, so I don't know if she brought something new to the part that's impressive. I didn't really, as a first time viewer, get the age progressing. It didn't seem evident to me that time has passed until the very end.



Cusack, to me, was a revelation. I just couldn't stop watching. And she elevated that material 10x. She was the driving force for that show. She would have had my vote.

What's so amazing about Cynthia Erivo's performance is her subtlety and the energy that she fills that theatre with. She doesn't "act" she just IS. She walks out on that stage and any idea of Cynthia Erivo melts away into Celie without any effort at all. She is a great actress and vocalist and heightened the material to a new level (with a little help from John Doyle's beautiful direction and the stunning supporting cast).

Jessie Mueller gives a performance that would've won her a Tony any other year. She brings a similar quality that Cynthia does where she just pours her heart and soul out on stage and lets us look at it. She is simply beautiful in the role of Jenna and she was probably just as deserving of a Tony as Cynthia.

Laura Benanti is giving a 100% perfect comedic performance as Amalia. I really do think that she may be my favorite Amalia ever simply due to how human I think her Amalia is. She plays her as a real person and because of that, she taps into some really wonderful comedic moments. I think she created a character we can all relate to and she's giving a drop dead perfect vocal performance.

Phillipa Soo is lovely in Hamilton and I think that she may be my favorite performance in Hamilton, but I'm not sure that her role is as meaty as the other actresses' parts and that's probably why she wasn't taken as seriously. I really think that she was probably very close to being nominated in supporting actress. Nevertheless, her performance is gorgeous and she makes Eliza a deeply layered character and sings the role beautifully.

Carmen Cusack is incredible. She really is, but this was not her year. I think that this year was more about her being discovered. While she has a powerful and soulful voice and she has to play two very different ages, Bright Star is a less than stellar musical and that probably hurt her chances. We'll probably see a Tony win from her soon.

You really could make a case why any of these five actresses should win. All five are giving incredible performances. I had a similar opinion with this that I did with revival as well. I thought that they're all sooooo different and are all amazing in their own way, how on earth do you determine if The Color Purple is better than She Loves Me or if Cynthia Erivo is better than Laura Benanti? You really can't. They're all giving completely different performances that are all Tony worthy. How on Earth do they choose a winner from a group so diverse and wonderful? I guess you just pick. And they picked Cynthia Erivo.