Well, I have to add my $0.02 and say that overall, the awards were handed out to a respectful variety of shows and performers. Some I agree with, others I don't.
1. Best Musical
JERSEY BOYS winning the top prize is the now expected result of the lowering of the bar for "Broadway" musicals. Give the award to the show that can best be packaged and sold, not the best show. Not an hour after the awards ended, I saw a "Ronco"-type commecrial for the JB cast recording. Need any more proof? It even had the "crawl" of song titles going up the screen as the overly-enthusiastic announcer told us of all the Four Seasons hits included on the CD. Clearly, Tony realizes that the real awards of merit goes to the librettist, composer, lyricist and technical staff of a show. The Best Musical prize is no more than a marketing tool now, and is totally superfluous.
Best Actor:
My prediction: This clown will never ever set foot upon a broadway stage again. He'll get a mediocre, one-season-long TV show and move to the west coast and never repay the honor bestowed on him by giving back to the theatre. It's happened before. Remember Ben Harney in Dreamgirls?
Best Actress:
Finally! An award I can get behind. Even though I don't believe I understood one word sung in the COLOR PURPLE selection(s) on the telecast, I thought LaChanze was destined for a Tony ever since I saw her in RAGTIME in LA. Patti's performance was all about Patti (as usual) and the voters saw through her. I'd have liked LaChanze to have done more than gape open-eyed-and-mouthed throughout the "Hell, No" song, however.
Best Book and Score:
Obviously, in DROWSY CHAPERONE, the Best Score and Book of the year won: JERSEY BOYS was a jukebox show, original script or not. I mean: "I'm like dat bunny on TV wit da batteries; I jus' keep goin' an' goin' an' goin'" is NOT award-calibre writing. So many people on this board bitch about the lack of original writing, and then rejoice that the most unoriginal piece of the year has won Best Musical. One afterthought: I actually enjoyed the WEDDING SINGER number; last nights telecast was the first thing I'd heard from the show. Stephen Lynch was energetic and charming, the number was fast and fun and at least they didn't have a horn section crossing a catwalk like a funeral procession to stand and sway like idiots.
Best Revival:
Was the number from THREEPENNY OPERA supposed to be gripping and sensuous? All I saw was a bunch of people screaming at each other in slow-motion. And was there a point to the slashes across the eyes? And why was Michael McKean not asked to perform during the PAJAMA GAME sequence?! And hallelujah PG was the best revival winner; I was wholly underwhelmed by the SWEENEY TODD sequence. Maybe it plays better in person.
Updated On: 6/12/06 at 11:51 AM
