Posted: 11/8/18 at 12:14am
Kelli O'Hara is better at acting than about 95% of Musical Theatre performers working these days, most of whom, while very talented, seem to think that acting = emoting while belting high notes, and maybe throwing in a quirky attitude.
Updated On: 11/8/18 at 12:14 AM
Posted: 4/15/19 at 1:27am
Broadway World's own Richard Ridge is sitting with Kelli O'Hara, Will Chase , Warren Carlyle and the cast of KISS ME KATE -LIVE this coming Thursday at 4:30pm. It's a FREE event. All you have to do is click through the RSVP and sign in as a non member. It's that easy and you can bring a guest.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Invite-RSVP-Now-to-Watch-a-Live-QA-With-Kelli-OHara-Will-Chase-and-More-From-KISS-ME-KATE-20190414
Posted: 4/15/19 at 9:00am
Looking back on this thread, while I can still see an outcome where Kelli wins, I think the odds are a lot slimmer. I also think it might be more of a three-way race between Kelli, Stephanie, and Beth - I've heard a lot more buzz about The Prom on these boards, especially after the Ryan Murphy announcement.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 9:58am
Beth is not winning. It's a race between Kelli and Stephanie and even then, Stephanie would still be winning.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 10:09am
Posted: 4/15/19 at 10:33am
Kelli was lovely but she isn't winning for this.
I believe it's between Rebecca Naomi Jones and Block. The only way I see Block losing in this field is if she is the lone nominee from the production. Even then I think she has a chance.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 10:40am
What about Eva Noblezada? She has so far gotten great notices for her performance in Hadestown, and that show could potentially do very well on Tony night.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 10:55am
Jeffrey Karasarides said: "What about Eva Noblezada? She has so far gotten great notices for her performance inHadestown, and that show could potentially do very well on Tony night."
From what I've seen, Eva is wonderful, but she doesn't have very much to do. I think she'll definitely be nominated, but I don't see her taking the trophy home, especially if voters decide to "spread the wealth" this year.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 11:13am
^We shall see. I may have mentioned this before, but I just don't see Stephanie J. Block winning at this point. The Cher Show isn't expected to do well in nominations, plus there's still the whole industry bias against commodity musicals.
Updated On: 4/15/19 at 11:13 AM
Posted: 4/15/19 at 11:34am
Jeffrey Karasarides said: "^We shall see. I may have mentioned this before, but I just don't see Stephanie J. Block winning at this point.The Cher Showisn't expected to do well in nominations, plus there's still the whole industry bias against commodity musicals."
I see your point. I love SJB and hope she wins the Tony but I have noticed Tony voters in recent years tend to vote for Best Leading Actress in a musical from the winner of Best Musical or Revival or from a musical that's doing well in the box office. Katrina Lenk, Bette Midler, Cynthia Erivo, and Kelli O'Hara all won this Tony the past 4 years and their musical won the Musical or Revival category as well.
Jessie Mueller won this Tony even though Beautiful didn't win Best Musical but the show was a hit and easily recouped its investment.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 1:23pm
Wick3 said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "^We shall see. I may have mentioned this before, but I just don't see Stephanie J. Block winning at this point.The Cher Showisn't expected to do well in nominations, plus there's still the whole industry bias against commodity musicals."
I see your point. I love SJBand hope she wins the Tony but I have noticed Tony voters in recent years tend to vote for Best Leading Actress in a musical from the winner of Best Musical or Revival or from a musical that's doing well in the box office. Katrina Lenk, Bette Midler, Cynthia Erivo, and Kelli O'Hara all won this Tony the past 4 years and their musical won the Musical or Revival category as well.
Jessie Mueller won this Tony even though Beautiful didn't win Best Musical but the showwas a hit and easily recouped its investment."
Very true! Interesting though to point out from 2000-2010 it only happened 3 times - Ebersole for 42ND STREET, Foster for MILLIE and Winokur for HAIRSPRAY.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 1:26pm
Posted: 4/15/19 at 9:04pm
If I were voting, I'd vote O'Hara. I was really surprised at how great I thought she was.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 9:53pm
IdinaBellFoster said: "Wick3 said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "^We shall see. I may have mentioned this before, but I just don't see Stephanie J. Block winning at this point.The Cher Showisn't expected to do well in nominations, plus there's still the whole industry bias against commodity musicals."
I see your point. I love SJBand hope she wins the Tony but I have noticed Tony voters in recent years tend to vote for Best Leading Actress in a musical from the winner of Best Musical or Revival or from a musical that's doing well in the box office. Katrina Lenk, Bette Midler, Cynthia Erivo, and Kelli O'Hara all won this Tony the past 4 years and their musical won the Musical or Revival category as well.
Jessie Mueller won this Tony even though Beautiful didn't win Best Musical but the showwas a hit and easily recouped its investment."
Very true! Interesting though to point out from 2000-2010 it only happened 3 times - Ebersole for 42ND STREET, Foster for MILLIE and Winokur for HAIRSPRAY."
Yeah. I started looking into it especially after the result of Best Leading Actor tony last year (Shalhoub won over Slater/Henry/Hadden-Patton.) It was just an interesting observation. Anything can happen between now and the last day of voting so who knows who will win!
Posted: 4/15/19 at 10:53pm
Jeffrey Karasarides said: "What about Eva Noblezada? She has so far gotten great notices for her performance inHadestown, and that show could potentially do very well on Tony night."
she has? She has a gorgeous voice, and does "sweet innocence" quite well, but she doesnt do much with the very little she is given. I was surprised to learn she'd even be considered lead given that Gray steals scenes multiple times in both acts, but her character disappears entirely for most of Act 2. (though I also would have bet money Beth Leavel would be considered supporting for The Prom, and i was clearly wrong about that).
But for the fact that its a weak year in terms of leading female musical roles, i wouldnt expect her to be nominated.
I haven't seen Kiss Me Kate, but from what I have read it seems like its Rebecca Naomi Jones as dark horse to Stephanie J. Block. A respected, controversial performance in a "hip new" sold-out revival vs. a generally lauded performance in a flailing jukebox musical.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 10:58pm
Jeffrey Karasarides said: "What about Eva Noblezada? She has so far gotten great notices for her performance inHadestown, and that show could potentially do very well on Tony night."
She was fine, but her performance isn't even nomination-worthy, in my opinion.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 11:04pm
I'm surprised Rebecca Naomi Jones is thought to be in contention. In an otherwise stellar cast I thought she was the weak link. She simply was not as expressive as the other cast members. Ali Stoker, Mary Testa, Damon Daunno, Patrick Vail are all more worthy of a Tony nod than her IMO.
As for Kelli I saw her and thought she did a great job acting out of her comfort zone. But personally I'd give the award to Beth Leavel. She was all sorts of awesome in The Prom.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 11:07pm
CT2NYC said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "What about Eva Noblezada? She has so far gotten great notices for her performance inHadestown, and that show could potentially do very well on Tony night."
She was fine, but her performance isn't even nomination-worthy, in my opinion."
She has a beautiful voice but there was nothing standout about her performance to me when I saw it in London. I see her getting a nom but don’t see her having a chance of winning.
Are we totally ruling out Samantha Barks btw for a potential nomination for leading actress?
Posted: 4/15/19 at 11:11pm
Pretty Woman is a terrible show, I just don't see her getting a nomination. Kelli is so wonderful, I hope she wins it all.
Posted: 4/15/19 at 11:15pm
LuPita2 said: "Pretty Woman is a terrible show, I just don't see her getting a nomination. Kelli is so wonderful, I hope she wins it all."
I agree it’s not a great show, but neither is The Cher Show, and everyone is talking about how SJB has it sewn up!
Posted: 4/15/19 at 11:39pm
poisonivy2 said: "I'm surprised Rebecca Naomi Jones is thought to be in contention. In an otherwise stellar cast I thought she was the weak link. She simply was not as expressive as the other cast members. Ali Stoker, Mary Testa, Damon Daunno, Patrick Vail are all more worthy of a Tony nod than her IMO."
But she isnt competing with Stroker or Testa or Daunno or Vail... and she got positive notices across the board, including some raves. I haven't seen Oklahoma! yet (though she's been pretty killer in almost everything else I have seen her in, and I'd listen to her sing anything), but I'd be shocked if she was pointedly left out given the overwhelming support for the show and the relatively short list of eligible performers.
Posted: 4/16/19 at 12:37am
I'm puzzled by the difference between someone being miscast and someone not being a good enough actor or actress to play the part. Kelli O'Hara played Julie Jordan in a one nighter with the N.Y. Philharmonic that is out there on DVD. Looking at her on the bench, almost every part of her from her body language to the glow in her eyes said that she could never play mousy Julie, But she is a good actress -- that dawned on me about the third time I was watching the Lincoln Center broadcast of South Pacific -- and given a few weeks could she become Julie?
I suppose that applies to her current role as well. I think that perhaps before she became a mother of two and before the Ruthie Ann tragedy she would have been more willing to play broad physical comedy. Now she is very sensitive to violence, even of the Three Stooges quality,
Posted: 4/16/19 at 12:55am
Gross.
And Carousel at LC was NOT a "one nighter". Research.............it matters.
Posted: 4/16/19 at 1:06am
OlBlueEyes said: "I suppose that applies to her current role as well. I think that perhaps before she became a mother of two and before the Ruthie Ann tragedy she would have been more willing to play broad physical comedy. Now she is very sensitive to violence, even of the Three Stooges quality,"
I'm not sure I follow your point, and i take no position on Kelli O'Hara here, but this comment is in extremely poor taste, and strikes me as ignorant re: the acting capabilities of mothers in general, let alone O'Hara and Ruthie Ann Miles (who I think will do whatever the hell she wants to do as an actress, without limitations re broad comedy/violence).
