Is JERSEY BOYS still the dark horse this year?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:32pm

As each new musical opens and I read the reviews (and see them for myself, of course) I can't help but think JERSEY BOYS has a better and better chance at taking home the Best Musical TONY this year.

WIW has no chance.

THE WEDDING SINGER might be nominated, but won't win.

THE COLOR PURPLE got allright reviews, but Oprah's been pushing it to no end.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE was a very cute and enjoyable show, and may have a chance at the award. We'll have to wait for the reviews.

TARZAN doesn't have much of a chance, as far as the reviews I read. Although I'll wait to make up my own mind.

LESTAT...yea right.

Personally, of all the new musicals of this season, I think JERSEY BOYS is superior. I absolutely loved every minute. The story, the music and the performances are all outstanding. I for one hope it wins.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:36pm

I think it's a toss up between Jersey Boys and Drowsy. I loved JB a lot more, but all the raves Drowsy is getting for being original may win it.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:37pm

It has yet to open. So we'll see what the critics have to say.

Having seen both, I think JB is superior. Although, I still had a quite enjoyable time at DROWSY.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:42pm

In the other thread about "best score" - Jersey and Drowsy weren't even considered contenders, yet it will win best musical? I'm not saying it won't - i haven't seen either - but its just weird to me that the Best Musical winner would be the show that didn't win for best score? does that make sense? Like, the score is the part of the show that makes it a "musical" in the first place. And if the musical part of it is lacking, why is going to be "best musical" ?
Updated On: 4/25/06 at 07:42 PM

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:44pm

RentBoy86, remember Spamalot from last year?

I don't think Jersey Boys can be nominated for Best Score, because the music wasn't written for the show.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:59pm

Just in the past decade the following shows won Best Musical without winning Best Score: Spamalot, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Contact, Fosse, and The Lion King. That's half. So no, I don't think the score has to be outstanding.

Now granted, three of those had scores that were at least nominated, if not particularly competitive. But Contact and Fosse didn't, and they won the top prize.

Frankly, I don't see why Jersey Boys should have ever been considered a long shot simply by virtue of its relation to the jukebox musicals. Contact didn't even have live music at all! And Fosse, like several shows before it, used recycled music, the songs just happened to have been from (mostly) theatrical sources.

In other words, Jersey Boys is emerging as a viable candidate for Best Musical, rather than a dark horse, but I don't think it should have ever been written off in the first place.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:12am

JERSEY BOYS should and will win, and the only possible chance of an upset is from THE COLOR PURPLE. If PURPLE wins, it is because of money and Oprah - not because the show is any good.

[Corine2]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:21am

Munk-
All I can say to you on that is "HELL, NO"

PS You may not like Color Purple but many people do.
I love Jersey Boys. I also loved The Color Purple.
If Grey Gardens moves to Broadway it will be a very interesting Tony awards.
I loved all three.

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:22am

There's no way GREY GARDENS can move that quickly. They have 14 days until the TONY cutoff date.

And, to Munk, I say HELL, YES!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:25am

hehe corine, I love you

[Corine2]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:26am

That is a shame about Grey Gardens.
I just hope it extends. It is magnificent.
Additionally Ebersole gives the performance of a lifetime.
But so does Felicia P.Fields.
And that is a definite "HELL YES"

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:28am

Jersey looks to be in first place right now.
I just Hope that DROWSY can be the dark Horse cause it is an original Musical with an Original score written fot the show.
TONY voters are very unpredictable.
Go DROWSY
i Loved that Show.

[timote316]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:34am

But you have to remember, the Tony committee ignored jukebox musicals last season. All Shook Up was certainly worthy of a nom or two, but it was completely shut out (Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design, Best Actor?, etc).

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:37am

Yes, but JERSEY BOYS recieved raves across the board. MAMMA MIA, GOOD VIBRATIONS, LENNON, ALL SHOOK UP or RING OF FIRE didn't get near those kinds of reviews.

[Corine2]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:40am

All Shook up was a cute little show but does not compare to the performances in Jersey Boys.
JLY and Reichard are in another league. Same for Hoff and Spencer.
Cheyenne was talented, but the material in "All Shook Up" was a disaster. I found it entertaining, but it is not in the same hemisphere as Jersey Boys.
Hell, NO.
Gosh- I love that song. ()
Updated On: 4/26/06 at 12:40 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:49am

But the songs In Jersey Boys are just concert pieces and though they are staged and lighted well,
they don't progress the musical as a good Musical should.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 2:20am

Nor did the music in FOSSE, and look what happened with that.

The fact that ALL SHOOK UP was totally snubbed last year was surprising to some, especially in the best orchestrations and best choreography categories, but it's not as if a show was nominated in it's place that wasn't worthy of the nomination. ALL SHOOK UP was cute and fun - I enjoyed it - but JERSEY BOYS is on an entirely different level, as Corine said above.

Saying ALL SHOOK UP didn't get nominated, so the Tony's don't like jukebox musicals is just stupid. It would be different if all the other jukebox's were wonderful - but only one is wonderful - and that's JERSEY BOYS. And let's not forget MAMMA MIA's slew of nominations.

[andyf]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 2:44am

JMO, but SPAMALOT got nominated for sets, lighting, choreography and orchestrations.

I don't think I'm alone in saying I think ALL SHOOK UP deserved those nominations more.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 12:32pm

The difference is that last season was ridiculously strong, with (at least) 4 very successful shows dominating the awards landscape. All Shook Up may have been snubbed, or it just may have been brushed aside by ardent admirers of the other shows. The nominations ultimately come about by a voting process, not an endless discussion of the best field of candidates (from the Tony's website: "Nominators serve for overlapping three-year terms. They are asked to see every new Broadway production and then meet on the Sunday evening following the Tony eligibility deadline. They determine the nominations based on secret ballots supervised by an accounting firm."). While rare, it's not improbable for it to occasionally end up like American Idol, where some nominators may assume the automatic viability of a show or property (Tamyra Gray or Ann Harada) and focus their energies on another (Nikki McKibbin or Isabel Keating). Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's my understanding of the nomination process.

This season there aren't 4 runaway hits. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to call anything other than Jersey Boys or The Color Purple all that well-received at all. Jukebox bias or not, Jersey Boys was probably the best-received show of the year to date, and for that reason is as viable a candidate as anything.