I did love BoM, but it really may have also been a game of expectations. I paid $27 to stand and have a great view for the final preview. I went in fairly blind (which I haven't done for a musical in a VERY long time) and had a wonderful time. It was still crazy and hyped, but it was before the reviews. Would I have wanted to pay $400 for this? Nope. But I wouldn't for any show.
I thought Scottsboro was stunning, and Sister Act was tons of fun. It's been a strong season and I'm grateful that there is more than one musical I would feel happy winning. But I think that BoM has transcended further judgments of quality. It's a megahit and it really can't be touched anymore.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
Steve Suskin reviews the cast recording for The Book of Mormon today at Playbill.com. He says he thinks it places first among the funniest musical he's ever seen, dating back to 1959, ranking it ahead of the original How to Succeed, the Phil Silvers Forum and The Producers. He also goes on to illustrate the reasons why it should also win Best Score. On the Record: The Book of Mormon
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
I didn't know that, Bettyboy. As a parallel I've often wondered what Matt Stone's contributions were to South Park. This is just based on impressions, but your post made me wonder about that partnership, too.
I watched "Love and Other Drugs" over the weekend and found Josh Gad (as Jake Gyllenhaal's brother) supremely annoying.
Given what people are saying about him here, about his "Spelling Bee" performance and the movie, is this all he can do? The obnoxious shlub ad infinitum?
I know that everybody will reply to this with "You're still young and have a lot to learn about Broadway" but I mean, I don't think I've ever been so amazed by a single musical until The Book of Mormon. It is without a doubt my favorite musical out of anything I've ever heard. Urinetown had been my favorite musical for over two years and was in no condition to ever lose until I saw The Book of Mormon. Up against things like Avenue Q, Rent, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Urinetown was rocking the number one spot. Then I saw The Book of Mormon and I was just . . . I couldn't even say anything bad about it! I went and got autographs from the cast and own a t-shirt & magnet from the show. Today I'm ordering the book and CD. I've never felt so into a show since I first heard about Urinetown!
I've already warned my friends that if something were to suddenly happen and The Book of Mormon didn't win Best Musical that they should probably wear some protective gear the next day because I wouldn't be in a good mood. If TBoM doesn't win . . . I'll just be so upset, it was one of the funniest things I've listened to/heard in a long time. It's new, creative, funny, and even touching!
I was lucky enough to see BoM in it's first week of previews, went in knowing really nothing about it or what to expect, and only saw it because my friend won the lotto and wanted me to go along. I didn't have the super hype that everyone is going in with now, and I wish that more people got to experience it with the blank slate that I did.
That being said, I haven't gotten to see the other nominees so I can't say who is most deserving (so sad I didn't get to see Scottsboro, which closed while I was out of the country), but I won't be upset if BoM wins. Although I have had this gut feeling ever since the nominations came out that Scottsboro will sneak in and take the big prize.
You guys are making it seem like BoM is so undeserving. If Book of Mormon wins, it's not gonna be the same tragedy as when Follies lost to Two Gentlemen of Verona. BoM is a hit, and it's a good show in its own right. I do wish the Scottsboro Boys would go on tour, but that doesn't seem likely, does it?
You guys are making it seem like BoM is so undeserving. If Book of Mormon wins, it's not gonna be the same tragedy as when Follies lost to Two Gentlemen of Verona. BoM is a hit, and it's a good show in its own right. I do wish the Scottsboro Boys would go on tour, but that doesn't seem likely, does it?
IMO, Suskin goes to such lengths to extol the virtues of BOM that it becomes sort of a "The lady doth protest too much, methinks" sort of thing. I haven't seen Rich's liner notes (yes, I have ordered the album and, in fact, am going to see the show again in July) and understand that he goes on and on about the show's virtues, but I have yet to be convinced that this is a GREAT musical. I made a point of re-listening to Scottsboro Boys and Women on the Verge and think that both of them outshine what I recall of BOM's score. But let it not be said that I am not giving the show another shot. Just my thoughts.
Agree wholeheartedly with pinoyido2006 here. It's not like a terrible show is going to trump a masterpiece here ala Follies and Verona (or frankly even Billy Elliot and Next to Normal in my opinion). Instead of bickering about which show is better, we should just be thankful we got two really great new musicals on Broadway this year, especially after the crap we were subjected to last season.
Having seen both Scottsboro and Mormon, I thought Scottsboro was fantastic and would vote for it in any other year, but that Mormon actually exceeded my expectations and was in fact the better show. Haven't seen the other two yet (am seeing "Sister Act" tomorrow so who knows, maybe my opinion will change then) but for now, I would have absolutely no problem with "Mormon" taking musical even as much as I enjoyed "Scottsboro".
I liked Mormon, but didn't love it. The hype didn't help either ... expectations were very high to be shocked, offended, blown away by the humor ... and honestly, it fell short on all accounts. I never had an "I can't believe they just said that" moment. I chuckled a few times, but never laughed out loud. I also felt it was very presentational; I always felt like I was watching it rather than being involved. I didn't care about the characters, and thought the humor was silly. I've never seen South Park, but there was something just very "common" about BOM. I left BOM feeling disappointed that it wasn't as good as I thought it would be.
I do wish that Scottsboro Boys had found an audience. It was intelligent, creative, inventive, funny, moving, involving, interesting ... all the right ingredients for a Best Musical, and by far the best musical of the season.
Having seen Sister Act in London and not being impressed, I was quite surprised at how much better it is here. I would honestly much rather see Sister Act take the top prize over BOM ... I enjoyed it much more. It was rousing and joyous and a real feel-good show. So if Scottsboro doesn't stand a chance, my vote would be Sister Act.
I've only seen 2 of 4 Best Musical nominees, Book of Mormon and The Scottsboro Boys. It's an extremely tough call to say who will take the award. I always find it difficult when choosing some sort of winner because what are the grounds for awarding a Tony? As we see on this board so much that people have all different tastes. While I don't understand how someone couldn't like The Book of Mormon, I don't know how you couldn't like The Scottsboro Boys either. Both shows were brilliantly executed and it seemed like the creative team and cast and crew spent lots of time making sure that the final product was of the highest quality. My vote is for The Scottsboro Boys. I thought it was just an all around good time but still moving and thought provoking. If it goes to Book of Mormon, I would be just as happy. And Sister Act is a guilty pleasure, so if that wins by some odd chance, I will be ecstatic.
