Jersey Boys...why best musical?

Just because a show doesn't have an original score doesn't mean that it shouldn't be able to win Best Musical. I mean sure the story is about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, but it's a great story about struggling for success and then finally getting it. I mean, where is it written that the winner of Best Musical must have an original score and story?
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"You know how somethings have the title based on a true story, but you never read based on a good story. This is a really good story, and we didn't make it up."
-Marshall Brickman

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 12:29 PM

Ain't Misbehavin', Swinging on a Star, Crazy For You, Black & Blue, the Anything Goes revival, My One and Only, and Smokey Joe's Cafe all used music not written expressly for the show.

Hairspray, The Lion King, Ragtime, Beauty and the Beast, and Tarzan also contain music not written expressly for the show.

Few musicals are truly original. Some of the best modern musicals are based on material from elsewhere (Phantom, Cabaret, Chicago, Cats, A Little Night Music).

You want to knock Jersey Boys, do it on something tangible, not some random ridiculous argument about the origins of the music.

What music in Hairspray and Ragtime was not written JUST for the show?

I DISAGREE The Wedding Singer WAS the best musical there... IT DOESNT HAVE TO WIN IT TO SAY THAT

TONY voting needs to be revamped big time. Road presenters have too much clout and all they care about is what will play in their house. Not the best show.

How about each group votes for their own carrying 50% of the total, ie: lighting desiners would vote for the best lighting award. 50% of the designers winner would count towards that award the other 50% would be from the current voters.

Best Actor, Actress, Play and Musical would be choosen by the public, many models to choose from here such as the All Star game, People's Choice Awards. etc

A musical revue doesn't even have a plot, but it's still a musical.

"They should divide the categories if that's the case.

best ORIGINAL musical

and

best JUKEBOX musical"

You mean like "separate but equal"?

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I have a question, if for some reason all of the musicals that came out this year with original music were "In My Life" quality, and then there was Jersey Boys which is at the same quality that it is, would people still be saying these types of things?

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i have not seen either Jersey Boys nor The Drwosy Cahperone, but this is just my judjement, based on clips, TV performances, etc.

I think just because the music in JB was not written for the show, this does not make it "unworthy" of the Best Musical award. Jersey Boys did something that not many other jukebox musicals have done, and that is to put the existing songs into a comprehendable and non-generic stroy. Jersey Boys used the songs of the Four Seasons to tell their story. It was one of the first recent jukebox musicals to actually have a good story.
Jersey Boys was also well-crafted, and well-performed. It did deserve its award.

I personally enjoyed Drowsy more, but I think both of these shows deserved the award.

As for the "Best Book and best Score, but not Best Musical" debate, obviously JB could not be nomianted for Best Score, and I think Drowsy won because their book, like Jersey's book, was well written, and it also allowed Bob Martin to get some credit for writing his role Man in Chair.

Just my two cents.

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I enjoyed Jersey Boys much more than the Drowsy Chaperone -- enought to see it more than once. Don't get me a wrong, I did enjoy the Drowsy Chaperone, but it didn't blow me away. I left Jersey Boys on such a high, even after the second time, that I had to immediately get the cast recording and play all of the songs. That is saying a lot for a musical that contains my parents "music."

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Doesn't really have anything to do with this but I didn't know where else to post it.

Found this off of JLY's Blog:

Monday, October 4, 2004

Spent the day watching the 45-minute presentations of this year's selections for the NAMT Festival, held at Dodger Stages. A standout amongst the presentations was the new show, friend Roy Miller's, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE.

Later, attended a CD launch party at the theatre district's Angus McIndoe restaurant for the a cappella group, Pieces of 8. Friends Jose "Chach" Francisco and Mandy Linden are members of the group. Their website.

Jersey wouldn't have won last year because it was well known that Spamalot would've probably been the winner, because of the huge Monty Python following. If Spamalot wasn't around, Piazza probably would've won.

You can't talk about best book and best score equaling Best Musical. JB wasn't eligible for Best Score.

It won because the schmucky money making pricks from out of town want it to go on tour and be a hit.