Laura Osnes or Patina Miller for the Tony — Page 2

Laura! She was brilliant in this role. I will say, if she were nominated this year for Bonnie I think she'd win hands down.

Many of you are acting like Cinderella is this completely original role that's never ever been done before. She *is* following in Julie Andrews' footsteps, remember, which has pretty much never been proven successful in the past.
Patina, without question, will win the Tony. Though Laura is extremely talented I agree this isn't a breakout role for her. I do have faith, however, that in the future she will get her breakout role that will nab her the Tony she deserves, but not now. As far as leading women this year goes, Patina just has the edge.

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Neither do I, but I just don't think this is her year.

And I just realized that Alice Ripley was the last time the Best Actress in a musical wasn't from a revival. Four years. We're due for another great female role.

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To those saying Laura's Cinderella isn't a triple-threat role and doesn't carry the show...what production were you watching? That pas de deux with Santino is beautiful and it's the title character.

If Laura wins, it'll garner an eye roll from me. Almost every other lady in that category gave a more interesting performance to me than her Cinderella. Completely uninspired, she brought absolutely nothing I did not completely expect from her, there was nothing unique or surprising about her performance at all. It was Cinderella cliche after Cinderella cliche. For a show whose book is supposed to be reinventing this fairy tale and giving it a new spin, the leading lady sure isn't trying to bring anything new to a character we've seen time and time again in every possible medium and incarnation. A total disappointment, and I was intrigued to see her after her interesting turn in Bonnie & Clyde.

I thought Patina, Stephanie, and Carolee all did much more with the material they were working with. I felt moved in some way or at least surprised in some way by what they did onstage. Laura was a total snooze. I'm rooting for Patina, if I have to choose between only those two.

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Blactor, Alan Cumming as the Emcee in CABARET comes to mind, if only because I recall some review of the production with line (I paraphrase) "Alan Cumming is committing grand theatrical larceny by stealing a part once forever-claimed by Joel Grey" or something of that sort.

My take on the race, they are the front-runners for sure in terms of likely chance to win. Carolee deserves all the credit in the world for making a mole-hill of quality out of a mountain of crap, but it will not suffice. Stephanie was delightful, but is overshadowed. I have not seen MOTOWN, and my friends who have swear that Young Diana Ross reincarnates every night, but Patina and Laura are the front-runners.

To me, it's Patina's devilish command of the stage in a difficult part that struggles to try and be the center of a centerless show up against Laura's pitch-perfect and ideally-realized Princess-archetypal title role. Patina was breathtaking when I saw her, all flashing grin and Fosse loose limbs, but I was more impressed by how flawlessly Laura absolutely put across Cinderella (a character well-known for ages) without a shred of doubt or lacking of confidence. Patina has a flashier role, Laura executes hers to a higher level.

Both deserve Tonys for their work. I will be happy for whichever wins Sunday night.

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" Laura is a beautiful singer and actress who deserves the nomination for sure, but Patina totally killed it as a true triple threat in Pippin. No contest, imho. "


As a true triple threat ???? What so Laura did nothing in the show she just sat there. I am pretty sure she danced acted and sung from the videos I saw !

I am just saying that Laura is also a triple threat, but Patina does everything from Trapeze singing dancing and circus acts and acting.

"We're due for a new female role"
We got one for Carolee, would be a hoot if she won.

I'm a huge fan of both, but I really think Patina deserves this one (and will get it). As amazing as Laura Osnes is, she sortof falls in the same trap as Kelli O'Hara - their roles are just never 'showy' enough. Don't get me wrong, both are incredible performers, it's just their roles always end up being 'nice' which pales in comparison to the more meaty, showy roles (like the leading player). But who knows? Maybe we're all in for a surprise and one of the other great women will take it..

After forcing myself to listen through the Scandelous cast album I forgot how revising Carmello was in that ****fest of a show. In all honesty if it had a Spring opening the award would have been hers even with the complete pans. She convinced me both on stage and via the cast album that she was a 16 year old girl while she is what in her late 40's?

Neither Osnes or Miller give a "must see" performance like Carmello, which I put on par with Lupone's Mamma Rose, Ripley's Diana. I consider the choice between Miller and Osnes more akin to Zeta Jones vs. Glover, when it should of been Chritiane Noll's or even Baldwin's. Although I must say that who ever wins the award it will be considered "star making" performance because I know Hollywood would just eat them up them both being two young and beautiful women.

My choice between the Osnes and Miller though would be Osnes. I saw both Ms. Miller and her understudy and despite the lack of circus tricks I found myself more engaged with her undstudy's take especially in the finale where she was much more furious at Pippin's refusal to comply which came off as more believe able in my opinion. Please note I have never seen Vereen's portrayal which from the comparisons I read are much more in line with Miller's understudy's portrayal of the Leading Player. I also felt like Miss !iller was upstaged by most of her costars which is an issue for Leading Player and unlike most I felt more for MJM than Miller and think he deserves the credit over her.

Osnes's performance was a breath of fresh air and she was able to walk a fine line between kind naive and intelligent, and a plastic Barbie cartoon character. I also think Miss Osnes is more likly to stay a Broadway Baby while I feel Mis Miller will be on the first flight to Hollywood when her contract is up.

PATINA MILLER, oh please!! I was one of the people lucky enough to see Ben Vereen's performance in its original incarnation, and I must say that Patina has done an incredible job of making her own Leading Player resonate to a new generation of theater goers. Sure, there will always be comparisons in any revival, but to me, in the context of this show, Patina's Leading Player left its own individual impression. Her performance was so full-bodied, intoxicating and visceral. I would be so very disappointed if she lost this race.

Laura has always been a lovely performer, and oh so beautiful. But to me, when watching her onstage in Cinderella, I was always charmed, but never transformed. I have seen every performance she's given on Broadway, and I always see a lovely performance. However, for this Tony win, I want the performer that left me transfixed. Patina was mesmerizing - I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

PATINA FOR THE WIN!!!