Lea Michele 'Special' Tony Award — Page 2

Surprised no one has mentioned John Cameron Mitchell’s special Tony for Hedwig. Granted, he wrote the role and by that point had a very long history with it.

UncleCharlie said: "Phillyguy said: "UncleCharlie said: "The special Tony awards ... have typically been used to recognize an iconic performer who does something closer to a one person show or concert"

That's basically where we are. She single-handedly revived the FG to a performance where the staging, lighting, and book no longer matter. She elevated the entire performance and cast in a way most leads do not do."

So you're saying Lea had morphed the stage musical Funny Girl with a cast of over 20 into a one person show/concert. OK then. I guess she qualifies and should be awarded a Lea uh, I mean Tony. Imagine all that money they are wasting on paying Ramin, Jared and Tovah when they're not even needed."

That’s a very literal interpretation of what I said. The reviewers clearly agreed that it’s a completely different show with Lea as Fanny. All the flaws with the staging and book seemed to fade into the backdrop because the audience is focused on her.

What has she even done to warrant a special Tony Award? Plenty of actors have gotten great reviews for their roles and brought in box office records, but they weren’t given special awards for that.

UncleCharlie said: "Phillyguy said: "UncleCharlie said: "So you're saying Lea had morphed the stage musical Funny Girl with a cast of over 20 into a one person show/concert. OK then. I guess she qualifies and should be awarded a Lea uh, I mean Tony. Imagine all that money they are wasting on paying Ramin, Jared and Tovah when they're not even needed."

That’s a very literal interpretation of what I said. The reviewers clearly agreed that it’s a completely different show with Lea as Fanny. All the flaws with the staging and book seemed to fade into the backdrop because the audience is focused on her."

OK, that's where the problem lies. The reviewers agree that it's a completely different show but the rest of us see her playing the same part, saying the same lines, singing the same songs, using the same set and interacting with the same supporting cast as the actress she replaced and think she's in the same show, just giving a much better performance as Fanny Brice. Maybe to drive the point home that it's a completely different show, they should rename it "Humorous Young Woman" and call her character Banny Frice.

Alright, I'll admit it. I'm having a little fun with you. But seriously, you're trying to claim a performer coming into a Broadway musical as a lead actress replacement for which there is an existing, established Tony Award acting category for those who originate a role, is giving a performance so monumental and historic that she should qualify under the banner of one woman show/concert for which a special Tony Award is given specifically because those performances don't fit into the already existing acting categories. The assertion is so over the top, I can't help but poke a little fun at it.

And in the spirit of very literal interpretations, when a reviewer says it's a completely different show, they don't actually mean it's a different show, they just mean it's a much better and more enjoyable show with Lea performing the role of Fanny Brice. It's still Funny Girl."

I’m not sure who the “rest of us” is. You claim that people other than the reviewers, ie the rest of us, see the same show. Perhaps that’s you, but it’s clearly not the case that the reviews are an outlier even based on the comments here.


There’s no clear criteria for a special Tony. Lea is not just any replacement who happens to be better than the original as you claim. We are not talking about another Christine replacement.


It’s pretty rare for both the originator to be so miscast to force an iconic show to close early and to have a replacement (rather quickly replaced) to be so transformative for the show that now it’s one of the most sought after tickets.


Replacement aside, if she had been eligible last year, she would’ve won the Tony. If she were eligible this year, there’s a good chance that she still would have won the Tony based on the shows so far. So is it so far fetched to argue that someone who’s in such a unique position who would otherwise have won be given a special Tony.

Let her come back in another show, make it as much of a sensation, let that performance be nominated against some equally gifted performers, and let her win an actual Tony for that role. Then it will frigging mean something.

Dumb lazy f-ing millennials all want to have everything just handed to them - " Here's an A for effort" - instead of actually doing the work.

Honestly some days I think everyone under 30 just needs a good smack upside the head. Today specifically I'm thinking of younger co-workers who spent all yesterday watching Andrew Tate videos.

inception said: "Let her come back in another show, make it as much of a sensation, let that performance be nominated against some equally gifted performers, and let her win an actual Tony for that role. Then it will frigging mean something.

Dumb lazy f-ing millennials all want to have everything just handed to them - " Here's an A for effort" - instead of actually doing the work.

Honestly some days I think everyone under 30 just needs a good smack upside the head. Today specifically I'm thinking of younger co-workers who spent all yesterday watching Andrew Tate videos."

Maybe I’m way off base here, but I think the Venn Diagram of millennials that think Lea Michele should get a special Tony and the millennials who watch Andrew Tate videos is two circles. Two circles on completely opposite ends of space.

inception said: "Let her come back in another show, make it as much of a sensation, let that performance be nominated against some equally gifted performers, and let her win an actual Tony for that role. Then it will frigging mean something.

Dumb lazy f-ing millennials all want to have everything just handed to them - " Here's an A for effort" - instead of actually doing the work.

Honestly some days I think everyone under 30 just needs a good smack upside the head. Today specifically I'm thinking of younger co-workers who spent all yesterday watching Andrew Tate videos."

Completely, 100% agreed. "When are we getting a proshot????" "Record the understudies!! Who has that audio??" "I can't afford the show so obviously bootlegs are okay and it doesn't matter if I'm distracting the performers!" "Why aren't you stagedooring when I came all this way to see you??" SO so many entitled people. It's ridiculous.

Jarethan said: "Pearl Bailey, Richard Burton and Mary Tyler Moore both all won special Tony’s for their performances. There is precedent…and, yes, I know they were bigger stars, but isn’t it supposed to be about the performance?"

None of the performers you mentioned embarrassed the industry the way Lea Michele did. Her performance in this show has helped heal the deep, deep, deep damage she'd done to her career, there's no denying that, but it hasn't saved her completely. If anything it's brought her back to relatively even playing field and you don't give Special Tony Awards to people who are at a relatively even playing field.

JanMaxwellsBag said: "hearthemsing22 said: "Completely, 100% agreed. "When are we getting a proshot????" "Record the understudies!! Who has that audio??" "I can't afford the show so obviously bootlegs are okay and it doesn't matter if I'm distracting the performers!" "Why aren't you stagedooring when I came all this way to see you??" SO so many entitled people. It's ridiculous."

I can recite this monologue by heart."

Because of me?

Elfuhbuh said: "What has she even done to warrant a special Tony Award? Plenty of actors have gotten great reviews for their roles and brought in box office records, but they weren’t given special awards for that."

I think a lot of members of this board think she gave one off the greatest performances in their life of theatre going. Many have used the word ‘iconic’ as have many Tier 1 critics. She has turned a flop into a huge hit (probably for as long as she is in the show). She is not eligible for a role in which she would have won the Tony in most seasons. Special Tony’s are supposed to be very rare…I think she passes.

So weird that the mods delete my Spongebob reference in repose to Inceptions dramatic a** but their post gets to just stay up. lol.

I don't see how rewarding her (or any replacement) a special Tony would be much different then when Pearl Bailey was given a special Tony for HELLO DOLLY. The committees who decide these things don't really need any other criteria other than that the artist 'brought luster' to the Broadway season. That's why the "Replacement Tony" idea was scrapped. It was deemed unnecessary.

Jarethan said: "Elfuhbuh said: "What has she even done to warrant a special Tony Award? Plenty of actors have gotten great reviews for their roles and brought in box office records, but they weren’t given special awards for that."

I think a lot of members of this board think she gave one off the greatest performances in their life of theatre going. Many have used the word ‘iconic’ as have many Tier 1 critics. She has turned a flop into a huge hit (probably for as long as she is in the show). She is not eligible for a role in which she would have won the Tony in most seasons. Special Tony’s are supposed to be very rare…I think she passes."



Richard Burton: Giant of the stage and screen. 7 time academy award nominee. Previous Tony winner for Hamlet.

Pearl Bailey: Show business icon and breaker of racial barriers. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Mary Tyler Moore: Universally loved show business icon. Academy Award nominee and 7 time Emmy Award winner for two of the most iconic shows in TV history.

Lea Michele: "Hey, isn't that the chick from Glee, the one hated by everyone she worked with?"



Yeah, let's give one out after a 40 year gap cause, um, Lea Michele. LMAO.

And to your previous comment "but isn’t it supposed to be about the performance?" No. Those are the competitive acting categories. Special Tony Awards are as much, if not more, about the person, the magnitude of their career and what their presence on Broadway means to the industry as it is about the performance.

Check the box office receipts. The show was pulling in $1-1.5 million during the Beanie period and didn't start to slip until all the commotion started about her leaving. Now, it's consistently pulling in $1.5-2 million and went over $2 million during Christmas/New Year's. So she's been good for an extra $500k ish in box office. Great. Terrific. Give her a raise. But she didn't single handedly rescue a flop any more than another talented "name" actress who was right for the part coming in to replace Beanie would have been able to do. Unless they are a big Glee fan or a Broadway diehard, they probably don't even know who Lea is, they just heard Funny Girl is really good now.

And what about Julie Benko. Where's her special Tony for being the alternate who most outshone the actress she was subbing for in the history of American Theater? What about her special Tony, huh?