Examples? I don't agree at the most famous person often wins. In fact, since 1990:
1990 Randy Graff beat Jane Krakowski Robert Morse beat Dustin Hoffman James Naughton beat Bob Gunton Charles Durning beat Gary Sinise Michael Jeter beat Rene Auberjonois
1990 (where most famous person won) Maggie Smith (beating Kathleen Turner, etc.) Tyne Daly (with no competition)
1991 Jonathan Pryce beat Topol Lea Salonga beat Cathy Rigby Mercedes Ruehl won over Stockard Channing and Julie Harris
1991 (where most famous person won) Kevin Spacey, with no competition.
1992 Judd Hirsch beat Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin (Glenn Close won - rest of nominees weren't famous)
1993 Brent Carver beat Tim Curry and Martin Short Ron Leibman beat Liam Neeson Debra Monk beat Marcia Gay Harden Madeline Kahn beat Lynn Redgrave and Natasha Richardson (Chita Rivera DID beat Bernadette Peters)
1994 Jarrod Emick beat Tom Aldredge Boyd Gaines beat Victor Garber and Terrence Mann Stephen Spinella beat Christopher Plummer Diana Rigg beat Joan Rivers (the rest of the nominees had no stars)
1995 John Glover beat Jude Law Frances Sternhagen beat Cynthia Nixon and Mercedes Ruehl Cherry Jones beat Eileen Atkins and Hellen Mirren (George Hearn, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, and Mathew Brod. won with no comp)
1996 Donna Murphy beat Julie Andrews Zoe Caldwell beat Carol Burnett, Rosemary Harris, and Elaine Stritch
1997 James Naughton beat Jim Dale Lynne Thigpen beat Dana Ivey and Celia Weston Janet McTeer beat Julie Harris
1998 Ron Rifkin beat John McMartin and Samuel Wright Anthony LaPaglia beat John Leguizame and Alfred Molina Natasha Richardson beat Betty Buckley Marie Mullen beat Jane Alexander and Allison Janney
1999 Brian Dennehy beat Kevin Spacey Elizabeth Franz beat Claire Bloom
2000 Boyd Gaines beat Stephen Spinella Roy Dotrice beat Kevin Chamberlin and Daniel Davis Brian Stokes Mitchell beat George Hearn, Mandy Patinkin, and Christopher Walken Stephen Dillane beat Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly Karen Ziemba beat Eartha Kitt Heather Headley beat Toni Collette, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald Jennifer Ehle beat Jayne Atkinson, Rosemary Harris, Cherry Jones
2001 Richard Easton beat Brian Stokes Mitchell and Gary Sinise Cady Huffman beat Polly Bergen and Kathleen Freeman Viola Davis beat Michele Lee Christine Eversole beat Blythe Danner Mary-Louise Parker beat Juliette Binoche and Leslie Uggams
2002 Alan Bates beat Billy Crudup, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Jeffrey Wright Harriet Harris beat Andrea Martin and Judy Kaye Kate Finneran beat Kate Burton, Estelle Parsons, Frances Stern., Elizabeth Franz Sutton Foster beat Vanessa Williams Lindsay Duncan beat Kate Burton, Laura Linney, Helen Mirren, and Mercedes Ruel
2003 Brian Dennehy beat Eddie Izzard and Paul Newman Dennis O'Hare beat Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert Sean Leonard Michele Pawk beat Marian Seldes Harvey Fierstein beat Antonio Banderas Marissa Jaret Winokur beat Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Bernadette Peters Jane Krakowski beat Mary Stuart Masterson and Chita Rivera
2004 Jefferson Mays beat Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, Christopher Plummer Anika Noni Rose beat Beth Fowler, Karen Ziemba Idina Menzel beat Kristin Chenoweth, Donna Murphy, Tonya Pinkins Phylicia Rashad beat Eileen Atkins, Anne Heche, Swoosie Kurtz
2005 Bill Irwin beat Philip Bosco, Billy Crudup, James Earl Jones, Brian F. O'Byrne Cherry Jones beat Laura Linner, Mary-Louise Parker, Phylicia Rash., Kath. Turner Norbert Leo Butz beat Tim Curry and John Lithgow Victoria Clark beat Christina Applegate Liev Schreiber beat Alan Alda Adriane Lenox beat Dana Ivey Dan Fogler beat Christopher Seiber Sara Ramirez beat Joanna Gleason
Actually, the most famous perforn "often" DOESN'T win...
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
It'll take me a while to get through the whole list of that, munk, and I agree that the most famous doesn't always win, but regardless...the first item I see (Krakowski-Graff) is moot, because Jane K. was not at all famous in 1990. She had done a small role on a soap, but she wasn't the semi-name she is today.
Thats not a dig at her, btw, I think she is a wonderful actress, but she isn't a hugely famous person today either anyway
I'm so glad you took all that time to do that. It must give you great joy or...somethin...that you feel you have trumped me.
But, I'll just say that not all of your examples mean squat, particularly if you take into account that some of those people were more famous at the time or less famous at the time. I will also mention that your list is not concise as to show the percentage to which you feel I am wrong and should thus concede the semantics game you so desperately wish to play.
Your need to prove me wrong doesn't change the general perception that I have heard often voiced that Tony voters like to hand the award to stars to encourage stars to take roles on Broadway. It doesn't change the possibility that the Tony voters may choose to award Connick for what is said to be a stunning debut and to entice him to continue working the Great White Way.
Jerby, I didn't mean to prove you wrong. I just wanted to show you where I'm coming from, in saying that often times, the most famous person doesn't, in fact win. My motivation wasn't to prove you wrong at all, just to show that it's not always the case. I didn't mean anything bad by it at all, don't look at it that way.
While some of the examples, such as Krakowski not being famous in the early 90's, might not have any weight, the fact remains that more often than not, the most famous person doesn't win. Last year, despite giving nothing more than a mediocre performance (which is something the Tony's seem to constantly recognize), Denzel Washington failed to get a nomination. All I'm saying is that fame doesn't have much weight with the Tony's. You disagree, and that's fine.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
No, what I disagree with is the way you took my use of the word "often" to mean "always" (subconciously), and then to mean "most of the time" or "more often than not".
That's not what "often" by itself means. If it happened a number of times, even if not the most, it can still be "often". I didn't use the word precedent and I didn't say that Connick was definitely going to win or that I even hoped he would--just wanna make that clear.
And, yes, fame plays a big part in who gets nominated and who wins unless a brilliant new comer makes a splash, which is why I think John *could* sail through. But never underestimate the same organization that usually awards Best Musical based on which show will sell most on the road to not be political or a sucker for famous people.
HCjr's voice is beautiful and his chest is not to be believed but he doesn't deserve a Tony. Michael is amazing but I'm rooting all the way for John Lloyd Young. It feels, at least to me, that he's having THE season, doesn't it? I'll be absolutely heartbroken if he doesn't win.
"I'm the STAR!"--Daniel Reichard during Glory Daze sound check
Could Will Chase be up for leading or featured actor in Lennon? (I think he deserves to be up for SOMETHING)
If Percy Blakeney were in Les Mis....
Percy: Sink me! If it isn't Javvurt!
Javert: Zsah-vair, it's pronounced Zsah-vair.
Pecry: But it's spelled J-A-V-E-R-T Javvurt.
Javert: Repeat after me Zsah...Zsah....
Percy: Oh! Zsa-Zsa! Like the Gabor sister! Well I personally have always prefered Eva.
Javert: (Looks for gun)
Chase is technically eligible, but I wouldn't hold my breath for any aspect of LENNON getting a Tony nod. Never happen.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
I doubt Michael Ball will be nominated. What about Harry Connick, Jr.? I personally don't think John Lloyd Young is anything spectacular, but I was also underwhelmed by Michael Cerveris in Sweeney Todd, but since I only saw its first preview I'm sure he's better than when I saw him. I doubt that any performers in Tarzan will be nominated, and there's no real buzz for any of the upcoming musicals except for The Threepenny Opera. It's a very lackluster year.
Given his popularity, I can sort of see Michael Ball being nominated (but probably not, as there seem to be a lot of contenders this year, and from shows that haven't gone in the direction of WIW), but I wouldn't bet a cent on him winning it.