Michael Riedel /New York Post: May 16, 2008

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 6:47am

May 16, 2008 -- HERE'S something that'll make the folks at "A Catered Affair" drive their taxi off a cliff: They missed out on the coveted Tony nomination for Best Musical by one measly little vote.

"A Catered Affair" tied "Cry-Baby" on the first ballot. To break the tie, the nominators voted again - and "Cry-Baby" slipped in.

There were 10 other ties as well, though none so dramatic as Best Musical.

The next battle: Who gets to be on the telecast? There's a lot of talk that CBS will insist that "Young Frankenstein" and "The Little Mermaid" appear, since they're both famous titles. If so, you can bet the producers of "A Catered Affair" will demand to be included as well - or else they'll throw wedding cake at Les Moonves.

ENOUGH about the Tonys. Let's take a look at the results of a far more significant contest.

Last week, I asked readers to vote on who has the sexier biceps in "A Chorus Line": Mario "Flex" Lopez, who's playing Zach, or Nick Adams, who, as Zach's assistant, has been forced into a hoodie because Flex fears Adams' biceps will upstage his.

I've combed through more than 100 e-mails, and this year's Mr. Broadway Biceps (sue me, Stewart Lane) is . . . Nick Adams!

"Give the chorus boy a break," writes Jon Paul Buchmeyer. "If Mario had wanted to show off, he should have played Larry. But I suppose his 'Dancing With the Stars' training didn't really prepare him for the chorus line."

Bitch.

"It's Nick Adams, hands (or biceps) down," writes James. "You can mainly tell with the forearm and more natural curves to his arms. Mario is more a victim of gym pumping, where Nick has a more natural body form. And I'm a gay man, so I follow these things."

Clearly.

"Let Mario Lopez wear the hoodie!" writes Elvia Alicea.

Flex is not without champions.

Norma Lopez-Rodriguez says: "Mario 'Flex' Lopez has the bigger biceps along with the better good looks. Ask just about any woman about his physique and those dimples, and she will say he takes the cake - the beefcake that is!!!"

Cold shower, Norma, cold shower.

Several readers were appalled that Flex has swapped Zach's iconic costume - a long-sleeve sweater - for a short-sleeve shirt, which allows him to show off his muscles.

" 'A Chorus Line' is an ensemble show, not a star vehicle for small-time TV and soap studs/starlets to parade their goods in front of an audience as if they were in a Broadway runway fashion show at Bryant Park," says C.L. Callahan.

I'll give the final word to an expert: Ron Dennis, the original Richie ("Gimme de ball, gimme de ball") in "A Chorus Line."

He writes:

"Not any of the various Zachs during my two years and eight months with the show ever wore a short-sleeve shirt. Nor did the topic come up about biceps being revealed. It was always about the acting/dancing.

"So put the sweater back on, Mario, and work to be a better dancer and director as Zach. The world can Google your muscles if we care to view them."


from RC in Austin, Texas




Michael Riedel: Cry-Baby, Catered Affair and Nick Adams

Updated On: 5/16/08 at 06:47 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 8:13am

One stinking vote!
I pity the fool.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 10:10am

That makes me more angry. Ha. I just want to stand outside the Cry-Baby stage door and just glare at all of them.

[harvester7]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 10:16am

I wonder what the other ties were...

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 10:17am

Stuff happens, ACA didn't get good reviews neither did Cry Baby, so you know stuff happens.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 10:20am

RentBoy86, I realize you're kidding, but why would you glare at the cast of 'Cry-Baby'? They're just hard-working actors doing their best to put on a good show. If you're unhappy with the Tony nominations, you should be glaring at the Tony nominators. Or at least half of them. But I imagine you've got better things to do with your time than to track them down and do that.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 10:38am

wrong, acrock.

ACA got a majority of mixed and mixed-to-positive. with a couple of raves and a couple of pans

CRY BABY got a majority of mixed-to-negative or negative with two (legit) raves and a few pans.

A CATERED AFFAIR got snubbed and we all know it... I could live with it being snubbed out of Best Musical but Best Score ??? seriously??

You're telling me that Bucchino's beautiful "artwork" isn't as deserving as a few mediocre unoriginal rock n' roll songs? c'mon people. practically ANYONE can write the damn score to CRY-BABY.
Updated On: 5/16/08 at 10:38 AM

[dented146]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 12:59pm

I don't remember that the reviews for a Catered Affair were much different than Cry Baby but I haven't gone back to check them all out.

[BrianS]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:06pm

"practically ANYONE can write the damn score to CRY-BABY."

And just when do we get to see your contribution to the musical theater canon? Or do you write nothing but hyperbole on these boards.

[Midnight Radio]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:33pm

Yeah! It takes years of training and sheer brilliance to write the lyrics "Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby"
Updated On: 5/16/08 at 02:33 PM

[BrianS]

Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:47pm

um no.... that's kind of the point of that song. But I did think "All in my head" was well done. And "screw loose" was funny. I even liked "girl can i kiss you" and "i'm infected."

He didn't say he didn't like it (in fact, I wish too darn hot would finally share his opinion on Cry-Baby... why so silent?), he said anyone could write it. Which is a tired and cliche statement that can be thrown at anyone who has actually created something so I'd love to hear some of his songs since it's so easy to top the ones I mentioned above.