Most shocking Tony moment- Page 2

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 12/28/04 at 10:55pm

bbroadwayb is right. Although Avenue Q's win was certainly a surprise, I think it's not a mystery how it won. The Broadway community was extremely pro-Q; by that time, there was a high disdain for Wicked, especially because everyone expected it to win. There was a general feeling that this would be "one of those years" where a show that received mixed critical reception would win over much more worthy musicals (Avenue Q was one of the most critically-acclaimed shows of the year).

I think the expectation that Wicked would win was borne out of everyone's cynicism that the big splashy musical would always beat the little guys.

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 12/28/04 at 11:01pm

If you ask me, the entire 2001-2002 Tony Awards were comepletly screwed up. So many people won awards that I didn't think they deserved. I saw just about every show that opened up that year, plus I attended the Tony Awards, and I was never as shocked as I was that night.

Sutton Foster deserved her win---that made me happy. But TMM beating out Urinetown, when Urinetown was obviously the most interesting and new and clever show of the season? Come on? Not to mention John Lithgow winning. Everyone else in that category was more deserving then he was in that horrid musical.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/28/04 at 11:05pm

MJW beating Bernadette (which I really don't think should've happened)...

and Q beating Wicked, but I was SO happy for them. They deserved that win. And hey... I root for the underdog.

[Feathah]

Posted: 12/28/04 at 11:08pm

When Ragtime lost.

[The Goat]

Posted: 12/28/04 at 11:11pm

OK, I'm going to show my age, but I think it was when, after winning almost every other award it was up for, "Follies" lost Best Musical to "Two Gentlemen from Verona"!

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 12/28/04 at 11:15pm

I guess it isn't really shocking when the more deserving performance/show doesn't win the Tony...and others have said this already BUT...I must say it was really sad that Bernadette lost to Marissa...Bernadette was different and arguably mis-cast, but gave an immortal emmotional rich performance in that production and Marissa...was really cute. Tonya and Donna both gave performances with a depth of character usually lacking in musical theater...Idina emotes blindly.

KC

[cturtle]

Posted: 12/28/04 at 11:25pm

WICKED may have had more "wow factor" than Q, but "wow factor" does not always make the best musical. personally, i loved BOTH shows ... totally different from each other.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:12am

West Side Story being beaten by The Music Man (i love both, but WSS is better)
Ethel Merman not winning for Mama Rose
Gypsy being beaten by Sound of Music and Fiorello! (i like these too, but Gypsy is in a league of its own)
Stephen Sondheim not being NOMINATED for best score for A Funny...Forum. He probably would have beaten Lionel Bart as well.
Follies being beaten by Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Pacific Overtures not being more successful. Full stop.
SITPWG not winning best musical, best score, best book, best actor and best actress. Bernadette was robbed most of all!
Cats winning any Tonys at all.
Into the Woods not winning Best Musical. Bernadette not getting a nomination for The Witch.
Bernadette not winning for Mama Rose.
Tonya Pinkins not winning for Caroline, or Change.

[wildcat]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:25am

Paradox, I hope Sondheim is paying you to carry his grudges for him!

I still loved the moment when Anthony Quinn announced Neil Simon as the winner of Best Play when he was presenting some completely different category, and the whole audience just gasped . When Simon finally won, he said, "I was in the men's room when Anthony Quinn was on, did anything interesting happen?"

[Plum]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:33am

There's a difference between wins we might feel are unjustified and wins that are really shocking in the sense that everyone seemed to be surprised by them.

Avenue Q winning? I think I heard maybe 2 people call that in advance, in opposition to maybe 60 people (I'm being conservative) who called the thing for Wicked. I know the only sound in my house then was my delighted shrieking as my dad looked on in muted horror, thinking I'd gone completely off the rails.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:48am

Paradox - Every single instance that you cited I agree with completely - I was going to type them myself. The only one I don't agree with is WSS and TMM - I think THE MUSIC MAN rightfully won.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:48am

I wish he was paying me...
*sniffs*
that would be holy money!!!

[little_sally]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:52am

I'm just shocked that a musical could win Best Book and Score (Urinetown, Parade, Ragtime, Into the Woods) and not win Best Musical.

[wildcat]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:53am

I seem to recall Chita Rivera wasn't even nominated for WSS...or am I just making that up?

[paradox_error]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 12:54am

And munkie, I don't know. I love The Music Man, but I think West Side Story is one of the most perfect musicals there is. Flawless book, flawless score, flawless lyrics, phenomenal choreography and masterful direction. But that's just my opinion...

[Plum]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 1:04am

Some people would definitely disagree with you about the book- but damn, I just doubt the sanity of anyone who doesn't appreciate the choreography and music.

[nodaybuttoday4]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 1:07am

I was really happy that Q won Best Musical. It's cutting-edge, and if that can win, we can have so many great (*scandalous*) musicals in our future!

[TonyaFanatic]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 1:41am

im new here...hi.

um to elaborate a little i just wanted to reply on the Ann Duquesnay win for Bring in da noise. i think Idina's nod was more than appropriate. it showed she had a huge presence and we'd see so much more of her soon. but ms. duquesnay, who isnt an actress primarily whose role in bidn was so incredible, plus she wrote a lot of the music in the show. it was the stuff that whole character was made for. ann's Tony was desrved after a great cap basically to a long rough career. you havent seen her recently makin a big splash right? in a nutshell, i believe the ATW was telling Idina, "youre day will come sooner than you think"

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 1:42am

Although I was happy with Q beating WICKED for best musical, the real best musical in that category was CAROLINE OR CHANGE.

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 2:27am

I don't know how I do it but I always seem to pick the winning show. I was glued to my set at the Tony awards and wanted Q to win so badly.
When they won, I made so much noise my neighbors were worried.
I started jumping up and down and screaming. Then my Mother called me and all my friends.
I was so happy. All my friends say I have a gift for predicting best musical.
I predicted Millie, Hairspray and Q.
I was shocked about Idina winning best actress. I wanted Stephanie to tie with Tonya.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 2:36am

This isn't really a "moment", but when Hunter wasn't nominated for Best Actor in Urinetown.

[eslgr8]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 2:55am

Nothing really shocks me, I guess, mainly because all the shows mentioned above seem pretty darn good to me. I saw all of last year's nominees and each was excellent in its own way. I really wanted Wicked to win (it had me entralled!) but I loved Avenue Q as well. Since then I've seen Caroline, or Change 3 times and it's amazing too. Tonya Pinkins was out of this world as Caroline, but Idina Menzel had me ferklempt (don't know my Yiddish spelling) from the moment she came on stage, and regardless of what some have said, Bernadette Peters was perfection to me as Rose. So I can't begrudge any of the winners. What talent, all of them!

[edfu]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 4:25am

Back in the Pleistocene Age, for all you youngsters, in 1972, when FOLLIES won Tonys for score, direction, choreography, actress, scenic design, costumes, and lights, and Best Musical went to TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

[mint0621]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 6:51am

I was quite shocked when Contact won "Best Musical"

[magruder]

Posted: 12/29/04 at 7:30am

Most shocking moment ever is Barbara Harris walking to the stage and her acceptance speech for Best Actress for The Apple Tree on the 1967 Tony Awards.

Updated On: 12/29/04 at 07:30 AM