OFFICIAL TONYS 2006 WINNER/BROADCAST DISCUSSION THREAD *SPOILERS* — Page 25

Just also wanted to add for the record that I have absolutely nothing against Patti and thought she gave a wonderful performance in Sweeney. I just personally felt La Chanze was even better. I really don't think everyone who was rooting for La Chanze didn't like Patti.

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After reading 25 pages of this thread, some of you really need therapy.

Margo said best..

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Now that we have invited all jukebox musicals and all unoriginality to come to B'way, I'm getting ready to head to bed.


As wonderful as JERSEY BOYS is and as much as I enjoyed it, I'm very disappointed to know that we celebrated unoriginality tonight instead of a brilliantly fabulous musical that is not only completely original, but celebrates just what the Tony's were all about tonight:

the history of the theater world.

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Wow, what a show! There were definitely some great winners and my-goodness The History Boys walked away adorned in awards.

To be honest, this year was riddled with some of the best performances Broadway has seen since the Golden Age. Everyone nominated was nominated because they are presenting the Best Work on Broadway. There has to be a winner, plain and simple. But all of these actors were no less-worthy than their nominated comrades. The winning shows is a different story.

GENERAL THOUGHTS
Congratulations goes straight to 'The Drowsy Chaperone' for winning in the two thankless but most-deserving categories of Best Book and Best Lyrics. How adorable was Bob Martin in their performance?

Congratulations is needed for John Doyle and Sarah Travis in Best Director and Best Orchestrations for 'Sweeney Todd'... if only they walked away with at least one more. The one that really mattered.

All of the performances were exceptional. I know I must see 'Jersey Boys', 'The History Boys', 'Awake and Sing!', and 'The Color Purple' while I'm in NYC in July. Getting tickets for them will be an entirely different battle. I'm actually intrigued by 'The Threepenny Opera' a little bit now. 'The Wedding Singer' was a little under-miced but I am always such a sucker for the "Oh-oh-oh-ohs" in that number!

It was so great to see some of the classics at that microphone! And I must admit, Tonys sold me early on the 60 stars. My goodness, weren't they hot? Did anyone notice how each award was preluded by listing the previous historical winners in that category? Any ideas why they did that other than the 60th anniversary? I think it has to do with the fact that the West End and all their British actors and directors walked away with all the trophies.

No surprise John Lloyd Young won Best Actor -- and you know what, as much as I love Michael Cerveris, I'm convinced without a doubt how sensational 'Jersey Boys' must really be. I need to see it because rave reviews and taking the Best Musical award has finally swayed me. I never doubted its exceptionalism.

HIGH-POINTS
Beth Leavel's acceptance speech was perfect. When she won and started galloping to the stage I was repeating outloud: "Please do a bit! Please do a bit!" She left me brimming with satisfaction. Such a talented and hilarious woman.

Sam Barnett. Enough said.

John Lloyd Young is sexy. Christian Hoff too. Can you imagine how awesome it is to play a Tony Award-winning role as a person who is still alive? To stand on that stage and have your arm around the living, breathing man whom you portray and just won a Tony for? John Lloyd Young's acceptance speech left me a little more confused that sentimental. Good for him for being untraditional though! I cannot wait for 'Jersey Boys' to kick-start their National Tour in San Francisco!

In list form: Joanne Gleason's "Half-mad?!", Paul Rudd flubbing again and again needing Lasik surgery, Patti LuPone's ass and Michael Cerveris getting up out of the coffin, old Tony archival footage of 'Evita' and 'Dreamgirls', promotional ads for Broadway shows as commercials!, 'Spamalot' appearance as the Knights on Broadway, cute-bit between Sara Ramirez and TR Knight, Carolee Carmello looked gorgeous, Alan Cumming's chest, "A Republican Puppet? That rings a bell!", incredibly bad 'Phantom' where orchestra and McGillan flubbed big-time, 'Dreamgirls' sneak peak, Victoria Clark was beautiful, Bernadette Peters is legendary.

LOW-POINTS
Three words... 'The Pajama Game'. What the hell? What the freakin' hell? That was a complete upset and as much as I'm sure the show is a blast... no. Absolutely not. 'Sweeney Todd' didn't win it and that's something fundamentally wrong with that equation. Cerveris, LuPone, and Felciano went home empty-handed. I'm glad they gave the Tony to John Doyle and Sarah Travis for Orchestrations. But to completely rob Sondheim and the reinvented show and hand it to a bunch of neon polka-dot PJ dancers? No. I wanted to cry.

LaChanze's acceptance speech. Big No-No darling. Maybe you can clump her together in a group of names, but to be the closing sentence: "Thank you, Oprah" is like vomiting on your grandmother.

SURPRISES
First, congratulations to Christian Hoff for Best Featured Actor in a Musical -- I thought for sure Manoel Felciano had it in the bag.

Is LaChanze really that good? Really? I guess I'm going to have to see 'The Color Purple' to believe it because it takes quite a power to dethrone Patti Lupone.

Still, the Tonys this year was quite remarkable and star-studded. How was that for media exposure, America? My goodness, Broadway hats off! Celebrities and name-dropping galore! Such a huge event and a real fun time watching it. Just like live theatre, anything can happen at the Tonys!

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 03:26 AM

High points:
Best Musical: Jersey Boys
Best Revival of a Musical: Pajama Game
Best Leading Actress: LaChanze
Best Leading Actor: John Lloyd Young
Best Featured Actor: Christian Hoff
Best Book: Drowsy

Low points:
Best Book/Lyrics: Drowsy

For the 60th anniversary show, this was pretty lackluster. yes, they brought out more vintage stars and even some real theatre current stars, but overall, this was a C show.
Hello? Opening Number? harry Connick wailing out 3 swing tunes while clearly reading the lyrics from the teleprompter. Why not make the opening a big specialty number or the salute to Hal Prince? they could've been alot more creative with both the opening and Hal Prince segments. Very disappointing.
Additionally, there weren't many performances that made me want to hop a plane and see that show.
On a positive note, at least they finally abandoned the idea of bringing in pop stars with no Bway affiliation (Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Mary J Blige) and having them butcher a Bway song for ratings. doomed from the beginning and at least they fixed that.

From an award standpoint, I was happy for LaChanze, but disappointed for Patti. Not surprised by JLY, but wanted Cerveris. Total coommercial Tony went to Pajama Game winning revival (only because it's supposed to tour or comeback to Bway in the fall) It looks like fun, but ST should have won. Jersey Boys is THE unqualified hit of the season, but I would have rather seen an original, non-jukebox piece win the big one.

HOW COULD SWEENEY TODD LOOSE?

Alright, I know how. But it makes me very angry.

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I agree.. all the people dressed up in the back (who were standing with Howard McGillin? And The Christine should have opened the show and performed various songs from the shows they were dressed up for.

Caren Lyn Manuel was Aurora for the Spider Woman scene. Mark Ledbetter was in there, too, somewhere. (Not Spider Woman.)

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