Only 2 Best Score Tony Nominees?

Am I missing another show? Memphis and Addams Family have new scores. Fela!, Sinatra, American Idiot, Sondheim on Sondheim, and Million Dollar Quartet do not. Hope something else sneaks in.

Updated On: 11/4/09 at 06:11 PM

Ah, yes, how could I forget Spiderman?

American Idiot is said to be waiting for a specific space. By all accounts it is happening.

Catch Me if You Can isn't happening this season. Neither is Minky's.

Is Lincoln Center aiming for Women on the Verge for the Spring?

Updated On: 11/4/09 at 06:16 PM

If Tommy can win the Tony for Best Score, I don't see why American Idiot shouldn't be eligible.

Both PUTTING IT TOGETHER and THE FROGS were both deemed eligible by the Tony committee, though neither was nominated.

As we know, the TONYs never make ludicrous decisions... ::coughCONTACTcough::

P

The Tony committee wrote stricter rules after State Fair got a Best Score nomination. A certain percent of the score has to be brand new (written specifically for that production),

Isn't Quartet a jukebox musical?

Catch Me isn't happening this season. O'Brien and Mitchell are busy in London with Love Never Dies. It is aiming for the Fall of 2010 from everything I've heard.

Unless the Tonys change their rules again (which wouldn't be unusual in this category), the score needs to be at least 50% new and written for the stage production. This is how 'Mary Poppins' was able to be Tony-eligible; Anthony Drewe and George Stiles wrote enough new songs and rewrote enough of the Sherman Brothers' original songs to be considered (even so, they didn't earn a nomination). More recently, Alan Menken and Glenn Slater wrote enough to supplement the original Howard Ashman-Menken score for 'The Little Mermaid' to be Tony-eligible (and they did get a nomination, over a wholly original score by John Bucchino, 'A Catered Affair').

Based on this current criteria, the only Original Score possibilities (so far) appear to be: 'The Addams Family,' 'Memphis' and 'Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.'

"But if the rules got so strict after State Fair, how did Lion King get nominated for Best Score?"

Half of it was a new score...and so boring I almost fell asleep three times.

I'm guessing that the reason Putting it Together was eligible for the Tony was because they rewrote a lot of the lyrics to fit with the story and characters.

According to Riedel....Spiderman won't open in time to be eligible. He reported that it now wont' open until June/July.

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Actually, Maury Yeston wrote the new score for THE ROYAL FAMILY, so there is a play with music. I thought his music added such a nice layer to this already great chestnut. It has heart, soul, and everything you'd want from a play that has music. If there are only 2 musicals eligible, I would fully hope Yeston receives a much deserved nod for this beautiful music.

Here's a link to a montage video of the play with one of Yeston's compositions being used.

http://mtc-nyc.org/current-season/theroyalfamily/reviews_video2.asp

Updated On: 11/6/09 at 07:47 AM

Then I would say Yeston looks good for a nomination if nothing else comes up. He could have Oscar and Tony nominations in the same year.

~Steven