Past Tony Award Questions

[Elphie]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 6:03pm

I believe in 2000 Contact won the Tony award for Best Musical. Was there any singing in this show or was it strictly all dancing to pre-released popular songs? I remember watching Contact on PBS sometime ago, catching the ending to it and there was hardly any singing. I'm not saying that it wasnt fabulous-I did find it very entertaining and the choreography amazing, but what other shows was Contact up against that it beat out?

And another thing that I didnt get for the Tony Awards was that in 1991, the young actress who played Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden won the featured actress Tony, when in reality her part is the lead. Is it because she held a child role that it couldnt be considered the lead? I've seen this show and that character basically carries the show. Its a demanding part on a child. Andrea McArdle was up for Best Actress in 1977 so I dont think it could be the reason for it being a child role. And didnt Andrea McAardle lose to Dorothy Lauden who played Miss Hannigan who was also up for Best Actress? In my mind, Miss Hannigan is considered a featured role, but I guess not. Just somethings if anyone has explanations for- Thanks!

[magruder]

Posted: 5/9/04 at 6:13pm

Contact was up for Best Musical against James Joyce's The Dead, Swing! and The Wild Party. (Aida was not nominated for Best Musical that year, though I think it won the other four Tonys for which it was nominated).

Contact has no live singing ... though there was dialogue, everything was danced to pre-recorded music. I felt it had all of the energy of a musical and didn't object to its eligibility, although that seems to be a minority opinion.

As far as The Secret Garden, I think that the entire company was billed below the title, which would automatically put them into the featured category, although a show's producer can campaign to have a performance be considered for leading. In the case of The Secret Garden, they probably kept Daisy Eagan in the featured category so she didn't have to compete as Leading Actress against Lea Salonga, who won for Miss Saigon.

Updated On: 5/9/04 at 06:13 PM

[Elphie]

Posted: 5/10/04 at 4:40pm

Thanks!
I think Swing! should have won over Contact. I cant believe Aida didnt even get a nomination. Sometimes I just dont get it.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 5/10/04 at 4:52pm

and aida is the only one of those shows which is still running

[Elphie]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 4:42pm

the Tonys are an opinion. It doesnt mean the choices they pick are the best.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 4:59pm

The fact that AIDA ran longer than the others, including CONTACT, is irrelevant.

AIDA was a big budget epic, with dazzling scenery and costumes, designed to appeal to tourists. It went through major workshopping and massive changes over three years (inclduding three titles, two directrors, two set designers)as it went from Atlanta to Chicago to New York.

CONTACT was a low-budget experimental "Dance Play", created to play for a limited run in the 300 seat Off-Broadway Mitzi Newhouse. When it got rave reviews, the folks at Lincoln Center moved it upstairs to the larger Vivian Beaumont, and it became a "Broadway" show. I'm sure that the creators of the show never thought in their wildest dreams it would go on to run for over a year and a half.

[little_sally]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 5:04pm

it's sort of like when betty buckley won for "cats" as best featured actress. she was some what of a lead but because it was such an ensemble musical, she won featured instead.

[Libractress2]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 7:51pm

I saw Daisy Eagan in The Secret Garden. AND Rebecca Luker. Did Rebecca Luker get any nomination for her role as Lily? She was amazing.
About Daisy Eagan... did anyone see that reality show on VH1 where the cameras followed aspiring actors around? Daisy Eagan was on that show. It was kinda sad to see how she was struggling as a young adult, yet had won a Tony as a child. She was pretty negative and down on herself. I was like, "wow."

[Elphie]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 10:16pm

O god what was the show called! I totally remember! Its at the tip of my tongue...
THE IT FACTOR! Yes!
And yes I do remember her. Poor thing. I use to think once you have a Tony Award you are set for life haha. Guess not.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/11/04 at 10:20pm

Actually that year the best thing in my opinion was JAMES JOYCE'S THE DEAD. I absolutely loved this show and it's still on my top 5 list of all time favorite musicals. It's a shame an official recording was never made since the music was simply gorgeous.

[gypsy#12]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 12:35pm

How about why didn't BP win last year?? What is going on?!!??

[Elphie]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 3:30pm

BP?

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 3:33pm

BP = Bernadette Peters.

She didn't win because more voters voted for Marissa Jaret Winokur.

And wasn't Betty Buckley onstage in 'Cats' for about eight minutes? Hardly a leading role by any definition.

[Elphie]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 3:39pm

Oh I thought you were referring to a show, sorry about the mistake there. Who did Betty Buckley play? Sorry guys I know little about CATS and am probably one of the sad few who didnt see the longest running show ever in its Broadway run. I just never saw what was appealing about it.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 3:44pm

Buckley played Grizabella who's job it is is to sing 'Memory.' She walks across the stage once or twice before then.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 3:47pm

Elphie - you didn't miss a single thing - believe me...

[Elphie]

Posted: 5/12/04 at 3:48pm

Grizabella really doesnt do anything important besides that. Haha, but every girl just wants to sing memory.

[GHOSTLIGHT2]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 6:41pm

You are correct that Andrea McArdle was indeed nominated for a TONY award .She was only nominated because as She was playing the title character They felt They HAD to nominate Her for Best Leading Lady. In truth I very much believe She should have won the award over Her co-star,Andrea is the superior voice over Dorothy Loudon.

[Horton]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 6:45pm

3 years later?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 6:51pm

But, Loudon was in a completly superior class as an actress -- the award is for "Best Actress" after all, not "best voice" -- was no slouch as a singer and she completely dominated the stage, giving what most who saw her would call a legendary performance. McArdle had an impressive voice for a child (still does) but was somewhat robotic and indifferent as an actress.

Loudon easily deserved that award.


And, yeah....... it was neccessary to unearth this conversation 3 years later?

Updated On: 3/26/07 at 06:51 PM

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 6:57pm

"Andrea is the superior voice over Dorothy Loudon"

Please, Loudon and McArdle are not even in the same league. Heck, Loudon is 20,000 leagues ahead of McArdle. She's that far ahead of 99.9% of performers, for that matter.