JB tells a really good, interesting story, with great music and first-rate production. It (along with MOVIN' OUT, another show in my all time top 10) is the most artful jukebox musical ever created.
I guess Spring Awakening is the best of the last 5 "best" musicals. But in truth, it wasn't even the best show of its own year. Looking at the winners in a row...the Tonys really are pretty ridiculous.
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL Bartlett Sher, South Pacific
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL John Gallagher Jr, Spring Awakening
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Laura Benanti, Gypsy
BEST BOOK The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST SCORE The Light in the Piazza
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY Billy Elliot
BEST PLAY August: Osage County
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY Glengarry Glen Ross
BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY Nichola Hytner, The History Boys
BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY Frank Langella, Frost/ Nixon
BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY Cherry Jones, Doubt
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY Rondi Reed, August: Osage County
""the gays love their presents. just wave something shiny in front of their faces, you can get whatever you want. Thats how we got manhattan from the gay indians" -Karen (W&G)"
Had LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA taken Best Musical over SPAMALOT, that would without a doubt be my choice for Best Musical. To me, it's one of the biggest Tony screw ups in recent memory.