Rank the 2022 Tony Performances

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 2:39am

Wasn’t in love with most of these, but I thought they were all around solid, with the only thing to really deride being the cameras

1. Spring Awakening - Their song choice was a pleasant surprise and sounded beautiful. And John Gallagher actually cleaned up, so bonus points for that

2. Sondheim Tribute - One of his favorite actors affectingly performing one of his greatest songs

3. A Strange Loop - Thought the songs combined pretty smoothly and unlike several of the other performances, the narrative felt pretty clear

4. Mr. Saturday Night - Music wasn’t anything to write home about, but Billy Crystal is a comedy legend and his playing off the crowd was fun

5. Girl From the North Country - Heard complaints about how it comes off out of context, but I dug Mare’s swagger and Jeannette delivered some of the best vocals of the night

6. Six - We all knew they’d do those two songs, but it’s the obvious choice for a reason

7. Paradise Square - The brief dancing was strong and Kalukango was engagingly fierce

8. Company - It was certainly not bad, but it’s just a bit disappointing given they had stronger options. Still, the cast as always is incredibly charming

9. MJ - Cant quite put my finger on it, but I feel like there could’ve been a bit more oomph. Still, Frost embodies an iconic performer and the choreography expectedly impresses

10. In Memoriam - The song choice is a bit questionable, but Billy Porter gave it his all

11.  The Music Man - Hugh, Sutton, and the kids are cute and the dancing’s all good, but doing your curtain call over all those classic numbers feels like a wasted opportunity, even if it’s still a nice enough performance. Didn’t help that this number probably had the worst camera work of the night.

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 2:57am

Tribute to Angela Lansbury:  F

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 8:16pm

In terms of shows, I feel like MJ and Mr. Saturday Night came off the best.  Joaquina of course blew the roof off but the jump into the dance break of Paradise Square at the beginning came off as disjointed and the way the camera focused on the footwork just made the viewing experience feel off kilter.  I don't know that the North Country performance would sell any tickets necessarily but it was an excellent showcase of their two nominees.  I'm still baffled at why they had the tap dance encore for Music Man take up half of their Tonys performance.

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 8:37pm

My favorites were MJ, Mr. Saturday Night, A Strange Loop, and The Music Man as I thought they were most effective at selling tickets to the casual theater goer.

SIX was effective but something was off with the sound and I felt like the stage was a bit too big for them. I'm sure this came off better in person but it didn't on tv.

Paradise Square and GFTNC were great performances but didn't really tell me what the show was about.

Bernadette's tribute was lovely.

I did not care for the opening acts of either broadcast.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 8:48pm

Best to Worst.

Spring Awakening 

A Strange Loop.

MJ

SIX

Girl From the North Country.

Company 

Paradise Square

In Memoriam 

Tribute.

Mr Saturday Night.

The Music Man. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 9:44pm

Ranking is a bit annoying so I'll just write my notes and grade them

Darren & Julianne's Opening Number ("Set The Stage" - For two people who have never hosted any award shows before, this number shows how fun it can be and showcased their natural talents - Darren with singing/songwriting, and Julianne with dancing. (God, I hope she gets another Broadway show soon). A good way to kick off the night and put a smile on my face. A-

Ariana's Opening Number ("Round Of Applause" - This was my personal winner of the night. Ariana just exploded onto the stage and made it clear that, as a Broadway baby, she has ONE job, and she was going to do the damn thing! She's got smooth vocals (almost a little like Janelle Monae), expert dancing, a cheeky sense of humor, and the ability to make an audience of Broadway luminaries young and old leap to their feet. The tears in her eyes at the end of the number made me root for her even harder and I knew we were in good hands. She, hands down, gets my "round of applause". A+

Spring Awakening - Why did this even need to be a thing? It was a fan service performance that probably would've been better served in the first hour. Not for the unconverted for sure - I thought it was an energy suck that brought the show to a halt. D

A Strange Loop - What a GREAT job they did with being able to blend two songs together and create an FCC-friendly version of the score that still was able to demonstrate the show's spark and heart simultaneously. If anything, how well this number was done kind of rub salt in my wound that "SIX" winning Best Score opened up. And Jaquel is just so damn adorable. A

MJ - Like that they did the "Smooth Criminal" inspiration sequence because it allowed the bridge to be built from the theatre world to MJ's world, but the energy seemed a bit lacking - though that really bolsters the case that this should be seen live (since TV doesn't do it justice) and no doubt sold quite a few tickets. C+

SIX - Same old tried and true number that they always do, but I did like that the design enhanced the "concert" experience of it all, and the little tribute to Mallory Maedke for swinging in last minute was heartwarming - enough to temporarily override my seething dislike of this show. B

Girl From the North Country - Was a bit confused at first because they re-orchestrated "Like A Rolling Stone" back to the original Dylan style and Mare looked lost for a hot second, but then it all came together, and then Jeanette Bayardelle came is and SLAYED THE HOUSE DOWN. She would've been my MVP for the night if not for Kalukango. A-

Company - Nothing I haven't seen a hundred times before, and I wish they did more to highlight the actual nominees. Plus, that box apartment was SWALLOWED up on the stage. C+

Paradise Square - Admittedly, I do not like this show and I could see that this Tony performance was carefully curated to highlight the only two halfway-good things about it. The dancing was great for sure (although I don't know if the unaware theatregoer will enjoy it when it goes on endlessly). Meanwhile, Kalukango, I think, just had her own Jennifer Holliday moment - and I know that's a hefty comparison, considering how weak the song is, but damn if she didn't deliver it on a silver platter with gold dust on top. B+

In Memoriam - Rather pedestrian with an odd choice of song, though I appreciated that Billy Porter also kept it simple and didn't resort to vocal histrionics. B.

Sondheim Tribute - I definitely thought they could've done a little more, but sometimes simplicity is key and any time we get to enjoy the eternal youth of Bernadette Peters singing on TV is a damn good day in America. A-

Mr Saturday Night - It was a very bizarre Tony number, but yet somehow managed to work in all of what they needed to do. When Crystal was going into his "Spread A Little Joy" schtick, I admittedly cringed because this isn't material that generally works for a crowd of thousands and yet, somehow, I feel like Crystal landed it. Points at the end for "...and if you didn't like it, my name is Hugh Jackman". B-

The Music Man - While a step up from the "Penny In My Pocket" fiasco from a few years ago, I still found it as bland and flavorless as I did in the theatre. The camerawork was atrocious (that Hugh closeup gives me nightmares), the instrument miming seemed amateurish, and they also criminally underused Sutton Foster, as if she was just an afterthought. F

Updated On: 6/14/22 at 09:44 PM

[BroadwayAndSports]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 9:53pm

1. Six

2. Spring Awakening

3. Paradise Square (entirely for Kalukango)

4. Mr. Saturday Night

5. Sondheim tribute 

6. MJ

7. A Strange Loop

8. Company

9. The Music Man

10. In Memoriam 

11. Girl From The North Country


 

 Girl From the North Country. Company Paradise Square In Memoriam Tribute. Mr Saturday Night. The Music Man.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 10:33pm

1.  Paradise Square,  

2, Everything else, some better than others. 
 

Did you notice how the entire Music Hall audience leapt to their feet at the end of the performance? 
 

You only asked to rate the performances, not the show. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 11:50pm

From the shows:

1.  Paradise Square…needs no explanation.  I am now considering seeing it on Wednesday, instead of #2.

2.  Music Man…I am a sucker for 76 Trombones, loved it with such a big cast, and enjoyed both leads, although HJ looked very gaunt, which I am not used to.  Was supposed to finally see that on Wednesday, but getting a refund, since those tickets were priced to see HJ, and he was the only thing that would get me to see another performance of MM.

3.  Company…great song, didn’t love the claustrophobic space in which it was performed, which I am certain was intentional, but the cast was great, although no showcase for Katrina.  Seeing the show tomorrow.  I have seen 5 or 6 productions, including the original production,

4.  North Country…thoroughly enjoyed both excerpts chosen

5.  MJ…not crazy about the song chosen, but I liked the choreography and performances

6.  Mr. Saturday Night…I enjoyed it for Billy Crystal, but not as something that is supposed to be representing a musical

7.  A Strange Loop…led me to conclude that I probably am not the target audience.

Others:

1.  BP.  I really think they should have had a lot more than they did, but what they did have was tops.  BP in great voice.

2.  Adrianna’s opening number.  She was terrific, and made up for the issues I had with the size of the snippets.

3.  Memorium.  I did not get the song choice, but it’s a beautiful song, sung beautifully.

4.  Spring Awakening.  I would not have chosen that song, to which I have always been indifferent.  I also think they could have shot the performers a little better..why have the original cast and show them at a distance.  I wanted to see shots of the folks who i haven’t seen since, in addition to Geoff, Michele, And Gallagher.

Overall, I enjoyed the show immensely.