My only rant is Leap of Faith. I just don't understand... I really wish it would have been one of the other shows that had at least 1 nomination. Now I have to endure a performance by this musical on the Tony Broadcast... Looks like my DVR will come in handy...
I think this is the least overall "WTF" response I've ever had on Tony Nom. day. I think overall the list is pretty spot on. ( I can finally say that since I've finally seen almost everything that opened this year!!)
The biggest shockers to me were obviously the LOF nomination as well as the omission of Melissa Van Der Schyff.
The highlights of today were obviously reading the following posts on this board though...
Bryan Said: nice work if i can get it for best muiscal boo it's all old songs like crazy for you
fashionguru_23 said: I wish more musicals got nominated for Best Score. I know that Ghost, Leap of Faith, and Spider-Man weren't the scores from Gypsy or anything, but...stupid plays have to ruin the "show tune" category...
eturner said :What about GODSPELL? I am shocked it wasn't nominated, not even once!! Was it not eligible or something?? I am so confused!!!
I would like to rant about the multiple rant threads that have been posted.
That's nothing. Before I started doing this, the whole main page would fill up with threads to bitch about every nomination that each individual member disagreed with.
It was a nasty mess. The boards were pretty much impossible to read for days.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
With P&B's more noms than Follies, I'm still hoping for Follies to win best musical. I don't want poor Stephen's ego to be crushed that badly after his rant against P&B.
I wasn't too surprised, but still sad about Bernadette's snub. Am I the only one who reads everyones critiques about her character choices/portrayal as valid ones for a manic depressive person who is still pining away about a lost love (that was only in her head) that happened thirty years ago?
The only thing I was stunned by was Raul not being nominated. I assumed that it was an almost all or nothing with them (If LoF was nominated as best musical, Raul would be there also as leading actor. If LoF wasn't nominated, then Raul would not be nominated.)
How do you nominate a show for Best Musical when it doesn't get nominated in any other categories? How ridiculous. The 4th slot should have gone to GHOST.
No rant here as I am psyched at all the Tony love being showered on ONCE which is my new favorite musical. A brilliant production all around with solid, pure, heartfelt performances and a great score.
As another poster mentioned earlier in this thread: Leap of Faith received a Best Musical nominations simply because it received more votes than the others. Now, we can theorize why each voter voted the way they did( some thought it would tour, some wanted to honor a musical currently open, some genuinely liked it more than the others), but it's not as if the entire committee sat in a room and conspired to vote for the one best suited to tour.
As far as nominations in the other categories, there were simply many more deserving options to choose from (than the limited number of shows eligible for Best Musical) and the voters chose the other options.
Leap of Faith being nominated for Best Musical and nothing else is odd for sure, but the probable reasons why it happened seem rather simple to me.
By the way, I think the nominators largely nailed it this year. So happy for Osnes, the way the score category turned out, and the large nomination tallies for Once, P&B, Newsies, and Nice Work. Can't wait for the telecast.
Ricky Martin did not deserve a nominated, the entire production of EVITA was a disapointment, with the exception of the set and when Elani came out and sang don't cry for me Argentina, but thats not enough to make it a good show. I think Ricky Martin gave the WORST performance this season, and there was alot of crap this season.
I caught Elaine at a bad time (the first preview where she screwed up the lyrics {although apparently this was a common occurrence} and shouted the end of the song, maybe to compensate. And this was before Sondheim stopped all her back phrasing etc..). So I personally don't think Paige deserves it more - from the moment Houdyshell stepped on stage she was so endearing and hilarious. One of the great changes to the show I assume from DC, along with Bernadette's dress (that was exciting :P) and the environmental staging of the Marquis. Good times..
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I'm really happy with all of these nominations, especially the one's that were not very expected, like Houdyshell and Leap of Faith. Tony night is going to be wonderful.
"...but it's not as if the entire committee sat in a room and conspired to vote for the one best suited to tour."
Really? Guess I'm more cynical than you. The same committee voted on all of the nominations in all of the categories. Sorry... but if a show isn't worth nominating in any other category, it doesn't deserve to be nominated for Best Musical. Period. End of story. Even if they didn't want to give the 4th slot to GHOST, they didn't have to nominate 4 shows if they didn't feel that there were 4 shows that deserved the distinction. A few years ago, they only nominated 2. In my jaded view, they gave the 4th slot to LEAP for two reasons. 1. They wanted to showcase a show that will, no doubt, tour in countless bus and truck productions. 2. They knew that LEAP was the most at risk of closing. GHOST will hang on, in spite of the reviews. Some people didn't think that LEAP should even open, and after it did, some were predicting it would close last Sunday. Surely, it won't be closing now. You know it's going to hang on until the Tonys - and if it gets the boost in ticket sales they're hoping for, probably through the summer and into the fall.
I know it did happen on occasion, but Elaine didn't mess up the lyrics any of the times I saw it. I just really love her and was so hoping that she'd get the recognition she deserves here in the US.
Are there LA theatre awards? Maybe she'll have another chance.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I am very happy about Jayne Houdyshell's nomination. Her performance in Follies was a major highlight for me and stood out among many strong performances in that show. The role was small, but she made a huge impact with how she performed it. I hope that she wins the category!
I don't think the nomination committee sets out to snub people. If that's how it's taken, fine but I don't believe that's the intention. Overall, I think the nominating committee did a very good job with their choices with the exception of Leap of Faith. I can't see how a show can have no other nominations and then get a best musical nod. Makes no sense. I would have preferred Ghost or dare I say it, Spiderman before LOF. I did not see Follies so I can't say Raines was or wasn't better than Raul but if they were going to give LOF a nod anywhere, it probably should have been in that category. Glad to see Once and Nice Work challenge Newsies in nominations. Well deserved..
The only review of a show that matters is your own.