Rembember When Raul Esparza Lost the Tony to David Hyde Pierce...- Page 2

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 3:49am

I agree yet again, ghostlight2. If anyone from Passing Strange deserved a nomination, it was Colman Domingo. Stew's nomination for Best Actor... Huh?

~Steven

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 3:59am

Please. I am begging you. Don't get me started on Stew.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 4:04am

Haha. Just because you're eligible for five billion categories doesn't mean you should get in for each of those five billion. Poor Cheyenne...

~Steven

[hpeabody930]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 4:41am

If we're talking travesties, what about Idina Menzel over Tonya Pinkins in 2004?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 4:46am

No argument here. In fact, that one goes beyond travesty territory and is running headlong into egregious.
Updated On: 5/25/10 at 04:46 AM

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 7:18am

I absolutely adored Curtains!

That said, Raul should have won.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 9:48am

This is just what I wanted to wake up to. That was the night that lost my faith in the Tonys, and I know all of the threads like this were done in jest, but I don't know why anyone here thinks there's any point in re-hashing these kinds of things.

[Piper3500]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 9:49am

there should be a thread entitled
"Biggest Upset at the Tony's"

or

" Who do you think was robbed?" something like that...there have been many over the years....

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:03am

And there will continue to be many more, every year.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:07am

Does anyone have the clip of Raul losing? The look on his face was kinda priceless. Sorry, Em.

Also, last night was a great night for tv. You mofos should be watching Chuck! Updated On: 5/25/10 at 10:07 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:09am

I do know it's on YouTube somewhere. I would go find it for you, but I'm not that kind of masochist. You shouldn't have trouble finding it, though.

Um, it was all about the Real Housewives of New Jersey, okay?

Updated On: 5/25/10 at 10:09 AM

[boardwalker2]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:20am

I loved Curtains and thought DHP absolutely deserved the Tony. While I agree that Debra Monk and Karan Ziemba gave wonderful performances; I think that it was DHP's name that initially got people in the theatre. Once you were in the seats however, you could help but be charmed by the rest of that talented ensemble. I also thought the part was very demanding and he did a wonderful job of making it look effortless. I'm not taking anything away from Raul's performance, but the only thing I remember about it is his singing Being Alive, whereas I remember most of DHP's performance.

Allll that said, if there's any justice at all, this year's Tony should go to Sahr Nguajah for Fela!. I didn't enjoy the show as a whole, but he was incredible, making a very demanding performance look effortless.

Just as a footnote; my opinion is skewed toward DHP. I've been a big fan of his since the fourth season of Frasier. So you'll have to excuse me as I am indeed blinded by the light.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:23am

I have barricaded myself in my office to avoid the rocks that will be bombarded my way.

David Hyde Pierce won the Tony because his was the best performance that season. He gave a solid musical comedy performance that did what the show asked for. His win was to me, very satisfying.

Raul Esparza is a very talented man. He lost the Tony for his performance in Company because the directon called for him to turn a charming, bright, mysterious character into an alcoholic depressive who no one would want to be around for ten minutes. How Mr. Doyle thought this Robert would be the best friend of ten smart New Yorkers is beyond me. He took what can be a hilarious and touching musical and made it into a real downer. Raul Esparza followed Doyle's soulless interpretation and left too many theatregoers scratching our heads.

It was Company's award for Best Revival that made me question the Tony Awards.

Updated On: 5/25/10 at 10:23 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:25am

To be fair, Doyle didn't paint Robert's friends in the best light, either.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:40am

He didn't.

I don't know why you're so afraid someone is going to throw proverbial stones at you. To speak for myself, I'm TIRED. I loved that show more than anything, but I win nothing by yelling at you. I win nothing by trying to convince people who didn't see the same thing I did that they should have, or even in many cases, trying to explain why when they don't want to hear. I loved it. I miss it. It moved me so deeply. And that's mine to hold onto; there's no point to me in arguing over it anymore. I don't like reading things like what you wrote, but I'm sick of yelling at people. I have been for a while. So relax, I'm not going to eat you.

Updated On: 5/25/10 at 10:40 AM

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 10:41am

I was/ am on team DHP as well.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 11:15am

I totally agreed with Hyde Pierce winning for Curtains. His performance elevated the entire show. Not a fan of Esparza's Bobby at all. Or that particular production. Walsh was the only one who seemed to walk away from it shining, in my opinion. I also agree with Gaines and Ziemba winning for Contact. They both delivered layered, unforgettable performances in an exciting original new piece. Kiss Me, Kate was fun, and Barresse was very good, but there wasn't much beyond the two-dimensional flatness of the character. Charming, attractive and talented? Yes. Award-winning performance? Not really. Lee Wilkoff and Michael Mulheren nearly stole Kiss Me, Kate from under Stokes Mitchell with Brush Up Your Shakespeare alone, but neither were truly distinctive without the other, but the memory of the two of them is more vivid of anything Barresse did other than climb the set. I think Spinella was Gaines's only real competition, but he was saddled with an understated show that few wanted to see and even fewer wanted to talk about.

[rjm516]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 11:31am

I definitely thought Raul deserved it. That loss is the one that most upsets me.

But - as for this year - It seems I am absolutely the only one to think so, but this is how I would feel if CZJ won this year. I saw ALNM Friday night, and I felt like she wasn't even IN the show! That (absolutely annoying) character Anne seemed to be the real star, and CZJ was in so few scenes. I mean, she had one real song, and it was only good bc it was CZJ, not bc it was sung well. I guess all hope of Sherie Renee Scott winning is gone now, but I think she really deserves it. I enjoyed Montego's performance so much (such a great voice) but it wasn't really anything new or inspired, just a solid vocal performance of same-old material.

Seriously - CZJ was barely in the show !ughhh

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 11:34am

I still have nightmares over the Menzel win. I enjoyed the show and her performance but that Award was supposed to go to Pinkins.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 12:29pm

I still haven't gotten over this.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 12:54pm

It's Berresse, Mr Matt, but your points are well-taken. Mulharen and Wilkof essentially cancelled each other out. Spinella was fantastic, but as you say, never stood a chance. Gaines and Ziemba were everything you say they were, but I fall into the category of people who felt Contact should not have been classified as a musical in the first place, which is another thread entirely. I agree that Calhoun/Lucientio are not the most stellar of characters, but Berresse did wonders with what he was given. In addition to afore-mentioned set-climbing, he was remarkable in "Any Tom, Dick or Harry" and all of his scenes with Spanger. He was nominated again in for an Olivier in the same role when it played London, but didn't win that either. Maybe you're right - maybe the fault lies in the role(s). IMO he did turn in a award-winning performance, but having said that, I don't get upset over these things.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 1:24pm

I understand why people get a little riled about Contact being nominated as a musical, but there aren't enough ballets produced on Broadway to warrant it as a category. Swan Lake, Movin' Out, The Times They Are-A-Changin' and Come Fly With Me are the only other others in the last 20 years or so, all categorized as musicals for the purposes of the Tony awards. I do think the omission of Swan Lake for Musical Revival was rather odd as it was considered a musical by any other category (winning 3 Tonys) and it garnered much stronger praise than Little Me, Peter Pan or Charlie Brown.

The critical role the music (pre-recorded or not) played in the production coupled with book's use of narrative, character, and structure placed it into the musical category rather than as a play or special event. This wasn't a touring "feature" show like Blast or Riverdance, nor was it a concert event, stand-up or memoir performance. Nor was it a "play with music", which would have been slightly more appropriate for The Dead, though like Contact, the use of music was far more critical to the production than a "play with music" where the music plays a featured role, mostly in setting.

That being said, I do think Contact was a better show than the other musical nominees and its award was well-deserved. Had it not been nominated for Best Musical, Marie Christine or Aida would have taken the slot and Aida might have won simply for its commercialism, though personally, I would give it to Wild Party or The Dead.

Updated On: 5/25/10 at 01:24 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 1:27pm

Seriously - CZJ was barely in the show !ughhh,

You seem to have issues with the role Wheeler and Sondheim wrote. Yes, the character doesn't appear until almost 30 minutes into the first act (though she waltzes in the opening), but the show completely revolves around Desiree. She practically is the entire second act. I really don't get what you are talking about.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 1:35pm

For you Phyllis, my love :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw6yqCHyy-g

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/10 at 1:36pm

lol, ljay, I was going to point that out and then figured it was not worth it.