Roles synonymous with an actor BUT didn’t win the Tony

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 9:40am

Im curious what roles Actors are Synonymous with however they were not recognized with a win in award season. Ones that come to mind:
Laura Osnes as Cinderella
Bernadette Peters as The Witch
Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 9:46am

Ethel Merman in Gypsy

Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon in Chicago

 

[binau]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 9:49am

Bernadette in Sunday in the Park and Into the Woods.

[Lot666]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 9:56am

Sarah Brightman in Phantom of the Opera.

[wiggum2]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 10:30am

Barbra and Funny GIrl

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 10:33am

Laura Bell Bundy I’m Legally Blonde

Raul Esparza in Company

Julie Andrews Sound of Music

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 10:35am

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Laura Bell Bundy I’m Legally Blonde

Raul Esparza in Company

Julie Andrews Sound of Music"

LOL

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 10:36am

Had Julie Andrews ever been eligible for a Tony for Sound of Music I’m sure she would have won.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 10:38am

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Laura Bell Bundy I’m Legally Blonde

Raul Esparza in Company

Julie Andrews Sound of Music"

That would have been really impressive had Julie Andrews won a Tony for Sound of Music since she never played the role on stage.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 1:46pm

Robert Cuccioli - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

[cliffordbradshaw2]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 1:57pm

Colm Wilkinson as Valjean in "Les Miz"

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 2:02pm

Tonya Pinkins - “Caroline, or Change”.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 2:27pm

Correcting an above error:

-- Julie Andrews for My Fair Lady

-- Andrea McArdle for Annie

-- Katharine Hepburn for Coco

-- Kristen Chenoweth for Wicked

-- Mandy Patinkin for SITPWG

-- Gwen Verdon for Sweet Charity

-- Henry Fonda for Clarence Darrow?????

-- Jason Robards Jr. for A Moon for the Misbegotten?????

-- Chita Rivera for WSS

-- William Daniels for 1776?????

-- Geraldine Page for Sweet Bird of Youth?????

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 2:43pm

Marla Schaffel for Jane Eyre (she was robbed of the Tony IMO)

[helvizz]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 2:43pm

Usnavi (In the Heights) and Hamilton - Lin Manuel Miranda

Joanne  (Company) - Elaine Stritch

Stanley (A Streetcar Named Desire) - Marlon Brando

Many roles from Rent will always be compared to the original cast, I imagine, for better or worse - Mark (Anthonny Rapp), Roger (Adam Pascal), Collins (Jesse L. Martin), Maureen (Idina Menzel) and even the female Seasons of Love soloist (I forget her name now). Not sure if I would say Joanne because, even though Tracie Thoms was in the film and in the filmed performance, she was not in the original cast, and people tend to give that a lot of performance.
 

I also would say Julie Andrews in Sound of Music & Mary Poppins and Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire. Yes, I'm fully aware neither of those actresses ever played those roles on Broadway so they could never have won a Tony for those, but there are roles in plays/musicals and they are very much associated to Julie Andrews and Vivien Leigh.

Updated On: 8/5/20 at 02:43 PM

[Gorlois]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 3:41pm

I think it is actually surprising that Julie Andrews did not win a Tony for Eliza, of course I know politics and narratives are different every season. And that’s not to disparage Judy Holliday’s winning performance, which I’m not familiar with— but My Fair Lady is such a beloved and classic musical and Julie’s original Broadway performance has been mythologized into a giant.

I wish the Tonys would just give her a damn honorary one, anyway. 1996 was a million years ago. Julie graciously appeared at the ceremony in years since and even if she is reluctant or otherwise unable to commit to a live stage performance nowadays, she’s done her part promoting musical theatre and stagecraft to children and adults with her books, her TV show “Julie’s Greenroom,” and the PBS documentary series.

Make this legend an EGOT, dammit.

[toottoot]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 5:04pm

Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Show

Ellen Greene in Little Shop of Horrors and John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch - though, in both cases, they originated their respective roles off-broadway, and JCM would serve as a replacement in the Hedwig revival. Nevertheless, they both have a pretty remarkable stamp on their characters and sadly were never awarded for it. 

I suppose Gwen Verdon in Sweet Charity could apply here as well. She clearly raised the bar high for anyone who would tackle the role later on, and it's clear that the show was sculpted around her talents.

Maybe to lesser extents (and all in plays), I'd argue Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer, Sidney Poitier in A Raisin in the Sun, and Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame could be included.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 5:16pm

^JCM was rewarded with a honorary Tony in 2015, so that's great

 

-Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl

-Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady (I second: Give her an honorary Tony! I've been waiting!)

-Ethan Slater in Spongebob (Again, robbed)

[toottoot]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 7:34pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "^JCM was rewarded with a honorary Tony in 2015, so that's great
 

!!!  how did I somehow totally miss this...? thank you for sharing! 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 8:07pm

toottoot said: "Tim Curry inThe Rocky Horror Show

Ellen Greene inLittle Shop of Horrorsand John Cameron Mitchell inHedwig and the Angry Inch- though, in both cases, they originated their respective roles off-broadway, and JCM would serve as a replacement in the Hedwig revival. Nevertheless, they both have a pretty remarkable stamp on their characters and sadly were never awarded for it.

I suppose Gwen Verdon inSweet Charitycould apply here as well. She clearly raised the bar high for anyone who would tackle the role later on, and it's clear that the show was sculpted around her talents.

Maybe to lesser extents (and all in plays), I'd argue Laurence Olivier inThe Entertainer, Sidney Poitier inA Raisin in the Sun, and Rosalind Russell inAuntie Mamecould be included."

I think you pointed out some truly appropriate names at the end; however,your earlier names were sort of N/A.  Ellen Greene and John Cameron Mitchell never played Broadway, so they were not eligible.  Not sure if that was the intention of the subject -- I assumed they would at least need to be eligible for a Tony to be mentioned.  I may be wrong here, but I do not recall that Tim Curry ever played on Broadway in Rocky Horror.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 8:21pm

Tim Curry did play Frank on Broadway. The show ran 4 previews and 45 performances at the Belasco Theatre in 1975.

[toottoot]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 10:03pm

Jarethan said: "I think you pointed out some truly appropriate names at the end; however,your earlier names were sort of N/A. Ellen Greene and John Cameron Mitchell never played Broadway, so they were not eligible. Not sure if that was the intention of the subject -- I assumed they would at least need to be eligible for a Tony to be mentioned. I may be wrong here, but I do not recall that Tim Curry ever played on Broadway in Rocky Horror."

Sure - I acknowledge that. I guess if you try for a different interpretation of the question, my point stands. Regardless of them being off broadway, they never won Tony Awards (nor could they). They're considered theater-specific "iconic" performances, but don't have statues to go with it.

And as mentioned ^^ Tim Curry did originate the role. The show just didn't do very well... if I understand correctly, neither did the film either. The midnight showings and cult status wouldn't be applied until the 1980s (I could have that a bit askew however; that's just what I remember being "taught" about it).