Scores that should have been nominated for a Tony, but weren't

The Notebook

I'm going with a Benjamin Walker double: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON and AMERICAN PSYCHO, but especially the former.

I know it wasn't well received and never really should've been on Broadway, but I do think The Lightning Thief's score would've been worthy of a nomination (there have certainly been worse scores), especially in that weird covid year of Tonys

This thread is filled with many good examples - I actually completely forgot many of these weren't nominated and would have assumed they were! It's like a painful bitter reminder hahah.

Updated On: 6/14/25 at 02:41 AM

Agree with many above. Not seen it live yet, but Boop is a glaring oversight. It’s actually my favourite new score of the season. I imagine it’s going to stick around long after it closes on broadway.

broadway86 said: "Boop’s score is better than Death Becomes Her. I said what I said."

I would go so far to say it's even better than Maybe Happy Ending's score too. I know that sounds crazy but "A Little Versatility", "In Colour", "Where I Wanna Be" "Why Look Around the Corner", "Something to Shout About" and "The Colour of Love" are all so fun, catchy, lively - something to shout about is rather emotive/moving. The score kind of pops like a classic Broadway Jerry Herman musical with some new pop sensibilities or something. It's so much more magical than other recent attempts to capture the golden age kind of sound/structure of Broadway, such as Some Like it Hot.

Maybe Happy Ending has this kind of bouncy light repetitive sound that works at times to be nostalgic, or create a certain atmosphere, or tell the story just fine etc. but it just doesn't have that kind of magical thrill to the songs and sounds that really gives me something to shout about. I don't think it's something I could listen to much outside the show, I've tried! The most enjoyment I had re-listening after seeing live was not the cast recording but an audio so I could hear all the dialogue and songs in context again (I'm sure someone would argue this is exactly what makes MHE the 'best score'.

Whereas Boop just makes me want to dance around the house and gives me a new life 'soundtrack'. And maybe Jasmine could be the next Bernadette Peters. We greatly need young interesting new talent not the production line of typical musical theatre performer cookie cutter types that keep coming through. Jasmine seems different. Something special here.

Updated On: 6/14/25 at 09:21 AM

Even Jasmine's look screams "I'm a star"





You know, if Rachel's voice doesn't hold out in Evita (edit: after watching Rachel it has to be Rachel that comes to Broadway), maybe Jasmine might like to attempt the score in a Broadway transfer with Diego.




Perhaps the same season that gave us Nicole in Sunset, Audra in Gypsy, Bernadette/Lea in Old Friends, idina in Redwood etc. has also born two genuine Broadway stars of the future, Jasmine and Diego!!!!

Updated On: 6/14/25 at 09:35 AM

If Boop were 20% more earwormy it would be Hairspray, but since it’s not, I found it to be instantly forgettable, much like Some Like It Hot. All the elements of a big band, jazzy score, and certainly not bad, but just sort of there. I found more in RWHC to latch on to and revisit.


I second most of what others have said, but would add Little Women.


Except for Big Fish - that score totally missed the assignment in my opinion. Should have been much more of a southern Americana pastiche with roots, gospel, bluegrass, etc. Use musical styles that often tell stories to tell a story about telling stories (that also happens to be a Southern gothic). Flavors of Assassins and Floyd Collins and Bright Star. At least one song should have had the word “ballad” in it. Can you tell I’ve given this a lot of thought? Haha

Mack & Mabel