She Loves Me vs The Color Purple - Who will take the Tony?

[non-stop26]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 8:44am

Since these are the front runners in the only competitive Best Musical category, I was wondering who everyone thinks will win. 

[gleek4114]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 8:46am

I think it will be She Loves Me.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 8:47am

As much as I liked The Color Purple I am rooting for She Loves Me to win. I just loved seeing a good old fashioned feel good musical without all the gimmicks, bells and whistles. Just a great love story wrapped in a beautiful score. 

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 8:47am

I say Color Purple, but it could go either way.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 8:52am

My guess is She Loves Me takes Best Revival, and Cynthia Erivo takes Best Actress.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 9:39am

I love both of these productions, but I think it will go to She Loves Me. 

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 9:52am

I wonder whether Heather H will give The Color Purple a little extra fresh buzz and push?

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:16am

My pick is She Loves Me, which is one of my favorite revivals of any show ever. I left the theatre feeling like I was floating. 

[Corey38]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:17am

What about Spring Awakening?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:23am

Unlikely.  It's hard for a show thats closed to garner votes.  

[Kad]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:28am

I think The Color Purple will take it, for the sheer reinvention of material most people had disregarded.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:31am

I'd give the slight edge to THE COLOR PURPLE for reinventing itself & becoming better than the original.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:35am

She Loves Me has always been one of my favorite musicals so it's hard to be objective because Color Purple was so fabulous as well.

It will be a happy/sad moment for the winner/loser no matter who comes out on top.

[vfd88]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:38am

If I was putting money down, I would probably say She Loves Me, but Purple taking it wouldn't surprise me at all. I know it has, at best, a 1% chance, but if Spring Awakening won I'd be over the moon. Do we think it has about as much of a chance as Fiddler? It got the same amount of nominations, including the necessary Best Director nomination which Fiddler didn't get.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 10:44am

Color Purple, hands down. It's been a few months, and I'm still thinking about it. I enjoyed She Loves Me, but I'm honestly baffled by all of the extreme praise. (My real vote is for Spring Awakening, but I think it's unlikely.) 

[woeisme3]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 12:30pm

I think Erivo will get Best Actress over Benanti but She Loves Me gets revival. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 12:33pm

I adored both. My hope is for Erivo to receive Best Actress and She Loves Me to receive Best Revival. I think it's only fair (and is, in my opinion, how it should go anyway).

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 12:42pm

Team COLOR PURPLE all the way. She Loves Me has always been one of my favorite shows, but this production felt like it was straining to underline the comedy in musical comedy the whole evening. Even the divine Laura Benanti was given permission to ham it up no end. By the end I was so disappointed in what they did to this delicate, gently comic show.

I was always a fan of the OB production of PURPLE, and went to this revival with low expectations as a spur-of-the-moment choice. But from the first lights up to the final bows, my hair stood on end at what they created out of this material. This show defines what it means to reconceive a show to see it anew. The staging, the design, those performances! My God, this was our best evening of theater in 2016. If there's any justice, this should win Best Revival and Best Actress by a mile.

Updated On: 5/11/16 at 12:42 PM

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 12:44pm

I feel like everyone said a nomination was unlikely for Spring Awakening too. Since the nominations, I keep reading about it. So often with awards there is one big surprise category. I don't know enough about how the voters operate to know whether that's more than remotely possible here. 

 

Does anyone know when (if ever) a show that had a limited run ending before the nominations took the top award for which it was eligible?

[bdboston]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 12:48pm

I saw both shows a few weekends ago. I'm still thinking about "The Color Purple." I enjoyed "She Loves Me," but - gorgeous set notwithstanding - it didn't leave me mesmerized the way Erivo and company did. They'd get my vote.

Updated On: 5/11/16 at 12:48 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 1:22pm

It's funny, because I enjoyed She Loves Me significantly more than The Color Purple. I don't particularly like The Color Purple as a musical, and I'm not really a fan of John Doyle as a director.

 

HOWEVER, I find myself rooting for The Color Purple over She Loves Me. Even though I didn't love it, I can tell that it has had a very strong impact on people, and that it was a total re-invention of the original. She Loves Me is beautifully done, and I would be happy to see it win, but I just think objectively (an oxymoron, I know) that The Color Purple is more deserving of it. 

 

HOWEVER AGAIN, I would be even happier if Spring Awakening won. 

Updated On: 5/11/16 at 01:22 PM

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 1:34pm

With all of the Spring Awakening love... and it taking Best Revival in that informal poll on here (not relevant, I know, but still interesting).... is it possible?

I feel like there's always one big WTF surprise moment in the awards. And nothing would make me happier than that WTF moment being Spring Awakening winning. 

I mean, She Loves Me is a closed run anyway, and Color Purple shouldn't have trouble selling tickets on buzz, cast, and (hopefully, presumably) Cynthia Erivo's win.

I've decided I'm not counting it out.  

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 3:52pm

She Loves Me is a very good revival of one of the most beloved musicals (in fact it's my favorite show ever).  The Color Purple is an extraordinarily brilliant revival that is making a case for the show being light years better than almost anyone ever thought it was.  It may be the most unexpectedly first rate revival of a musical ever on Broadway - at least since the 1974 Candide.

I have no idea what will win, but IMHO The Color Purple should win.  

Updated On: 5/11/16 at 03:52 PM

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 4:09pm

CarlosAlberto said: "As much as I liked The Color Purple I am rooting for She Loves Me to win. I just loved seeing a good old fashioned feel good musical without all the gimmicks, bells and whistles. Just a great love story wrapped in a beautiful score. 

 I would definitely have to say The Color Purple has much less bells and whistles than She Loves Me...LOL! You know, bare stage and 12 chairs. 

 

"

 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/11/16 at 4:31pm

I wish it could go to Spring Awakening, but I doubt it.