Shows that should have won best musical?

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 10:16pm

I have only seen threads about upsets and when people say something about West Side Story losing to The Music Man they get yelled at so I started this thread.

I think:
The Lion King over Ragtime
Titanic over The Life or Steel Pier (shockingly I wish Life won)
Avenue Q over Wicked (I'm SOOO sorry) :)
Jersey Boys over The Drowsy Chaperone
My Fair Lady over Candide

Completely in your opinion kind of thread

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 10:45pm

I felt Avenue Q totally deserved to win over Wicked. And, My Fair Lady is my favorite musical ever, so I'm happy it won over Candide. Besides, I thought the original production of Candide wasn't very well done? Even if you think the material in Candide is better, I don't feel poor executions should be rewarded with a Tony for Best Musical.

The thing that drives me bonkers the most is that Two Gentlemen of Verona won over Follies. I'm glad that Verona is fading into obscurity.

Updated On: 6/3/11 at 10:45 PM

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 10:46pm

No, its a personal opinion thread. I'm not saying Candide is better. Because frankly Candide is one of the most famously flawed shows.

[steven22]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 10:54pm

I feel that NEXT TO NORMAL should have won instead of BILLY ELLIOT.

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 10:59pm

Also, I think Into the Woods should have won over Phantom of the Opera

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:20pm

Where to begin?
2010 - American Idiot should have beaten Memphis.
2009 - N2N should have beaten Billy Elliot.
2007 - Mary Poppins should have beaten Spring Awakening.
2006 - Drowsy Chaperone should have beaten Jersey Boys
2004 - Caroline, Or Change should have beaten Avenue Q
I'm done going back, haha. I think you get the idea. The majority of the time (I think) the true best musical loses.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:22pm

I am glad that Avenue Q won over Wicked and that Billy Elliot won instead of Next to Normal. I think the Gypsy revival with Patti LuPone should have won instead of South Pacific for best revival of a musical.

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:30pm

I'll bite--

50's:
West Side Story should have won over The Music Man (comparing masterpieces though)

Gypsy should have won over Fiorello and The Sound of Music (how many revivals of Fiorello has Broadway encouraged?)

70's:
Purlie has a better score than Applause but never saw it staged so on the fence...

Follies obviously was robbed by Two Gentlemen of Verona (any arguments out there?)

I wish the Candide revival had been eligible-- should have won over Raisin.

80's:
Dreamgirls over Nine-- this is a toughie though. I say Nine's score is better but Dreamgirl's story, characters and production put it in front for me.

Sunday in the Park with George over La Cage aux Folles (which is saying alot since I worked on the original La Cage).

90's:
Once On This Island OR The Secret Garden WAAAY over "The Will Rogers Follies". (Even Miss Saigon is way more worthy, isn't it?)

Jelly's Last Jam over Crazy For You.

Ragtime over The Lion King (great literature over a great show)

Parade over Fosse (though Parade's original production was weak, I agree. Revivals have been awesome though.)

00's:
The Wild Party (1st Choice) OR Aida, OR Marie Christine over the snoozefest called Contact.

Urinetown over Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Wicked over Avenue Q (heresy, I know, but gotta go with my heart here.)

The Light in the Piazza WAAAAAY over Spamalot.

The Drowsy Chaperone over Jersey Boys

Grey Gardens over Spring Awakening (GG is great literature where SA is a good show.)

American Idiot over Memphis (not for the literature but for the greatly moving show).

Wow, from the looks of it, I'm REALLY not happy with the direction the Tony's are headed in. Ok, gang, tell me where I'm wrong :

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:46pm

There have been many:

Next To Normal over Billy Elliot
Curtains over Spring Awakening
Spelling Bee over Spamalot
Urinetown over Millie
Ragtime over Lion King
Miss Saigon over Will Rogers Follies
Sunday In The Park With George over La Cage
Follies over Two Gentlemen of Verona
Hair over 1776
Stop The World... over Forum

Also many others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:02am

Follies obviously.

I admit, I've never gotten into Cage aux Folles--I like some fun, lighter musicals, and appreciate the statement it made, but find it simplistic to a fault. The fact that it won over Sunday drives me crazy--but at least they won the Pulitzer.

Other ones are more complicated--I love Ragtime more than Lion King, but I totally get why Lion King won. Candide back at the time was a mess of a show (try reading Hellman's original libretto which doesn't fit Voltaire *or* the score). It's a fave show of mine, particularly in Caird's version, but My Fair Lady hands down deserved it.

I think both Music Man and Sound of Music are nice, good shows--but obviously Gypsy and especially West Side Story are the ones that really should have won--but to some extent I get why the other shows won instead, though they're far from faves of mine.

I think Miss Saigon is far from perfect--but I really think it lost to Will Rogers largely due to politics-- the New York community was resentful of all these UK megamusicals, etc. Will Rogers was a beautifully staged show, with good dancing, one or two good songs (Coleman's weakest score since before Little Me), but it really didn't deserve a win.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:02am

Steel Pier Fan, TITANIC's score alone warrants it's Best Musical win that year.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:07am

Gypsy should have beaten Fiorello!

Hair should have been eligible for the 1968 awards, thus beating Hallelujah Baby!

As much as I love Nine, I think Dreamgirls was more awesome (and Merrily should've won for score)

Also, On the Twentieth Century, The Wild Party and Urinetown

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:13am

2010- Fela! over Memphis
2009- Next to Normal over Billy Elliot
1998- Ragtime over The Lion King

I can't speak for any others, as I'll only speak for shows that I have seen. (There are shows that I assume were better than those who won but didn't see them.)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:30am

There is no excuse for a F'in puppet show to beat out the greatest musical in the past twenty years, CAROLINE OR CHANGE.
Updated On: 6/4/11 at 12:30 AM

[Matt2]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:32am

Ain't Misbehavin' is a great revue show, but I also feel that On the Twentieth Century should have taken the prize home. It has a great score and a witty book. Generally I can find merit with the musical that wins the Tony, except last year. I think Memphis is the worst Best Musical winner in Tony history. Dull music, clichéd book, and just an inexcusably boring show overall. I know the reason it won was because it was the only Best Musical nominee to have an original score, but oy! What a weak season!

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:53am

I totally forgot about Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park losing. The Tony voters can be such douchebags.

@Jordan: I'm not familiar with Caroline, or Change. Anyway, do you really think that it's the best musical in the past 20 years? I'm not being sarcastic. I really have heard great things about the show, but never claims of that magnitude. Or were you being sarcastic? I should learn this by now...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:57am

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE is, hands down, one of the best musicals ever written. I sat behind Tony Kushner tonight at the theater and it took everything I had not to bow to him for giving it to us.

Posted: 6/4/11 at 1:03am

JC you were behind Kushner and beside NPH? wow! And yes--Caroline or Change is maybe my fave musical of the past 10 years.

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 1:06am

Thanks. I'm gonna try to get my hands on a cast recording as soon as possible. Oh, and you lucky S.O.B. How I wish to be in New York right now.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 1:36am

It baffles me that Caroline, Or Change gets so little recognition. I love Avenue Q, but it doesn't even come close to the achievement that is Caroline. I have yet to see it live (but I'm determined to find a good production at some point) but the recording and clips I've seen are breathtaking. Sadly, very few of my theatre friends have more than heard of the show. I turn as many people onto it as possible.

As for the topic at hand, I concur with a lot of the above, particularly Gypsy and Ragtime. I'll add Mame (or even Sweet Charity) over Man of La Mancha.

[rjjn]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 2:03am

American Idiot over Memphis
Ragtime over Lion King

I'm too young to really judge anything before that. XD

[gypsy4]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 2:43am

Mary Poppins over Spring awakening.

Posted: 6/4/11 at 3:29am

Caroline, or Change, is a hard sell. Traditionally--excepting arguably some Sondheim shows, that's not won the major awards. I think that's the main issue. I mean, traditionally that goes back at least as far as Music Man over West Side Story.

[peerrjb]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 5:46am

per chasjgateau (sp? sorry) comment...
"Candide"s 74 revival did damed well in the Tony's, (like Best Director - Musical, etc.), and was given was was virtually a "Revival" special award...everybody knew it was the best show in town at the time, and the Committee determined the honoring OF it made the point.

As for "Follies" vs. "2 Gents".... having seen both at the time, and being a BIG "Follies" fan, I can completely understand why voters went with "2 Gents"...which did win for "Best Book"... The effect of "2 Gents" (coming off the amazing run in the Park, and the transfer) left audiences with a far more coherent show and an early-70's message "You can't love another without lovin' yourself" [as the lyric states].

We have to remember that shows in their time-zones are the shows people saw.

I mean, anyone wondering why "Candide" lost to "My Fair Lady" needs a time-warp head-examination. The suspicion back then was that "Fair Lady" would lose to "Bells Are Ringing". (Julie Andrews lost to Judy Holliday, after all).

And really, "Mary Poppins" over just about anything?!?!?!

But that's what makes horse races!!!

[chewy5000]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 7:11am

"Sweeney Todd" didn't have a patch on "They're Playing Our Song"