Shrek Score at the Tonys...

Alright, so hear me out on this one. I've read a lot of the criticism about this show/score and most say it's "mediocre" and "half of it is good". Now, I've been glued to the Shrek OBCR for about 3 weeks now and I'm addicted. Jeanne Tesori is a genius. Rock, folk, show tunes/production numbers, funk, pop, and ballads abound in her wonderful score. The woman is a virtual chameleon as far as her range of work and it's some of her best stuff (Who I'd Be, anyone?) but I have to wonder, is David Lindsey Abaire's mediocre lyrics dragging this score down? And, are they going to be Tesori's downfall at the Tonys this year?

Against Parton's inconsistant 9 to 5 score, Elton John's pop-ish Billy Elliot, and Next to Normal's everything kinda sounds the same garage band sound, what's going to come out on top next Sunday?

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I don't think the Tony voters are as complicated and impenetrable as we like to make them seem. My thought on the Voting Mentality can be boiled down to one sentence: "I will vote for what I liked most, unless you give me a really good reason not to."

As for Best Original Score, I don't think SHREK is even on the radar: it'll be between NEXT TO NORMAL and BILLY ELLIOT (and it's a really close fight at this point). My opinion: BILLY ELLIOT will win, because a voter's impression of a score can be very very easily influenced by the physical production of the show, and BILLY's physical production for the numbers is superb.

(but I also think Adam Guettel's LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA score won because, even if the voters didn't enjoy it completely on a first listen, they were rewarding a New Generation Composer who had a whole lot of admirers.)

(not that it's not a wonderful score)

SHREK isn't on the radar because SHREK is not an easy show to admire, even if you like it: it's corporate, it's a machine, it's yet another Broadway Theme Park. And when you've got NEXT TO NORMAL and BILLY ELLIOT, which would you feel better about voting for?

(of course, some of this depends on whether a voter has actually heard all four nominated scores, and you can be sure that some voters haven't.)

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Is David Lindsey Abaire's mediocre lyrics dragging this score down?

Margot Serena Pilar: Yes, they "is".

"but I have to wonder, is David Lindsey Abaire's mediocre lyrics dragging this score down?"

I feel the same way about Brian Yorkey's lyrics for Next to Normal.

Both wrong. I love the music AND the lyrics. Though I can see that it's not a perfect score, there is MUCH to be admired in it. What's dragging down Shrek's chances is just the competition. In a weaker year, they'd take the Tony home. In a stronger year, they wouldn't even be nominated. I think it's a more than solid showing from the composer AND the lyricist, and there's no need to knock either. I look forward to future scores from both of them.

I really hope Next To Normal takes this, while I wouldn't mind seeing Shrek take it, though it's not a possibility at this point. As long as Elton John does not win for that "Score" to Billy Elliot. For the life of me, I can't remember one song from the night that I saw it, except for the "Solidarity, Solidarity" section and about 5 seconds of "Electricity" Just not good.

If, as many people say, Elton is the front runner, they should not award him as payback for the egregious error of him winning the tony for "Aida" over LaChuisa's brilliance that is "The Wild Party"

And Elton's work is so, so, so much better in Aida than it is in Billy Elliot, IMO. So I'm not even an Elton hater. But he should not and will not win the score Tony this time around.

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I tend to agree that this is a race between N2N and Billy....IMHO Shrek is far better than 9to5.....as for what Shrek might win, I agree with costumes and I honestly believe Brian has a shot at Best Actor...he's a well liked guy who's been around and always delivers solid work....for some reason I just don't see the Tony voters going for the 3 Billys, Gavin is the weaker of the two leads in Hair, JP Spencer is overshadowed by all the press for Alice, and Constantine should be thrilled to even be nominated