Slim Pickins: Tony categories that barely fill the quota?

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 7:54pm

As I was reading Riedel's blog for the Post about how Anything Goes and How to Succeed were the only Musical Revivals this season, I wondered if it has ever happened where the number of nominees is less than the maximum?

The only other instance I can think of is Sunset Boulevard and Smokey Joe's Café for Best Musical in the 90's.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 7:58pm

Best Score last year only had four eligible shows, and two were plays.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:02pm

There were actually 5 eligible scores last year - the 5th being Maury Yeston's for The Royal Family.

In 1995 there were also only 2 musical revivals, Shoat Boat and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. That year there were also only 2 contenders for Lead Actress in a Musical, Glenn Close and Rebecca Luker.

In 2002 there were just 3 musical revivals and 1 of them (One Mo' Time) wasn't even nominated.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:16pm

For the 1985 Tonys, there were no awards for Best Actor or Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical or Best Choreography.

From the wiki article
"The award for best actress, musical was eliminated this season because there was only one eligible candidate. The nominating committee declined to give nominations in the leading actor in a musical and choreography categories because they did not consider any of the performances or choreography outstanding or excellent."

[Porter2]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:23pm

In 2002, the only nominees were Oklahoma! and Into the Woods, with Into the Woods winning.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:29pm

In 2006 there were only 3 revivals (Pajama Game, Sweeney Todd, and Threepenny Opera).

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:41pm

Who was the only elligible actress in 1985?

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:53pm

I too would like to know who the eligible actress in 1985 was. I noticed that Mary Beth Peil was nominated as a featured actress for playing Anna in The King and I. Was she moved there, or was she just below the title?

It's hard to believe they actually eliminated whole categories in 1985, while other years they nominated critically-panned shows that had closed months earlier.

Can anyone clarify a post I saw somewhere else, which said that the acting categories can only nominate 5 performers if there are at least 7 eligible in a season? I hadn't heard that anywhere else, but it would seem pertinent this season with only half a dozen eligible leading actresses. Updated On: 4/30/11 at 08:53 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:59pm

This is just a guess, but would Dinah Manoff have been the only eligible actress in 1985 for Leader of the Pack?

[theatreguy]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 10:05pm

In 1985 Dinah Manoff (Leader of the Pack), Mary Beth Peil (The King and I) and Leilani Jones (Grind) could have been considered leads. For the men, Patrick Cassidy (Leader of the Pack), Ben Vereen (Grind), Timothy Nolen (Grind) and Daniel Jenkins (Big River) could have been in the leading category. However, it was determined that not enough of them were worthy of nomination so everyone got bumped to Featured.

OurTime - here's section from the rules that you're referring to. It's on page 6:

"There shall be no more than four nominees in each category; provided, that if there are at least seven eligible candidates for nomination in a Best Performance category, then there shall be five nominees in that category; and provided, further, that the Tony Awards Administration Committee shall also have the sole
discretion to reduce the number of nominees to fewer than four (or five), but, in no event, fewer than two, in a particular category for the current season or to delegate this discretion to the Nominating Committee."

http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/Rules-2010-2011FINAL.pdf

[trentsketch]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 10:05pm

givesmevoice, Dinah Manoff was the only clear lead actress that year. Other performers who were borderline leads were shoved in featured actor and actress instead, like the men in Big River. Though if you trust Wikipedia, the article makes it sound like Big River is the only reason the Tony awards didn't fold and Times Square didn't fall into an irrecoverable vortex of suck.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 10:21pm

Sunset Bouelvard was the only eligible score in 1995.

And let us not forget 1968. And 1989.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 11:28pm

Though if you trust Wikipedia, the article makes it sound like Big River is the only reason the Tony awards didn't fold and Times Square didn't fall into an irrecoverable vortex of suck.

Big River is actually a favorite of mine, so I totally am in support of this opinion.