So, is MEMPHIS going to win BEST SCORE by default?- Page 5

[Brick]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 11:15am

All right. On its own merits, it has a wonderful score. And a paper-thin plot, 2-dimensional character, pretentious choreography, and flat-footed direction.

Back to the score, it's the strongest score of the season. But shouldn't be eligible for Best Score.

[Pianist3912]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 11:24am

To say a score like Piazza's is not only undeserving of a Tony, but "lousy" is quite a strong statement...Just looking at the musical construction, and not even appreciating the music's beauty, it is already brilliant. Updated On: 4/20/10 at 11:24 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 5:11pm

Good thing they changed the rule after Tommy to ban "concept albums" from being considered for Original scores.

Technically, they didn't. Which is why Jekyll and Hyde and The Scarlet Pimpernel had eligible scores despite having originated with concept recordings. If the concept recording is material conceived for a stage production, then it is eligible. The issue in question is proving American Idiot was originally intended for the stage. I certainly don't know and I can't say I really care.

I didn't feel it was worthy of the award for the simple reason that I thought it was lousy.

You obviously doesn't like the score for Piazza. Fine. But to say it is "lousy" is sort of doing you more harm than good. Was it too complex for your taste?

Are there any scores that are universally disliked?

I think the point was "more universally disliked" and the answer is "yes". There probably can never be a score that is universally disliked simply because someone had to write it. And someone decided to produce it. So that's two people right there who like it enough to do something with it.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 6:14pm

Thank you Mister Matt. Mr. After Eight just wanted to be catty and elect four scores that (s)he knows are generally liked here to stir up some drama. There are far worse scores to have won the award, and that was my point before.

~Steven

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 6:19pm

"You obviously doesn't like the score for Piazza. Fine. But to say it is "lousy" is sort of doing you more harm than good. Was it too complex for your taste?"


No, just too ugly for my taste.



"I think the point was "more universally disliked" and the answer is "yes"."

There is no such thing as "more universally disliked." "Universally disliked" is itself an absolute. I think Steven meant "more widely disliked."

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 6:40pm

For the record, I think Piazza, along with Avenue Q, was the best score to win in the past ten years. But feel free to have your opinion. I'm curious, After Eight, what do you think should have won that year out of Scoundrels, Spelling Bee, and Spamalot if you don't think Piazza was deserving? Just wondering... I know there were voters who nearly gave the award to David Yazbek (I personally would have rather seen him win for The Full Monty).

~Steven

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 7:42pm

"I'm curious, After Eight, what do you think should have won that year out of Scoundrels, Spelling Bee, and Spamalot if you don't think Piazza was deserving?"

"Spamalot"

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 8:47pm

Fair enough. Sorry I don't share your sentiments, it was my least favorite musical of that season.

~Steven

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 8:53pm

You guys have to face the facts that the Tony people are gonna bend the rules to allow Green Day to get the tony (thus getting good amount of publicity in RS, mainstream media). And it'd be embarrassing to see Memphis with not one memorable song win a TONY award. Not a participation award, but a TONY award. Meant for EXCELLENCE in theatre.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 9:20pm

That's a ridiculous argument. AMERICAN IDIOT is going to be nominated for Best Musical, which means it's going to perform on the Tony Awards, and it could very possibly win. Best Score means nothing compared to that when it comes to national attention. It wasn't even included in the telecast a couple years ago.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 11:35pm

But giving them Best Score means Green Day gets their own Tony. And the award has always been on the telecast.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 11:45pm

If I'm not mistaken, It wasn't televised the year Ragtime won.

~Steven

[BwayTday]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 11:46pm

It could also be giving Best New Musical, which is going to be on the telecast.

"Memphis" has some pretty catchy songs. Yet they are repetitive and the lyrics are pretty bad.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 12:05am

I'd be hard-pressed to recall any recent occasion when the Tonys 'bent the rules' to get more coverage from Rolling Stone, let alone the mainstream media. It seems that Green Day has gotten plenty of coverage on its own. Which score represents 'excellence' is debatable, but what isn't is the title of the award: 'Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater.' Recent Tony rulings have favored the 50% rule (that is, that 50% of the material must be new for the Broadway production). Only time will tell on how the Tonys rule.

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 5:07pm

Can Enron be considered?

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 5:10pm

^ For techno and dance beats with occasional vocals?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 5:18pm

ENRON also features The Beastie Boys and iirc, REM.

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 5:30pm

Actually I think Enron's score was a concept Album, so naturally, it's eligible for Best Score.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 7:46pm

As long as it hits that 50% mark for originality, I would assume it's eligible.

~Steven