Sondheim on Sondheim - Tony chances?

It's very early, but what are the Tony possibilities?

Updated On: 1/14/10 at 02:07 AM

I think its fair game for every Tony except for "Original Score".

It's getting interesting in general this season for the play and musical categories. People have been talking for months about which four shows will fill the musical revival category, but it is getting just as crowded for Best Musical (as well as Best Play and Play Revival), with many more candidates than available slots.

I think that Fela! and American Idiot are probably both assured nominations for Best Musical. Fela! received raves and seems to be finding an audience. American Idiot will have NY Times support, had a well received tryout and has the Green Day meets Broadway thing going for it.

Beyond that, you could have Come Fly Away, The Addams Family, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, Burn the Floor and Sondheim on Sondheim all vying for the remaining two spots.

If I wanted to take a stab at it, based on several factors (not necessarily quality), I would guess the remaining two spots will go to The Addams Family and Come Fly Away, with Memphis the next in line if either of those shows are huge disappointments.

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I do agree that Memphis could get in there. It appears to be an underdog success story right now and I give it a lot of credit for being a total original. I'd like it to get nominated for that reason especially, even if I wish it had still gone through another draft or two, to have made it that much better.

My reasons for including Addams Family and Come Fly Away were the following: Addams Family is the one big traditional book musical of the spring with genuine Broadway stars heading a very good cast. Its reviews in Chicago were mostly positive, with a constructive notice from Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, which the producers and creative team seem to be heeding. Even if not everything gets solved for New York, I think it gets in on the basis of being what it is.

Come Fly Away will surely rile the purists who still bristle that Contact won Best Musical. It sounds like another piece that doesn't fit neatly in the category of "musical," but given that there's nowhere else to put it since "special event" has been eliminated, it will be up for Best Musical. It got a great Isherwood review out of town, so I think the Times will endorse it again. There's the appeal of the Sinatra factor. If it is more Movin' Out and less Times They Are a Changin', I think it will get in.

So until we know more - I'll still go with The Addams Family, American Idiot, Come Fly Away and Fela! as my four Best Musical nominee predictions, with Memphis as the wild card.

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I would think that Barbara Cook would be nominated and win for no other reason but being a Broadway Legend...unless she goes up against Angela Lansbury...then she might loose.

No...if I remember most people weren't even expecting Chita to even get to be considered for "Best Actress in a Musical"...I think they were expecting her to be in the "Special Event" category.
Plus, Lupone was in the running too.

Still, I would expect her to be nominated.

If Cook had never won a Tony before, I could see sentiment being on her side. However, she's won the award once before. I would expect a nomination, but certainly not a win.

Do we even know which Sondheim songs will be performed, and by whom??
And is Vanessa Williams' role as "leading" as Cook's?

In essence, the Tony peeps said LaChanze played Celie better than Chita Rivera played Chita Rivera. The fact that Chita was even eligible for the Tony baffles me. Then, going against their own precedent, Liza wasn't eligible in the category last season. Gotta love the Tony Committee.

On topic, far too early. How do we know the show isn't the cast dressed in street clothes, sitting on wooden folding chairs in front of a standard 19" TV, singing along to original cast recordings of Sondheim classics? Hm? Then all you prognosticators will really have egg on your faces.

It's been hyped as an expensive multi-media extravaganza, not simply a low-cost revue, but with little details to go on, it's hard to foresee the dramatic impact of the piece.

CHITA RIVERA: THE DANCER'S LIFE wasn't a revue.

The reason the Tony Administration Committee deemed it a new musical was because it contained new music, and by making it eligible for Best Musical, it was then eligible for Best Score, Best Book, design categories, etc.

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I know Chita's show wasn't a revue. I saw the show.

I'm saying there is really no difference between Chita being nominated, and a performer from a revue being nominated.

Over 50% of the score has to be deemed new and original. Trunk songs wouldn't be original methinks.

~Steven