Songs That Won Their Performers Tonys

[mattporter17]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:03am

Can you think of any songs that single handedly won their performers Tonys?  

Off the top of my head I can think of:

- Your Daddy's Son, Audra McDonald (Ragtime)

- Gimme Gimme / Forget About the Boy, Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie)

- Sal Tlay Ka Stiti, Nikki M. James (Book of Mormon)

- James Monroe Iglehart, Friend Like Me (Aladdin)

Now, some of these are just such great moments that I'm sure they played a hand in them winning. Obviously one song isn't everything, but sometimes, if its that grand, it just might do the trick!

Are there any other obvious one's I'm missing? These are just off the top of my head so I'm probably missing some big one's

Updated On: 6/20/15 at 12:03 AM

[TexanAddams18]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:12am

I would say "Anything Goes" and/or "Blow Gabriel Blow" for Sutton as well

[trpguyy]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:19am

"Don't Break the Rules" from Catch Me If You Can

[gstrus2]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:21am

I would think Andrea Martin's song in Pippin falls under this?

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:26am

Friend Like Me

[mattmarkowski99]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:27am

^ "No Time At All"

[RaiseYouUp]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:30am

Would Today 4 U from Rent fall in this category?

[RaiseYouUp]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 12:34am

And also probably Cady Huffman as Ulla in The Producers for "When You Got It, Flaunt It"

[Fan123]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 2:03am

The Lees of Old Virginia for Ron Holgate

[Tag]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 2:08am

Obvious answer: You're Gonna Love Me - Jennifer Holliday

[Fantod]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 2:38am

I Don't Want to Know - Angela Lansbury for Dear World

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 2:50am

Judy Kaye - "Looking for a Boy" in Nice Work. 

Katie Finneran - Promises, Promises - I'm not familiar with the show, but I thought I've heard that her character only really sings one song. Am I right?

Michael Cerveris - "The Ballad of Booth" - Assassins

Betty Buckley - "memory" - Cats

Donna McKechnie - "Music and the Mirror" - A Chorus Line

 Also, I know this isn't quite the same, but I'd say Paul's monologue in A Chorus Line won Sammy Williams the Tony

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 3:05am

I believe the role of elphaba is an endearing role, but I don't think it would be all to memorable without Defying Gravity in the shows so I believe Idina Menzel pretty much won just because I'd Defying Gravity.

[peerrjb]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 5:02am

When Barbara Harris (who'd already played Eve, Barbera, and Ella) became "Passionella" in the song "Gorgeous", her Tony was secured.  (And besting Mary Martin and Lotte Lenya was no mean feat.) 

Linda Hopkins, in "Inner City"...choose your song.

Larry Blyden in  "Forum".... First Act "I'm Calm" was riotous, but the Act Two reprise of "Lovely" with Phil Silvers [who also deserved his Tony if only for "Free"] was unforgettable.

Gwen Verdon - "Whatever Lola Wants";  Randy Graff - "You Can Always Count on Me"; Donna Murphy - "Hello, Young Lovers";  Faith Prince - "Adelaide's Lament" or "Sue Me";  Len Cariou - "Epiphany" (or pretty much anything in "Sweeney"; Angela Lansbury - "Mame" (Because even though she never sang a note, she knockout danced the Onna White stuff, and made EVERYONE onstage or in the audience realize the Mame was, indeed, the best of the best.)

 

 

 

 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 5:53am

Katie Finneran - "A Fact Can Be A Beautiful Thing"

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 7:19am

Donna Murphy - "I Read" 

 

[The Other One]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 8:24am

Katie Finneran's only song in PROMISES PROMISES was A Fact Can Be A Beautiful Thing, but she was hilarious in not only the song but the scenes (I think two?) her character appeared in.  I'm not sure it was just the song that did the trick.

 

Jennifer Holliday in DREAMGIRLS -- yes.  Just "that song", with I Am Changing providing a little icing.

[followspot]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 9:09am

"The Grass Is Always Greener" — Marilyn Cooper (Woman of the Year)

 

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 9:12am

Ten minutes on stage was all Marilyn Cooper needed to win her Tony  in WOMAN OF THE YEAR singing the comic gem "The Grass Is Always Greener" ......  clips on YouTube!

[Kad]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 10:27am

"We'll Take a Glass Together"-  Grand Hotel, for Michael Jeter.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 10:55am

"My New Philosophy" for Kristin Chenoweth.  

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 10:58am

Lillias White - "The Oldest Profession"

[supersam1026]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 11:00am

Just this year! Ruthie Ann Miles for "Something Wonderful".

[TheBoyFromNC]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 11:14am

Definitely agree with "Something Wonderful" for Ruthie. I listened to the cast recording just a few days before the Tonys, and it alone was almost enough to change camps from Judy to Ruthie.
Also adding "Hold Me In Your Heart" for Billy Porter, "I Am What I Am" for both George Hearn and Douglas Hodge, and "Diva's Lament" for Sara Ramirez.

Updated On: 6/20/15 at 11:14 AM

[ggersten]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 11:14am

Didn't Tom Bosley basically "sing" only one song in Fiorello!?  (Ok, he has two songs).

But Marilyn Cooper and Jennifer Holliday were the two names that first came to my mind.

and then there was this discussion of non-singing roles nominated for performances in musicals:  Nominated and Winning Performers with No Songs in a Musical