Spamalot, Sunday Top Olivier Award Noms; Wicked Snubbed- Page 2

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:29am

Brilliant. And aside from Idina's lack of ability to create a three-dimensional character, the fact that she came in to kick-start the production for a short time only to up and leave after a few months probably didn't weigh very well up against actresses that have committed to seeing a production through for the entire season. Not to mention that the show is garbage. I'm thrilled to see CAROLINE and Pinkins receive nominations.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:33am

I never knew that the Oliviers merged Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress into one single category (Supporting Performance).

Interesting.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:43am

If I remember correctly, it seemed like Avenue Q received a rather tepid response when it opened on the West End. I remember this sort of "THIS is what the Americans are raving about??" attitude. On the other hand, it seemed like people were going ga-ga for Wicked, much like in the US. So to see Q nominated over Wicked is a bit shocking--how well have these shows done at the box office since their openings?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:37am

Hold on, Wicked got four nominations, same as Evita. How is that a snub?

Caroline, or Change and Cabaret each got only three nominations. And Avenue Q got only one.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:38am

The snub is for Best Musical.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:50am

So am I right in guessing that the Oliveier's honor London theater instead of just "West End" theater? Like the Tonys only honor Broadway and not Off-Broadway? Or did Caroline, or Change transfer to the West End? I love that show, so hope I'm glad it's getting some attention, but all of those shows are great. I love Sunday and Russell's performance. I am really suprised by Wicked. Pretty much the response from theater lovers is "it sucks," but it seems like middle American LOVES it. So strange.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 2:47am

CAROLINE OR CHANGE is playing at the National Theatre which is eligible for the Olivier Awards. Sort of like how shows that play the Vivian Beaumont (Lincoln Center) are eligible for the Tony, even though they aren't in the theatre district.
Updated On: 1/18/07 at 02:47 AM

[bjivie2]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 3:08am

The Lady of the Lake is what confuses me. That role is supporting. I don't care what you say. It seems that she is the one taking Idina's place in Best Actress. Especially since Idina got essentially rave reviews for her work. But I guess the small time she was in the show could have had something to do with it. Maybe she wasn't there long enough for all the judges to see her?

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 8:29am

Outstanding Musical Production = Musical Revival. Porgy and Bess is a new version of the opera that has not been performed in any SOLT houses before (Merrily we Roll Along won Best New Musical in 2001 for the same reason, despite having had previous London productions and a 20-year old score!). Personally, I'm backing Sunday in the Park with George all the way, other than the Best Actress catagory which is a tough choice between Russell and Pinkins.

And there is no snubbing - Idina Menzel didn't get nominated because the judges didn't feel that her performance was as good as all the other nominees. And in my opinion, they were right. Elphaba is a much easier role than the Lady in the Lake - paint yourself green, use broad character stokes (now I am outraged, now I am angry, now I'm in love etc) and belt a lot. The comedy in Spamalot is much harder (witness the lack of enthusiasm for the Broadway 'Lady' replacements), though her lack of stage time does make her position in the 'lead' catagory a mystery...

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 9:17am

I am really suprised by Wicked. Pretty much the response from theater lovers is "it sucks," but it seems like middle American LOVES it. So strange.

Well thankfully, the Brits have taste.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 10:32am

As far as The Lady of the Lake being a leading role or not,
If you check the posters outside the Shubert Theatre, i'm pretty sure you'll find whomever is playing the Lady of the Lake with top billing alongside Arthur. This has been the case with Marin Mazzie, Lauren Kennedy and Pia Glenn.
The role really is the leading female role in the show, and though Sara Raimerez was great in it, the role seemed smallish compared to the star power of Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce and Hank Azaria.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 10:34am

OMG poor Indinia. She went oVer there an gave 110% eVery single performanence and the Britians loVed her. I know this for a FACT because I was going to go oVer there and do the lotto.

[angelrock25222]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 10:52am

if wicked received four nominations in categories it also received tony nominations it seems so strange that they would deny it the other nominations. im not saying that tony nominations are a default to olivier BUT the show really didnt change from ny to london. so why the love for joe mantello this time around, despite no additional directorial vision (imo), and a snub for idina, who was actually a significant amount better in london? if anything the acting nominations would seem more appropriate than tech noms because they are the dynamics of the show that changed.


ps. i did actually see both productions.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:28am

I have no idea why Joe Mantello was nominated, but I would still argue that the acting and performances in Wicked are nowhere near the standard of the other nominees. Which is why they're on the list and Idina isn't.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:54pm

You won't get an argument from me about Menzel being omitted. I've never understood the hype and adulation that performance received here. I just find it ironic that the same performance could win a Tony on one side of the Atlantic and be ignored on the other.

I also was never a fan of Mantello's staging which struck me as incoherent and static (he has no idea how to stage a crowd scene or create visually appealing stage pictures on such a broad canvas).

[swerve]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:03pm

Some may not understand the hype re: Menzel, but her notices in London were quite strong and the reception in general for her performance seemed very warm. Thus, her omission is a surprise- though it appears the duration of her run (coming over to open the show and then leaving so quickly) as well as the general backlash toward Wicked were considerable factors.

I'm not surprised at Wicked being snubbed, at all. And I'm also befuddled a bit by Mantello's nom.

Also noticed Kevin Spacey's name is absent, if it hasn't been mentioned before.

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:11pm

I'm pretty sure Idina's "snub" delt with her being with the show for 4 months. But it's not like she just quit in the middle of her run. It was planned months ahead she would have a short run. And Wanna Be A Foster, Idina is actually quite capable of doing justice to a character, otherwise crowds of critics would not have praised her performance.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:32pm

Menzel's 4 month run in the show had absoultely NOTHING to do with her not getting a nomination. Pinkins got a nod despite doing even less than four months of performances. Due to the National's rep system (with shows typically rotating in and out of theatres in 2-3 week increments), CAROLINE only played a total of about 8 weeks of performances scattered throughout less than three months (mid-October through the first week of January) -- and Pinkins STILL got a nomination (along with a few other nominees who also played less than four months).

Menzel didn't get a nod simply because the Oliviers didn't think her performance deserved one. Period.

Updated On: 1/18/07 at 01:32 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:39pm

Payback's a bitch.

[swerve]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 2:28pm

The point was more specifically that Menzel played such a short run deliberately and departed, while the show was obviously still running, and that's something that didn't seem to sit well with some people. Caroline itself ran for such a brief time that Pinkins didn't just open it and leave, so it wasn't the same situation at all.

Again, regardless of what you personally thought of Menzel's performance (which was undeniably even stronger in London than New York), the critical and public response was overall so positive it made it seem nearly certain that she would be nominated. Given that reaction, her omission is a surprise to most people and the suggestion that other factors may have influenced it is not groundless, despite what some would like to believe.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 2:34pm

Her reviews were NOT raves in London.

And her reviews most certainly were not all that positive in New York, either.


You are really beginning to sound like an obnoxious little fangirl. Which, I KNOW, you're not. Why you feel the need to come on here and defend someone you will never know is beyond me. It's not as if people on here are writing horrible things about her, we are just pointing out that it's interesting, and that it is of our opinion that the Brits got it right.

Yes, I know..."But Tonya Pinkins this..." or "Elena Roger that...." but seriously. You sound like an idiot.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 2:45pm

Sorry, I don't buy the excuse that they refused to nominate her because she did four months then left. Nathan Lane won the Olivier two years ago for THE PRODUCERS after doing only a few months in the role (and the show is STILL running), and plenty of big stars over the years have been nominated for the Olivier despite being able to commit to only a few months due to film schedules etc...... even though their shows continued to run long after they departed.

The Oliviers didn't see her performance as award-worthy. Why is that hard to accept?

Updated On: 1/18/07 at 02:45 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 2:49pm

I just checked: Ewan McGregor and Jane Krakowski only did 6 months of GUYS AND DOLLS last year, but were still nominated for Olivier Awards -- and the show is STILL running.

Updated On: 1/18/07 at 02:49 PM

[Ladyofthe Lake]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 2:59pm

Tim Curry received an Olivier nomination for Spamalot for a three month run - even shorter than Idina Menzel's.

[swerve]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 3:02pm

I'm sorry, I fail to see where anything I said was overly defensive or at all fangirl-y. I was just pointing out that many did find it surprising and that, in my opinion, considering outside motivations for the lack of a nom is not without merit despite the rather dismissive posts to the contrary. That's all.

I mentioned Tonya simply because she was brought up in an earlier post (and, for the record, I thought she was fantastic in Caroline- though I think Russell will be the frontrunner). And I don't think anything I posted is nearly as obnoxious as "payback's a bitch."

I read a number of reviews from London. Nearly all were positive and I would describe some of them as "raves."