"""The reason behind Avenue Q winning Best Musical is because the producers of that show announced a national tour, and the Tony voters felt it needed the Tony more to stay alive. Shortly after winning the Tony, it was revealed that there was no tour, they only made an exclusive deal with Las Vegas."
So did Wicked not announce a national tour? Even if it did not announce a tour, wouldn't it seem fairly obvious that such a popular show would go on tour?"
I think the voters realized that Wicked was already gonna be a smash hit on the road, that it didn't really need the Tony at all. Within the past decade, the enormous success of the show has proved it."
I think you put way too much stock in these sort of conspiracy theories or ulterior motivations. The truth was that at the time, Wicked, despite its heavy fanbase with teenage theatre-goers, was not a critical smash. Many critics (and theatre people) thought the score was uninteresting, the book was shallow or wasn't even sure what the theme was, and that it was over-produced and cold. Heck, I still think that. Whereas Avenue Q was a well-produced show that effectively did what it was set out to do. I also think the lyrics in Avenue Q are a whole letter better than Wicked even if they are less timeless than Wicked's vague and bland score that could fit in at every time.
I actually think what won it for Avenue Q was that it simply resonated with the ADULT voters because it was relatable, and it did it very well. The theme of Avenue Q was to present a Sesame Street like format but for post-collegiate adults who don't get the benefit of life lessons being sung and taught to them. So for twenty something year-olds trying to be independent, many of the songs were made to teach them lessons about everyday situations that actually have a big impact in people's every day life, like how to know if someone likes you, commitment, how to spend money, being loud during sex because we sure can't be loud anywhere else due to respectfulness and civility, fiscal responsibility, being distracted from your career goals, the uselessness of the college degree scam if you only think about it as a way to get money, accepting giving up your dreams (Brian/Gary Coleman), race relations in every day conversation (though I think this song is one of the more outdated ones but it still relates to people), etc.
My personal favorite show that season was Caroline, or Change, but for someone it seemed like critics weren't big on that one. Maybe they weren't interested in hearing a story about racial inequality plus its impact on seriously unhappy black woman in 1960s Louisiana.
Updated On: 6/4/15 at 12:20 PM
