I don't think that a Nominee should be the host at any awards ceremony. I think it creates favoritism, and if they don't win, then what are you going to do??
Unfortunately much like the Oscars, the best performance doesn't necessarily mean the Tony. If you've already won, it's harder to win again (unless your name is Audra), and sometimes things are praised or bashed strictly based on their content.
I agree that nominees shouldn't be hosts. Hugh was a little more shameless than the Producers...
"I don't know if anyone said this, but Natascha Richardson winning over Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner for best actress in a musical."
Brookyln_Muse
The competition was stiff that year. I love Alice and Emily just as much as anyone possibly can but even if Natasha Richardson wasn't even a factor that year, I don't think A&E would have won. It probably would have gone to Marin Mazzie for Ragtime.
Updated On: 2/10/05 at 02:11 PM
I know I'm gonna get crap for this but I think "Wicked" should've gotten the Best Musical award last year. I has become a smash hit, unlike "Avenue Q".
"He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals"
-Benjamin Franklin
You don't think Avenue Q has become a smash hit? While I thought the BEST musical of the year was CAROLINE OR CHANGE, WICKED's writing is absolutely terrible, as far as structure, character development in the script, the flow of events, and things making sense. It's a mess. AVENUE Q is far superior to WICKED when it comes to overall writing and construction - I can't see how anyone would disagree with that, but CAROLINE's writing was above all.
And Natashia Richardson was absolutely brilliant in CABARET, I couldn't imagine people not thinking she should have won. Did you actually see her? She was remarkable.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
Avenue Q is also a "smash hit" and as been sold out virtually every single week since the Tonys last year. The only reason its grosses are lower is that it's in a smaller theatre. And besides what does box office success have to do with anything anyway? In theory, at least, the Tonys are supposed to be about artistic excellence, not what sells the most tickets.
And I agree with Munk, Caroline was far superior artistically to either.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
I was reading the script again last night and it reminded me of how much it was robbed and underappreciated. I think that many people just didn't take the time to get to know it, including those that shamelessly plug WICKED as the best musical of the year. Nothing compares.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
1973 Best Musical: should have been Pippin, I think it is far better than A Little Night Music. Now given I'm making that judgement based on the cast recording of "A Little Night Music", so my judgement might not be completely fair. A Little Night Music just doesn't seem as entertaining as Pippin.
2004 Best Musical: I think Wicked or Caroline or Change should've won. Wicked is a really fun show and Caroline or Change is pretty well written and Tonya Pinkins was amazing in it. I think the only reason Caroline or Change didn't do so well was because of it's not being as popular as Wicked and Avenue Q.
2004 Best Musical Score: Now this is a category I can't beleive Avenue Q won. It's score doesn't even compare to the other three nominated. This is the one award I disagree with more than anything. I can even understand why Avenue Q would win best musical, but for score... if you even call it that. Wicked's score was amazing, and I liked Taboo, and Caroline or Change.
As for the Lion King winning.... The story does get a little boring but the way they put it together up on stage is amazing. I guess most of the credit for that goes to Julie Taymor, but I think the overall performance is what counts in best musical, and Lion King definitely had it.
I most definitely have issues with my word choices on this board.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is an extraordinarily brilliantly written show - it's so beautiful and wonderful. PIPPIN pales in comparison - you should get to know the show. PIPPIN is fun, but by no means superior to A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.
I agree about AVENUE Q's score - I dislike it very much - I would have given the award to TABOO.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
Disgrace? 1995...Only 2 "new" musicals one of which is a revue of recycled pop songs, the other a badly done stage adaptation of a legendary screenplay which gained NOTHING from the music that was added to it. SUNSET BLVD is the weakest show to win a Best Musical Tony, but given the competition the voters had no choice.
I side with those who feel CONTACT should never have been classified as a musical. It has no score. You could substitute other recordings and have teh same effect.
Disappointments for me? 1984.... 5 good shows in the running (BABY, TAP DANCE KID, THE RINK (shich was NOT niminated), SUNDAY and LA CAGE.) I feel LA CAGE the weakest of the bunch but remember too that in 1984 a "gay" themed musical was quite out of the ordinary. I also think that opening so close to teh Tony deadline really hurt SUNDAY. It was show that people needed to see a few times and think about. Even the majority of the critics didn't get it on opening night. If it had opened a week later it would have been eligable teh following year and cleaned up.
I think INTO THE WOODS is a far better written show than POTO and would have easily chosen it as Best Musical of 1988.
JEROME ROBBINS BROADWAY should not even have been nominated as a new musical but 1989 was a weak season. (STARMITES???)
1990 was a better year. I loved CITY OF ANGELS but I do think GRAND HOTEL was the better show. Anyhow by splitting the awards both shows got profitable runs.
1991 - WILL ROGERS FOLLIES was the weakest of the nominees. But SECRET GARDEN was flawed, MISS SAIGON over-produced and ONCE ON THIS ISLAND too "strange." Still if I were voting i would have gone with the strange one.
Somone questioned ALNM winning over PIPPIN. PIPPIN can be entartaining but it isn't about anything. ALNM is funny, fun and delightful but also resonates. No contest there.
Bottom line... the best thing about the Tonys is the chance to showcase a 5 minute excerpt. I keep all the Tony shows on tape as far back as 1979 and wish I had a complete set!