TONY commitee sure loves nominating big stars

[Greatwhiteway3]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:28pm

Liev Shrieber
Catherine z Jones
Kelsey Gramer
Laura Linney
Denzel Washington
Scarlet Johansson
Sean Hayes
etc

Although I'm sure many are deserving, i think If you're a
big name with even an adequate performance tv to appeal to more than a 50 miles radius around NYC. Shame for all the hard working "no-names" who devote
their lives to theater and aren't just doing it as a
check on their "bucket list" or as a way to spend
their free time while their tv show is on hiatus, or
in between movie projects.

Updated On: 5/4/10 at 12:28 PM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:30pm

Literally, in my mind, the only person on that list who didn't deserve a nomination was Sean Hayes, and then only because that category was so crowded. The rest of them were very deserving. I would have preferred Alicia Silverstone to Scarlett Johansson, but then again it would have been a star situation.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:32pm

I haven't seen some of the performances on that list but the ones I have seen were very deserving and I'm happy that they were recognized. I'm actually surprised about Jude Law being nominated for Hamlet as it was so long ago and the production itself was mediocre, but I'm very happy he got a nomination as I loved his performance.

Additionally many of those people have extensive theater backgrounds and were well-respected in the theater community before they were ever movie stars. Updated On: 5/4/10 at 12:32 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:34pm

From what I've read, nearly every person you listed were expected to receive a well-deserved nomination. And I'm curious why you believe that tv or movie actors have no connection to theatre other than to fill up some down time. Are you at all familiar with the careers of most of these nominees?

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:48pm

Johansson doesn't deserve a nomination. The list noting her poor quality performance is a long one, including, but not limited too: Being completely out of her body, being ungrounded, poor choices that led to lack of conflict, and a lack of textual understanding (her lines were spoken, with no shifts in thought).

That production was a travesty in general, and Schreiber and Hecht were just as guilty of not doing specific work on their roles. Did the production really move you? Were the actors really living and breathing in an environment? Most of the show consisted of them aimlessly walking around and leaning again walls and rails. I didn't believe it for a second, and held in laughter during the final so-called "intense" moments of half-baked production. They just put on a show to make money without any reason to say something or to do something.

The only good element of the production was Santino Fontana, and by the time it opened he was gone.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:49pm

I think the nominations were well-deserved, except for Johansson, who did a fine job on her Broadway debut, but not worthy of a Tony nor a nomination. But she is a big star and her presence at the ceremony should bump the ratings a bit, or at least bring in a lot of press and photographers and her pictures will end up on some magazines.

I liked Alicia Silverstone, and I kinda liked everything about Time Stands Still and think it should win best play, but Alicia was playing Clueless' Cher in the play. She is really not that good of an actress. None Silverstone nor Johansson deserved the nomination IMHO. But Alicia is not even a "hot" star anymore, so of course they'd go with Johansson.

I think Marin Mazzie should've been nominated maybe, she was the only character I enjoyed at Enron, but I know that most of you will disagree with me, then again I haven't seen many of the plays this season.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:13pm

Have you seen the performances? Liev Shrieber, Catherine Zeta Jones, Laura Linney, and Denzel Washington are giving some of, if not THE best performances of the season. Sean Hayes is great too in my opinion, and I'm not too upset or surprised Scarlett Johanson is in there.

My only issue is Kelsey Grammar, who I found to be a waste of a good part. He did nothing for me.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:17pm

James Spader was shut out, and he gave a great performance!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:17pm

Kelsey Grammer was a no-name Broadway actor before hitting it big. He did Lincoln Center "Macbeth" and the James Earl Jones/Christopher Plummer "Othello". He was also in the original "Sunday in the Park with George" but got cut when it moved to Broadway.

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:23pm

He was also in the original "Sunday in the Park with George" but got cut when it moved to Broadway.

That makes his nomination for LA CAGE 80 times more funny!

[strummergirl]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:25pm

Christopher Walken also nominated as Spokane's lone nominee but it was a great performance. If there was ever an actor born to act in a work of McDonagh it is him.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 1:27pm

I would have added Silverstone over Johansson.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 2:06pm

I kinda liked everything about Time Stands Still and think it should win best play, but Alicia was playing Clueless' Cher in the play. She is really not that good of an actress.

YOU are the one who is clueless, muscle. She played it very differently. Go back and watch the movie. Just because both characters lack a certain natural intelligence doesn't mean that they are the same. Cher is a materialistic, super stupid, naive teenager. Her character in Time Stands Still is uninformed, but just wants everyone to be happy. She puts everyone else before herself. She doesn't understand why a journalist wouldn't help someone in pain. It's foreign to her. She is very conflicted. I think Alicia did an amazing job conveying that. To say she isn't a good actress is just dumb. What else have you seen her in? Pray tell. (And for the record, your beloved Brooke Shields plays EVERY part the same way, so why don't you have a complaint there?).
Updated On: 5/4/10 at 02:06 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 2:11pm

Silverstone was wonderful in TIMES STANDS STILL. And without Hayes at the helm, this production of PROMISES would have been a total misfire (save for my love, Katie Finneran). His charm really made the show go down a LOT easier and I totally felt myself missing him when he wasn't onstage. Very glad he was recognized.

The rest of the nominations, save for MAYBE Scarlett, are also very well-deserved. I really hope Liev wins. His performance is still vivid in my mind. Just brilliant. That whole production was pretty close to brilliant too, IMO.

[Calvin]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 3:06pm

I thought Grammer dropped out of Sunday to do the Frasier gig (which he thought at the time was just a multi-episode guest spot)?

But Julia Roberts, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Radcliffe and several others might disagree with this thread title!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 3:30pm

I think Silverstone was great and very funny in Time Stands Still, just not Tony worthy.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 4:24pm

"I thought Grammer dropped out of Sunday to do the Frasier gig (which he thought at the time was just a multi-episode guest spot)?"

I'll have to go back and check his memoir. I thought he was playing one of the soliders and when they moved it to Broadway, they wanted to recast that role.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 9:11pm

The basis of this thread is undermined by the following non-nominees:

Daniel Craig
Hugh Jackman
James Spader
Tony Shaloub
etc.

...all of whom are more recognizable to the the general public than 90% of those actually nominated.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 9:16pm

And don't forget Sienna Miller!

Anyways, it's a moot point because: a.) most of these stars are giving awesome performances, and b.) most of them have a legit set of stage credits previously.

And I really liked Silverstone, but Johansson was better. I was afraid that the subtlety of her acting style might get lost in a theatre. From some of the reactions here, it seems it may have. Thankfully the critics (and the Tony committee) noticed.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 9:17pm

This is one season in which nearly all the big name actors gave incredible performances; many of them were returning to their theatrical roots, which people forget about.

[binau]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 10:03pm

What was Grammer's role in SUNDAY?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 10:17pm

"What was Grammer's role in SUNDAY?"

I think he was the soldier (doesn't the solider carry around a cardboard friend?)

[Kad]

Posted: 5/5/10 at 12:09am

The published libretto lists him as Young Man on the Bank (who participated in the cut song "Yoo Hoo") and Soldier in Act I (in Act II he played someone named Alex; this version of the second act is different from what it is currently). Christine Baranski was also in this production, as Jules' wife (named Clarisse, who would eventually be renamed Yvonne) and Blair Daniels.