The 63rd Annual Tony Awards Megathread- Page 32

[dramadude]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:05am

I miss the solid Tony Award opening numbers, like the 58th Tony Awards broadcast in 2004 with Hugh Jackman. It was clear, concise and to the point. It introduced all of the shows without any crowding and clear sound. It was catchy, clever, and quite the eyeful.

[Miss Galinda]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:09am

Apparently I'm not the ONLY one who thought 9 to 5 should've won SOMETHING! The director switched to the Dolly camera instead of the winner for best score.

If I lived anywhere NYC, I think I'd be an Allison Janney groupie...j/k

Seriously, tho, what's so special about Billy Elliot? Before you jump down my throat, I have not seen it, but that performance tonight did anything BUT make me want to see it.

[chiuptown]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:14am

i agree, and same w/ shrek.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:19am

Hey, we all have our biases. Mine was Ave Q winning. But I'm over it now. Mostly. No, Really, I FRICKIN AM OVER IT!!!
And so will you, one fine day...

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:20am

That opening number with Hugh Jackman was the gayest ever! And he played the role so well. No one sings ONE NIGHT ONLY quite like Hugh does.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:21am

When they switched to Dolly...that was just awkward.

[Rudy2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:22am

I sort of agree on "Billy Elliot." I am a DIEHARD Elton John fan, but only now have I finally contracted any real thirst to see this show. I have known and loved "Electricity" for years, even though I think Lee Hall's lyrics are serviceable, not fantastic. I will probably see the show once, but only because Elton is not doing any shows in the NYC area this year and I need my Elton fix. :) The theme of the show seems a bit of a bore to me, and I don't feel bad for saying that.

Also, my mom and I were watching and both of us just gasped and got chills watching Liza come out and do "...World Goes 'Round." It's not about her voice so much as the WAY she SINGS a song. It was just so exciting, or at least we found it to be so. A lovely acceptance speech from her too, by the way. Who cares if the song is originally from a film musical?

[Miss Galinda]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:22am

"I miss the solid Tony Award opening numbers, like the 58th Tony Awards broadcast in 2004 with Hugh Jackman. It was clear, concise and to the point. It introduced all of the shows without any crowding and clear sound. It was catchy, clever, and quite the eyeful."

Was that when he sang "One Night Only"? I thought that was a great openning number! And then there was the bit with Kristin in the bubble. I mean, I could've done with a lot less Guys 'n Dolls and West Side Story and a lot more Sutton and Rizzo..I mean, Mrs. Bartlett...I mean, Stockard Channing!

And what was with the walking and talking a la "Amazing Race" for NPH?

[jwsel]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:22am

Re: the tour performances.

While I think they obviously are not going to be as good as the original casts, I see the logic behind showing them during the Tony's. Most viewers are not coming to New York in time to see the nominated shows (and many won't tour for a long time, if ever), so why not get them excited about something that may be coming to their own cities. I think the bigger problem is that the shows they chose are tired, jukebox musicals and it would be nice to see viewers encouraged to see something different.

Re: the opening. The sound was a mess, the performances were uneven, and I could have done without Brett Michaels altogether. But the final sequence with all the casts together was fabulous. What could better demonstrate that this is a complete celebration of Broadway?

[muse for hire]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:25am

from what i read, bret michaels, didn't go to tony rehearsals, and used a stand in instead. reports say he missed his mark, which basically means he didn't hurry away from the descending set piece, as others did..... so, the rest is embarrassment history...

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:27am

:::Also, my mom and I were watching and both of us just gasped and got chills watching Liza come out and do "...World Goes 'Round." It's not about her voice so much as the WAY she SINGS a song.:::

I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. I. Am. Sorry.

The WAY a person SINGS a song is with their voice. And I know we're all expected to pretend we didn't notice that Liza HAS NO VOICE anymore because she answered questions for this site and she might read this and feel bad and she's a trouper and she's a survivor and she kept on marrying queens, the poor thing, but for Christ's sake. It was a total embarrassment and she didn't sell it through sheer grit and determination it was just BAD. BAD. BAD.

[James885]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:27am

I'll give my thoughts on the entire telecast tomorrow cause I'm too tired, but I just have to mention that Billy Elliot's performance left me kinda cold and sterile.

Now I know next to nothing about Billy Elliot. I haven't seen the movie, and I haven't listened to the score. So while I thought the boy who played Billy's dancing was superb, the whole number just left me clueless. It looked like he was throwing a temper tantrum or something, what with him flailing on the floor and yelling and throwing himself against walls. It just left me scratching my head and didn't really spark any interest in the the show. I'm assuming the number works a lot better within the context of the show.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:28am

What is the appeal of Jersey Boys to bring in FIVE productions to perform? I really don't get it, they have performed two times before.

[dramadude]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:28am

2004 Tony Award show One Night Only Hugh Jackman

[Rudy2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:32am

FindingNamo, I respect your opinion, but don't impose upon mine. I thought she sounded legitimately wonderful, and not because of the myriad other ingredients you injected into my comments like a prize-winning chef.

Fair enough. I will replay it later and take a closer look. But my hairs stood on end only three times during the evening and this was one of them. She didn't sound as great as she did on the Palace CD recording or when I saw the show, I'll give you that. She sounded brilliant live, except it took her voice a couple numbers to warm up, something listeners are quite willing to forgive of other performers.

Updated On: 6/8/09 at 12:32 AM

[sipos]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:33am

Do you think Bret Michaels will be back next year?

[Miss Galinda]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:36am

"Hey, we all have our biases. Mine was Ave Q winning. But I'm over it now. Mostly. No, Really, I FRICKIN AM OVER IT!!!
And so will you, one fine day..."

Want a paddle? I'm still in that boat, too. I still haven't seen Ave. Q, but I have come to appreciate some of it's songs, like "I wish I could go back to college" b/c in this economy it's truer than true.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:36am

"I thought she sounded legitimately wonderful..."

Please DO replay it later. Maybe you should turn the picture off so you can just listen and not be be-dazzled by the sight of Liza May doing her knock kneed pigeon toed thing or whatever else it could have possibly been that could have made your hair stand on end and LISTEN.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:40am

It's funny that there are threads about how Alice sings poorly but none about how Liza has no voice left. I agree with Namo, but I love Liza, and must admit whenever she steps on stage I kinda forget her voice is gone. Im just too enamored.

[sgv123]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:41am

For Billy Elliot--That dance works alot better in the actual show. He is angry....that is why that dance is called Angry Dance. What happened right before the dance, and what is going on throughout the show is the reason for that dance. It is very powerful in the theater.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:45am

i agree sgv. they should have done electricity for there solo song. that would've worked alot better on it's own.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:46am

Here are my thoughts:
Opening number- very busy. I liked that 9 to 5 had something, and it was kind of cute. Everything else, including poor Tveit, was awful up until Hair, which saved the whole thing.

Shrek- Cute number, great showcase of Seiber, though a waste of the other three.

West Side Story- Surprisingly, I was impressed by this number, even though Scaglione?s voice cracked (lmao moment- my mom saying ?I think she?s having a little trouble with that note??)

Guys and Dolls- It was as bad as everyone said it was going to be. Except for the fantastic Testa, who is wasting her time.

Next to Normal- Besides Alice getting behind, that was amazing. I am even more excited to see that show on Saturday! Alice Ripley must be exhausted after performing that show?

Billy Elliot- It was a bit?awkward? I don?t know why they chose Angry Dance, and I had to explain it to a lot of people who knew very little about the show. Wouldn?t make me want to get tickets, based on this or what I saw in the opening. But I already have tickets and know better as to the quality of the actual show.

Pal Joey- Channing sucks. Shouldn?t have been nominated. End of story.

Hair- Great performance, but I?m glad I didn?t get tickets to this on Broadway?I HATE audience interaction, and would really not enjoy being touched or talked to.

Rock of Ages- Ehhh, it was okay. I still think 9 to 5 should?ve been nominated instead. Don?t really know why the NYtimes or other critics were raving about it, though Maroulis and Spanger were quite good.

WSS, Shrek, Rock of Ages, and Hair all appear to be very fun shows to see when they tour, but not when I?m going to Broadway.

As far as the winners, I?m glad N2N won score and tied orchestrations. I think [tos] deserved book. Other than that, all the actors who should?ve won did. And though I think N2N is better than Billy, at least a solid show won Best Musical not because it will tour well but because it too is actually good, though maybe not the Best.

Touring stuff was stupid, and I found it ironic that Legally Blonde performed with a tour lead and Broadway chorus.

N2N?s haul seems similar to Piazza?s (Actress, score)
Though it is interesting that the closest any show came to Billy?s 10 was Carnage?s 3?
Overall, pretty good year. I liked NPH and the majority of the performances and the presentations were good. Sound was obviously an issue, but?
And I want to hear the rest of the closing number! My tv cut it off!

[Rudy2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:46am

Finding, must we resort to bitchy, high-horse language? I conceded you had a point and said I would listen a second time. Most would be satisfied that their ideas were well-communicated and taken into account. I have been a local critic for a while and take the job of the critic very seriously, and as such I absolutely will not accept even a suggestion that I am a biased, totally unobjective devotee of any performer, especially when it comes to singers. You are free to disagree, but not insult.

Updated On: 6/8/09 at 12:46 AM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:48am

I wish there were more memorable speeches. maybe we should just invite Mark Rylance back every year?

[Rudy2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:56am

BB, interesting thoughts. I will say that I have a less-than-usual take on Liza on that I really never heard her until I saw her in December, so that was my introduction, and I was absolutely riveted by it. I was forced to see the show and ended up going back a second time of my own accord. I have since watched two movies - "Cabaret" and "NY, NY" and while her voice definitely had more of a range back then I felt it was no more riveting than what I heard live or on the Palace recording. Maybe if I heard more classic Liza beyond those two films I would feel differently?

Updated On: 6/8/09 at 12:56 AM