The 76th Annual Tony Award Nominations (2023) — Page 15

"Can someone who's seen ''High Button Shoes'' & ''Some Like It Hot'' compare and contrast?"

Missed the Encore revival of HIGH BUTTON SHOES, but basing this on the JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY recreation of the original back in 1989:

HBS had a stationary row of cabana doors on the beach, through which a constantly changing parade of cops and bathing beauties of the dancing ensemble appeared and interacted. Tap dancing wasn't used as much as typical Robbins-style ballet moves/modern dance moves. The number built and built to a chaotic finale but no plot turns were involved. It was a dizzy diversion.

SLIT has a series of free-standing door units on wheels which the cast positions in countless new arrangements to describe different hallways at the Coronado Hotel. Here gangsters are trying to kill our heroes meaning the entire company is used in the number, which builds and builds and builds all ENTIRELY IN TAP STEPS!! The story here is the point -- the gangsters are constantly foiled with costume quick changes that result in the good guys finally arresting the gangsters at the finale. It is perhaps the greatest single 8-minute sequence onstage this season. (I'm guessing-- don't kill me if it's not 8 minutes.)

WestEndGal said: "SuddenlyStanley said: "
Pippa Soo is The Snubbee of the Year here--- TWO brilliant portrayals of classic musical theater roles, ignored.
—Soo was not snubbed. She is fine. She gave two fine performances but nothing special.

"

Honestly I’ve personally never understood the Soo hype. I feel like Sharon D. Clarke is the biggest ‘snub’ although of course it’s all subjective!"

I never understood it either; I went into this year agnostic. She was wonderful in ITW--certainly revitalizing the role and putting her own stamp on it--and was then totally incandescent in Camelot, a perfect performance. Im not saying she was snubbed because im stanning her, Im saying she was snubbed because she gave TWO knockout performances in two iconic roles (with Sarah Brown in between!) and was overlooked.

I really thought Will Swenson would nab a Best Actor nom -- the show's lone nomination. This marks the first time since On Your Feet (2015) that a musical biomusical fails to get nominated for one of it's principle actors.

2022 MJ (Frost)

2020 Tina (Warren)

2019 Ain't Too Proud (Baskin)

2018 Cher Show (SJB), Summer (DeBose)

Updated On: 5/3/23 at 12:52 AM

I know this is a long shot, but a recent thread (either here or ATC) was talking about Kelli O'Hara winning for The King and I...it had me thinking about a very long shot at Best Actor.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Brian D'Arcy James won for Into the Woods over Josh Groban and Ben Platt. Someone who is loved in the theatre community winning a Tony (finally), despite another great Broadway performer in a role that suits them extremly well.

Mr. Wormwood said: "fashionguru_23 said: "I know this is a long shot, but a recent thread (either here or ATC) was talking about Kelli O'Hara winning for The King and I...it had me thinking about a very long shot at Best Actor.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Brian D'Arcy James won for Into the Woods over Josh Groban and Ben Platt. Someone who is loved in the theatre community winning a Tony (finally), despite another great Broadway performer in a role that suits them extremly well."

It wouldn't surprise me to see Groban or Platt not win but I would think they would lose to Ghee, not James"



I agree-most likely a 3 way race between Platt, Groban and Ghee.

It’s an embarrassment of riches in that Best Actor field.

If the voters love SLIH, Ghee could get swept up in the love for that. But Groban and Platt are also stars returning to Broadway in lauded revivals.

I don’t think BDJ had as much of the IT’S TIME narrative that Kelli had. His feels like “the nomination is the win.”

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "What do we think of the Director of a Musical field? That race seems wide open. Michael Arden might have the best shot at winning at this point? Idon’t think Jessica Stone’s work is so understated. A Casey win would be fun since musical comedies aren’t always rewarded, and he directs the hell out of that. With Lear and Jack, that seems like “lucky to be nominated.”


Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden,Parade

Lear deBessonet,Into the Woods

Casey Nicholaw,Some Like It Hot

Jack O’Brien,Shucked

Jessica Stone,Kimberly Akimbo"

I agree that it's between Arden and Stone. I'm leaning towards Arden right now but I do think Stone has a chance if there's a KA sweep among major awards (musical, score, book, lead actress)

EDSOSLO858 said: "I’m kinda shocked the Sondheim revivals didn’t get some more love.

Kimberly Akimbois easily taking home six Tonys, including the Triple Crown. Cooley and Clancy have already won just by being nominated.

"

Who gets Orchestrations in your opinion?

The Great:

- The love for ''Topdog/Underdog'' is amazing. I remember being split over which one to see between Topdog, Piano and Salesman, went to Topdog and was blown away by the production. The fact that got Revival and the two amazing men is perfection. I think Corey should win this award!

- JULIA LESTER! I'm shooked that she got in, people really praised her all the way from Lincoln Center and she is now a Tony nominee at the age of 23, congrats!

- All the love for ''A Doll's House'' makes me feel very sad that Chastain is likely not winning, but the amount of noms makes me really happy!

- ''A Beautiful Noise'' is just plain bad, I was more than thrilled to see them getting 0. Not a fault of the amazing cast, but Anthony McCarten snubbed for his two works this year is great.

- How amazing that Colton Ryan was a understudy to Platt when he won the Tony and now both are nominated at the same category? HUGE!!!

- ALEX NEWELL IS A TONY NOMINEE, YES!

- I can't believe Beggar Woman is a Tony nominee role but Ruthie Ann Miles IS THAT GREAT!

- KPOP IS REMEMBERED, SO HAPPY!

- Audra ties Julie Harris and Chita Rivera with 10 noms. Can't wait to see her breaking that record for herself!

The shocks!:

- 3 Pulitzers in but only 1 Olivier winner in the category? I could see a world where ''Prima Facie'' was snubbed, but ''Pi''? And Abeysekera too?

- They really didn't like ''Death of a Salesman'', right? Even ''Piano Lesson'', that basically got in because they liked even less of ''Ohio States Murder'', but no Brooks and NO SHARON D. CLARKE was major snub.

- Phillipa Soo really played Cinderella and Guinevere and got... nothing? Even tho her shows got nominated at ''Best Revival''? Wow, it sucks!

- Colton in, but no Uzele? Adrianna Hicks being the only substantial role not nominated for ''Some Like It Hot''? Is the ''Six'' girls cursed? LOL

- Thomas Kail out must be one of the major snubs, especially when ''Sweeney'' got in in everything but Gaten!

- Poooooor Gavin, stuck with the show all the way and saw his co-star that stayed two months get the noms!!!

- It's awkward when a two hander gets one actor in but not the other, and in this case where Hecht got in when I think Linney received more praised is very weird!

Just catching my typo now –– I DO think Stone's work is very understated and not the high point of Kimberly. So the voters might go with the "overdue" person who has done continually good work (Arden), or the seasoned veteran doing great musical comedy work (Nicholaw).

BETTY22 said: "I have been trying t research what a TONY win means for a show.

Is there any scientific data? Such as a best musical win get's you 15% box office bump?"

I'm sure there is someone who could mine the data but I think there's so much fluctuation because of what a show has done before the Tonys.

Sometimes, a Tony for Best Musical can prevent a show from a likely imminent closing (think shows like Titanic, Gentlemen's Guide, Fun Home)

Other times, a show is already a huge hit so a Best Musical win doesn't necessarily mean a box office bump because it didn't need it (think shows like The Lion King, The Producers, Hamilton)

Other times, a show is a modest hit that really goes into the stratosphere for awhile after a Best Musical win (think shows like Avenue Q, Kinky Boots, Hadestown)

A Best Musical win can make all the difference for a struggling show. In 1997, Titanic & Steel Pier both opened to mixed critical reviews and modest box office numbers. Steel Pier received 11 Tony nominations and Titanic received 5. But Steel Pier won nothing & Titanic won all 5 including Best Musical. What happened next? Titanic, which was in serious trouble, ran for nearly two more years and Steel Pier closed within a month of the Tonys.

As far as non-Best Musical wins, I imagine the data is a bit more sketchy. But I do think a big nominations haul coupled with a strong Tonys performance can help. I just think the help is not that long lasting usually. That's what I see potentially happening for shows like Some Like It Hot & New York New York