The Kristin/Kelli/Chita competition...- Page 4

[JamesBroadwayWiner]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 5:09pm

*does not in any way

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 5:24pm

I actually don't think Cheno is giving the performance of the season though. I actually LOVED her Mildred Plotka at the beginning, but to me her performance as Lily came off as little more than a Madeline Kahn impression. She was good at it for sure, but it's hardly original.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 5:39pm

I don't think it's a Madeline Kahn impression at all. Her rendition of the songs are totally hers and although she's stretching her comedic chops to the limit, it still comes off as her creation. Though I do agree that her Mildred Plotka was a highlight.

[jv92]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 6:17pm

I don't want to start sounding like Michael Riedel, but I wonder if the fact that Chenoweth will be missing performances so close to the Tony Awards (albeit, because she's co-hosting and has to prepare) will rub people the wrong way. 

In any event, I don't care for Chenoweth's work and think her schtick is stale and tired. I'll grudgingly admit that Lilly Garland is a good fit for her, but she still felt...stale. I'd be delighted to see O'Hara or Rivera win. And to say that Kelli is doing a "sweet role with a classic feel" is utter nonsense. Mrs. Anna is one of the most challenging, well-written roles a woman can play in the musical theater. It ain't NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, honey. Have you even a passing familiarity with THE KING AND I, MegInManhattan, because you make it seem like an awfully twee show. It isn't. 

I do think that if she loses, it'll really bug Chenoweth. But I don't think it'd faze Kelli O'Hara or Chita Rivera. 

[UnwoundFantasies]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:11pm

Could it be possible that Kelli's multiple nominations can be a disadvantage to her? I feel like last year once Bridges closed prematurely so many people said that Jessie would win for Beautiful, and Kelli would be nominated (and possibly win) for The King and I. It was almost certain that this time last year she would be back on the boards with another nomination for this season.

Is it possible that a mentality exists saying that she'll win eventually because she is consistently starring in new productions year after year? Even though it's long overdue, she'll just get it for "the next show"? She's been on Broadway year after year, really only taking off time to have her children and has earned 6 nominations in only 11 seasons.

I'm rooting for Kelli, just curious what others think!

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:16pm

I have heard the rumor before about how a majority of Jessie's votes from last year were decided upon by voters who'd already heard that Kelli was gonna be doing The King & I the next year.

[UnwoundFantasies]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:22pm

Yes! I remember that was a sentiment often expressed on these boards last season. As much as I hate it I can see how it could work against her, by saying "oh well she'll win next time, etc" As opposed to Kristin or Chita who may not be on broadway too quickly again. 

Though, I still think if Bridges had been the commercial success that Beautiful was Kelli would have had it hands down.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:25pm

Wow. If that rumor is true thats terrible. Why would you not vote for the person who deserves the award just because she had a show lined up next season? 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:30pm

^Well, Bridges closed on Broadway by the time the Tonys took place, so it probably would've been foolish to waste the Tony on a performance that could no longer to seen live.

Updated On: 4/30/15 at 07:30 PM

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:41pm

"Well, Bridges closed on Broadway by the time the Tonys took place, so it probably would've been foolish to waste the Tony on a performance that could no longer to seen live."

 

Check the records. You'll find that through the years quite a few Tony Awards have been given to performers whose shows had already closed prior to the awards ceremony.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:44pm

^Yes, but it's more of a rarity for people to do it in the musical categories.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:53pm

What kind of math and research did people do to figure out that a "majority of Jessie's votes" heard the news about Kelli? I mean how many voting members are there for the Tony's, and how can people be sure that the majority of them who did vote for Jessie heard that Kelli had the King and I lined up? Even if it was public knowledge, how are we sure that the news of the King and I influenced the vote? 

I think perpetuating or at least inferring the idea that Jessie Mueller voters were primarily motivated to vote for her because they were going to vote for Kelli next year for The King and I, especially without anything to substantiate it, promotes the idea that Mueller's win was illegitimate. 

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:57pm

"Yes, but it's more of a rarity for people to do it in the musical categories."

Dolores Gray, Tessie O'Shea, Leslie Uggams, Patricia Routledge, Christopher Plummer...

[jv92]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 8:10pm

Let's be realistic here-- Times have changed. Christopher Plummer won that award forty-one years ago, and in a very weak season, may I add. Things have gotten even more political than they were back then. 

 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/30/15 at 9:50pm

I think perpetuating or at least inferring the idea that Jessie Mueller voters were primarily motivated to vote for her because they were going to vote for Kelli next year for The King and I, especially without anything to substantiate it, promotes the idea that Mueller's win was illegitimate.

But then they'd have nothing to talk about.  When your favorite doesn't win, it HAS to be a conspiracy of some sort.  And it makes perfect sense that the voters decided that since Kelli MIGHT be playing Anna, then they'd just vote for their SECOND favorite performance of the season.  That's far more logical than voting for the most deserving performance.  And the more threads in which it is discussed by people with no factual evidence, the more true it has to be!

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/1/15 at 10:55am

I'm thrilled that this Broadway season features such unique and strong female characters and I'm making it a point to see all the best actress nominees before the Tony awards.

Focusing for now on just these three women, the compelling part is that all are giving wonderful performances and all have an extra sentimental element to their story that could potentially impact voting. I think these intangibles are a big point in what out discussions are circling back to. If it were four "regular actresses" plus a Chita Rivera with her longevity, etc that would be one unique situation.

So here we have Chita Rivera, a lifelong actress, doing 8 shows a week at 82 in a stunning role, the Kristin Chenoweth waiting and working for years to play a role iconic to her, and Kelli O'Hara trying for a sixth time to win the elusive Tony.

I'd like to pose a question also about the concept of a Tony Award campaign and where that comes into play for these actresses ... How much will they be doing to promote themselves and their shows?

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 5/2/15 at 4:09am

Certainly everyone will have their opinion about various performances and even the actresses behind them.  And that's fine.

But Chenoweth….stale?

Luckily for her that opinion is shared by very few, and widely in the minority.

I have a friend who doesn't really care for her either, but when I played her that recording, even she had to admit that Chenoweth is good.  In evaluating the performance she was able to separate her feelings about the actress from the performance itself.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 12:44pm

I know that predictions are pretty meaningless, but Gold Derby has six "expert" predictions up and three are predicting Kelli, two are predicting Chita, and one is predicting Kristin. 

http://www.goldderby.com/awardshows/experts/tony-awards-2015/actress-(musical).html

I'm sure more will be added in the coming weeks. 

[Bilbo3]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 1:07pm

This thread really should be called The Kristin/Kelli/Chita/Beth competition. She has as much of a shot as any of them. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 1:10pm

^ We are already 94 posts in. Feel free to start that thread on your own.

Updated On: 5/3/15 at 01:10 PM

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 1:21pm

"This thread really should be called The Kristin/Kelli/Chita/Beth competition. She has as much of a shot as any of them. "

 Uh, actually she doesn't.  In fact, I'd say she has no shot. 

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 1:23pm

I love Kristin to death.  And I'm totally in love with OTTC.  And this is SO hard for me to say, but I would love to see Kelli bring home the Tony.   I haven't seen The King & I yet (will see it in June-ish, hopefully), but her performance in Bridges left me speechless.  Her acting is impeccable and I can only imagine what she has brought to Anna (especially now that I know she's read books on the real Anna Leonowens.  It's so hard comparing how these actresses do in these shows because all of the shows are SO different from each other and require so many different things from each performer. 

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 2:38pm

""This thread really should be called The Kristin/Kelli/Chita/Beth competition. She has as much of a shot as any of them. "
 Uh, actually she doesn't.  In fact, I'd say she has no shot. "

 I disagree. Why do you think this? 

(I promise I'm not trying to start anything; I just want to know why you're counting her out.)

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 3:37pm

Maddie, the role and performance simply are not at the same level as that of the other three actresses.  Any number of actresses could have played Beth's role in Fun Home.  I don't think you can say the same thing about the other performances.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/3/15 at 3:49pm

"I would love to see Kelli bring home the Tony.   I haven't seen The King & I yet..."

That was my LOL moment for the day.

Look, I adored Kelli in BRIDGES too, thought she was miraculous as Francesca. I adored her in SOUTH PACIFIC, adored her in PIAZZA. I agree she's had poor luck each time up for a nom. But this time in THE KING AND I, she was perfectly fine, warm and pleasant and lovely, but not more than that for me. I want the award to go to the performance that was jaw-dropping this season. (See my copious entries above for whom I mean.)