The Official TONY Awards Thread — Page 34

That was a great show! That number about the cancelled shows was genius and they all killed it, especially Laura Benanti (she's such a comic genius) and Megan Hilty.
So unbelievably happy that Tracy Letts won, he was superb though it'd have been wonderful to see Morton win along with him.
Neil Patrick Harris was great, not sure why people are hating on Lin-Manuel Miranda, I thought the numbers were a lot of fun (and yes, BRING IT ON's number was terrible).

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This year was AWESOME! Such a great show with so many talented performers and creative team members! I will be on a "Tony high" all week.

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I just got home today from the ceremony and I have to say it was the best show in YEARS. I haven't read through this whole thread, and don't know if the opening number came off with the zest it did live, but it was superbly executed and downright thrilling. That standing ovation at the end was genuine and would have gone on forever if they didn't try to keep the show moving.

In past years it has been so easy to bitch that the performances didn't play well in Radio City, but there must have been some magic going on tonight, because it felt like every number was landing (perhaps save The Rascals).

I was in the Matilda camp, so I was sorry to see it pick up so few awards, BUT I am happy for the winners. The speeches were very moving this year and I teared up several times. I wasn't rooting for Lauper or Porter, but good for them. Despite my personal preferences I don't think their Matilda counterparts were "robbed."

The best thing of the night (and perhaps of the past 5 years) was the TV segment. I walked into the theater right behind Ivy Lynn herself and it took every fiber not to gush and congratulate her on her win a few weeks ago. She was STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS as well. The fact that Benanti referenced The Playboy Club was brilliant as well. Everyone around me was cracking up.

The other thing is that Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jane Krakowski, who hosted the pre-show, could not have been funnier and desperately need to get a crack at hosting in prime time. (I like NPH more than I've ever liked him before though.)

Just a quibble- For as much as the they grandstand about having a record number of plays on Broadway and go on about the diversity of new shows, the winners aren't very spread around very much. Other than Cinderella winning costumes (off-camera) did any other musical win an award other than Matilda, Kinky Boots or Pippin?

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I guess it goes to show the extremely lopsided season we had. There wasn't much middle ground. You were either a hit or a reasonably sized flop.

The plays felt the same way too. When the clips of all the plays this season scrolled by my friend and I were like, "Damn we had completely forgotten about half of these- and we saw them all!"

Also- I don't know if this has been mentioned, but the tech awards were very delayed. The Lifetime Achievements went on so long that they couldn't start the tech stuff until 7:45. Because of this all the entertainment planned during the commercials had to be scrapped and we went through one award per commercial break.

The only thing we saw was a taped skit with Krysta Rodriquez and Zach Levi about First Date. Krysta asked if her was nervous about his Broadway debut; she has already done 6 shows if he needs any pointers. He mentioned that he's already getting some advice- from Shia LeBeouf, to which Krysta replied, "For God's sake don't send him any emails!!"

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I didn't mind Once performing on the broadcast. I remember Memphis performing the year after they one. And, didn't Book of Mormon perform last year? I liken it to Miss America being on hand when the new winner is crowned.


I just finished the whole thread and I have to admit I'm a little disappointed by some of the posters tonight. Outright "booing" a winner? Classless. The usual suspects were up to their normal shenanigans.

And, it's Motown. Not Mowtown.

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Best Tony telecast in years. Best opening number ever. Best closing number, too.

The only misstep for me was the Rascals thing. Didn't work and didn't fit.

I thought the numbers from the shows were great and really sold them well. I have seen that number twice before from Matilda, but it worked much better tonight (probably because I could actually understand 90 percent of the lyrics, instead of just 10).

NPH will win another Emmy as host. The show will win an Emmy as well.

Bravos, all around.

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Watching the broadcast after having been in the theater live, and no wonder I saw people saying Once's performance wasn't great and made no sense out of context-- they broadcast it mid-song. I'm guessing since they were running so long they started it during the commercial, which is a pity since Arthur Darvill sounded great at the beginning.

Wow, that WAS bad!

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Anybody figure out how NPH did his disappearing-and-then-reappearing-at-the-back-of-the-theater trick?

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Last night's telecast was spectacular. I didn't enjoy The Rascals segment, but that was my only issue.

NPH, Lin Manuel and their stable of writers do get the joy of the theatre and why it entertains millions of folks, all over the world.

Congratulations to all of this season's winners.

Yup.^ Remember magic is illusion. They get you to look where THEY want you to, so they can do what they need to.


I think MANY people DO think NPH is entertaining. Plenty of people -- or he wouldn't keep getting these gigs.

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"Because the opening number would never have happened if Peters were hosting."

And that's EXACTLY the point.

Grace and dignity.

That's what the awards used to have in the pre-nationally-televised days.

And that's what they need now.