The Tony Awards 2009 -THE NOMINATIONS ARE IN

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/7/09 at 12:46pm

Some interesting comments in that article. I agree that generall, the Tony committee tend to forget about shows that closed earlier in the season. The same is true of the Oscars, which is why the biggest contenders always open in November or December. But I do think this particular quote is rather silly:

"The new musical 9 to 5: The Musical with a score by Dolly Parton has lost its place in the line-up to contend for the Best New Musical category to Rock of Ages, an 80s rock compilation..."

9 to 5 didn't specifically lose its place to Rock of Ages, which received much stronger reviews. It didn't lose its place to any one specific show in the category, technically, but the general consensus is that Shrek took the slot since its reviews were as mixed as 9 to 5.

I've always wondered if the Laurents/Rodgers animosity has to do with her comments on the original production of West Side Story. I remember reading something to the effect that she felt the score did not have a single memorable tune, totally lacking in melody, which is sort of funny when you compare Bernstein's Broadway track record to her own.