This is my response to anyone who says that Montego can't act — Page 2

There's no denying she's got one hell of a voice. A total powerhouse vocally. And while she is the bright spot in the total rip-off that is MEMPHIS, her acting is NOT good. It just isn't. The fact that she is considered the frontrunner for this year's Tony just proves that no one has any clue what to make of this unbearably sh*tty year.

I may or may not have spent an hour screencapping every picture that came up on the Bway Bares website.

She radiates emotion on stage, that's true. Her acting choices are a little bizarre though (I thought the same thing when I saw her in The Color Purple too). She is wonderful when she is singing, but her acting in scenes is, again, bizarre. It is disjointed. I think she does her best and she is not by any means terrible, just... bizarre lol. Incredible voice though, that can't be denied.

I don't understand how one can call this a weak year for Leading Actresses- I saw Baldwin, Noll, and Jones and they all gave stunning, award-worthy performances. I haven't seen Scott and Glover in their nominated roles, but they had to have been good enough to push the excellent Chenoweth and Williams out of the race.

Chenoweth was horribly miscast. Even Brantley, who usually worships the ground she walks on, knew this. And Williams was up for Featured, not Leading.

The point is that none of these 5 actresses would stand a chance in basically any other year.

Updated On: 6/13/10 at 02:50 AM

The point is that none of these 5 actresses would stand a chance in basically any other year.

Say what you want about Montego, but CZJ & Sherie would both be up for their awards any other year.

^The fact that Chenoweth was miscast does not detract from the fact (well, my opinion) that she gave a wonderful performance. But thanks for the information about Williams. I also think Terri White, Stephanie (Sarah from Ragtime), and the ALNM women (other than Lansbury, of course) could have easily been contenders for Featured Actress.

"and the ALNM women (other than Lansbury, of course)"

Which one?

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Now, why is Montego the front-runner again? I'm sorry if I missed something, but I think Christiane Noll was absolutely brilliant.

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@qolbinau, I thought Davie, Larkin, Whittaker, and Mallory (yes, I liked her) all deserved nominations.

She reminds me of a really good understudy playing Effie in a second national tour of "Dreamgirls."

Capable? Certainly. She would be well received on any stage. She's a solid performer and should have a long "working" career ahead of her.

But I don't see star quality, uniqueness, or electricity in this clip. She's not Jennifer Holliday, Jennifer Hudson, LaChanze, Heather Headley, Tonya Pinkins, Audra McDonald, Fantasia, Leslie Uggams, Diahann Carroll, Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, etc., etc.

Those ladies all have "it." The intangible quality that sets them apart from everyone else in the room.

Again, this isn't an "all or nothing" criticism of her. Just because I feel this way doesn't mean she "sucks" or is "terrible" or "shouldn't be allowed ..."

I don't frankly understand why people can't see shades of gray. In their minds, someone is either a 10 or a zero. There are no gradients of talent in between for them. So they have to hammer their points home to make them relevant. That's too bad.

She is good. Just not great.

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Sure, CZJ and Sherie would have been nominated. But they wouldn't have won. This isn't discounting their performances, however. CZJ gave a fine performance. Maybe not as great as many seem to think it is (she was charming, but much too hammy), but fine. And from what I hear, Sherie is great. But that isn't what this thread is about. I was just stating my opinion on that matter.

bwayguy22089 said it best, I think. It's always great to see someone acknowledged for their hard work (and she IS giving it her absolute all), but it's sad to see her name in that lineup of wonderful performances from years past. I would feel (and I know I'm not alone here) much better if the Tony went to anyone but Montego. She can sing, but she can't act. She just can't. The Tony isn't about the best singer. It's about the best performance. She doesn't merit that honor, in my opinion.