Tony Award Upsets? — Page 3

I really enjoy Mandy Patinkin's voice but his mannerisms sometimes get in the way. His "Buddy's Blues" doesn't work for me because of that, but I think his George and Che are sublime and quite memorable...Talk about threadjack.
And I don't see how people can think that LA CAGE deserved to win anything over SUNDAY. I wish SUNDAY had won the top prize as well as book, score, and Best Actress of course, but alas, no use crying over spilled milk.

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Personaily, I was quite upset when Jersey Boys beat out The Drowsy Chaperone for Best Musical

and when LaChanze beat out Sutton Foster for Best Actress

Also, in 2004 when Victoria Clark won Best Actress over Sutton Foster

That's just my opinion. I believe Sutton Foster is an amazing actress and that she deserves to be reconized for her talents.

~Darci

Ray, I agree with a lot of what you said (again.)

His BUDDY BLUES and his Buddy in general bugs me. I enjoy him in WAITING FOR THE GIRLS UPSTAIRS. Otherwise I'll pass on his Buddy. I do find his George absoutely brilliant, and he is the definitive Che.

I also agree SUNDAY deserved top honors that year. BUT while I feel Bernadette gave a brilliant performance, that was Chita's year. I think it was probally a feeling around the theatre community as a whole that Chita was Tony-less too long - and her performance in THE RINK was a fantastic performance that would finally win her the Tony. Not to mention she completely rose above a mediocre show that suffered from a ton of problems.

Updated On: 4/2/07 at 11:43 PM

Saw them both, and between Bernadette Peters in Sunday in the Park with George and Chita Rivera in The Rink, I would have given the Tony to Bernadette.

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I feel Chita's award was more because she didn't have a Tony than because she was better than Bernadette Peters. Peters got her Tony the next year so it's all good.

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"To be honest, I can't think of too many legitimate Tony upsets. It's not like the Oscars... where I can think of quite a few.

Perhaps that's because the Tonys are voted on by committee, not by a larger body of voters."

The Tonys are NOMINATED by committee (as are the Oscars), but are voted upon by approx. 750 voters.

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However, the cd for "Caroline" bored me...immensly.

Give it another listen in an intimate setting. It might help to have the libretto in front of you. I thought Caroline, or Change's score was by far one of the best scores from any show I have ever heard and miles above what we got from Wicked and Avenue Q, and I love Avenue Q and enjoy moments from Wicked. On the whole, compared to Caroline, or Change, Wicked's score sounds downright amateurish.

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I like Mandy's falsetto...

Oh damn WondeyWiz, we disagree on something. I guess it was bound to come sooner or later.

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"The Tonys are NOMINATED by committee (as are the Oscars), but are voted upon by approx. 750 voters."

Well, Margo, I still consider that a (rather large) committee. 750 isn't a lot. It's more than I thought, though.

The Actors Branch of the Academy as about 2500 people in it alone. The entire voting body is close to 6,000 now.

Only the Foreign Film and Short film Oscars nominees are selected by committee. The rest are selected by the branches (some larger than others), and the full membership votes on the finals, as well as nominates for the top award (Best Picture).

Still most people think of this as a small "select" group of people who vote for the Oscars.

Comparatively, the Tony process seems more like a committee selection to me.

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Updated On: 4/3/07 at 09:30 AM

I'm not sure if Will Rogers Follies beating Miss Saigon in 1991 was the upset, or if Lea Salonga beating Dee Hoty and Cathy Rigby was the upset.

"I'm probably the outcast here, but I really dislike Act 2 of Sunday. It falls flat for me, and I find little emotion to it. Both Georges read as whiny. However, this might easily be due to Mandy Patinkin's falsetto rather than the book and score. "

I dunno while I think Act II *is* flawed (I think most Sondheim shows--and he is hand's down my fave--can be picked apart asn seen to have flaws that some classic shows don't have--but the amazing emotion and moments makes up for that), for me part 1 would largely be an interesting, amusing, *gimmick* without II. It just, emotionally, wouldn't resonate nearly as much--it would be a clever and enjoyable piece of speculation about the making of a famous painting and not much more. Act II is what makes Act I all that much more deep and emotionally investing.

(And as a pointless anecdote when I was a Sondheim obssessed teenager my mom, who love theatre, never got the fascination. She'd see bits of Act I of Sunday and find it a slightly too clever show--from what she said, it was only when she walked in once while Iw as watching it during Children and Art onwards where she said she was struck by how powerful it was--couldn't leave the room and immediately asked to watch--and loved--the whole show).

Anyway I find Cage Aux Folles, even by Herman levels (and I admit I'm only a minor fan) very pedestrian with the book *very* disappointing compared to the french film (or even its sequel!) or Harvey's own play Torch Song Trilogies from around the same time.

One thing that always confuses me about the Tonys (and the Oscars have had this same problem)--say in 1987 (88?) when Into the Woods won best script, best score, but Phantom won best show. I get *why* it happens but it still seems strange (I'm no big Phantom fan but as a production I think it wasn't undeserving of a Tony so it doesn't irk me too much...)

I'm even less of an Aida fan but in that case I think it definetly deserved a nomination above Swing. (But being a LaChiusa freak I woulda rather Marie Christine be up too--however, as people have pointed out here, Wild Party nor Marie Christine were exactly critical favourites at the time evn if in hindsight they look much more like shows the critics woulda loved).

I do feel the Tony not going to Miss Saigon was partly the voting comittee being fed up with the "British Invasion" and pleased that they had an even so so show to vote against it that was Broadway grown. I've seen the Japanese broadcast of Will Rogers and its a show made by people I love--Cy Coleman is one of my fave composers, I worship Comden and Greene and Tommy Tune is someone we need back directing on Broadway *now*. And some of the production numbers like the LONG opening I watch quite often--they're spectacular. But the show as a whole gives me SUCH a headache the way even the lesser British megamusicals never do (one person on here once told me I merely didn't get the show cuz I wasn't American--and I admit the RAH RAH patriotism doesn't help things...)

E

Funny Sunday is one of the only CDs/DVDs where I have absolutely no problems with Mandy--he just feels so perfect for it, acting and vocally. Even in other shows I enjoy him in (Secret Garden--for the most part of his over the top role in Wild Party) there are usually parts where I just have to role my eyes.

but I can at least listen to him and enjoy the performance--can't say the same for most of his solo cds

Marissa winning over Bernadette