Tony Award for Best Score 2013-14

[ClaraJohnson]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 8:47pm

As far as I can tell, the eligible 2013-14 Broadway Tony scores (in opening order) should be...

...First Date, Big Fish, Gentleman's Guide, Bridges of Madison County, Rocky, If/Then

(I'm assuming Aladdin doesn't qualify because there isn't enough material written only for the stage?)

My Best Score Tony Nom picks are:

(1) BRIDGES - I feel like this will be the obvious 1st choice for most Tony nominators. Some of the most beautiful music written for the stage in years!

(2) GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE - I think this is a real contender for #1. I could see this show walking away with Best Musical, Book, Score and Actor. It's like "the-little-show-that could" and everybody loves an underdog.

(3) IF/THEN - I'm not a fan of this score the way I was for Next to Normal, but with Kitt/Yorkey's past awards, seems like it's a safe bet for the 3rd slot.

(4) FIRST DATE - This slot is a bit of a wild card. It's between First Date, Big Fish and Rocky. I don't know what nominators will end up choosing and maybe they'll just forget about First Date because it's gone. But ignoring the fact that I loved this show, I'd love to see another original musical get some attention.

What do y'all think?

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 8:53pm

How much of ALADDIN's score is original; meaning enough to be eligible?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 8:59pm

Love Bridges. I mention Big Fish as I think it got a bum rap. Listening to the CD I think it is really good.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 9:01pm

Aladdin should be fine, 90% of TLK was not original.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 9:11pm

I don't know if this was the case when The Lion King first came out, but there is rule about scores. I 'believe' that at least 50% has to be new. This was a big issue when Newsies hit the scene.

I'm sure if my stat is off, someone will correct it.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 9:18pm

Before we scrape the bottom of the bucket, let's not forget that plays can be eligible here as well, and two prominent composers featured in the fall: Nico Muhly with the beautiful score for THE GLASS MENAGERIE and James Murphy's mostly ambient score for BETRAYAL. I wouldn't predict either, but I could see Muhly surprising.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 9:28pm

My picks...
1) If/ Then
2) The Bridges of Madison County
3) Big Fish
4) No nominee

[jnb9872]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 9:32pm

I haven't seen IF/THEN yet, so I can't reasonably consider it at the moment. I would pick:

1. BRIDGES
2. GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE
3. GLASS MENAGERIE
4. ROCKY

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 9:35pm

It SHOULD go to If/Then.

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 9:44pm

It SHOULD?

[chewy5000]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 10:46pm

BRIDGES would be the logical choice. But then again, when it comes to the voters, does anything make sense?

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 11:41pm

I honestly think ALADDIN will be deemed eligible. No Disney score has been denied yet and I don't see them starting now.

My nominees:

1) THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
2) IF/THEN
3) ALADDIN
4) A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

BIG FISH is not going to be nominated - just about every critic and most audience reviews cited Lippa's score as the weakest link of the show and it was the most unanimously criticized element of the piece that many attributed to the show's overall failure.

Updated On: 4/6/14 at 11:41 PM

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 11:45pm

Also regarding ALADDIN's score, here is a post I made in another thread about the case for its eligibility:

^ Out of the 17 listed songs in the Playbill, 12 were NOT a part of the film. I don't care when they were written, but the cut songs have never been up for awards consideration before and most haven't even been heard before. All reprises are new material, so you can lump those in as well. Also, you can't forget the expansions and changes made to the original songs are also technically "new" and WERE written specifically for the show. That rule is not very well explained or written.

New Material:
-Changes in "Arabian Nights"
-Proud of Your Boy
-These Palace Walls*
-Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim
-A Million Miles Away*
-Diamond in the Rough*
-Changes in "Friend Like Me"
-Act One Finale*
-High Adventure
-Somebody's Got Your Back*
-Proud of Your Boy (Reprise II)*
-Prince Ali (Sultan Reprise)*
-Prince Ali (Jafar Reprise)*
-Finale Ultimo*

Asterisks are listed by songs that aren't considered "cut songs" and were written originally for this production, even if they draw on material from already existing songs. By Tony rules that I just read, they should still count as well. As you can see, 9 of 12 songs listed are not cut songs - a good chunk. But I do believe the cut songs should be counted and as such, the score of Aladdin will be over 60% new.

If you don't include the cut songs, then 9 out of 17 are still "original," which is still over the required 50%.

NEWSIES was pretty much on par with this and was considered eligible. It all comes down to whether or not the 3 "cut songs" are considered eligible. Even then, I still think the score might make the cut.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 4/6/14 at 11:57pm

I would imagine songs written previous to the mounting of the stage production as ineligible. You're also talking about expansions and changes, which would strike me as Orchestrations and Arrangements territory before Original Score, as such expansions and changes were also made to the music of ONCE (including wholly original reprises and instrumental passages connecting scenes and songs), AMERICAN IDIOT, FELA!, NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, XANADU (all to varying degrees, of course, but not enough to eclipse the 50% rule if it was in place their respective years.)

I would be surprised if ALADDIN were eligible.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:01am

I'm afraid they're going to give it to Jason Robert Brown for that dreary, labored, lugubrious score, just as they did with Passion, Parade, Piazza. Just so long as you don't give the public anything in tne way of a decent melody to hum, you're award-bound, for sure.

Updated On: 4/11/14 at 12:01 AM

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:37am

Does anyone know when the next Committee meeting is? It should be the last one, right?

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 1:05am

AfterEight, which tune-you-can-hum score this season deserves the prize?

[chewy5000]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 1:21am

I'm pretty sure that previously-cut songs would be eligible. Remember when STATE FAIR managed a best score nomination purely for Richard Rodgers trunk songs? Although, to be fair, the ridiculous nominations and wins at that time are why we have things like the 'classics' and '50% originality' rules.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 2:03am

'Aladdin' will be eligible. Disney has this down to a science.

Whether a Tony nomination is guaranteed, we'll have to see.

[mikem]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 2:47am

The current year's rules seem to indicate that trunk songs are counted as "old" material. However, as has been previously said, every previous Disney musical has been eligible for Best Score and I have no doubt they have made sure that Aladdin is eligible as well.

So there are seven candidates for 4 slots. First Date and Big Fish are pretty much out, and Gentlemen's Guide and Bridges are in. I'm pretty sure If/Then will get in as well, given the competition. So the last slot is down to either Rocky or the new score of Aladdin. Neither has been particularly praised. Aladdin's original songs are completely forgettable, but Rocky's score seems more disappointing. I think that Rocky will be the odd man out, but it could be Aladdin, particularly since the trunk songs aren't considered to be "new" material.

Updated On: 4/7/14 at 02:47 AM

[Meyerschultz]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 2:54am

TheatreKid3, Aladdin's eligibility may come down to Disney's honesty in reporting the quantity of material written for the show and the nominating committee's due diligence. Looking at your list:

-Changes in "Arabian Nights" - don't think there are really changes here other than dance arrangements. They just used parts of the song that we're written for the movie but ultimately cut.
-Proud of Your Boy - written for movie and unused
-These Palace Walls* - NEW
-Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim - written for movie and unused
-A Million Miles Away* - NEW
-Diamond in the Rough* - NEW
-Changes in "Friend Like Me" - from film - not sure if any additions count
-Act One Finale* - since it's a newly written reprise of existing songs, not sure if that counts
-High Adventure - written for movie and unused
-Somebody's Got Your Back* - NEW
-Proud of Your Boy (Reprise II)* - again not sure if new reprise of old material counts
-Prince Ali (Sultan Reprise)* - same
-Prince Ali (Jafar Reprise)* - this was in the film
-Finale Ultimo* - same reprise question

Technically there are only 4 brand new songs. All other songs were either in the movie, written for the movie and unused (and included on the Music Behind the Magic CD set released in the 90s), or are newly written reprises of pre-existing material which is a gray area. Even allowing for a few reprises, it seems like a stretch to me to say it should be eligible. But Disney and Tom Schumacher wield a lot of power in NYC. If anyone can make it happen, they can, especially since the rules don't seem set in stone.




Updated On: 4/7/14 at 02:54 AM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 4:05am

Disney's never been turned down for eligibility here because they know the rules. I wouldn't be surprised if they counted down exactly how many bars (or lyrics) are new. And even if some of the songs were written for the original movie, if they didn't make it into the film, they're still considered new ('Proud of Your Boy'). That's not a gray area.

[jdrye222]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 4:11am

I agree with the above posters who point out that Disney knows the rules and I'm sure they have been shrewd in figuring out how to have the score be deemed eligible.
If it is eligible, I do think IF/THEN will be left out of the nominations. It is really a nothing score - there are very few songs that they allow to stand on its own without long scenes between verses, and the melodies are all indistinguishable from each other. When BIG FISH opened, I thought it was the worst score I'd heard in a long time, but IF/THEN made me long for the score to BIG FISH.

I think BRIDGES is by far the winner here. It's some of the most beautiful and theatrical music we've had on broadway in many years. I think it will also win Orchestration.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 6:43am

"AfterEight, which tune-you-can-hum score this season deserves the prize?"

Genteman's Guide, Aladdin, Rocky...

Anything but this dismal slog of a score.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 8:26am

After Eight, I actually find Bridges to be a far more hummable score than Rocky or the new songs from Aladdin. In fact, It All Fades Away, Another Life, and One Second and a Million Miles are the only songs from this season that have been stuck in my head for WEEKS after I saw the show.

I do agree about Gentleman's Guide. I think that score is quite good. But let's also remember that part of the award for score has to do with lyrics, and while you may like Rocky's music, you cannot tell me that those lyrics are anything but the pits.