Tony Awards 2011- Page 2

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:07pm

I would love to see Benanti or LuPone get nominated for Women on the Verge, but I'm not sure what I think their chances are.

I don't know what I think Jessica Walter's chance is for a Tony nomination. Isn't Mrs. Harcourt an incredibly small role? Of all the featured female roles in Anything Goes, I think Erma is the only one that could potentially garner a nomination.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:08pm

No Cry-Baby dissing! That show had something special going for it! I'm not sure what it was, but I had a great time at it. I think 2008 was a bit of a weaker year- at least compared to this season. That time around there were really only two new musicals- ITH and Passing Strange, that were really worthwhile.


This could be an incredibly strong year- the bulk of it not even having started yet! Anyone think Norbs could have a bit of a sentimentality vote pushing him to win if they put him in Featured? The guy has had a rough year, and is back and dancing. I like the guy a lot, so I'd love to see him win... again.

I don't think John Cullum will be nominated for Scottsboro. His part was just way too small.

It's funny- after several years now of strong female categories, this will really be a 'man's year,' with a lot of strong races in the male sections.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:11pm

^ I thought last year's Best Actress in a Musical category was pretty weak.

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:14pm

WickedFan that is a GREAT idea.... there are SOOOOO many original musicals this year... when was the last time we had this many? I'd like a year and a number from anyone that's got it.

Remember the year Cry Baby (which I wish I hadn't wasted money on) was nominated, was due to a SNUB to Young Frankenstein which really deserved it more than Cry Baby... oh well...

I think Bloody Bloody would have won best musical if they had just tried to stay alive till May.... oh well... I wish the producers would have moved it rather then close it... there were several openings at new world stages at the time....

Please don't forget Priscilla queen of the dessert it won in London, and reviews have been great....

PRISCILLA
BOOK OF MORMON

to me are the only sure fire noms..... Catch me and Sister Act both have to prove themselves..... plus we have that Ray Charles musical, the Beth Leavel led one.... and a few more...

If Scottsboro Boys succeeds in coming back... it will definitely get a nod.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:20pm

givesmevoice- ooo. You're right. To be fair I guess everything last year musical-wise was pretty weak!

I agree, MadonnaMusical- I think the race will be between Priscilla and Mormon. As much as I wishwishwish it could be Scottsboro up there, I think we might have a Wicked/Avenue Q David/Goliath situation here. Only it will be more interesting because Priscilla I would think will get better notices than Wicked did.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:34pm

Random thoughts:

I think it's pretty safe to say Priscilla will be taking home Best Costume Design.

I could see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson being nominated for Best Book and The Scottsboro Boys nominated for Best Score as a "thanks for playing" consolation prize kinda thing.

Best Play has the potential to be pretty competetive with Good People, Bengal Tiger, Jerusalem, Mother****er with the Hat and War Horse all seeming to have good pre-opening buzz.

Best Actor in a Play will be Rylance v. Pacino.

Best Actress in a Play will be McDormand v. Rabe (and possbly v. Arianda).

And, of course, this could all change when something flops quickly or becomes a suprise success.

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:36pm

This thread has reminded me that we haven't had a rant about "non-original" musicals in some time.
But, here people are excited about movies to stage: WOTV, Catch Me, Sister Act, Priscilla and there's still a jukebox musical coming. Then there's Spiderman - whatever it is. (Anybody think the producers will try to move it from "musical" to "special event" category if that category is even still available?)

[philly03]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:37pm

Don't forget Kate Shindle would be up for her role as The Mad Hatter in WONDERLAND for featured actress as well.

Darren Ritchie's part would have been Leading, but it's been a bit downgraded from what I just saw in Tampa, so possibly Featured, but we'll see how much they change. I don't think he'll get nominated, unfortunately... he's superb in his role, but it's not as it stands now a role that would garner a nomination, in my opinion.

I'd also think WONDERLAND's got a chance for a Score nomination. The show's best asset if you ask me.

Personally I don't think Priscilla will fare as well as people on this board have been saying, it doesn't seem to be something that would reach a wide-audience. I also love how people are finally praising a jukebox musical... rather funny.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:41pm

Look at the wasteland that we've all been dealing with for the past year. This season is an oasis, and almost any musical that's opening is stronger than any original one that opened last year.

Most of the 'non-original' musicals that are coming have pretty good pedigrees, which is also why I think people are excited. This isn't their first stop, so they have good buzz.

Personally, I'm not overly stoked for Priscilla or Sister Act, but compared to Memphis, I'm sure both will be strokes of absolute, refreshing genius. It will be interesting to see how well Priscilla fares overseas though. I'd love to know what its advances have been like. (Also, it's in The Palace, so it has quite a capacity to live up to)

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:44pm

Having seen it in Seattle, I can safely say that if Catch Me if You Can fixes the issues with its book (which is completely doable), it will be tough to beat for Best Musical. The songs are Shaiman at his best, and Tveit, Butz, Wopat and Butler absolutely knock it out of the park. Most amazing is the transformation it makes from a fun '60s farce with Mad Men style in the first act to a genuinely heartrending story in the second.

Updated On: 1/29/11 at 04:44 PM

[threetwoone]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:48pm

I disagree, PiraguaGuy. It was a great, enjoyable show, but Best Musical material? Not in my opinion. That's going by the show as it was in Seattle though. I'm sure it will only get better, but I don't think it's the type of show that will win best musical. Updated On: 1/29/11 at 04:48 PM

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 4:59pm

ljay889, Cry-Baby was still open at the time of the tonys and WOTV won't be so...

[musicalperson17]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 5:22pm

half these shows haven't even opened yet isnt this just a tad ridiculous?

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 5:24pm

Probably, but it's still fun, and this is a theatre chat board so why no? No one is presuming to know anything solid right now.

[musicalperson17]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 5:34pm

well if if you put it that way.... also it is fair to judge the shows that have opened...and closed

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 5:50pm

Frankly, Book of Mormon and Wonderland are its only real competition. I don't know much about Book of Mormon, but my friend James got to go see Wonderland in Tampa and he hated it, so I'm discounting it. (Bloody Bloody and Scottsboro will get noms, I'm sure)

As far as best leading actor goes, I think it's a given that Aaron Tveit or Norbert Leo Butz will get it - having seen the Seattle production of Catch Me, I can only assume that Carl Hanratty counts as a leading character - they're both absolutely fabulous in it. Benjamin Walker may get nominated, but I can't see him winning.

I can't place the winner, but I'm assuming Janet Dacal, Kerry Butler and Sutton Foster will all be nominated for best leading actress.

Scottsboro Boys for best choreography. No question in my mind, unless Catch Me or Wonderland pull an upset.

Best Original Score goes to Catch Me - personally, there are few shows that deserve it this year. Wonderland is a contender, but from what I hear, they've taken out many of the better songs, so I don't know about that one. (I wish this was 2012 - Allegiance and Bonnie & Clyde would both dominate this category)

As for performances; Bloody Bloody (which I assume will be nominated for Best Musical based on reviews) will probably perform Populism Yea, Yea! as it's more or less the show's calling card. Catch Me has a few that I can remember that it could do, but I'll be VERY surprised if they don't do Fly, Fly Away. Someone Else's Skin could work too (just to service the story) but FFA is definitely the best song in the show. I can see Wonderland doing Worst Day of My Life, One Knight, or Through the Looking Glass - when I went to see it in Houston, One Knight was the big moment for the audience - but I'm betting on Through The Looking Glass.

[The Josh]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 5:50pm

I'd like to see Joanna Lumley get a nomination for Le Bete, although I'm not really up to date on my plays (shame on me!) so I don't really know who she's up against.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 6:01pm

I would hardly call the CATCH ME score Shaiman at his best. I do think he is ridiculously talented, and the score for CATCH ME is good, but it's nowhere near HAIRSPRAY material if you ask me.

I really don't think CATCH ME is a juggernaut in the slightest. I could see Tveit winning though. He carries the show very well, and he knocks his final 11:00 number out of the park. And Kerry Butler is hardly a frontrunner for Best Featured Actress, IMO. Will she be nominated? Probably. But just because she's given (what I think is) the best song in the show, doesn't mean she's worthy of a Tony Award. Not to say she's bad, because she is not at all. The cast is exceptional, the score is good, and the book is mediocre at best. The jokes are contrived and the framing device (which I hope they dump for Broadway) really doesn't work, if you ask me. I have faith it can be improved, though. And I do think it will be. I wish it nothing but the best.

For some reason, I have hope that SISTER ACT will surprise everyone. I think the score is snappy, fluffy fun, with a few lovely ballads, it's bound to be a huge crowd-pleaser, and it's heralded by what I hear is nothing short of a 'star-is-born' performance from Patina Miller.

But I do think acting nods for WOMEN ON THE VERGE is a bit of a stretch. Benanti will probably be nominated...but that's it, IMO. But, again, weirder things have happened.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 6:18pm

Here is my chart of eligibility for musicals: http://currentbroadwaycasts.webs.com/tonyseligibility.htm.

I'm sure some actors may be placed in the wrong categories, and I didn't have all of the information for some nominees, so please feel free to correct me.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 6:19pm

Rocks, I would agree the book (and the clunky framing device it uses) is the show's weak point. From what I hear, it's what has been tinkered with the most in preparation for Broadway.

For those who don't know, the show in Seattle was built around the premise that the entire thing was Frank Jr. (Tveit's character) leading us through an old-fashioned NBC TV special telling the story of his life like one big show (hence the opening number, "Live in Living Color", which despite its awful choreography is a great song that i hope they keep regardless). Unfortunately, this conceit fades in and out constantly and pretty much disappears by the second act. It's very clunky when it's used, and seems mostly like a way to allow Frank to break the fourth wall constantly. But we're very used to having the main character constantly break the fourth wall to narrate in musical theatre, and so it doesn't make much sense to try to explain it away.

But from what I hear, that messy aspect has mostly been dropped. There are other problems with the book, mainly with some long dialogue scenes dragging without propelling the story and other pivotal scenes that you'll miss if you blink. But the basic structure of the show's book is sound, and so it shouldn't be too hard to fix. I have faith that the show will come to Broadway much improved.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 6:32pm

wickedfan- I would think Jen Damiano would be Featured Actress. She really only has one or two songs in the show. That's what the producers should push her as anyway.

I think we all who is NOT winning Best Director of a Musical this year though... (Tayyyymorrrr)

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 1/29/11 at 8:19pm

Jen was really the only upside to that show, as far as talent is concerned. Reeve won't get nominated - his voice and his acting were both pretty lackluster.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 3:34pm

WiCkEDrOcKs: 'I don't think anyone thought 'Memphis' would last more than a month or two last year, let alone win Tonys for Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical.'

'Memphis' had more than its share of naysayers here at BWW, including WiCkEDrOcKs, who posted on Oct. 19, 2009, the day 'Memphis' opened: 'Me thinks MEMPHIS might be forgotten by the time the Tonys roll around in like seven/eight months.'

But there were others who loved the show, and believed it would 'last more than a month.' And 4 Tonys and more than 500 performances later, it's great that it's found an audience.

But I do agree with WiCkEDrOcKs on this: 'Predictions at this state of the game are totally pointless.' There are too many shows and performers yet to be seen. May all the new shows break a leg and have a terrific time this spring!
Updated On: 1/30/11 at 03:34 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 4:05pm

wickedfan11: Darren Ritchie may be considered for Leading Actor. His part was cut back, but I forgot he does play 3 "characters," and I'm sure he'll be considered for Leading.

ReggieonBroadway: WONDERLAND could pull a win on Choreography... lots of different styles and neatly put together. Of course CMIYC will also be a tough one to beat!

Just curious, what "better songs" have they cut? From last year (since you saw it in Houston) they only cut "Love Begins," "Gavotte" (the song splitting Worst Day), "Nick of Time," and some other tiny bits. The score's been expanded and some of it redone, but it's still pretty there.

My guess is if they get to perform on the Tony's they'll do "Through the Looking GLass" or "Together," unless Shindle gets nominated, I'm not sure what they'd do!

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 7:31pm

I don't know - my friend James saw it with me in Houston (we were visiting my uncle and it happened to be playing), and he said that they cut out a lot of the songs that he liked. I didn't press him for more details, it wasn't the main subject of our conversation. How much of the show was reworked?

And I don't really think Darren Ritchie could really be nominated for Best Leading - unless he was given much more substantial material between the Houston production and now.

It sounds like I dislike Wonderland, by the way, but I don't. I think Janet deserves a nomination, and I hear Schindle is great too.