Tony Awards with only two nominees

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 4:14pm

Just found this clip on youtube of Glen Close winning for Sunset Boulevard. The only nominees were her and Rebecca Luker for Show Boat. How come there were only two? Was this common??
Glen Close Winning a Tony for Norma Desmond at the 1995 Tony Awards

[tazber]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 4:20pm

It was a really really bad season. It's not common, but it happens when there aren't enough decent performances/shows/scores/ etc.

Had Sunset been up against almost anything from the season before or after I doubt it would have won Best Musical or Best Score.

And this is from someone who loves Sunset.

Updated On: 11/18/13 at 04:20 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 4:56pm

It was a political move, of course.

Just a few years earlier, there were only a couple of worthy nominees in the leading actor category (Stubby Kaye and Ben Vereen for "Grind"), and they cancelled the category instead.

But this was GLENN CLOSE, and she was a movie star. They found her and Rebecca worthy, but this time, they didn't cancel the category due to a lack of additional nominees.

Political moves.

[jo]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 6:36pm

I think the musical would still have excellent chances to win BEST MUSICAL. It was faithfully based on the Billy Wilder film classic SUNSET BOULEVARD, including many musicalized dialogs, and the score was one of ALWebber's best. In many past threads here on ALW's music, it usually ranks high with many readers/posters on this board. The performances, espcially by Glenn Close, were noteworthy. Production design and costumes were also praisworthy.

I wonder if the Broadway record for advance sales of $ 37 million for Sunset Boulevard has ever been broken?

Updated On: 11/18/13 at 06:36 PM

[HorseTears]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 8:01pm

Thirty-seven million? Wow. That's crazy. I'm guessing that won't ever be repeated unless there is a monster hit opening in a season with virtually no competition, as was the case for Sunset. Anyone know? I'm sure someone on here keeps track of these things.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 8:09pm

I can only imagine what it must have felt like for Megan Mullally to not even be tossed a pity nomination for How to Succeed... to help fill out the category. That had to sting.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 8:24pm

Was Mullally considered in the Leading category? For the most recent revival Rosemary was Featured for Tony purposes. The only other possible nominee was Elaine Stritch for Show Boat, but she may have been in Featured as well, though she did share top billing with John McMartin who was nominated for Leading Actor.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 8:39pm

"Was Mullay considered in the leading category?"

No she was not. They knew Glen Close was probably going to win so they moved her to the featured actress category. Then, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened and everybody loved the girls from that show so she wasn't even nominated.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 10:12pm

12bestbars, you are so right about the politics of the awards. And no matter how an actor is billed, or what the producer petitions for, the Tony committee still has the discretion to put actors in whatever category they deign. It would've been easy to put Megan Mullally and Elaine Stritch in the Leading Actress category. And after all, Mullally and Stritch's co-stars - Matthew Broderick and John McMartin - were both up for Leading Actor. What's the harm in having both categories with 4 nominees?

Similarly, I hate it when the Tonys cancel categories. In 1985: No Leading Actor or Actress in a Musical, no Choreography. In 1989: No Score, no Book. I could argue that they could've fielded nominees in each of those categories. The eligible artists got screwed.

But in 1995, when 'Sunset Boulevard' was deemed the only eligible show for Book and Score, they didn't cancel the category due to lack of competition. They wouldn't dare because that would've meant dissing Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black & Chris Hampton.



Updated On: 11/18/13 at 10:12 PM

[theatreguy]

Posted: 11/18/13 at 10:39pm

With Stritch, since Show Boat opened in the fall, the committee probably assumed that more musicals with lead roles for women would come along later in the season. Since Close was a lock for Lead Actress, Stritch would be safely in the Featured category where she could finally take home a Tony. Of course, that all backfired when (1) other musicals with lead actresses were either delayed, like Big, or huge flops, like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and (2) Stritch wasn't even nominated.