It went to Marissa Jaret Winokur that year. I'm not saying Marissa's performance was any less than Bernadette's, but it all comes back down to the Legend vs. Semi-Celeb, much like it is this year with the Lupone vs. LaChanze.
Discuss. I'd love to hear what you guys have to say.
One reason only.
THE BUTCHER OF BROADWAY.
Updated On: 6/9/06 at 02:12 PM
I think it should of went to Bernadette Peters but thats just me.
For me it was. However, I am a die-hard BP fan, so I admit to being totally biased.
I am also not a huge Hairspray fan and felt that Vanessa Olivarez did a much better job in Toronto than Marissa in NYC. Again, all my biases.
I think comparing Bernadette and Marissa is like apples and oranges and not even possible. Bernadette took my breath away and Marissa did not.
Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles. I'd like to note that Marissa hasn't done anything of note since then. Much like LaChanze might take her Tony (if she wins) and run off to a West Coast agent and look for TV jobs or film roles. Marissa milks that Tony for all it's worth. I still chuckle everytime I think of the promos for that dismal show "Stacked" with Pamela Anderson and they noted that it co-starred Tony Winner Marissa. Kinda funny, and sad that all they gave Marissa to do was make jokes about her being larger, having a large rack, and making her man hungry. Marissa deserves much better writing that showcases her comic skils, not denigrated her to the "fat best friend" role which she is so above.
I was shocked and it one reason I think Cerveris will win Sunday night.
I was disappointed but not surprised.
Wait...How is La Chanze or Winokur (in 2003) a semi-celeb? Guaranteed, no one knows who La Chanze is (outside of the theatre world).
Oh come on, Munk.
The die hard fans of the Steve Martin movie "Leap of Faith" are pasting their bedroom walls with pictures of LaChanze in a choir robe.
I wasn't surprised.....
I believe she was predicted to win.
It was HAIRSPRAY's big year. If Bernadette had played Velma Von Tussle instead of Rose, she would have won.
And although it wasn't the performance of the year, Marissa got much better reviews all around than Ms. Peters did.
It was Marissa's year, and it was a predicted win by many.
I saw the show a couple of weeks after it opened in NYC, and she was terrific. I knew Harvey was going to win after 15 minutes.
By the end of the show, I felt strongly about Dick and Marissa as well, so it was no surprise to me.
Bernadette should have won the Tony that year, yes. It wasa shock to me that she didn't and even more of a shock who DID win.
"It was Marissa's year."
The exact type of statement that I loathe. I detest this sentiment. Please explain. Often times, you'll find that an "explanation" holds no weight. It's never anyone's year. Please.
I thought Harvey was excellent - and after seeing more recent Ednas, it made me really appreciate Harvey's genius. However, funny or not, no male performance in recent memory (before or after) has equalled that of Antonio Banderas.
I'm totally with you about Banderas, Munk. Fantastic performance. Should've won the Tony hands-down that year (as should have Mary Stuart Masterson, but I digress)
Good taste, my friend.
And again, you're equating a Tony award win with the best performance. It will become much less frustrating when you realize that it's all politics and business, like any other major award. I worked for Broadway producers for years, I know what I'm talking about.
Why thank you, kind sir
Anyone can make an entrance sitting in a sheet--it's seem-pahl--but to sing My Husband Makes Movies, the 3-act play that it is, and make it work and make it nuanced & layered.....gah...Brilliant.
end of thread-jack
I know that Rath - and it's a shame.
That's why producers should not be the Tony voters - it should be made up of a more diverse group of people, like the AMPAS. Scenic designers, orchestrators, composers, performers, conductors, writers, choreographers, directory, lighting designers, and a small percentage of producers.
IT's really a crime.
I agree.
I mean, look at the crap that's on Broadway. And guess who is putting it there? So people who produce crap are naming crap the best...so more crap will be produced. It's infuriating.
Is there any way that this "policy" can be changed?
I saw them both in their respective roles. It should have gone to Bernadette. And don't even get me started on Stokes not winning that year.
Munk & Rath & I should be the Tony Voters.
Was it a shocker when Bernadette didn't win the Tony?
Not as shocking as that it's still being talked about three years later. Marissa's win was not shocking, upsetting or unexpected. Gypsy got a lot of negative press in previews, mainly centring on the alleged miscasting of Bernadette Peters as Mamma Rose. It opened to less than stellar reviews and consistently underperformed at the box office. Hairspray was a juggernaut that got killer reviews and cleaned up at the box office and the award shows. And they never stopped doing press for the show. You couldn't channel surf the year Hairspray opened without hearing the opening or closing number it seemed. Marissa's win, deserved or not, was a no brainer.
Stokes was good in LA MANCHA - brilliant vocally, but slightly miscast otherwise. He absolutely should not have won.
How is breaking box office records and when not selling out (including SRO) it usually ran in the 90s% from its opening in April through the Christmas Holidays, underperforming at the box office? It's always good to check your facts before you post things you are presenting as true. Even during the typcial theater lean months after the summer tourists have left and before the holiday tourists arrive, Gypsy did decent business, particularly for such a well known revival.
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