Was once on this island the right choice for Tony for best revival?

Yes. The performance they gave tonight confirmed it for me.

I would have voted for My Fair Lady, but I do not begrudge Once on this Island's win at all. It really was a riveting and creative take on the piece and I'd love to see more creativity like that on Broadway. They were totally different approaches and to me, both succeeded. To me, both productions deserved more awards.

The only WRONG choice would have been Carousel.

Yes. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

I think the right choice is always to give the award to the show that receives the most votes?

Yes. It does what so many revivals attempt to do yet fail at. It honors the original work yet does something to truly reinvent the work at the same time giving it a new life and vision that would make the original proud. It's small and intimate and a perfect example of immersive theatre done right. And I really think that it's a miracle, and a triumph, that speaks volumes of how wonderful this revival really is that the little show that could won tonight over the usual safe bets of big budget traditional options. It was, by far, the best of the season (revival AND new) and deserved to be recognized for it's wonder and it's heart. I did not expect it to win but I am elated that it did.

Now, I'm going to ask a loaded question....do you think Once on this Island and maybe My Fair Lady deserved some of the awards The Band's Visit won?

JudyDenmark said: "I can’t remember the last time I was this thrilled at a Tony Award. I enjoyed My Fair Lady, but other than the very end it was a textbook Bartlett Sher revival. Not that I haven’t enjoyed all of his revivals, but this didn’t do anything for me that I wasn’t expecting when I walked in. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But Once On This Island was bursting with creativity, and elevated the already beautiful material to a place I don’t think any of us expected it to go. I’m absolutely ecstatic that it was recognized tonight. "

Completely agree here-- While I could see where some would think My Fair Lady was snubbed, I think it ultimately came down to a preference for a revival that brought something really fresh and creative to the source material. It's worth mentioning that many of the amazing things about Once on This Island that got it the nomination and ultimately the win-- interactive staging, costumes, and just pure heart and passion for storytelling-- probably wouldn't have worked with a show like My Fair Lady. Once on This Island is indeed a more basic show to begin with, which I think made it a better canvas for the revival elements that this particular Tonys wanted to see. I was personally pretty ecstatic to see them win, though my feelings wouldn't have been hurt if My Fair Lady had won. (Carousel's a whole different story, its choreography was amazing though)

Island Setting's been done with South Pacific and Margarittaville. My Fair Lady deserved better.

I think what put Once on this Island over the edge in this close race (and it was close according to the NYTimes survey) was that there was a real passion and excitement behind it and its supporters were "ride or die" meaning they were not going to support any other show or waver from it. I think Carousel and My Fair Lady ended up splitting enough votes to hand MFL's defeat AND there wasn't the same passion or excitement behind MFL for various reasons I already stated (it being more expected, Lincoln Center being targeted as the giant Goliath v. the small David, Sher competing against himself, some industry backlash for hiring an outsider in Lauren Ambrose and they seem very protective of their Broadway actresses, etc.).

I said this in the other thread, but I was taken aback that for a show that was really second in Best Revival and received a lot of praise from the critics and in the nominations and people have been writing positive things about, there was certainly a lack of support at Radio City Music Hall. The performance seemed to garner a lot of support, but when they were handing out Tonys, MFL's nominees did not get the same screaming reaction the other nominees received. It was a lot more subdued. I wonder if there were some real anti-MFL bias going on. Earlier, GeorgeandDot asked why did people hate OoTI, but I think the real question is, why did people in the industry at the Tonys seem to have it out for MFL? I think it was for reasons really beyond MFL's control.

DannyZuko said: "Island Setting's been done with South Pacific and Margarittaville. My Fair Lady deserved better."

Because after all, Edwardian London hasn't been done to death in musicals...

As for the question in the thread, I would say it was the right choice. The staging was innovative and different, and the acting/singing was top-notch even if individuals rarely stood out (Hailey Kilgore is an exception, and I still think Alex Newell deserved a nomination for Featured Actor). The show also felt like what Broadway should be: an escape away from the real world for 90 minutes to someplace where stories have beginnings and endings and leave you better for having seen them. I very rarely see a show more than once, but after seeing this one, I had to come back a second time so I could focus on performances I missed.

I also agree Arden should have won Best Director; I think it's the only one of the awards last night that I'd take away from The Band's Visit.