Posted: 8/21/15 at 9:24pm
I'm most excited about Lead Actress in a Musical. We already have Lea Salonga, Cynthia Erivo, Jessie Mueller, Laura Benanti and Audra McDonald, plus possibly Philippa Soo or Sierra Boggess if they're petitioned to lead. That's a lot of big names for only 5 spots, and thats not even counting possible additions for Tuck Everlasting or American Psycho. Should be an interesting race
Posted: 8/21/15 at 9:40pm
I find Philippa Soo's role to be highly fascinating. Eliza Hamilton is an extraordinarily heartbreaking role, and Soo brings an remarkable level of earnestness without being saccharine. I believe she certainly deserves a Tony nod, but I'm continually interested in how other people view the role: leading or featured? It's certainly the most "leading" of all the female roles in Hamilton, and yet despite the difficulty of the role, it seems strange to judge it against roles like Celie and Amalia, no?
Posted: 8/21/15 at 9:47pm
I think any of the women in Hamilton would be featured actresses, not leading. Just my thought based on their amount of time on stage when we have other roles for the 2016 that require MANY songs and lots of stage time from the actresses. I loved Soo and Goldsberry, but Goldsberry ... both have their own degree of heartbreak that makes for a compelling character, elegantly performed by both.
Jessie Mueller should get a nod for Waitress and possibly a win depending on how the show does. She carries the weight of the show and does it wonderfully well.
Posted: 8/21/15 at 11:44pm
Does anyone know if they have a method to determining whether someone should be placed in leading or featured? I know that shows petition for the placement they want, but I wonder what the process is to determine whether or not to grant their petition. Sometimes it seems like the committee just gives the producers whatever they want (I'm thinking about Bertie Carvel in Matilda and Alessandro Nivola in Elephant Man).
I'm guessing Soo will be placed in leading. It's what the Hamilton producers will want, and it's pretty justifiable. I've noticed that stage-time isn't always the only factor. They seem to also consider the character's overall place and importance in the narrative, in which case Eliza would probably be leading.
Posted: 8/21/15 at 11:51pm
I don't really think they just "give the producers what they want." But they do seem to favor the producers' decision a lot of the time. I feel like there was something recently that they turned down, but I can't recall what it was.
I imagine Soo will be petitioned as lead. All Tony races this year are so competitive, which is extremely exciting. When the categories are this competitive, there's usually some great surprises the morning of the nominations and certainly the night of the awards. I can't wait to see who makes it in the tough-as-nails lead actress and featured actress in a musical.
Posted: 8/21/15 at 11:55pm
ray-andallthatjazz86 said: "I don't really think they just "give the producers what they want." But they do seem to favor the producers' decision a lot of the time."
Yeah, I mean I was exaggerating a bit, but sometimes I do wonder how they don't immediately veto some of those petitions.
"I feel like there was something recently that they turned down, but I can't recall what it was."
Well, I don't know if this was ever confirmed, but a lot of people were speculating that the Side Show producers would petition the twins together, since there was a precedent with the OBC. If they did petition for that, then the committee clearly didn't grant it.
Posted: 8/22/15 at 12:14am
The thing is it's quite tricky to establish the difference between a "featured" and a "leading" actor is, especially given the particular choice of words (as well as the rules regarding billing) that separate the Tonys from other award groups. I'm always fascinated by the peculiar cases when various roles/actors are considered lead or featured somewhat counterintuitively. For example, it's so interesting to me that Yul Brynner won a Tony for Featured Actor for THE KING & I and Gertrude Lawrence won for Lead Actress, whereas Mary Beth Peil got nominated for Featured Actress for playing Anna in the '85 revival, and then Donna Murphy and Kelli O'Hara won Lead Actress Tonys for the same role. I mean, is Cassie in A CHORUS LINE really a Lead Actress role? Maybe only as played by Donna McKechnie. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, not anywhere that's particularly relevant to this thread, but it's something that interests me a lot about these awards. Sometimes waiting to see the Tony committee's decisions can be as exciting as the awards themselves.
Posted: 8/22/15 at 8:28am
That's a lot of big names for only 5 spots.
Please keep in mind about the new rules that if there happens to be a two or three way tie in the nominating process, the numbers will be expanded from 5 to 6 or 7.
Updated On: 8/22/15 at 08:28 AM
Posted: 8/22/15 at 10:10am
But only if there's a tie, right?
the only explanation I've seen on the new rules is this: http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/artsbeat/2015/01/15/under-new-rules-expect-more-tony-nominees-this-season/?referrer=
Posted: 8/22/15 at 3:24pm
Jessie Mueller could be, at least, a strong contender for Leading Actress, based on the rave reviews
Posted: 8/22/15 at 6:49pm
I would think that when it comes to Hamilton, they would want to spread themselves over every possible category in an attempt to break the wins record. So I would think they would want at least one person in each acting category.
Miranda for Leading and Odem for Supporting actors are givens but I would not be surprised to see them attempt to petition Soo into Leading so that they could slip Goldsberry in for featured actress (without Soo to compete with they would not split votes like Fun Home seemed to do this past season). They are then in the position to potentially sweep all 4 acting awards.
Has that ever happened before? One show winning all 4 acting awards?
Posted: 8/22/15 at 6:53pm
The original production of South Pacific won 4 acting awards in each category.
Updated On: 8/22/15 at 06:53 PM
Posted: 8/22/15 at 8:51pm
I do think HAMILTON will win a fair share of TONYS, but a full sweep will be difficult due to the timing, especially in the Acting slots. Some members of the original cast may be gone by that time and since it will not be eligible for any other awards this season due to the Public run, This will allow other shows and Actors to gain momentum come next TONY season. But they needn't worry, the show should run a long time and make a ton of money on a Best Musical win. And the piece IS an Acting ensemble work despite some wonderful individual performances.
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:15pm
Interesting that in other post on BWW Jennifer Hudson isn't the most well received yet when it comes to The Color Purple people are suggesting she clear of room in her trophy case for a TONY.
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:19pm
why are we getting 2 eugene oneil plays, 2 arthur miller plays and 2 sheldon and harnick musicals all in one season?
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:20pm
UCJ stranger things have happened.
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:25pm
thats because its a good role, and her voice and stardom will get her to a nomination at least. We'll see if she wins
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:32pm
UCJ can you repost that video you just posted of them Singing Color Purple in a new thread by itself??
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:44pm
Phillypinto said: "why are we getting 2 eugene oneil plays, 2 arthur miller plays and 2 sheldon and harnick musicals all in one season?"
You mean Bock and Harnick, not Sheldon and Harnick. Sheldon Harnick was the lyricist of the duo. Jerry Bock was the composer.
Why are we getting multiple O'Neill and Miller plays and two Bock and Harnick shows? Because they're classics in the American theater canon. Theater goers enjoy seeing them, actors like doing them, and producers like that they make money.
Updated On: 8/24/15 at 12:44 PM
Posted: 8/24/15 at 12:48pm
We're also getting two Duncan Sheik musicals this season.
Posted: 8/24/15 at 1:26pm
If only we could get zero pinto things, that'd be fvcking perfect.
If her acting in THE COLOR PURPLE is anything like her film acting, Jennifer Hudson can keep that mantle dirty and full of clutter.
Posted: 8/25/15 at 11:14am
When will the date for this ceremony be announced?
Posted: 8/25/15 at 11:53am
Sunday June 5th. It's always the first Sunday in June.
Posted: 8/25/15 at 11:56am
^No, sometimes it's the second. So I think it will end up taking place on ether June 5th or 12th, 2016.
Posted: 8/26/15 at 9:50pm
I really, really hope that Phillipa Soo and Leslie Odom, Jr. are not put in the lead categories. Both can easily win in featured, but I can't see them taking down the upcoming competition (on paper) in lead.
