BDavis I agree with you and hopefully he continues to keep the show running.
<------ Me and my friends with patti Lupone at my friends afterparty for her concert with audra mcdonald during the summer of 2007.
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
Watch Judi Dench, she cannot sing, she doesn't have a voice, but her Send In The Clowns is the best performance ever through out history! She's also the best Sally Bowles ever! Good musical actors are those that even though I just listen to their voices, I can notice that there are acting inside their voices. This is what musical theatre is all about! Bernadette's Being Alive is amazing, even though her voice crack! Listen to Larry Kert's Being Alive. Yes, he got good techniques and a voice, but it's lifeless.
Somebody sit in my chair, and ruin my sleep, and make me aware of being alive!
Honestly i wanted Jonathan Groff to win but i resigned the fate of the award to go to Raul and after seeing his performance tonight i thought he deserved it....
Then THAT happened...but it's ok i think even DHP knows that he didn't deserve to win, i mean honestly look at his face when they read the names off and his acceptance speech. Groff and Esparza def. split the vote on this one.
I disagree with Dench's send in the clowns being the best performance in history. I think Patti Lupone's Roses Turn is the best performance in history. -awaits a somewhat thread jacked debated and apologizes in advance-
<------ Me and my friends with patti Lupone at my friends afterparty for her concert with audra mcdonald during the summer of 2007.
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
"And allvocal- YES they do vote on who is more famous. It's called name recognition. See: John Lithgow in Sweet Smell of Success."
Your logic doesn't hold up. Vanessa Redgrave and Angela Lansbury didn't win Best Actress in a Play tonight and they're both far more recognizable names than Julie White. Christina Applegate didn't win for Sweet Charity, Vanessa Williams didn't win for Into the Woods, Hank Azaria didn't win for Spamalot, and other "names" such as Kevin Spacey, Julia Roberts, and Julianne Moore weren't nominated for their performances this and last season. Just a few examples. Don't make excuses for Raul - just accept that the Tony voters didn't see it your way and hope for better next year.
(And for the record: I didn't really care who won.)
Does anyone have a sense of why this happened? I mean, yes, we're all upset, but has any one seen DHP in Curtains and RE in Company both, and have an idea as to why this seemed like a legitimate choice to the committee?
When Raul didn't win, I was like "HUH?!". Not that I have anything against David Hyde Piece or Curtains (I'm actually looking forward to seeing it later this summer), but I believe that Raul's performance was phenomenal & the award should've gone to him.
Although I probably would have voted for Esparza (admit it, it's a weak category), I can see why Pierce won. I did predict his win, and I think I predicted it for a number of reasons. He's a great guy, he's loved in the industry, he's nice, easy to get along with, being famous doesn't hurt, and he's giving an honest and heartwarming performance in an otherwise okay show. He is a lot like his character in that Pierce clearly loves show business, and it shows.
I kind of knew Raul wouldn't win because I have been getting the impression that some industry folks don't love his personality. I've been hearing that he's cold, distant, tempermantal, etc. He may have given a great performance, but if people don't like you, they're not going to vote for you.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
I saw both, and I thought Raul was yards better. However, Raul doesn't really showcase his voice until the end of Company. Throughout the show, he is a little sarcastic and quiet. However, that is what the part calls for, and he did it perfectly. DHP has you laughing throughout the whole show; every line of his is a joke. So, right away DHP seems more entertaining. However, when analyzing the acting, Raul's part seems much more challenging. To make a seemingly boring part into something so special. You would think Tony voters would be able to see past the surface.
Raul said in an interview that he is most proud of this role, and he thinks it is the best piece of work he has ever been a part of, and I agree.
To DHP, he is funny and talented, but the show just doesn't show the depth of his acting capabilities so well because it's so shallow and fluffy.
munkustrap178: Well, this award is called "Best Leading Actor in a Musical", not "Best Friendy Guy in the Musical Industry". If they didnt vote just because he's a not good person, then the voters are far not professional as voters.
Somebody sit in my chair, and ruin my sleep, and make me aware of being alive!
I'm not saying they are or they aren't. Someone asked why he won, so I said why I predicted his win. Don't tell me what the award is for, I didn't vote.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."-Charlie Manson
David Hyde Pierce is giving a terrific musical comedy performance. Of course his performance isn't going to have the "depth" of Raul's or anything because that's not what the role calls for. This is why Frank Langella and a bunch of other people say that you can't really judge who's the "Best Actor." David Hyde Pierce and Raul Esparza are both remarkable in their roles. I don't think they could be any better. It's just that David Hyde Pierce showed up to more Tony-affiliated events, it seems like. He's a more well-liked personality.
I don't think people would be going so crazy if they gave it to Michael.
No?
Anyway, it's just an award. Really. Life goes on. Awards are given out to actors and musicals and movies that don't deserve it all the time. So what. I mean, I'd feel the same way if I was that passionate about someone's performance, but come on. There are more important things happening in the world.
commaslpice, I'm not making "excuses" for Raul. I was only disagreeing when someone said that it was ridiculous that Tony voters would vote for someone just because of their name. It happens all the time in various award shows, I was simply correcting the alligation that a "name" would never come into play. I wasn't referring to DHP directly. I feel most likely that the vote was split, and that's what happened. Please don't tell me to "accept" it, because really that's just being rude. There's really no need. I was surprised, and a bit saddened. I'm not having an emotional breakdown.
Honestly, I'm glad David Hyde Pierce won because it brought the only surprise of the evening. Am I the only one who was bored to tears because of the lack of mystery?
munk; I agree with the sentiment of your post. Reputation depends heavily on personality. I'm not knocking Raul Esparza at all, as I think he is absolutely wonderful. Of course it's disheartening he didn't get the nod, but all the b!tching in the world isn't going to change anything. I'm just glad Company got best revival and that he performed.
"I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and dreamer of improbable dreams." - Doctor Who
"Yes, the brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over, men recognize that the human race has been harshly treated but it has moved forward." - Les Miserables
I remember when Raul lost for Taboo and it was disappointing. I was positive he was a lock this year. His performance on the Tony's alone was gorgeous. I am so sad for him. He deserved it. What a shock.
"Less Of A Marilyn, More Of A Jackie"
www.richardhblake.com