What A Shock — Page 6

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.

Well your opinion is invalid because you have not seen both performances. You cannot say that Raul deserved to win over David Hyde Pierce when you have not seen David Hyde Pierce's performance.

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.

I disagree. While I do believe that it may be the best work -- as a whole -- that he has been a part of, I would have given him a Tony Award for TICK, TICK...BOOM!, THE NORMAL HEART, or TABOO before his performance in COMPANY. I think Raul's words about his performance before the Tonys were jaded by the fact that he had the chance to win a Tony, and he was speaking to the voters. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. He convinced himself that this was his best work because it has gotten the most praise; it's a Sondheim work; it's directed by Doyle; and he's headlining it.

He was said to be the best Bobby ever, and Bobby is such a challenging role. I just don't understand it.

I agree that Bobby is a challenging role, but by challenging I mean that it is a flawed role filled with handicaps that the actor at hand has to try to overcome in order to make it work the best that it can. I don't think that Bobby is a challenging role in the way the Momma Rose is challenging -- a well-written role with a lot for the actress at hand to work with.

Let him have his win and go enjoy his marvelous performance, even if he doesn't blow the roof off the theatre, his character is nuanced beyond belief.

Nuanced beyond belief? Isn't that an oxymoron?

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Updated On: 6/11/07 at 07:25 AM

I saw both performances and definitely thought Raul deserved the win.
I was VERY disappointed (and AT the Tonys).

I was shocked when DHP won. My mouth literally dropped. I'm so sad for Raul Esparza, I really thought this would be his year.

I remember DHP commenting that he had seen Raul's performance and thought he deserved the Tony. DHP looked shocked when he won.

I'm not gonna lie, I was rooting for Raul.

But, I totally thought Jonathon Groff was gonna win. As they announced the names I was like It's a tought category, such great perfomances by all, they all equally are good in what they do. Then they announced DHP as the winner and my jaw hit the floor, I was expecting Jonathon to take it or my personal favorite, Raul. But, I was shocked to see DHP. I'm very happy for him though, he truly should have been nominated for Spamalot, for his great perfomance, but from what I saw during Curtain's performance, I think he is pretty good. He seemed as shocked as the rest of us.

I do think Raul should have won, I mean, my god, "Being Alive", he like throws himself into the song: heart and soul. But, I think maybe they were looking to award it to a more of song-and dance-man type. I don't know, I don't understand Tony voters.

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Well, I saw both DHP and Raul in their respective performances, and I really thought Raul should and would win the Tony. There was a lot more to his performance than just "Being Alive." Yes, it is certainly a big moment in the show, but it's not like he is just standing there doing nothing for the 1 1/2 hours prior to that. There's his whole interaction with April before "Barcelona." There's his interaction with Barbara Walsh before "Being Alive." There's "Marry Me a Little." I think his Tony performance was a little off because they took the rest of the cast away and he had to adjust the song to their absence, and also because the song is not as powerful out of context. Maybe he was trying to make up for that or maybe he was nervous and that's why it seemed a bit over-the-top. I've seen him twice in the show and both times his "Being Alive" was much more subtle and flowed much better.
I saw DHP in "Curtains" and thought he gave a charming performance and was the best thing about "Curtains." I don't think "Curtains" is as strong a show as "Company." It felt to me as if it was a show with a uniformly excellent cast and mostly mediocre material. I think that's why it's so hard for me to really compare DHP and Raul. DHP did a great job with what he had. Raul started out with an advantage because his material, especially his songs, were better. It felt to me that Raul was excellent at showing Bobby's journey in the show and how he evolved and gradually opened himself up to marriage. DHP's role just didn't call for that kind of acting. But he was touching in his love scenes and very funny in the way he became more and more involved in the "Robbin' Hood" production.
I really can't speculate as to why DHP won over Raul. I am probably overly naive and don't want to think that a lot of politics or business or personal likes & dislikes were involved. It could have been as simple as Raul and Groff splitting the vote and letting DHP "sneak" in, as some have suggested. Or the Tony voters may have honestly felt that DHP's performance brought a relatively mediocre show up to a higher level and he should be rewarded for that. In any case, while I'm disappointed for Raul, I don't feel like the world has come to an end, and I hope DHP can enjoy his win.

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Oh, so very much to say.
I'd like to say there's a universe in which I would have found Raul's performance award-worthy...but there is absolutey not. It's histrionic, over-the-top, and lacks all the subtlety that a role like that (a character who spends the vast majority of the musical being informed on relationships by his much more flamboyant friends) calls for. You know, like that singularly bland and untalented Larry Kert gave in the original production. I mean, he's CLEARLY no Raul but he got it right.
Secondly, there's not an award in existance in which personal politics doesn't play the tiniest amount. You don't get nominated if you're bad or at least not decent, but to call DAvid Hyde Pierce's nominaton and eventual win some kind of undeserved injustice heaped upon Raul couldn't be more ridiculous.
One of the largest blocks of Tony voters is other actors. Uh huh. The people Raul Esparza and David Hyde Pierce work with. Even though I disagreed 100% with all the people who swore up and down that Christine Applegate would topple what I believed was one of the most glorious performances in musical theatre in decades (Victoria Clark in Piazza), I knew she wouldn't win for the simple matter of Clark's standing and respect within the theatrical community. Sometimes, a Cinderella story is enough (see Winokur over Peters or even LaChanze over LuPone) but not always. That kind of story was not in play here. Pierce gave a lovely, charming and perfect little performance in Curtains. End of story.

I disagree..... DHP seems pretty open too!

There are plenty of out gay men with Tonys. Let's not overanalyze this. This is one crowd where you can be gay and no is really going to care. Let's not make this what it isn't. If anything, it is more of political thing, like the Oscars. DHP got the Tony for his body of work and history rather than this particular role which most feel was not as deserving as Rauls. Needless to say, it's time to relax. Raul's Tony performance may have solidified many people's feeling that DHP was the right choice. I, personally, was underwhelmed by Being Alive.

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Wasn't underwhelmed at all.....

But Esparza isn't an out gay man. He's married to a woman and has been having affairs with men for AT LEAST the last 8 years. So to kinda come out in the times and make BEING ALIVE all about your self-made torment, but then continue to take your wife everywhere and thank her over and over again is just kinda...well...let's just say it sends a mixed message.

I'm all for personal journeys and arrangements in relationships for whatever reasons. Eat the cake you have. But don't be completely gobsmacked when others MAY not 'get it'.

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For awhile I wasn't a huge fan of Raul's voice,
but his performance last night definitely changed my mind!
He was amazing, and while I haven't seen Company I'm pretty shocked and upset that he didn't win.

Plus, I'm sick of seeing DHPs face everywhere on this website.

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