Broadway Legend Joined: 6/24/09
I would love for the Something Different reprise to lead into Answer Me but I would really burst from all the happiness if they did Itgara into Something Different. That would be incredibly special.
Im predicting we are gonna have a performance from a long running show. Mabye lion king, wicked, chicago.
Been waiting for this topic to get started. Want to see performed and what they actually WILL perform are two different things sadly.
Once On This Island - Want: "We Dance" | Will: "Mama Will Provide"
Carousel - Want: "June is Busting Out All Over" | Will: "You'll Never Walk Alone"
My Fair Lady - Want/Will: "The Rain in Spain/I Could Have Danced All Night"
Frozen - Want: "For the First Time in Forever" | Will: "For First Time in Forever" or "Monster" depending entirely on which girl if either is nominated.
The Bands Visit - Want: "Welcome to Nowhere" | Will: "Answer Me"
Mean Girls - Want: "Revenge Party" | Will: "Where Do You Belong"
Spongebob- Want: "I'm Not a Loser" | Will: "(Just A) Simple Sponge"
Summer and Escape to Margaritaville are both likely going to be totally shut out but if either pays up to perform, both cases would end up likely doing a medley of some kind.
What they could really do is: scrap this year's ceremony, musical numbers and all, and simply rebroadcast the 1976 telecast; so that interested viewers would realize just how sadly lackluster this season is in comparison.
Those were the days.
Bwayfan292 said: "Im predicting we are gonna have a performance from a long running show. Mabye lion king, wicked, chicago."
Well, Lion King just celebrated 20 years on Broadway this season, so I could see that happening, like with Wicked’s 10th anniversary performance.
Phantom also celebrated 30 years.
I would LOVE to see Once On This Island do One Small Girl into Waiting For Life, which conveniently ends with bits of One Small Girl anyway. Together, that would set up the show so well for people who don't know it.
I think so much of this depends on who's actually nominated. Like, If Kenita R. Miller & Phillip Boykin are both nominated (I assume Hailey Kilgore is a shoo-in for a nom), this would be a solid choice. We Dance would be perfect too.
But... they'll probably do Mama Will Provide. I've made my feelings on Alex Newell clear in other threads so won't write an essay here, but man will I be incredibly disappointed if they make that choice. (In a nutshell, that song gets wild applause by default in literally every production of OOTI - because it's a rousing, sassy production number - but I think his is one of the weakest I've seen. I also think the beginning sound-making part comes off as cringey children's theatre when it's out of context.) It's been one of my favorite shows for the last ~25 years, so selfishly I just want a Tony performance that I'll want to replay over and over. Any other song would fit that bill!
Otherwise, I kind of hope The Band's Visit does Welcome To Nowhere into maybe Omar Sharif, though I agree with others that Answer Me is stunning, so would be very content if they made that choice. I do think Welcome To Nowhere sells the show really well to people who don't know what the hell it's about. There's so much wit and humor in the production, and I don't think Answer Me shows that off, as beautiful as the song is. (I also think they'll probably want to show off Katrina Lenk as a frontrunner for Leading Actress.) I keep thinking back on Groundhog Day, and how Seeing You is beautiful, and so poignant in the context of the show, but fell totally flat out of context at the Tonys and did nothing to show what the show actually was. That's different than The Band's Visit which obviously has multiple poignant moments, but still.
I think Frozen will depend entirely on the nominations! But I have to think they'll do one of the original songs from the movie... probably For the First Time In Forever. (Though I wouldn't argue with them going all in and doing Let It Go. It certainly would sell tickets. Don't know the tech details of that costume change moment and if it's possible at Radio City, though.)
Do we think Harry Potter will perform something? I don't see it until late June so can't personally guess, but I keep hearing how beautifully "choreographed" it is.
Haven't seen the other shows yet so it would be useless for me to guess based on hearsay, though I do think June Is Busting Out All Over will make its way in there somewhere, if not as Carousel's official performance than somewhere in the opening. (Can we get a Leslie Uggams cameo??)
Jeffrey Karasarides said:
Once on This Island:'Why We Tell the Story'
They already performed that for the Macy's Parade, so maybe a different song could be chosen, maybe "Forever Yours" or "One Small Girl"?
I'm only familiar with Frozen, so my pick for that would be "Monster". That song was emotional for me. "Let It Go" could be a good choice for the Macy's Parade this year!
Understudy Joined: 7/8/17
Besides "Bikini Bottom Day", I think that "Best Day Ever" would be a good song for SpongeBob.
Mama will provide ! I never grow tired of hearing Alex Newell own that song !!
Featured Actor Joined: 7/30/15
Since they will most likely not be nominated, do you think Margaritaville (if still open..) and Summer will pay for a performance? Seems like CBS may want some of that. They're going to have to push Frozen and Mean Girls hard or else we could be in for a rough ratings year for the Tonys.
I DOUBT Summer will perform. However, I think Escape to Margaritaville has a chance. I hope they do though.
Within the past 10 years, we've seen performances from shows that weren't nominated for Best Musical (nor Best Revival) on the Tonys for publicity. It started with a medley in 2008 that featured The Little Mermaid, A Catered Affair, and Young Frankenstein. In 2009, 9 to 5 was featured in the opening number. In 2010, the casts of Come Fly Away and Promises, Promises performed in a presentation for Best Choreography. Since 2011, the non-nominated productions got their own performance slots. Though since there were so many musical productions last year that weren't nominated for Best Musical (nor Best Revival), but still running, only two of them got to perform, which were War Paint and Bandstand.
I can’t quite guess the others, but I imagine MFL and Carousel will do medleys, and SpongeBob will do Bikini Bottom Day.
Featured Actor Joined: 2/24/07
I would love the opening number to be Gavin Lee doing I'm Not A Loser and include all the acting nominees. I think that would be awesome.
I hope The Band's Visit starts with an excerpt of "Omar Sharif" before moving into "Answer Me" with the full cast. I would be in tears.
It would be incredible if My Fair Lady took after The King and I and did a three-part medley. Start out with "Loverly," have Ambrose head offstage for a Kelli O'Hara-speed quick-change during either an Alfred or a Higgins number, then come back and nail "Danced All Night."
With only three revivals performing, I wonder if there will be time for MARGARITAVILLE and SUMMER to perform?
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
It'll never happen, but I'd love to see the DOLLY cast open the show with SUNDAY CLOTHES.
Given who's hosting, we probably get some sort of all-nominees medley thing for the opening number (I hope to god it's more NPH than Sp*cey, but I'm gonna set my hopes on something at least vaguely Corden-esque.) Spongebob will probably do Bikini Bottom Day or even Best Day Ever, but I can also see them doing a few verses of I'm Not a Loser and Simple Sponge as well. I'm hoping OOTI does Why We Tell The Story (I loved it at the Thanksgiving Parade) and Frozen will probably do a big number like Fixer Upper or even First Time in Forever... I'm assuming Let It Go will probably be thrown in too but I hope to god it isn't- that song needs a rest. I can see Carousel and MFL doing medleys, but I don't have any idea what Mean Girls will do since I've only heard one song from the whole show. If Band's Visit doesn't do some form of Answer Me I will riot- I'm hoping for a combo of that and Omar Sharif. I just hope to god we don't get another Dolly situation- I still feel bad for David Hyde Pierce. I have no idea if anyone else will perform- Margaritaville might, Summer is pretty unlikely.
Featured Actor Joined: 3/15/18
So I've noticed a trend of musicals in previous years that have several acting nominees crafting their Tony performance to showcase all of their actors that are nominated, or at least doing their best to include them all.
Would anyone that has seen Mean Girls on Broadway say that the new opener to Act 2, "Stop" (or "Stop It" includes enough Regina or Gretchen in addition to Damian for them to choose it as their Tony performance?
I ask because I saw the show in DC before this number was added and would really like to see this new number in some capacity as I've heard that it is a show stopper.
I just hope Spongebob does not do "Bikini Bottom Day." I think it's one of the weaker numbers in the show, they've been doing it all over, and it just doesn't do the show justice.
I think the real question is, how do they showcase HARRY POTTER? The HP producers might want to "keep the secrets", but the Tonys will want as much HP and JK Rowling on the telecast as possible.
Musical Revivals:
CAROUSEL - June is Bustin' or You'll Never Walk Alone, since those are some of the more notable songs. That is, if Rudin does't create a stink again.
MY FAIR LADY - Sher usually does a medley -- maybe something that includes Get Me To The Church, I Could Have Danced, and the Embassy Ball
OOTI - Mama Will Provide or We Tell the Story
Musicals:
BAN'S VISIT is going to be hard to showcase. Maybe Omar Sharif? Keep it intimate like Fun Home did?
MEAN GIRLS - Where Do You belong or Watch The World Burn
FROZEN - Let It Go (or will they try to showcase something else to prove that it's not just the movie on stage?)
SPONGEBOB - Bikini Bottom Day (Though Patty3, your idea for Gavin to do I'm Not A Loser with all the nominees is amazing!)
Others:
SPRINGSTEEN will be the Tonys biggest "get." He could appear 3 times: acceptance speech, performing a song, and maybe he could present Best Musical or Best Play. (Imagine the screenshot opportunities for JK Rowling and Bruce Springsteen on the same stage?)
I can't imagine the Tonys will push to get Jimmy Buffet on the telecast (unless he's just a presenter), since they have Springsteen, Bareilles and Groban. But maybe Margaritaville will want to pay for a performance if it's trying to tour? It may be a lost cause at this point.
SUMMER could do an effective Tony number if they think it will help keep their sales up.
Andrew Garfield should close the show with Prior's final few lines.
I'd assume MARGARITAVILLE has intentions of touring starting in 2019.
What if we finally get our Bette performing Hello, Dolly?
Videos