I would expect that Audra isn't all that concerned about it. I also expect that if her Broadway career continues the way it has been, and there is no reason to doubt that it will, that she will one day very likely win best actress in a play no matter what happens with this year's tony placement and voting. This is an actor whose dramatic gifts are equal to her musical ones - stellar across the board; of the very first order. And I fully expect that should that happen, soon or later, she will indeed be the first performer to win in all four acting categories open to an actor or actress.
I can see reasonable arguments for considering Lady Day a play or a musical. Not that tony placement is always reasonable, but in this case, it could go either way.
No matter what the decision is, someone can surely point to a precedent undermining the decision. "How can it be a musical when Piaf and End of the Rainbow were plays?" "How can it be a play when other awards groups considered it a musical?" etc., etc., etc.
Tomato, tomato, potato, potato, tony in this category, tony in that category, no tony at all, it is one hell of a performance.
No matter which way she is placed, however, it is going to make the competition in that category exponentially more competitive! Accordingly, this will be a very political decision for a whole lot of people.
On that note, I would think the collective interest in facilitating a potential first tony win for O'Hara or Mueller or, though perhaps less likely, a second tony win for Menzel; will trump the collective interest in facilitating a potential third tony win for Jones or, though perhaps arguably less likely, a first tony win for Parsons, or, perhaps even less likely, a second tony win for Daly. Accordingly, I expect the tony's will rule the show a play. But, hey, anything could happen.
Updated On: 4/23/14 at 10:37 AM
