Why was no award given for "Best Score" in 1952-1959 / 1961 / 1969 / 1970?

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:32am

I was researching Jerry Herman's Tony Awards and found some very interesting gaps in the handing out of the "Best Score" award. Namely, 1952-1959, 1961, 1969, and 1970. Why as no award given for "Best Score" in those years? Between . . .

-1961-
-Irma La Douce (Monnot and Breffort)
-Tenderloin (Bock and Harnick)
-The Unsinkable Molly Brown
-Camelot (Lerner and Lowe)
-Do Re Mi (Styne, Comden and Green)
-The Happiest Girl in the World (Offenbach and Harburg)
-Carnival! (Merrill)
-Wildcat (Coleman and Leigh)

-1969-
-1776 (Edwards)
-Hair (MacDermot, Rado, Ragni)
-Zorba (Kander and Ebb)
-Promises, Promises (Bacharach and David)
-Dear World (Jerry Herman)
-Celebration (Schmidt and Jones)

-1970-
-Oh! Calcutta! (Dennis,Schickele,Walden)
-Coco (Previn and Lerner)
-Purlie (Geld and Udell)
-Applause (Strouse and Adams)

. . . it would seem they had plenty of worthy scores to nominate and pick from. Well, at least the in the first two years, I can sort of understand in '70, but if we had that season today, I think the award would still be presented. And then the award wasn't presented from 1952-1959, which I'm also very curious about. The only other year the award wasn't presented was in 1989, and I know that was due to a lack of good original scores.

I know its a long question, but I felt it was better than starting 4 different threads.

Updated On: 3/4/07 at 12:32 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:35am

That's always been a questions I've wanted to ask, but you must remember that before 1970, the authors got the Best Musical prize, not the producers. I suppose that could be the reason why, but many of those scores deserved recognition.

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:38am

That's always been a questions I've wanted to ask, but you must remember that before 1970, the authors got the Best Musical prize, not the producers. I suppose that could be the reason why, but many of those scores deserved recognition.

Riiiight, looking at Best Book, that wasn't given out from '52-'61 either, so that explains those years. But '69 and '70 are still a mystery.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:41am

Short Answer:

Rather than having a separate category for Score and Book (there was also no award for Best Book in the years that you mention), the award for Best Musical was given to not only the producers (as it is today), but also to the Book and Score writers. While on one hand it may seem unfair not to single out the book and score writers for their own separate award, it also meant you never had the odd (and at times seemingly unfair) situation of a show winning Best Book and/or Best Score and then losing the big prize, Best Musical, to another show (oftentimes to a more commercial entry that looks like it'll be more popular on the road than the more "artistic" choice).

Updated On: 3/4/07 at 12:41 AM

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:44am

^So does that mean they suspended the Best Score and Book awards in '69 and '70?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:49am

No and yes. The categories for book and score were eliminated, but the writers of the winning shows got Tonys. In 1969, Best Musical went to 1776 and in addition to Stuart Ostrow (the producer), Sherman Edwards (music and lyrics) and Peter Stone (book) also took home that award.

In 1970, Best Musical went to APPLAUSE and producers Joseph Kipness and Lawrence Kasha took home trophies along with Betty Comden and Adolph Greene (book) and Charles Strouse and Lee Adams (score).

Updated On: 3/4/07 at 12:49 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:53am

I believe The Wing must have been frightened of the ridiculous score of Hair winning Best Score in 1969 just because it was Rock 'n' Roll as well.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:56am

Celebration!

what a lovely score to a crappy show

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:59am

No and yes. The categories for book and score were eliminated, but the writers of the winning shows got Tonys.

So I am assuming that's the same reason no Book awards were given from '66 to '70.

Updated On: 3/4/07 at 12:59 AM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 2:08am

It has always bothered me, as a writer, that the producers get the "best show" award all by themselves when let's face it, they would be producing three hours of burping and coughing without the creators.

It's like in the movies, when Frank Capra used to say he put "the Capra touch" on every script, as if his golden revisions made the project a success when someone else did all the hard work creating the characters in the first place.

Robert Riskin, the great screenwriter, got so pissed at this that he barged into Capra's office and plopped a ream of blank paper on the director's desk and screamed "Okay Frank, let's see you put the g**d**n Capra Touch on that!!!!!"

The writers should share the stage with the money ("I'm the money" is one of the best lines I have ever heard about the theatre from Shakespeare In Love.")

Updated On: 3/4/07 at 02:08 AM

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 3:48am

^So just out of curiosity, what would you do with the "Best Score" and "Best Book" awards?

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 9:04am

They don't separate the Play award.

Best Play goes to the producers(s) and the writer(s).

The philosophy and criteria should be the same for both Best Play and Best Musical.

I don't like that their reasoning doesn't cross over.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 10:12am

Exactly best12bars. Try to convince me that "Hairspry" is remotely a hit without O'Donnell, Meehan, Shaiman and Wittman.

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:25pm

Most of the today's show, at least with regard to BWW, get their popularity from having "cute" performers. When are the Tony people going to recognize "the cutest boy" and "the cutest girl"

[vmlinnie]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:35pm

Or perhaps it should be...

Cutest Boy in a Heterosexual Way
Cutest Boy in a Homosexual Way
Cutest Girl

It would clear things up!

Posted: 3/4/07 at 12:40pm

Where does that put Rosie o'Donnell? Hmmmmmmm, she's Irish too

[tazber]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 1:21pm

I personally feel that book and score should be seperate from the best show award.
One example where it seems to work (IMO) was the year Into the Woods won score and POTO won musical.
Woods score is far superior to POTO, but POTO is a better all around show.

Edit-thanks for pointing this out J2. And I agree with B12B that the play category should have it's own best book award.

Updated On: 3/4/07 at 01:21 PM

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 3/4/07 at 3:24pm

I agree with Margo, and frankly, I don't think "Oh! Calcutta" woul dhave been nominated, if the DVD is ANY representation of the score.