Will Esparza win for the Homecoming.

[esparza 333]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:06pm

A lot of people are predicting Raul will win the tony and consider him and Jim Norton the frontrunners. Do you think he will be victorious on tony night?

[heathurrr]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:07pm

Gah, I hope so. I can't take another Esparza loss, last year was heartbreaking.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:09pm

I hope so. If only for the mental health of many people on this board.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:10pm

No.

He was my least favorite part of The Homecoming.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:10pm

I think it will be Jim Norton.

[Horton]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:31pm

I hope he doesnt win. Raul really deserved to win for Company, and I hope they dont 'give' him this award as a consolation prize. In a few years he will do something magical on Broadway, either on the level of Company or greater than that, and he will deserve to win for that. Not for a forgettable role in a play that has already closed.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:38pm

Agreed, Horton.

[Ariella]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:39pm

I thought he was excellent in the Homecoming, but the play was certainly more of an ensemble production. He deserved to win for Company, and if he wins this year, I'll have to wonder if it's somehow an apology for last year. Nevertheless, his portrayal of Lenny isn't undeserving of the award.

[LadyRosecoe]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:49pm

Jim Norton deserves the Tony in my opinion.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 1:52pm

Norton all the way!!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:11pm

Esparza will win...only because he deserved the Tony last season.

[LadyRosecoe]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:24pm

And yet that was last season, the Tony awards of 2008 should go to the performance of the actor THIS year and not cumulatively. I said the same thing last year with the whole John McMartin issue. It sucks when actors get overlooked, especially those like McMartin who have never won and have careers spanning half a century. But can the committee please try and be fair by sticking to the fact that it's what happened this year that we're celebrating?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:37pm

I'm not saying it's RIGHT...I don't think he should win this year but that's what I think is going to happen.

Norton should win but Esparza will because the Tony committee will give him some kind of pity vote for not winning last year.


I didn't say I agreed with it but that's what will happen, IMO.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:46pm

I think he has more of a chance than he used to, for a few reasons:

1) Jim Norton's show closed at the end of March. Granted, THE HOMECOMING is also closed, but it did so in the middle of April, and sometimes, that time is all a show needs to get extra voters in to see it.

2) Norton was considered the best part of THE SEAFARER (and was certainly raved for enough), but he's had the award for so long that people might want to give the category some options by voting for Esparza.

3) Apparently Esparza's performance got better and better as the run went on. That could certainly have a positive effect.

4) Esparza is due. I REALLY hope they don't give it to him because of this.

I still think Jim Norton is the frontrunner, but Esparza could could COULD sneak in. I don't know how I'd feel if he did: we'll just have to wait.

Updated On: 6/7/08 at 02:46 PM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:46pm

By 'Tony committee' do you mean Tony voters? Because there is no committee that gives out the awards - just the voters. And there's over 750 of them. And I'm sure not all of them feel Esparza is owed anything because of the way they voted last year.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:55pm

I would be very surprised if he beat out Norton.

VERY !

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:59pm

Wickedrocks - a lot of the Tonys are based on "politics" but that's just silly. Esparza was dreadful, in my opinion. The voters will give it to the most deserving... Esparza is not.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 3:07pm

We'll see...I think they are really pulling for Norton (the rightful winner) to win because his show isn't open anymore. Neither is THE HOMECOMING but Raul is way overdue.

Both of the two frontrunner's shows are closed so I think they're going to just give it to Esparza as some kind of a consolation prize.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 3:20pm

There's that "way overdue" phrase again. Raul's been onstage in New York for about seven years. When Chita Rivera won her first Tony Award in 1984 for The Rink after 30 years onstage, you could say that was "way overdue". When Mary Louise Wilson won her first Tony for Grey Gardens after a 40 year career, again, that was "way overdue". When Elaine Stritch won for her one-woman show after 50+ years onstage, sure, that was "way overdue".

Raul Esparza is not "way overdue" for anything at this point.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 3:21pm

Smaxie speaks the truth!

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 3:27pm

Okay, so maybe he's not "way overdue." But you have to consider the fanatical worship of his performance last year in COMPANY.

While that didn't pan out into the Tonys, it showed people that Esparza could do more than his usual over-the-top performance. And he's well-liked in the community.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 3:34pm

And so he rightfully deserves a Tony for that?

no, sweetheart.

Esparza ain't some brilliant Broadway veteran who's been robbed every year. Smaxie said it the best. he is NOT "way overdue"

the voters will give it to the better performance nominated - and that's NOT Esparza.

[BDavis0092]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 3:39pm

Raul may not be the most deserving this year but last year sure was a heartbreaker and I hope that soon he finds another role like Bobby.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 3:43pm

Again, I do not think he deserves it. Im just saying what I think will happen. Doesn't mean I agree with it....

[bestinshow2]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 4:00pm

Not for a forgettable role in a play that has already closed.

Imo, it shouldn't matter whether a play has already closed.

Anyway, yes, politics obviously play part in the voting. My boss is a Tony voter and he told me he voted for a certain play because he's friends with the playwright.