Raul was outstanding in "Taboo" -- even if some (including Raul himself) felt that he might have been a bit over the top at times. Raul's Tony chances were hurt because he was in a show that had already closed (notice that all eight of the acting winners were in shows that are still running) so many voters didn't get a chance to see him, as well as the fact that the show itself wasn't as popular with the theatre community as it was with the fans (Rosie and her trial didn't help; neither did Michael Riedel's campaign against it in the Post). It should be considered a major triumph that the show received four nominations in light of all the (undeserved) controversy -- obviously a lot of people admired its various parts : the cast and the score were well-regarded even by people who weren't crazy about the show itself (Newsday critic Linda Winer incidentally mentioned in one of the Tony recaps that she had voted for Boy George on her Tony ballot).
Going into the Tony voting, "Assassins" had a huge buzz around it -- it's edgy, it has something to say, it's controversial, it's Sondheim -- so its not surprising it ended up being the night's big winner. There was clearly a desire on the part of the voters to somehow honor the terrific cast, so Cerveris got singled out because of his fine, showy performance as Booth. I would bet that Raul finished a close second (he's the golden boy of NY theatre right now, considering all of his past performances and his current one in "Normal Heart"). As Cerveris said, he'll be up on that podium very, very soon.
PS -- I haven't seen anyone else mention this, but during NY1's red carpet coverage prior to the big show last night, Rosie said that she realizes that all the publicity swirling around her during Taboo's run had obviously hurt the show and she regrets that she may have ended up hurting a show she really loves. In consideration of that, she said that she plans on bringing Taboo back to NY (she didn't say whether she meant Broadway or Off-Broadway) sometime in "four or five years" because she still believes it deserves to have a fair shot at a run. She said she learned a lot from the mistakes that were made this last go round and she said they won't be repeated and the next incarnation will be all the better for it. FYI
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
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"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
