The Annual Tony Awards - General Discussion

[Bewitched]

7 minutes ago, rwlevin said:

Mean Girls is supposed to be really good. I wonder why they chose that song. Seriously, nobody’s going to want to see the show based on that performance.

It’s really the best choice to highlight their nominees but also include the majority of the cast.  

I saw it in DC and honestly felt Regina was the weakest link.  

[rwlevin]

1 minute ago, choclatechip45 said:

I saw it in the beginning of April and Tony had already left.

It was a temporary leave. He was filming a movie.

[aradia22]

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Heathers

It was terribly staged but has a great score and I will fight you on that.

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Neither Josh nor Sara has won a Grammy? That’s legit shocking. 

SERIOUSLY. Especially Sara.

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Unpopular opinion: I am tired of movie stars/tv stars winning Tonys.  I don't think it's fair, somehow.  (Don't ask me to explain why, I don't exactly know).

Same. But they were good tonight. They didn't give it to Lauren Ambrose or Renee Fleming or anyone else. Laurie Metcalf is a pretty legit theater actress at this point. Obviously same for Nathan Lane and Tony Shalhoub and anyone else I'm forgetting with some film or TV credits. 

I don't think Spongebob is going to last much longer and I've been thinking of seeing it. But I might also want to make a return trip to OOTI before the end of the month. 

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They didn't present the Lifetime Achievement awards to Chita Rivera and Andrew Lloyd Webber during the telecast!?! Who made that call?

I almost forgot. That was a damn mess. They clearly had a longer version they cut for TV, right?

Ohh... so that's what happened. https://deadline.com/2018/06/robert-de-niro-hurls-f-bombs-at-donald-trump-in-tony-awards-outburst-1202407497/

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So after tonight, which shows are sadly likely to close soon due to the lack of wins? 

My guess is Spongebob. OOTI may be able to stick it out with their win and the performance but it's tenuous. Carousel is a little shaky but they may stick it out on the strength of the title. Frozen will probably make it a year or two but I don't see it being a long-running show for Disney. Mean Girls will also last a while but I don't see it hanging on for a long time once it burns through its core fanbase and the stars move on. My Fair Lady is going to be absolutely fine but for my sake I hope there will eventually be discounts so I can take my parents. Last I checked, Summer was doing pretty well but apparently it's a bad show so I think it will burn out too. But Beautiful and Jersey Boys had legs and I can never predict how the jukebox biomusicals will go. 

[aradia22]

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I saw it in the beginning of April and Tony had already left.

It was a temporary leave. He was filming a movie.

I thought he was filming the next season of Mrs. Maisel. Anyway, last I heard he was on a weird schedule with his replacement/understudy. If he's still doing the show it should be listed which performances he's doing. But I thought he was just on that odd schedule so the Tony voters could see his performance. He might be out of the show now/soon since he won tonight. 

[Stuffy]

36 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

I thought he was filming the next season of Mrs. Maisel. Anyway, last I heard he was on a weird schedule with his replacement/understudy. If he's still doing the show it should be listed which performances he's doing. But I thought he was just on that odd schedule so the Tony voters could see his performance. He might be out of the show now/soon since he won tonight. 

Yeah, Maisel is filming right now. There were pictures of Rachel in costume the day before her aunt died. I think they may have filmed in Paris awhile back, but I’m not sure and don’t remember the month. 

[whiporee]

Did Dear Evan Hansen perform? We were watching, and it didn't show up in the Denver broadcast. 

Also, what did DiNiro say?

[jjj]

42 minutes ago, whiporee said:

Did Dear Evan Hansen perform? We were watching, and it didn't show up in the Denver broadcast. 

It was not nominated this year. Won last year. 

[choclatechip45]

5 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I thought he was filming the next season of Mrs. Maisel. Anyway, last I heard he was on a weird schedule with his replacement/understudy. If he's still doing the show it should be listed which performances he's doing. But I thought he was just on that odd schedule so the Tony voters could see his performance. He might be out of the show now/soon since he won tonight. 

Thanks for the info. Interesting way to work around the rules. I bought my tickets knowing he was out.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

7 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Chris Jackson! Hello love.

A few months ago, Ari'el Stachel did an interview and he talked about some of what he mentioned tonight (thinking that his ethnicity would keep him from succeeding or even being cast in theater roles), but he also had the sweetest story about Chris Jackson. He said that when he was in high school, he came to New York to visit some colleges and he went to see In the Heights, partly because he knew that given his skin tone, realistically his chances at being cast in musicals would be Latino or biracial characters. He went to the stage door after the show and told Chris Jackson that he loved the show and would love some advice about becoming an actor. After Chris was done signing autographs, he took Ari'el backstage and showed him around, and then he took him to the stage and said, "I believe you're going to be here one day." By all accounts, that is just the kind of guy Chris Jackson is, a guy who will take a kid backstage and encourage him to pursue acting. Ari'el said that his reaction to what Chris said was that at that point, he still didn't believe that he would ever get to play a Middle Eastern character because there aren't plays or musicals written about people like him. When The Band's Visit was still in previews, a Palestinian woman came to the stage door and said she felt she'd FINALLY been represented onstage and he was so moved that he said that if there are any Middle Eastern kids who is interested in the arts, he will buy them a ticket to the show and take them backstage.

6 hours ago, MostlyC said:

Maybe I'm too young, but the Bruce Springsteen obsession escapes me. I mean, he's good but...it's the dog whistle this puppy doesn't hear, I guess?

/ducks tomatoes

*whispers* Same here! I was just discussing this with Mr. EB a few weeks ago. I don't actively dislike Springsteen, but his music is like background noise to me in that it's fine but it doesn't grab me or inspire me the way it seems to do for everyone else. I was trying to figure out why.

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Unpopular opinion: I am tired of movie stars/tv stars winning Tonys.  I don't think it's fair, somehow.  (Don't ask me to explain why, I don't exactly know).

5 hours ago, aradia22 said:

They didn't give it to Lauren Ambrose or Renee Fleming or anyone else. Laurie Metcalf is a pretty legit theater actress at this point. Obviously same for Nathan Lane and Tony Shalhoub and anyone else I'm forgetting with some film or TV credits.

I don't mind when actors with their roots in the theater win Tony Awards because I get it. Being a theater actor doesn't exactly pay the bills but movies and tv shows do. People like Laurie Metcalf, Nathan Lane, and Tony Shaloub were theater actors who happened to get famous for tv shows/movies, but they were all pretty respected as theater actors before that. Laurie was one of the first members of Steppenwolf back in the 80s and when she did one of their plays off Broadway in 1984, she won an Obie for best actress (and she continued to do plays throughout her tv career). Nathan Lane won a Tony before he got famous for The Lion King and The Birdcage, and Tony Shaloub was nominated for a Tony before he was Monk.

What I really dislike though is when non-theater actors are brought in for stunt casting (particularly with musicals). I understand that you have to do whatever it takes to get butts into those seats, but that drives me crazy.

[LisaM]

I thought this was a very entertaining show especially given the relative weakness of the theater season. Sara and Josh were terrific; I hope that they are asked back again next year. 

I also thought that TPTB did a decent job selecting known television/film stars as presenters who also had or about to have ties to the Broadway stage. 

[whiporee]

7 hours ago, jjj said:

It was not nominated this year. Won last year. 

The show description said there was going to be a performance of some sort. I guess I missed it or my wife FFed through it. 

[mtlchick]

1 minute ago, whiporee said:

The show description said there was going to be a performance of some sort. I guess I missed it or my wife FFed through it. 

They performed during the In Memoriam segment.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

[whiporee]

Ah. Okay. Thanks -- my son's soprt of obsessed, so I'll try to find it for him. 

[filmfan2480]

I really enjoyed that last night.  Groban and Sara were wonderful.  Loved the presenters.  Loved the performances.  Loved the winners.  I totally cried during the Parkland segment and the Frozen segment.  There's just something about a rousing finish to a song followed by rapturous applause that gets my tears flowing out of nowhere.  I DVR-ed this and look forward to showing my mom later.

[mtlchick]

Oh Doogie Howser.   I'm not a Rachel, but she handled it a lot better than I would have. 

 

https://people.com/theater/rachel-bloom-claps-back-at-neil-patrick-harris-tonys/

[jjj]

6 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Oh Doogie Howser.   I'm not a Rachel, but she handled it a lot better than I would have. 

 

https://people.com/theater/rachel-bloom-claps-back-at-neil-patrick-harris-tonys/

I cannot imagine how she could have handled it better.  "I'm a big fan.  My husband wrote for your show."  And she left it to the rest of us to say, "asshole".  And I generally like NPH, but he seemed to be having a jealous mood as he tweeted this year's show. 

[aradia22]

I didn't detect any saltiness from NPH livetweeting the Tony Awards. And to be fair, I don't think they really explained what was going on with Rachel backstage. I think she did the hat thing another year but she referenced it like we would all get it. I like Rachel so I didn't mind her scattered energy but they didn't give her enough time to make it a thing so her jokes about mental illness, etc. would have been weird to anyone who didn't know her. I think they both handled themselves well after his gaff. I wonder how much they've "met." I get if he doesn't remember her, even after meeting a bunch of times, if they had very casual interactions. But if they've actually talked... Yikes! Not a good look.

[Mumbles]

On 6/10/2018 at 9:31 PM, sweeks said:

Glenda Jackson's speech about how welcoming the people in this country made me unexpectedly tear up. I'm hoping that Frozen will be a palate-cleanser to help me get through the rest of the evening without crying.

She looks so tiny and fragile (and dare I say a little brittle) and then she takes the mic with that glorious voice with such an optimistic, warm speech. My favorite moment of the night.

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How many EGOTs does Robert Lopez needs?  He already has TWO! 

The good news about him not getting one last night was that we were spared him and his wife rapping their acceptance speech, like they did one time. Awful.

[SomeTameGazelle]

On ‎2018‎-‎06‎-‎10 at 8:32 PM, sweeks said:

 

That said, I think that Amy Schumer gave the most accurate description of the show ever.

Everything she said was exactly George Bernard Shaw's point. And captured in most of the songs as well. I suppose I Could Have Danced All Night and I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face confuse the issue, but class and misogyny are definitely not subtle subtext or even unfortunate anachronistic prejudices that Shaw couldn't foresee that future enlightened generations would call him out on. 

[aradia22]

Well, this is an interesting update. 

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Tony Shalhoub just won a Tony for his work in The Band’s Visit, but you probably won’t be seeing him in the show anytime soon. In the Tony Awards press room last night, the show’s producers announced that Sasson Gabai, the star of Israeli cinema who created the role of Tewfiq in the film that inspired the musical, will make his Broadway debut in it on June 26. Shalhoub took what was announced as a hiatus from the show starting in March to shoot The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, while Dariush Kashani filled in for him, though the soon-to-be Tony winner returned for a few performances in May. 

http://www.vulture.com/2018/06/sasson-gabay-of-bands-visit-the-movie-to-star-in-the-show.html

[Inquisitionist]

On 6/10/2018 at 9:49 PM, irisheyes said:

Bruce needs to age gracefully like the rest of us. You can’t be the “Everyman” looking like you did when Born in the USA came out. 

Hmmm, my first thought was how much older Bruce looked than the last time I saw him on screen.  Seems to be aging very gracefully in my book.

On 6/10/2018 at 9:57 PM, dbell1 said:

I grew up in New Jersey with Bruce blasting from records, cassettes, ads, downloads. Saw him live a few times. Love that song.. but good Lord the man babbles a lot.

Ha, true dat.  I started reading his autobiography earlier this year. It feels a lot like the song Rosalita:  a lot of vague meandering to get you to a too-short singalong part that actually sticks in your memory.

On 6/10/2018 at 10:52 PM, aradia22 said:

Laurie Metcalf is a pretty legit theater actress at this point.

At this point?  She IS a theater actor first and foremost, who happened to hit it big (deservedly so) on one TV show.  I was fortunate to see her at Steppenwolf two years ago, and would jump at the chance to see her again on stage in anything.

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, Inquisitionist said:

Ha, true dat.  I started reading his autobiography earlier this year. It feels a lot like the song Rosalita:  a lot of vague meandering to get you to a too-short singalong part that actually sticks in your memory.

Bruce's autobiography was a slog.  He could have used a better editor.  Or, y'know, and editor at all.

I do love most of his music, though, and was fortunate enough to see him and the original E Street Band several years ago, a couple of years before Clarence died.  It was a great show!

[Quickbeam]

On 6/10/2018 at 9:42 PM, MostlyC said:

Maybe I'm too young, but the Bruce Springsteen obsession escapes me. I mean, he's good but...it's the dog whistle this puppy doesn't hear, I guess?

/ducks tomatoes

Ah, as  62 year old Jersey girl, I found he spoke for me and mine when Jersey was considered just a wasteland between NY and Philadelphia.  We were a forgotten people and he moved us up to a seat at the table. Have seen him 20 or 30 times in concert and his love for the fans is genuine and deep. Hometown love, I guess. Maybe not for everyone. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

7 hours ago, Inquisitionist said:

I started reading his autobiography earlier this year. It feels a lot like the song Rosalita:  a lot of vague meandering to get you to a too-short singalong part that actually sticks in your memory.

 

6 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Bruce's autobiography was a slog.  He could have used a better editor.  Or, y'know, and editor at all.

I’ve had his book sitting on Mt. TBR for almost two years and these comments do not make me want to move it up on ky reading list. Thanks for the warning!

[JustaPerson]

Not sure why, but the part with magic tricks was one of my favorite parts of the show. Too cute! Also, I love the attention to detail on Harry Potter (Jamie Parker) having the scars from his detention with Umbridge in the 5th book on his hand. 

[unicorn23]

What makes that bit even better is that Sara most likely ad-libbed the "There's a delay but it's pretty good" part.

[Bruinsfan]

On 6/10/2018 at 10:52 PM, aradia22 said:

SERIOUSLY. Especially Sara.

Salt in the wound is that the year The Blessed Unrest came out, that awful Lorde song "Royals" won Song of the Year and "I Choose You" wasn't even nominated.

[Crs97]

Funny story about Bruce.  I don’t know his music.  Husband recognized the chords to his favorite Springsteen song and was interested in the story until I leaned over and asked, “Why is he still talking?” Then one of our boys came in and asked, ”Who is he and why is he in front of a piano if he isn’t singing?” I tried to explain but don’t know his music or the show, son is more perplexed how this is on Broadway if it doesn’t really have a plot, and poor husband is getting more and more frustrated that he can’t hear the story.  It was a long ten minutes in our house.

[BW Manilowe]

6 hours ago, Crs97 said:

Funny story about Bruce.  I don’t know his music.  Husband recognized the chords to his favorite Springsteen song and was interested in the story until I leaned over and asked, “Why is he still talking?” Then one of our boys came in and asked, ”Who is he and why is he in front of a piano if he isn’t singing?” I tried to explain but don’t know his music or the show, son is more perplexed how this is on Broadway if it doesn’t really have a plot, and poor husband is getting more and more frustrated that he can’t hear the story.  It was a long ten minutes in our house.

Regarding the bolded: Springsteen's Broadway show is, basically from what I understand, concerts like he'd normally perform in other venues (arenas & stadiums)--only the venue of choice is a "legitimate" Broadway theatre & not a stadium or arena where his concerts are normally presented. He received a Special (non-competitive) Tony Award for the performances.

Neither the use of a "legitimate" Broadway theatre as a concert venue nor the presentation of a Special Tony Award to the artist for their Broadway-based concerts is a new concept as of this year, or because the artist (in this case) was the legendary Bruce Springsteen (among other things, he sang "Born in the USA"--if you know that song--& he won an Oscar for the theme to the Tom Hanks Oscar-winning movie Philadelphia). Both using a "legitimate" Broadway theatre as a live concert venue & presenting at least some of the artists who've done that with Special Tony Awards for their work have been done before, though I couldn't tell you when the first concert/series of concerts or live performances by a musical act/non-musical live performer not in the context of a Broadway play or musical was performed on a Broadway stage.

This is a short list, from Playbill, of some of the other musical acts who've performed concerts on Broadway stages, in addition to the usual concert venues. I'm almost positive it's not the complete list.

This is a current (including Springsteen from this year) list, from Wikipedia, of Special Tony Award Recipients. The first Special Tony Award was presented in 1947. Beginning in 1974, entertainers such as Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow (who's actually performed his concerts on Broadway in 1976 [from which his #1 Barry Manilow Live album came & for which he received his Special Tony Award], 1989 [these concerts were recorded for a Special that aired on Showtime cable channel, was also released on video, & is also available on iTunes], & 2013), Diana Ross, Lena Horne &, this year, Bruce Springsteen, have all received Special Tony Awards "for bringing lustre to the Broadway stage", as they said in awarding Liza Minnelli & Bette Midler's Special Tony Awards, with their live concert performances.

Sorry your husband didn't get to see all of Springsteen's segment. If he still hasn't seen it, tell him it's on YouTube.

[Good Queen Jane]

Bumping this since 2019 Tony nominations come out tomorrow (April 30).

Edited April 29, 2019 by Good Queen Jane

[Good Queen Jane]

And the 2019 Tony nominations.

[EtheltoTillie]

Just spotted this topic.  In the last two weeks I saw nominees Prom--fantastic--and Ink--also pretty good.  Anyone else? 

[bosawks]

My favorite two moments of the last year were both from Hadestown.  “Wait for me” and “Road to hell (reprise)” so I’m all in on that one.

Oddly my two favorite performances weren’t even nominated, so, Joan Allen and Bonnie Milligan you get the bosawks Tony.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Billy Porter’s Tony gown is made from the Kinky Boots red curtain

[ebk57]

So many great things in that article, not the least of which are he wants to host the Tonys and the embroidered uterus on the dress he's wearing tonight.  Thanks for posting @ElectricBoogaloo! 

[Growsonwalls]

On 6/2/2019 at 10:44 AM, GussieK said:

Just spotted this topic.  In the last two weeks I saw nominees Prom--fantastic--and Ink--also pretty good.  Anyone else? 

I saw To Kill a Mockingbird, Prom, Hadestown, Kiss Me Kate, Oklahoma!, and The Ferryman. 

My favorite to win best musical is Hadestown. Also loved TKAM but that didn't get nominated for Best Play because of, well, reasons.

[ebk57]

I've seen nothing this year.  We're going up in August and I was trying to decide whether to buy tickets this afternoon before shows win stuff tonight, but inertia claimed me.  So I'm leaving it to fate... or something. 

[Growsonwalls]

Hmm here's my blog review of To Kill a Mockingbird:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/06/to-kill-mockingbird-abts-spring-season.html

Hadestown:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/04/hadestown-aka-orpheus-and-eurydice-opera.html

Ferryman:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-ferryman-style-over-substance-merce.html

Kiss Me Kate and The Prom:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/03/theater-diaries-kiss-me-kate-and-prom.html

Oklahoma!:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/04/oklahoma-violence-as-american-as-chili.html

[aradia22]

I've seen Hadestown (off-Broadway) so the production/choreography/costumes was totally different but I did love Amber and Patrick in their roles.

I saw Kiss Me, Kate. It's fine but not great. Kelli is far and away the best thing in it.

I saw Gary last night. I'll review it in the Theatre Talk thread at some point. It's not very good and carried by the performers. 

I missed Choir Boy. There was a moment when I could have seen it cheaply but I was busy and then I kept waiting but the show had been reviewed and was popular at that point.

I'm planning to see Oklahoma! and Hadestown. Maybe The Cher Show and Ain't Too Proud. No interest in anything else. Next season is already looking better, or at least more appealing to me specifically.

[Growsonwalls]

2 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

I've seen Hadestown (off-Broadway) so the production/choreography/costumes was totally different but I did love Amber and Patrick in their roles.

I saw Kiss Me, Kate. It's fine but not great. Kelli is far and away the best thing in it.

I saw Gary last night. I'll review it in the Theatre Talk thread at some point. It's not very good and carried by the performers. 

I missed Choir Boy. There was a moment when I could have seen it cheaply but I was busy and then I kept waiting but the show had been reviewed and was popular at that point.

I'm planning to see Oklahoma! and Hadestown. Maybe The Cher Show and Ain't Too Proud. No interest in anything else. Next season is already looking better, or at least more appealing to me specifically.

You didn't miss much with Choir Boy. It's one of those plays where you can telegraph every plot twist miles before it happens. Jeremy Pope was great though.

[bosawks]

1 hour ago, ebk57 said:

I've seen nothing this year.  We're going up in August and I was trying to decide whether to buy tickets this afternoon before shows win stuff tonight, but inertia claimed me.  So I'm leaving it to fate... or something. 

If you’re leaving it up to the fates then it’ll be Hadestown.....

[aradia22]

I did not like the opening number. Sometimes it really shows that Corden is not a strong singer and this was one of those times. But more importantly, the lyrics were very muddled and the argument didn't make much sense. The Tonys are a TV show of a stage production and you're saying TV can't capture a theatrical experience? Then why am I watching this? Also so many stage productions are being filmed these days.

I knew Celia was going to win.

Ain't Too Proud didn't sound the best. I hope the sound won't be off all night. But it looks like a fun show.

[bosawks]

Got that one wrong, thought it would be Robin.

 

I thought Elaine and Joan Allen were the very definition of synergy, I wish it was still playing.

[Growsonwalls]

Celia Keenan-Bolger's win was well-deserved. She was incredible as Scout Finch.

As for Ain't Too Proud, I didn't like it. For one, I didn't think they exuded the same kind of cool that The Temptations did.

[bosawks]

Santino was the best part of Tootsie.

[ebk57]

9 minutes ago, bosawks said:

Got that one wrong, thought it would be Robin.

Oh wait - I guess I did see something.  I saw Boys in the Band.  And I agree, Robin was fabulous. 

I also saw Beetlejuice, the second preview in DC.  I hear it's improved.  I'd hope so since it was nominated for stuff.  Cuz it was pretty bad when I saw it. 

1 minute ago, bosawks said:

Santino was the best part of Tootsie.

I still want to see this show.  I know I shouldn't, but I do. 

[EtheltoTillie]

2 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

I still want to see this show.  I know I shouldn't, but I do. 

Hey, I even want to see King Kong.  So sue me.

[aradia22]

I didn't bother with Best Featured Actor. I'm surprised Carvel got it with the competition from more popular plays.

I took a wild guess on Elaine May getting the "older person who probably won't get another nomination" vote.

Tootsie looks boring. I get wanting to feature a lot of the cast but that number didn't sell me. 

[bosawks]

1 minute ago, ebk57 said:

I still want to see this show.  I know I shouldn't, but I do. 

For someone who went to see it just to see how they tackled something that didn’t age well, I didn’t hate it.

I don’t know if that’s ringing praise but it’s something.

1 minute ago, GussieK said:

Hey, I even want to see King Kong.  So sue me.

The puppet was amazing, I don’t really remember anything else but that puppet was kick-ass.

Woo hoo Andre!