The Annual Tony Awards - General Discussion

[Milburn Stone]

"This speech about how important writers are was...written by a writer."

[aradia22]

I feel like Patti was channeling her Pal Joey days. Not bad but nothing remarkable and for her that was super easy. 

[magpye29]

1 hour ago, aradia22 said:

Why hasn't Orlando Bloom aged?

There's this picture in his closet...

[legaleagle53]

1 minute ago, magpye29 said:

There's this picture in his closet...

Yeah, that's the same thing I say every year when I see Bernadette Peters and she still looks as though she hasn't aged a day since I first laid eyes on her more than 40 years ago.

[jjj]

Appreciate all your posts as we watch in Pacific Time!  I prefer the simultaneous broadcast of the Oscars so I can post in real time.  At least this way, I know in advance when to watch and when I can step away. 

[JustaPerson]

I love how Kevin Spacey got Robin Wright and Michael Kelly to show up to say nothing. 

Gavin!!!! I've been a fan since I saw a bootleg of Thoroughly Modern Millie and even got seeing him in BOM in LA. I'm so excited that he won!

Ben Platt's performance in DEH was incredible and he totally deserved the Tony. I love Waving from a Window, but I wish they would have done You Will be Found instead. Then everyone could have been onstage.

[jjj]

That was a very down song for an ending -- kind of a slow dance song, when we needed energy.  Agree that you did not miss anything if your station cut away.

2 hours ago, lovett1979 said:

There was a closing number. Spacey and Patti sang a Bobby Darrin song and invited all Tony winners on stage. It was odd, and not very good. You didn't miss anything if your CBS switched away.

[Milburn Stone]

6 hours ago, jjj said:

That was a very down song for an ending -- kind of a slow dance song, when we needed energy.  Agree that you did not miss anything if your station cut away.

Yeah, and what's weirder is, I've heard that song done at a slightly faster tempo (by Steve & Eydie) and it worked beautifully, maintaining the emotion without sounding like a dirge or a commercial for clinical depression. (Not a fast tempo, just a slightly faster one.) All they had to do last night was set the tempo about 15%  faster and it wouldn't have brought the whole show crashing down.

[PradaKitty]

What was the sing?  I turned it off after Bette's win - had to get up at 5:00 for work!

[Milburn Stone]

19 minutes ago, PradaKitty said:

What was the sing?  I turned it off after Bette's win - had to get up at 5:00 for work!

"The Curtain Falls," written by one Sol Weinstein, who made his living as a comedy writer, even though there's nothing comedic about the song, which, truth to tell, is not bad. (Just doesn't need to be performed at a funereal tempo.)

[vibeology]

That was not a great Tonys. The show ran very smoothly but the performances were not special. I think my favourite one was Justin Guarini singing the In Memoriam and when that's the case something has gone very wrong.

DEH suffered because Ben Platt is on vocal rest and there's a clear reason for that but also because I don't think they filmed it all that well. The camera needed to pull back at least once to let us get the full effect of the stage with all the screens and text up there. I go the sense that I should be seeing all of that but the camera never gave me a good look.

Come From Away and The Great Comet were both very energetic numbers and if I was going to spend money to go to New York and see a show, I'd pick one of those. But neither number really caught me the way Tony numbers have in the past. I do think that in a few years, Come From Away is the sort of show that community theatre will embrace and it'll live on for a long time that way. It has the big cast, the easy sets and costumes and a story that will resonate with people in cities and town in the US and Canada.

Miss Saigon is not a good show and while I'm sure the cast is talented, that performance was so over the top. Same with Patti and Christine. I get they are legends but when they both started singing over each other it was just too much. Falsettos was too frenetic. Groundhog Day was cute but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it.

Hello, Dolly! Ugh! I get that the Tonys are mainly a marketing tool and they don't feel the need to market their successful show but the Tonys has never been just that. For me, living 8 hour away from New York by car, this is my one chance every year to see a quality performance from the best shows Broadway has to offer. The Tonys have been an inspiration to me (and I'm sure to many others) to sing and dance and act and write and make costumes and paint sets and hand out programs as ushers. The Tonys more than any other awards show are a beacon to everyone saying "This is what art can do. This is how art can make you feel." And for Scott Rudin, Bette and the rest of the Hello Dolly people to give us "Penny in my Pocket" with no staging is a clear message of fuck art, get money. It's disappointing. They did the cheapest performance they could of a song no one cares about so that you have to pay the crazy ticket prices (and for someone like me who lives out of town in another country, pay to travel, pay for a hotel, pay for food and pay the exchange rate) to see anything familiar to fans of the show or of either of the actors who actually won a Tony last night. It's just a gross move and will forever taint Scott Rudin (in his case further taint) and Bette Midler for me.

The other thing I will say is that after last year, that was a white Tonys. Miss Saigon has a cast full of poc but they're performing in Miss Saigon so I feel like that ends up being a 0. Hopefully the exposure will help Eva Noblezada going forward because I was impressed with her. Deneé, sadly, wasn't really featured in The Great Comet performance, but I do hope the show's success will be good for her career as well.  Jitney got a win but none of the actors were recognized. Obviously there were a few other poc nominated but no one won and because they didn't even give James Earl Jones his award during the live telecast, it felt very noticeable. I know having Hamilton and The Color Purple made last year made this year really stand out but the theatre community took a bow last year talking about their diversity (compared to #Oscarssowhite) and then put up a very white season this year.

Edited June 12, 2017 by vibeology

[bosawks]

With regards to "Hello Dolly" if you're not going to give me Bette, fine, but at least give me Gavin!!!

[Inquisitionist]

1 hour ago, vibeology said:

Come From Away and The Great Comet were both very energetic numbers and if I was going to spend money to go to New York and see a show, I'd pick one of those. But neither number really caught me the way Tony numbers have in the past. I do think that in a few years, Come From Away is the sort of show that community theatre will embrace and it'll live on for a long time that way. It has the big cast, the easy sets and costumes and a story that will resonate with people in cities and town in the US and Canada.

Funny you should mention community theater, as I got that vibe watching the Tonys performance, and I don't mean that as a compliment.  A friend who raved about CFA (what does that title mean, anyway?) posted that she thought the song had to be changed to make it TV-friendly -- lyric changes?  I don't know what she meant, but I would not seek out that show on the basis of the Tony performance.  It sounded like a bunch of screeching and shouting of not particularly impressive lyrics. 

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Miss Saigon is not a good show and while I'm sure the cast is talented, that performance was so over the top. Same with Patti and Christine. I get they are legends but when they both started singing over each other it was just too much. Falsettos was too frenetic. Groundhog Day was cute but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it.

I've never seen Miss Saigon.  I remember trying to listen to a recording of it during a long overseas flight some years ago, but it all sounded so histrionic that I couldn't take it for long.  I haven't seen War Paint (the Chicago try-out got fairly tepid reviews), but if that "song" was representative of its music, I'm thinking I didn't miss much.  Another screechy shout-fest.

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Hello, Dolly! Ugh! I get that the Tonys are mainly a marketing tool and they don't feel the need to market their successful show but the Tonys has never been just that. For me, living 8 hour away from New York by car, this is my one chance every year to see a quality performance from the best shows Broadway has to offer. The Tonys have been an inspiration to me (and I'm sure to many others) to sing and dance and act and write and make costumes and paint sets and hand out programs as ushers. The Tonys more than any other awards show are a beacon to everyone saying "This is what art can do. This is how art can make you feel." And for Scott Rudin, Bette and the rest of the Hello Dolly people to give us "Penny in my Pocket" with no staging is a clear message of fuck art, get money. It's disappointing. They did the cheapest performance they could of a song no one cares about so that you have to pay the crazy ticket prices (and for someone like me who lives out of town in another country, pay to travel, pay for a hotel, pay for food and pay the exchange rate) to see anything familiar to fans of the show or of either of the actors who actually won a Tony last night. It's just a gross move and will forever taint Scott Rudin (in his case further taint) and Bette Midler for me.

Thanks for this!  I was very puzzled by that choice of song as well.  I know it's been a while since I've seen a production of HD, but I honestly had no recollection of Penny in My Pocket -- and after seeing/hearing it last night, I still don't!

I guess I'm old school but I think that, unless a musical is basically an opera with no spoken dialog (ala Hamilton), then the songs should underscore emotions and stand on their own outside the show itself rather than convey a bunch of storyline stuff.  This was the genius of Rogers & Hammerstein and Lerner & Lowe and Bock & Harnick, IMO.  You know that Oh, What a Beautiful Morning is from Oklahoma and On the Street Where You Live is from My Fair Lady and Sunrise, Sunset is from Fiddler on the Roof, and the meaning that each song has in its show's context, but the songs are great on their own, even if you haven't seen the shows.

[PradaKitty]

Penny in my Pocket was cut from the original Hello Dolly before it hot Broadway.

[meep.meep]

Penny in My Pocket - we agreed that there was a reason why it had been cut.

What the Hello Dolly folks have forgotten is that the vast majority of people in this country, even those who like live musical theater, are never going to have the opportunity to see their production.  This was their one big chance to show us why it's so great.  And they turned up their noses at us.  I live 3000 miles away, and won't be anxiously flying to NYC to see it.

Thank god Midler thanked Carol Channing.   Funny that she didn't thank Streisand.

Spacey and his stupid impressions sucked.  And, news flash, no one but him wants to hear Bobby Darin songs anymore.

[jjj]

I noticed that I wrote the last comment about last year's Tonys (West Coast remnant of viewing) and raved about how well produced the show was.  This year, I agree there was no one performance that really caught me emotionally or made me want to see a show -- although I understand I would completely enjoy several of the contenders.  The main reason I watch, like so many posters here, is to see the best level of performing from the best shows.  And these selections were just not that impressive.  I don't need all the stage craft -- just great precision in movement and acting and singing.  Didn't they include some pure acting scenes from plays last year? That is, without singing.

22 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

I guess I'm old school but I think that, unless a musical is basically an opera with no spoken dialog (ala Hamilton), then the songs should underscore emotions and stand on their own outside the show itself rather than convey a bunch of storyline stuff.  This was the genius of Rogers & Hammerstein and Lerner & Lowe and Bock & Harnick, IMO.  You know that Oh, What a Beautiful Morning is from Oklahoma and On the Street Where You Live is from My Fair Lady and Sunrise, Sunset is from Fiddler on the Roof, and the meaning that each song has in its show's context, but the songs are great on their own, even if you haven't seen the shows.

  Right, there was nothing wrong with "The Curtain Falls", , except that it was NOT a "final song" for an event or a show.  More of a mid-show point of reflection.

2 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

"The Curtain Falls," written by one Sol Weinstein, who made his living as a comedy writer, even though there's nothing comedic about the song, which, truth to tell, is not bad. (Just doesn't need to be performed at a funereal tempo.)

Edited June 12, 2017 by jjj

[Duckie30ca]

28 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

A friend who raved about CFA (what does that title mean, anyway?) posted that she thought the song had to be changed to make it TV-friendly -- lyric changes? 

They were changed. (In 2 spots, off the top of my head. The Officer actually says "STFD - slow the fuck down" and Bonnie says "Jesus H, Oz, turn on your radio."

 

As for the title, a "Come From Away" is a

person who is not a native Newfoundlander. 

[Mumbles]

Quote

Spacey and his stupid impressions sucked.  And, news flash, no one but him wants to hear Bobby Darin songs anymore.

Carson has been gone for twelve years. Clinton hasn't been president in 17 years. If he's going to do impressions, how about someone who's been relevant in, say, the last decade?

And no offense to Bobby Darin, but as soon as I realized Spacey was gonna sing I thought, watch it be a Bobby Darin song. He's such a cliche.

I hope the young chorus boy cuties got out of the night unscathed.

[vibeology]

I did forget that I was very happy to see Laurie Metcalf finally pick up a Tony. For all her TV and film work, she's always been very vocal about her love for the stage and her preference for live theatre so it was nice to see her win a Tony after many years and many shows.

I did notice that she thanked two kids. I don't want to start any drama but even though I'm basically Zoe's age, I'd be a little hurt if my mom thanked my younger siblings and didn't thank me. Not crazy upset but a little hurt. Plus there is another son too who isn't that much older than the son she did thank. But who knows, maybe they knew ahead of time and were cool with it.

[TeapotDiva]

I *love* the Tonys, but I was really disappointed in this year's show.  I thought they borrowed too much "schtick" from the Oscars and other award shows (even though the handing-out-food bits were supposed to be mocking similar bits on the Oscars and Emmys).  And, just as in the other shows, the impressions and other nonsense meant that the so-called prestige winners had to race through their speeches, and the show ran overtime.  I also thought the "In Memoriam" segment was incredibly disrespectful to those whom they were supposed to be honoring.  The viewer had to read three different things ~ the person's name (which, confusingly, was not even in the same frame as their photos), whether they were an actor or director, etc., and whether they won any Tonys ~ viewed at an angle (and sometimes from a distance), while the show whipped through each one at ridiculous speed.  And then they stopped halfway through to highlight the a capella group!  If it's too much trouble to focus on the honorees, don't even bother.

[PRgal]

19 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I love The King and I. It's a well constructed show and that score is fantastic. And the recent revival was gorgeous. 

Per that New Yorker article, I would give Miss Saigon the award for "Best Ill-Conceived Revival of a Racist Musical"

I LOVE The King and I!  It (and a few other R&H musicals, South Pacific included) serves as criticism about how societies view cultural differences and how it can be overcome (okay, this was based seeing the 2015 production).  I was completely OBSESSED with Miss Saigon (and Les Miz) when I was a teenager (and into my early 20s)...

[aradia22]

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I also thought the "In Memoriam" segment was incredibly disrespectful to those whom they were supposed to be honoring.  The viewer had to read three different things ~ the person's name (which, confusingly, was not even in the same frame as their photos), whether they were an actor or director, etc., and whether they won any Tonys ~ viewed at an angle (and sometimes from a distance), while the show whipped through each one at ridiculous speed.  And then they stopped halfway through to highlight the a capella group!  If it's too much trouble to focus on the honorees, don't even bother.

I didn't think it was outright disrespectful but it was very poorly handled. First, tell everyone to not just clap for their favorites. Either clap for everyone or wait until the end. I liked the a capella group so I'm biased but I also think that whether they pace it with the slideshow or whatever, somehow other awards shows manage to highlight the performer (I remember Sara Bareilles and Carrie Underwood) while also focusing on the In Memoriam. This was just poorly done because the slides were moving too fast. I don't remember what the set up was like for everything so I don't know if there was a reason they split the screens for the In Memoriam. I don't think it had to be on one screen but again, the person filming it seemed to be struggling and if there was something disrespectful it was how quickly those slides flew by. Maybe we (sadly) lost a lot of people this year but that's why you budget enough time in the show to do the In Memoriam. You don't just speed it up so it fits. 

[Mumbles]

I agree with you all on how distasteful it is when the Memoriam piece becomes a popularity/name recognition contest. Especially when "stars" like Mary Tyler Moore and Carrie Fisher, who do little theater relatively speaking, get out-clapped by folks who spent their lives in the theater.

And given that it is a theater show, I wish they would pick a song from a musical, rather than a pop song.  Or have someone write one.

[wonderwoman]

3 hours ago, TeapotDiva said:

I also thought the "In Memoriam" segment was incredibly disrespectful to those whom they were supposed to be honoring.  The viewer had to read three different things ~ the person's name (which, confusingly, was not even in the same frame as their photos), whether they were an actor or director, etc., and whether they won any Tonys ~ viewed at an angle (and sometimes from a distance), while the show whipped through each one at ridiculous speed.  And then they stopped halfway through to highlight the a capella group!  If it's too much trouble to focus on the honorees, don't even bother.

I felt the same say. In the past, In Memoriam was something the Tony's usually got right, a marked contrast to the Oscars. But, this production felt off in a lot of ways -- like they were trying too hard to be hip. Although That pie did look good:)

[Unraveled]

5 hours ago, TeapotDiva said:

I also thought the "In Memoriam" segment was incredibly disrespectful to those whom they were supposed to be honoring.  The viewer had to read three different things ~ the person's name (which, confusingly, was not even in the same frame as their photos), whether they were an actor or director, etc., and whether they won any Tonys ~ viewed at an angle (and sometimes from a distance), while the show whipped through each one at ridiculous speed.  And then they stopped halfway through to highlight the a capella group!  If it's too much trouble to focus on the honorees, don't even bother.

I agree with not being able to read their names and what they did on Broadway. The idea was nice (marquee), but the execution was poor. I like the "In Memoriam" segments best when they mute the audience and you can only hear the singer(s). That way there's no "popularity" contest.

[mtlchick]

Quote

Hello, Dolly! Ugh! I get that the Tonys are mainly a marketing tool and they don't feel the need to market their successful show but the Tonys has never been just that. For me, living 8 hour away from New York by car, this is my one chance every year to see a quality performance from the best shows Broadway has to offer.

A Facebook friend posted this last night

 

Quote

So, the producers of "Hello Dolly!" refused to do any big songs (with Bette Midler) on the Tonys because they didn't want to have to "retool" them for the bigger stage of Radio City. Yet "Great Comet", with its amazing, elaborate, Tony-winning set, was able to show creativity in *downsizing* their presentation for the venue so they could be represented tonight. Huh.

 

Who knows how accurate that is but I wouldn't put it past Rudin and even The Divine One.  It's not like they need the money, but they could  done SOMETHING appealing!

[JustaPerson]

Wow, that's no excuse. If Great Comet can do it and Dear Evan Hansen can bring all their screens in and pretty much everyone else could do it, they could have done something. I wanted to see Gavin sing, damnit!

[jjj]

It's not like this is the only year that productions have had to "size up" or "size down" for the Tony stage.  It is part of communicating your production via the award show.  I'd actually like it if they could broadcast live from each of the theatres, but it would be problematic to get the performers back to the main hall for awards.  Yes, it would involve the cost of production teams at up to five sites, but could be magical. 

27 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

"So, the producers of "Hello Dolly!" refused to do any big songs (with Bette Midler) on the Tonys because they didn't want to have to "retool" them for the bigger stage of Radio City. Yet "Great Comet", with its amazing, elaborate, Tony-winning set, was able to show creativity in *downsizing* their presentation for the venue so they could be represented tonight. Huh."

Who knows how accurate that is but I wouldn't put it past Rudin and even The Divine One.  It's not like they need the money, but they could  done SOMETHING appealing!

Yes, the "In Memoriam" needs to focus on the departed in a clear manner -- the music should purely be a backdrop, not the focus.  It took a few slides before I realized where the names were printed as each one flashed by.

4 hours ago, Mumbles said:

I agree with you all on how distasteful it is when the Memoriam piece becomes a popularity/name recognition contest. Especially when "stars" like Mary Tyler Moore and Carrie Fisher, who do little theater relatively speaking, get out-clapped by folks who spent their lives in the theater.

And given that it is a theater show, I wish they would pick a song from a musical, rather than a pop song.  Or have someone write one.

[SomeTameGazelle]

I actually quite enjoyed Penny in My Pocket -- maybe because I had my expectations set low by the reaction online before I watched it, maybe because Tommy Tune's introduction warmed me up immensely even before my affection for David Hyde Pierce kicked in. I thought it was a kind of gentle satire of the self-made man and as a completist I appreciated hearing a number that wasn't already familiar to me.

If the number from Miss Saigon did nothing else, at least it reminded me pleasantly of the way The Drowsy Chaperone made fun of it, so that was worth it to me.

[Jac]

10 hours ago, vibeology said:

I did forget that I was very happy to see Laurie Metcalf finally pick up a Tony. For all her TV and film work, she's always been very vocal about her love for the stage and her preference for live theatre so it was nice to see her win a Tony after many years and many shows.

I did notice that she thanked two kids. I don't want to start any drama but even though I'm basically Zoe's age, I'd be a little hurt if my mom thanked my younger siblings and didn't thank me. Not crazy upset but a little hurt. Plus there is another son too who isn't that much older than the son she did thank. But who knows, maybe they knew ahead of time and were cool with it.

 

The context of the thank you was to the two kids who have to have the their lives disrupted in order for Laurie to be able to do a long run on Broadway, so in that context it didn't bother me in the slightest. 

I was was super happy to see Laurie win too. She is so brilliant and I think underrated in the public's estimation, critics  give her her due but I think to most people she will always be Roseanne's little sister, or to the younger crowd, Sheldon Cooper's mom.

As as for the show in general, it felt lacking in comparison to last year. I feel that the musical song selections on the most part were poor. My sister and I watched basically in the middle of the night, finals suck yo, and compared to last year, where we wanted to see everything, most things this year were distinctly meh. Even things we know we would like, such as Dear Evan Hansen, Falsettos, and War Paint were underwhelming.

The in memoiorium section was really poor, it felt like the focus was on Justin Guarini and co and not on remembering those who have passed away in the last year. 

Spacey was underwhelming.

[Inquisitionist]

17 hours ago, vibeology said:

I did forget that I was very happy to see Laurie Metcalf finally pick up a Tony. For all her TV and film work, she's always been very vocal about her love for the stage and her preference for live theatre so it was nice to see her win a Tony after many years and many shows.

I've had the opportunity to see Laurie onstage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater twice.  She is a treasure.  Wish I could see her on Broadway, too!

[Arynm]

I saw, and quite liked War Paint. The song they sang was not one I would have picked to represent the show. The really good songs were ones that didn't have both of the leading ladies, so there was no way they were going to do one of those. I loved the Great Comet number, we didn't see that when we went to New York, I wish we had.

[Quof]

I didn't enjoy War Paint as much as I hoped to.  It was about 20 minutes too long. But it was worth it to see Patti and Christine.  That's how I felt when I saw Shuffle Along: "God this is tedious, and should have ended 45 minutes ago, but at least it's Audra."

[aradia22]

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I didn't enjoy War Paint as much as I hoped to.  It was about 20 minutes too long. But it was worth it to see Patti and Christine.  That's how I felt when I saw Shuffle Along: "God this is tedious, and should have ended 45 minutes ago, but at least it's Audra."

And Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter and Brandon Victor Dixon and Josh Henry and Adrienne Warren. 

[Florinaldo]

On 2017-06-12 at 11:21 AM, vibeology said:

DEH suffered because Ben Platt is on vocal rest and there's a clear reason for that but also because I don't think they filmed it all that well.

Thanks for that info. I thought that he did not sound as good as when I saw the show during a jaunt to NYC earlier this year, but I chalked it up to lack of vocal warm-up and having to get into the number cold. The intensity of the performance and acting was still there, but the voice was not as assured. People who will be able to get tickets after this Tony win makes it a truly hot commodity are in for a treat.

Laurie Metcalf is also excellent in the Ibsen "sequel" (what a cheeky idea and title!). She gave an interesting interview to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation last week, which can be listened to here.

20 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

If the number from Miss Saigon did nothing else, at least it reminded me pleasantly of the way The Drowsy Chaperone made fun of it, so that was worth it to me.

 The number was overwrought, but your reminder of The Drowsy Chaperone makes it just about worthwhile.

On 2017-06-11 at 11:03 PM, Machiabelly said:

Past funny to annoying. Sit down Bette. 

She seemed to think that Broadway revolves around her and her show, which may be in line with the arrogance of the producers refusing to retool their staging for the venue the awards were broadcast from. Perhaps if she were a Broadway faithful who performs nearly yearly on the Great White Way, allowances might be made for such boorish disdain.

On 2017-06-12 at 0:54 PM, Inquisitionist said:

I don't know what she meant, but I would not seek out that show on the basis of the Tony performance.

I must be a disloyal Canadian because I avoided that show since every excerpts and interviews from the cast and crew I have heard make it sound like a typically folkloric view of Canada, and Newfoundland especially, as a quaint place full of colorful people.

[Milburn Stone]

23 hours ago, Inquisitionist said:

I've had the opportunity to see Laurie onstage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater twice.  She is a treasure.  Wish I could see her on Broadway, too!

I was hoping she would give a mention to Glenne Headly, her great Steppenwolf cohort who died just a couple days before. I don't think it was wrong of her not to--winning the Tony was her moment, and she had things she wanted to say--I'm just saying that in my own fantasy of her speech, that would have been in there.

[Quof]

Florinaldo, fellow Canuck here who also refuses to see Come From Away.   Just the Tony excerpt was enough to convince me it was going for "look at the quaint little foreigners with their funny accents and bad clothing" condescension. 

Dammit, we Canadians can make fun of Newfies, but others can't. 

[aradia22]

Quote

Florinaldo, fellow Canuck here who also refuses to see Come From Away.   Just the Tony excerpt was enough to convince me it was going for "look at the quaint little foreigners with their funny accents and bad clothing" condescension. 

Dammit, we Canadians can make fun of Newfies, but others can't. 

To be fair, it's written by Canadians.

[Quof]

They're from Toronto.   They don't count. 

[surreysmum]

8 hours ago, Quof said:

They're from Toronto.   They don't count. 

*Raises quizzical Toronto eyebrow.* "They're from Toronto, who are the only ones who count."  There, fixed that for you.

[Unraveled]

On 6/13/2017 at 8:16 PM, Florinaldo said:

She seemed to think that Broadway revolves around her and her show, which may be in line with the arrogance of the producers refusing to retool their staging for the venue the awards were broadcast from. Perhaps if she were a Broadway faithful who performs nearly yearly on the Great White Way, allowances might be made for such boorish disdain.

I haven't wanted to said it aloud, but I think those are my exact feelings too. If it was a Broadway legend (a la Pattie LuPone, Christine Ebersole, etc), I could give the speech a pass. Or someone like Susan Lucci finally winning a Daytime Emmy after being nominated and losing a million times. (I don't know if that speech was long, but I would let Susan finish.)

[Florinaldo]

16 hours ago, Quof said:

They're from Toronto.   They don't count. 

You forget that "Toronto" derives from an ancient Iroquois word meaning "center of the world".  At least that's the explanation I got from people who live there.  ;-)

Edited June 16, 2017 by Florinaldo

[scarynikki12]

5 hours ago, Unraveled said:

Susan Lucci finally winning a Daytime Emmy after being nominated and losing a million times. (I don't know if that speech was long, but I would let Susan finish.)

It was and they did.  When she won, the whole room erupted and she had to wait a couple of minutes to start speaking due to the enthusiasm.  One of my favorite awards memories.

[Eureka]

On 6/11/2017 at 8:41 PM, ebk57 said:

I understand.  I only get to NY twice a year, but fortunately, I can stay for several days and drain my bank account at will :-)

I think Lion King is a breathtaking night in the theatre.  Even if it is Lion King...

Dh was just able to get tickets for Little Foxes when we are there! So excited. I love Laura Linney and the idea of seeing her live....?.

[Just Here]

The 2018 nominations were announced on Tuesday. (Playbill, TonyAwards.com)

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Best Play: The Children, by Lucy Kirkwood; Farinelli and The King, by Claire van Kampen; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two, by Jack Thorne; Junk, by Ayad Akhtar; Latin History for Morons, by John Leguizamo

Best Musical: The Band's Visit, Frozen, Mean Girls, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical

Best Revival of a Play: Angels in America, Edward Albee's Three Tall Women, Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, Lobby Hero, Travesties

Best Revival of a Musical: My Fair Lady, Once On This Island, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel

 

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Also announced May 1 were this year's two Special Tony Award recipients: Bruce Springsteen, who currently makes his special engagement Springsteen on Broadway, and Latin History for Morons' John Leguizamo.

As previously announced, this year’s awards will present Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre honors to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chita Rivera.

The ceremony is Sunday, June 10th, with Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban as co-hosts.

Edited May 2, 2018 by Just Here
auto-formatting woes

[scarynikki12]

Harry Potter was amazing so I’m rooting for it to win but I don’t know how likely it is. 

[MyAimIsTrue]

Am I wrong in thinking this was a fairly weak Broadway season?  Very few of the nominated shows scream "must see" to me and I'm more interested in the revivals than the new shows.

[meep.meep]

I think if Sponge Bob Square Pants is nominated, you can assume that it's a weak year.  I'm sure it's delightful, but probably not a Lion King.

[aradia22]

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Am I wrong in thinking this was a fairly weak Broadway season?  Very few of the nominated shows scream "must see" to me and I'm more interested in the revivals than the new shows.

You're not wrong. It's been a weak season for both musicals and plays. I've been able to save money/catch up on shows from last season because of it. The Once On This Island revival was great. I wish it had gotten more love. The Band's Visit is great but I saw it off-Broadway and it also opened before most of the others so it doesn't really count as this season for me.

Weirdly there are a bunch of openings coming up for next season (Head Over Heels, King Kong, The Prom, Pretty Woman, etc.). I expect most, if not all of them, to flop so I have no idea what the thinking is. Why would you come in a few months after the Tony cut off but way before the cut off for next season? Your show is probably not going to make it that long. Next season is looking kind of dismal too but I have some hope that one of the shows hovering around Broadway might see the slim pickings and grab a theater. 

I've yet to see Carousel and My Fair Lady but word of mouth on Carousel has been VERY mixed and I find all the nominations a bit baffling. Especially costumes.

Spongebob is actually supposed to be really great and the costumes certainly seem creative. But I've heard the audiences are awful and it's not selling very well.

[bosawks]

On 5/2/2018 at 6:01 PM, meep.meep said:

I think if Sponge Bob Square Pants is nominated, you can assume that it's a weak year.  I'm sure it's delightful, but probably not a Lion King.

I thought it was actually delightful.