The Annual Tony Awards - General Discussion

[filmfan2480]

I feel like I'm in an alternate universe.  My mom and I loved the show.  Loved the opening (and Ariana DeBose, in general).  People say that she doesn't have charisma to host?  We thought she had it in SPADES.  I took no issue with the winners.  I enjoyed most of the performances.  And I wish the Oscars (which I love, love movies, etc) celebrated film with the same verve that the Tonys celebrate shows.

[LisaM]

3 minutes ago, filmfan2480 said:

I feel like I'm in an alternate universe.  My mom and I loved the show.  Loved the opening (and Ariana DeBose, in general).  People say that she doesn't have charisma to host?  We thought she had it in SPADES.  I took no issue with the winners.  I enjoyed most of the performances.  And I wish the Oscars (which I love, love movies, etc) celebrated film with the same verve that the Tonys celebrate shows.

I enjoyed Ariana too - - but hated the bit where she went into the audience. 

[Bruinsfan]

You're not alone, I thought Ariana did a great job as well.

I think the reason for Billy Porter dressing in something outrageous and puzzling is that he's Billy Porter.

54 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

Cynthia looks fabulous... but also like a character from Star Wars or Dune. It's a lot of outfit for the Tonys.

You echoed my thoughts. Not that she couldn't pull that look off, but it was just so odd... like while everyone else goes to the afterparties she's going to catch the next starship to a desert planet for a religious ceremony.

I'm not familiar with A Strange Loop, but while the premise sounded important, nothing I saw or heard from it tonight convinced me it deserved any awards. I'd have picked any of the other musicals over it based on their representative numbers.

When Patti LuPone unfolded the manuscript of her speech, I rubbed my hands together and said "let's see if the orchestra tries to play HER off when she runs over the allotted time!"

[aradia22]

Quote

I enjoyed Ariana too - - but hated the bit where she went into the audience. 

There wasn't a lot of her in the broadcast, but almost everything they gave her to do was crazy. She carried it off without showing nerves or strain but it was all still terrible material. Bad monologue, bad opening, bad comedy song... just so much why. The credits medley was also a lot but I think I was okay with it by that point. But again, great job to whoever got her to wear outfits that work for her body. 

[aradia22]

This is the song I'd pick to show off A Strange Loop. But I also think Larry Owens also felt like he was LEADING the musical in a way I haven't seen Jacquel do in any of the promotional/press performances of the Broadway production. I'm not sure if it's his voice/presence or the sound. If you're not following other Broadway boards, apparently the sound mixing for this production is just terrible.

You can get a sense of what Larry was like here

[buttersister]

Quote

Did anyone notice they played Joaquina off after her very serious and passionate speech with Put on a Happy Face?  I know it was probably scheduled, but can anyone make a better decision on the fly??

Unfortunate timing, but they were playing on Bowen Yang.

Billy Crystal must have exhausted himself with that performance. He didn’t even half the strength to applaud the winner in his category.

[Lovecat]

11 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

I love that Patti used her speech to not only thank COVID safety people, but to once again make it clear who pays her salary for any future Karens in her audience.

I loved that when they showed the COVID safety people in the audience they were all wearing masks, because they know better.

12 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I think Ariana deBose just doesn't have the kind of humor and charm needed to be host.  

I love her, I think she is witty and charming and beautiful, but *man* that was exhausting to watch.  I think she was working hard to elevate some some of the material, and it just came off as...a lot.

[Spartan Girl]

9 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

When Patti LuPone unfolded the manuscript of her speech, I rubbed my hands together and said "let's see if the orchestra tries to play HER off when she runs over the allotted time!"

I honestly was hoping that would happen just to see how she’d take them down. Come at Patti, you’d better not miss.

[lovett1979]

I am so happy that "A Strange Loop" won Best Musical. "Six" seems like a lot of fun but maybe not a full "musical"? (I haven't seen it yet because tix are expensive), but ASL is revolutionary. I don't know if their performance on the show last night sold it well, but they don't have a lot of TV-friendly numbers to choose from. As the song said, it's a "big, Black, and Queer-ass American Broadway show." It's about a fat, black, gay man trying to exist in a world where gays are racist, Blacks are homophobic, and everyone hates fat people. There is no "plot" per-se, it's more an exploration of Usher's subconscious as he tries to navigate those conflicting worlds/identities. It's a concept musical, not unlike Best Revival-winner Company. I don't know that I would say it's "perfect" but it is coming from a voice never-before-heard on Broadway and is revolutionary in many ways. I would recommend everyone to see it, UNLESS you are easily offended by language (the N-word is thrown around a LOT, in the common way it is used in the Black community) or discussions/depictions of sexuality. Both of these aspects are somewhat shocking, and only you know if you can handle that.

[LegalParrot81]

Overall, I enjoyed the show, but I'd primarily tuned in to see the Life Time Achievement award to Angela Lansbury, which never came to pass.  Even though Ms. Lansbury didn't make the show, it would have been nice to show her the respect she's earned and done the presentation during the main telecast.

As much as I adore Hugh Jackman, he's just not Harold Hill.  

I was surprised by Billy Porter, his outfit was pretty calm.

I also thought the tribute to Sondheim was flat.

Edited June 13, 2022 by LegalParrot81

[Crs97]

We saw Six when Broadway reopened, and it was a blast!  I’m not sad that it didn’t win Best Musical, but it is a fantastically fun show with singers who can blow.

Watching the Tonys made us want to see Paradise Square and Girl from the North Country, but not much else.

[Crashcourse]

I don't like Broadway shows so I never watched the Tonys.  However, last night I was channel surfing and tuned in just in time to see the guy doing the MJ impersonation.  He was great, so I stayed watching to see if he would win, and I was so glad he did.  

Then I changed the channel, lol.

[Crashcourse]

And how/why in bloody hell is Jennifer Hudson an EGOT?  Gah.

[Bruinsfan]

The broadcast made me regret that Covid forced me to cancel a planned trip to NYC in 2020 that would have involved seeing Company. It also made me want to see Six and The Girl from the North Country if schedules allow. The Music Man revival, not so much.

[NUguy514]

I was shocked at how much I disliked the number from A Strange Loop, which I was not expecting after the hype.  The lyrics in that song are just incredibly obvious, and Spivey was lifeless.  I was so surprised by my reaction that I watched the "Inner White Girl" performance posted above and felt the same way.  I mean, one of the lyrics in "IWG" is "His blackness doesn't look blue in any moonlight, which makes him harder to see."  I actually laughed at that line; it feels like it was written by a college freshman.  To those who've seen the show, are the songs all like this?  What am I missing?

I refused to watch the number from The Music Man; I hate that show.  As I fast-forwarded, though, I did pause on the closeup of Hugh Jackman, and it was shocking how bad he looked.  He's only 53 and looks at least ten years older.

The dancing in MJ was phenomenal.

I've read Paradise Square isn't that good, but I loved the number performed; Joaquina Kalukango was incredible. I also really enjoyed the number from Six.

I didn't like the Company number at all, and I hated the way it was staged.

The Girl from North Country's number didn't hold my interest.  At all.

So, basically, as others have said, I don't think much of what I saw makes me want to see more.

The Spring Awakening performance was specious (and while I get why they went with the quieter, more yearning "Touch Me" for this performance, I'd have chosen differently), more than a few of the actors didn't sound great (Skylar Astin was overdoing it), and I want to slap Lea Michele's overly tanned face, but I still got a little misty watching it.

Typically, there were some really lovely speeches (Kalukango, Deirdre O'Connell, Simon Russell Beale, and even Patti LuPone), and a few I did not like (Phylicia Rashad, who needs to take herself 48,927,031,035,692% less seriously, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who just seemed too hungry for it and just rubs me the wrong way in general).

Ariana seemed to be having fun, which was great.  I fast-forwarded through her bits, though, because I watch the Tonys to see who wins and to see at least a bit of each nominated musical.

I probably would like to marry Jesse Williams. Or at least have an adult sleepover with him.

JHud is an EGOT! Who'd have fucking thunk it?? Suck it, Simon Cowell!

[Browncoat]

I finally got to see the opening.  It was kind of a hot mess, and I thought Ariana DeBose looked a lot like Gozer the Gozerian.

Still looking for some of the other performances -- I'm sure they're on YouTube, but I haven't had a lot of time to find them yet.

[aradia22]

Quote

Nevertheless, the four-hour (!) ceremony pulled off a convincing impression of a theater world now back on its feet, with big showy musical numbers and a celebratory atmosphere. Also, Ariana DeBose was there, trying very hard.

LOW: Angela Lansbury received a Lifetime Achievement award, and you didn’t get to see it unless you’re a Paramount+ subscriber. You also needed Paramount+ to see the award presented by Lansbury’s Sweeney Todd costar Len Cariou. She also couldn’t attend, an announcement that caused Patti LuPone, in her reaction shot, to look concerned. (Us too, Patti.)

WHOA: It’s a Britsweep! With wins from Marianne Elliott (Company director), Lucy Moss and Toby Harlow (best score for Six), Simon Russell Beale (leading actor in The Lehman Trilogy), Gareth Owens (sound design for MJ), Sam Mendes (director of The Lehman Trilogy), Jon Clark (lighting designer of The Lehman Trilogy), Bunny Christie (scene design for Company), Christopher Wheeldon (choreography for MJ), Simon Hale (orchestration for Girl From North Country), Gabriella Slade (costume designer for Six), and a lifetime achievement award for Angela Freakin Lansbury, this was a night of Anglophilia. It’s an odd gift for the Platinum Jubilee, but we hope the queen appreciates it.

LOW: So … MJ, huh. A generous helping of love for the Michael Jackson musical MJ in these Tony awards, including awards for lead actor, lighting, sound design and choreography, as well as a big showcase for the “Smooth Criminal” number. It is very uncomfortable to watch the show treat Jackson’s legacy as though it is an uncomplicated pop-star arc as it glosses over the dark, tragic, somehow-still-a-significant-controversy elements of Jackson’s life. Choices! People do make them, don’t they. [Shuffles hastily off stage right]

HIGH: The salaries paid by Chris Harper. We love an inside joke, and so does the creative team behind Company, all of whose winners found time to mention, surely for no particular reason, the name of their boss. Finally, as Company won for Best Revival of a Musical, Harper threw in the last line: “Patti, it’s an honor to be the man who pays your salary.”

HIGH, TOO DAMN HIGH: Whatever it cost to attend this awards ceremony, apparently. Maybe if the prices had been lower there would be fewer empty seats in the balcony? 😬

HIGH: Laurence Fishburne does a Daffy Duck voice? If you are unhinged enough, which is the personality Ariana DeBose chose for the evening, you can get Laurence Fishburne to do a Daffy Duck voice on national television. (It was also nice to watch his daughter cringe in response.)

LOW: Ariana DeBose’s hosting style. It feels illegal to ding thermonuclear levels of Theater Kid Energy at the actual Tony awards. Nevertheless, here we are. The opening number was one thing — who can say who wrote it? Maybe it was one very scattered performance? — but then it became clear that Ariana DeBose would be bringing overwhelming, hyper-self-conscious, deliberately mannered Miranda Sings vibes all night, and at that moment, every member of the audience and every one viewing at home sighed and said “…fine, okay. Fine. We were just trying to have a nice time watching Phylicia Rashad accept an award, but … fine.”

LOW: A cut to the audience revealing that Ruthie Ann Miles was one of the very few people wearing a face mask. The Tony awards celebrate an industry that has been so careful, so scrupulous about COVID protections, by maintaining a mask mandate for its audiences after the rest of the city got loose. It was distressing to see the room unmasked here, even though those in the orchestra had been asked to test negative. Show us what a modern Broadway audience looks like! It looks like masks.

HIGH: Michael R. Jackson won Best Book of a Musical for A Strange Loop. Wearing a fantastic magenta robe, Jackson accepted the award to a resounding standing ovation from the theater. His breathless, thrilling speech included a tart note to the audience to sit down, since their standing ovation is cutting into his thank-you time.

HIGH: Whatever buddy comedy Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield were low-key pitching. While presenting the award for Best Play (which went to The Lehman Trilogy), Garfield managed to hang on to his sangfroid until Nathan Lane told him, approvingly, that he loves a man in a velvet suit. Garfield blushed, laughed, caught on fire. Let’s see them do a heist, a road movie, a Shakespeare. (Let’s see them do pretty much anything, thank you!)

HIGH: A Strange Loop, winning for Best Musical. Talk about unlikely Broadway triumphs — a “big, Black and queer-ass American Broadway show” took the gold after a two-decade process for Michael R. Jackson. Even Ariana DeBose said, “Oh, that makes me so happy,” as she came out for her farewells and the room erupted with delight over (the living) Michael Jackson’s win, not to mention an EGOT for producer Jennifer Hudson. A fly in the ointment: The Tonys cut the mic just as producer Barbara Whitman finished speaking her piece and ceded it to Jackson. There were some boos and groans, as the telecast decided to sacrifice his historic moment for—yes—another number from DeBose.

https://www.vulture.com/2022/06/tony-awards-2022-best-worst-moments-highs-lows-whoas.html

[Vermicious Knid]

The Lifetime Achievement was handed out during the first hour that was broadcast on Paramount+. But Angela wasn't in attendance anyway.

Quote

"His blackness doesn't look blue in any moonlight, which makes him harder to see."  I actually laughed at that line; it feels like it was written by a college freshman. 

It's a reference to Academy Award winning movie Moonlight, based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Which has quite a lot of relevance in the Black queer community.

I feel like JHud didn't really earn an EGOT. The Emmy and Tony weren't for her own performances, but for producing other people's work. On the plus side, RuPaul now also has a Tony.

[NUguy514]

48 minutes ago, Vermicious Knid said:

It's a reference to Academy Award winning movie Moonlight, based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Which has quite a lot of relevance in the Black queer community.

I feel like JHud didn't really earn an EGOT. The Emmy and Tony weren't for her own performances, but for producing other people's work. On the plus side, RuPaul now also has a Tony.

I'm aware of the reference as Moonlight is one of my favorite movies, and it was a very trite lyric.

JHud earned the Emmy of her EGOT the same way John Legend did and the Tony of her EGOT the same way Whoopi Goldberg and Legend did (writing a check), which is also how RuPaul, Mindy Kaling, Don Cheadle, Ilana Glazer, Alan Cumming, and Billy Porter (among others) won this particular Tony, so I'm not sure why people are dumping on JHud specifically.  I'm frankly more annoyed by her Oscar win since I thought her non-singing acting was pretty terrible, but good for her for achieving the EGOT.

[TV Diva Queen]

I enjoyed the show, but am not swayed to book a trip right now to see a show.  I do want to see Mr Saturday night with my 80yo mom, and she does too, so probably that one in September and MJ.  

We saw Paradise Square previews this past November in Chicago and LOVED it and was so happy to see they were recognized.  

While its not so much a table for one anymore, but I liked the host - I felt she kept the show moving.  

This will for sure be a table for one, I feel that they couldn't have picked a better song for the In Memoriam.  

Spoiler

Edited June 14, 2022 by TV Diva Queen
spoiler alert, there is no spoiler. not sure why thats there

[argrow]

She gonna did the thing again

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/ariana-debose-returns-host-2023-tony-awards-1235372109/

 

[MicheleinPhilly]

Nominations!

https://deadline.com/2023/05/tony-award-nominations-2023-1235352038/

 

[argrow]

Wonder what will happen this year as the strike didn't look like it's close to being resolved

https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-tony-awards-ariana-debose-broadway-1235357559/

[BetterButter]

The Tony Awards Will Not Be Televised: WGA Denies Strike Waiver

[argrow]

Tony Awards Broadcast Can Proceed After Striking Writers’ Union Agrees

[Spartan Girl]

9 hours ago, argrow said:

Tony Awards Broadcast Can Proceed After Striking Writers’ Union Agrees

Good.

Now just pay the writers and end this strike.

[Good Queen Jane]

I've always hated the scripted banter between presenters, so I won't miss that. Maybe this means the Tonys can show more performances from the nominated shows, which is really why I watch. The one thing Broadway performers know is how to perform live in front of an audience and deal with anything unexpected that may happen.

However, I want to make clear that writers are essential and deserve to be fairly compensated, especially in light of the increasing streaming of shows. I will also miss the opening number the Tonys usually have, although I have never seen anything better (or bigger!) than the Neil Patrick Harris opener from 2013.

[aradia22]

Was there an intro on Pluto? It only started working for me during the Kimberly Akimbo (Jeanine/David) win.

I would have loved a KPOP win for costumes but it was unlikely and I usually like Gregg Barnes' work (I haven't seen SLIH)

[ebk57]

There was an intro, but I wasn't really paying attention since I was just getting settled in.

[lovett1979]

3 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

Was there an intro on Pluto? It only started working for me during the Kimberly Akimbo (Jeanine/David) win.

I would have loved a KPOP win for costumes but it was unlikely and I usually like Gregg Barnes' work (I haven't seen SLIH)

For me, it started a few minutes after 6:30, but opened with a montage and intro from Julianne Haugh and Skylar Astin.

[aradia22]

I thought about seeing Life of Pi but I've really cut back on theater so I'm generally only seeing a few big shows. Less off-Broadway or stuff I'm just meh on.

[ebk57]

3 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

I thought about seeing Life of Pi but I've really cut back on theater so I'm generally only seeing a few big shows. Less off-Broadway or stuff I'm just meh on.

I'm having trouble deciding what to see on our August trip.  I'm waiting till after the show tonight to see what might close before then. 

[aradia22]

I jumped back in for the end of John Kander's speech. I hope it gets clipped.

Again, I would have loved a KPOP win in choreography because it was such a big part of that show, but it's hard to compete with Most Choreography and SLIH and NY, NY were always going to have an edge. Apparently there's a quick change/doors thing people are obsessed with. Idk... I like tap but I get over it quickly if it's not used judiciously.

[aradia22]

I think the start time for "Act One" is too early but if I wasn't distracted, I wouldn't mind this speed-run approach. I don't know whose favorite part of award shows is pointless banter or usually lame host monologues. The Tonys was already superior to the other awards shows but, even though this is due to the writers' strike, they could really take a lesson in trimming things down... especially the Oscars. I only watch the clips now. 

I need to get around to reading Joel Grey's autobiography

[buttersister]

As a student, I interviewed Joel Grey a million years ago for a local newspaper. He could not have been kinder, more engaged, with great anecdotes and patience. I never forgot it and it's a joy to see him honored (and still kicking!) tonight.

[lovett1979]

Did they not do Best Book of a Musical during the pre-show but did Best Score as the first award (and played-off the winners?)??? The score of a musical is the most enduring aspect of anything awarded tonight. To dismiss it like this is unforgivable, but to elevate the book of a musical to the main broadcast while score is ignored is ridiculous.

[ebk57]

This confirms that I don't want to see NY, NY.  Not one bit.  

[Demian]

...or Camelot.

(Though Lancelot has an amazing voice.)

Edited June 12, 2023 by Demian

[wonderwoman]

any lip readers out there?

loved the opening number! i always hated the inane banter between the presenters in past tonys, so it’s orinic that the so far the show is actually better unscripted. hough i do wish they had included scenes from a couple of the plays along with the musicals.

Edited June 12, 2023 by wonderwoman

[argrow]

1 minute ago, wonderwoman said:

any lip readers out there?

According to captions, he said 'I'm a fa**ot with a Tony'

[ebk57]

1 minute ago, wonderwoman said:

any lip readers out there?

Growing up, they called me the f-word.  Now I'm a fa**ot  with a Tony!

[wonderwoman]

3 minutes ago, argrow said:

5 minutes ago, wonderwoman said:

any lip readers out there?

According to captions, he said 'I'm a fa**ot with a Tony'

 

2 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

5 minutes ago, wonderwoman said:

any lip readers out there?

Growing up, they called me the f-word.  Now I'm a fa**ot  with a Tony!

that’s what i figured. thanks, 

[Demian]

50 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

This confirms that I don't want to see NY, NY.  Not one bit.  

 

23 minutes ago, Demian said:

...or Camelot.

...or & Juliet.

Did we need a jukebox musical version of Romeo and Juliet?  Featuring a Katy Perry song?

[ebk57]

Putting Some Like It Hot on the list.  It's, as we used to say in our high school theater nerd days, a "sassy, brassy musical humdinger!"

[lovett1979]

2 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

Putting Some Like It Hot on the list.  It's, as we used to say in our high school theater nerd days, a "sassy, brassy musical humdinger!"

That is exactly what it is. Highly recommend. 

[Good Queen Jane]

Arrgh! Keep getting interrupted for weather reports!

[ebk57]

Just now, Good Queen Jane said:

Arrgh! Keep getting interrupted for weather reports!

I hate weather

[MsNewsradio]

I’m glad Some Like it Hot chose this number to showcase for the Tony’s. It was just a really joyous, buoyant time in the theater. Hope this helps them sell some seats. 

[Snow Apple]

The singing and dancing in the musicals are amazing but there isn't a show I'm interested in buying tickets for so far.

[Demian]

I'm not mad about Some Like It Hot (though I think any adaptation will do a grave disservice to the original movie, which is one of my longtime all-time faves, so I'm totally biased), but the lack of precision in that tap-dance kickline did make my eye twitch a little.

(Not that I'd ever be able to do what those performers were doing at all, of course, but still...)