Sunday, June 13, 2010

WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE YEAR IN THE HEIGHTS WON: It's hard to think of two major New York City events that have as different an audience as the annual Puerto Rican Day parade and the Tony Awards (appropriate dress at only one includes a flag worn as a cape), but today, we get that combination. Tonight's awards feature performances from currently running shows and those connected with them (including a number from Green Day), as well as some sort of number from Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison. Use this thread for your comments--we'll be around during the show, but since it appears the only particularly exciting question is whether Angela Lansbury or Katie Finneran wins and whether La Cage becomes a future trivia answer, no live coverage this year.

ETA: To warm you up, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Barrett Foa, both former Leaf Coneybears who've made it big on TV, do "All For The Best" from Godspell.

29 comments:

  1. Emily7:12 PM

    Jesse Tyler Ferguson is doing Shakespeare in the Park this summer (both Winter's Tale and Merchant).

    As for the Tony's, tonight I am cheering for Alfred Molina, Viola Davis, Douglas Hodge, Sherie Rene Scott, Eddie Redmayne, Scarlett Johansson, Bobby Steggert, and Katie Finneran.

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  2. Benner7:31 PM

    "<span>appropriate dress at only one includes a flag worn as a cape"</span>

    and yet no mention of Paul Simon's "The Capeman."

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  3. FWIW, "Memphis" is looking very strong, having won both book and score (and orchestrations) in the pre-show, though "American Idiot" was not nominated in either category (not eligible in score) and "Fela!" was ineligible in score.

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  4. Benner8:23 PM

    Semi-off topic, but why aren't operas eligible for the Tony's?  Shouldn't they count as musicals, if not more so, since they dispense with the unnecessary talking aspects.  "Candide" and "Tommy" were nominated, and both are proper operas, with "Candide" got a best revival nom.  Shouldn't something like the "From the House of the Dead" at the Met or the NYCO's "Don Giovanni," which were big critical successes, be considered?  

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  5. Operas are not typically presented in Broadway houses, and are thus not eligible.  The few times they've been presented (the Luhrmann La Boheme, for instance)--it created issues for performers, since it's nigh unto impossible to find performers who can do eight shows a week.

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  6. Eric J9:02 PM

    I would also guess that Opera performers belong to a different union. I believe to be eligible for a Tony the show has to be an Equity production.

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  7. Emily9:08 PM

    <p><span>Benner, the productions at the Met are not eligible because the Met isn’t an official “Broadway” house. The Times critics were a bit disgruntled this year because productions at BAM are not eligible, either.</span>
    </p><p><span> </span>
    </p><p><span>[FROM: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/faq/]</span>
    </p><p><span>What shows are eligible for Tony Awards?</span><span>
    Legitimate theatrical productions may be eligible for Tony Awards if they officially open on or before the cut-off date established by the Tony Awards Administration Committee (in 2010, that date is April 29) in an eligible Broadway theatre and comply with all the rules and regulations that govern the Tony Awards for the season. A show is only eligible in the season when it first opens, no matter how long it subsequently runs on Broadway.</span>
    </p><p><span> </span>
    </p><p><span>Are Off Broadway shows or touring productions eligible for Tonys?</span><span>
    No. Only Broadway productions that open in designated Broadway theatres in Manhattan are eligible for Tonys.</span>
    </p><p><span> </span>
    </p><p><span>[FROM http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/Tony_Rules_and_Regulations_2009-2010.pdf]</span>
    </p><p><span>In order to qualify as an eligible Broadway theatre, a theatre must (i) have 500 or more seats, (ii) be used principally for the presentation of legitimate theatrical productions and (iii) be deemed otherwise qualified by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. A list of eligible Broadway theatres for the current season is attached hereto as Exhibit A. A theatre may be added to such list with respect to a particular season only by action of the Tony Awards Administration Committee, which shall consider all requests to add theatres made by the Submission Date of the immediately preceding season, and issue any changes to</span>
    </p><p><span>Exhibit A by the June 15th immediately following such date.</span>
    </p><p><span> </span>
    </p><p><span>The officially approved list of eligible houses (also known as “Exhibit A” in the PDF):</span>
    </p><p><span>Ambassador; American Airlines; Brooks Atkinson; Ethel Barrymore; Vivian Beaumont; Belasco; Booth; Broadhurst; Broadway; Circle in the Square; Cort; Samuel J. Friedman; Gershwin; John Golden; Helen Hayes; Hilton; Al Hirschfeld; Imperial; Bernard B. Jacobs; Walter Kerr; Longacre; Lunt-Fontanne; Lyceum; Majestic; Marquis; Henry Miller; Minskoff; Music Box; Nederlander; New Amsterdam; Eugene O'Neill; Palace; Richard Rodgers; St. James; Gerald Schoenfeld; Shubert; Neil Simon; Studio 54; August Wilson; Winter Garden</span></p>

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  8. 1.  Is this show about this year's winner, or a commercial for Kristin Chenoweth, even though she was snubbed?
    2.  For discussion--how ridiculous is it that La Cage beat Sunday in the Park With George for Best Musical in its initial production.  It's just not that good a show (though Douglas Hodge was pretty spectacular).

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  9. I score the necrology as Lena Horne winning and Lynn Redgrave in second.  And FWIW, Kristin is not with Sorkin tonight--some guy who looks like Keith Urban.

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  10. Three things:

    1. I hate Green Day, even more when they are on the Tony's. DVR FTW!

    2. Love me some Matthew Morrison. Swoon.

    3. Love Lea Michele, but she was yelling, and makes an angry face when she sings.

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  11. La Cage is now the only show to win a best production Tony each and every time it's been produced on Broadway.  It didn't deserve it when it beat "Sunday..." for best musical nor (allegedly) did it deserve to beat "Finian's" and "Ragtime," which were allegedly much more deserving and would have been real contenders if they had opened in the Spring.

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  12. Will be interesting to see which shows get bumps.  Although it didn't win anything, I thought "American Idiot" had the best production number (but that's not gonna sell tickets to bluehairs), and "Promises, Promises" looked like stylish fun.

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  13. I'm glad that Red received a lot of love tonight; it is the strongest production across the board that I've seen in ages. And, as I stated above, I think Alfred Molina deserved the Tony.
    La Cage has won three times; the 2005 revival won, as well. It was up against Pacific Overtures and Sweet Charity in 2005 (no real surprise that it won that year). I heard mixed things about the revivals of Finian's and Ragtime. But I was surprised that they revived La Cage, again, so quickly after the last run.

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  14. Caitie2:12 AM

    Catherine Zeta-Jones?  Maybe I'll like your performance nexxxxxxx-T year. (insert vigorous head shaking here)

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  15. The Other Kate8:55 AM

    Right? Oy. So much PUSH, so overdone. This was pretty much how CZJ was when I saw ALNM a few months ago, and the real shame is that hers was far from the worst performance in that show.

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  16. Am I right that MEMPHIS seems like the sort of musical that HAIRSPRAY was parodying?  Is it good?

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  17. Look, she won because:

    1.  She has the single most iconic song any of the Best Actress nominees have in their show with "Send In The Clowns."
    2.  Her competitors were two people in closed shows, Sherie Rene Scott basically playing herself, and the lead in what won Best Musical basically by default.  Had either Ragtime or Finian's still been running, I suspect that their leads would have been formidable contenders.
    3.  Based on grosses, CZJ (and not really Lansbury) sold a crapload of tickets to a show by a composer who, while beloved, is not typically a big audience-drawer.  When she took a couple weeks off, the show became a not very hot ticket. 

    I may well see it after the cast changeover--Bernadette Peters is replacing CZJ and Stritch is replacing Lansbury, though I kind of wish I could have seen a Peters/Lansbury pairing, since I'm not sold on Stritch in this part.

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  18. Also: Lea Michele, with Barbra Streisand's iconic "Don't Spit Into My Microphone" or something:

    http://www.youtube.com/v/HNHVwwIIJXc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140

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  19. I haven't seen it, but it basically won by default, since it's an old-fashioned book musical with big dance numbers, and the expected juggernauts either stumbled critically ("Addams Family"), have been plagued by delays/budget problems ("Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark"), or wound up alienating the older voters ("American Idiot").  And yes, it's apparently ridiculously earnest about such controversial issues as "racism is bad!," but has some catchy songs.  Generally, this was considered a weak season all around.

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  20. Heather K10:06 AM

    Sunday went through an extensive rewrite between original b'way production and first London production, well more addition of more stuff that rewrite of extant stuff.

    But even considering that, I totally agree.  Sunday is magical genius stuff!!!

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  21. Heather K10:08 AM

    wow, now I really want tickets to see Bernadette in that part!!!

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  22. I haven't seen Finian's or La Cage, so I can't compare.  But the Ragtime revival left me cold, and I love that show.  It just didn't have the heart or fire from the original, and it was seriously hurt by some weak casting.

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  23. Genevieve11:11 AM

    Completely ridiculous - Sunday is an incredible show.  I was bummed that La Cage won so much last night.

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  24. Genevieve11:13 AM

    I have to disagree - I thought the Ragtime revival was amazing, other than the actress playing Sarah.  I thought Christiane Noll as Mother was particularly stunning (her singing on the Tonys was beautiful but didn't have quite the passion she had when she did it in the show and had all the emotional buildup to that scene.)  And I thought the rest of the cast was very strong.

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  25. Genevieve11:18 AM

    I liked her Glee performance of this song better.  (Though, on an insubstantial note, I loved her dress here.)

    Sean Hayes as Spiderman singing that song was one of my favorite moments of his.  That and the big kiss with Kristin that was obviously a spit-in-the-eye to the idiotic Newsweek column.  Overall, I was very doubtful about him as a host, but was pleasantly surprised (not that he completely knocked my socks off, but he was good and solid.)

    What's with having presenters presenting for the category they weren't nominated for?  Kristin was funny about it ("That's not usual for me"), but Bebe Newirth in particular struck me as really bitter.  And Nathan Lane's joke ("the Tonys, or as it's known in my house, Passover") was stolen from someone long ago - Bob Hope?  Also, Bebe has played Kelsey Grammer's wife, and she presented the award to someone who was playing Kelsey Grammer's spouse - I liked the symmetry.

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  26. I didn't know that Bernadette was replacing. I will go see it after the cast changes.

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  27. Good catch: Bob Hope, 1968 Academy Awards (says the Google).

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  28. The Other Kate12:53 PM

    Sigh. I love Sunday more than I can describe, and I've never seen La Cage (tho I've seen The Birdcage and know "I Am What I Am"), so all I can do is guess that it's the usual Law of Big Awards in play here: The smaller, stranger properties tend to lose.

    If Sunday had simply been The Story of George and Dot ... and if there had been a big number where they DID go to the Follies, ending with George deciding that hey, sometimes you do need to look up from the pad and LIVE a little and JOIN the dance or the promendade or whatever, and isn't it a BEAUTIFUL world? Towers AND trees! Life's better with both. And wooo SECOND BOTTLE! And yes, I will hold the baby! And is that Louis hitting it off a Louise? And the Boatman with the One on the Left?  And now even the dogs are dancing! On an ordinary Sundaaaaay!

    Well, that probably would have gone down easier.

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  29. Heather K3:20 PM

    I actually think Nathan Lane is a serial recycler on that joke steal.

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