WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ A MOST AMAZING BOOK FOR A MUSICAL? It's a weird year for Sunday's Tony Awards. Not only are they in exile from their traditional Radio City home due to a Cirque du Soleil summer production taking up residence this year (the awards will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side), but it's been a strange season. Yes, there were 11 new musicals opening this year, but only Book of Mormon has managed to find a solid sweet spot both critically and commercially among new musicals. Some hit the sweet spots with critics but couldn't find an audience (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Scottsboro Boys), some are finding an audience despite mixed to negative reviews (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Sister Act), and some found no support anywhere (Wonderland, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown). Add to it that the season's biggest story was a show that managed to be in previews or on hold for almost the entire season (Spider-Man) and a lack of revivals (only two this year, both of which have hit solidly with audiences and critics), and you have a strange season. Sunday night's pretty likely to be a Mormon sweep (and apparently deservedly so), with Anything Goes picking up most of the musical awards Mormon doesn't. (The Mormon OCR is on sale through Monday at Amazon for $1.99.)
Some races are closer--the actor in a play race, which early in the season looked like a lock for Al Pacino, is a real horserace with Pacino a dark horse against Joe Mantello for Normal Heart and Mark Rylance for Jerusalem, and Best Play pits a pair of British imports against two very American shows--while Good People is probably a front-runner, no winner would surprise me. We won't be Covering It Live, but there'll be a thread for your comments.
Do we know yet what's being performed from Book of Mormon?
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere recently (an interview with Josh Gad, perhaps?) that they'll be performing "I Believe". Great song, and Rannells will perform the hell out of it, but I was hoping for some "Turn It Off" tapdancy goodness.
ReplyDeleteThey're doing "I Believe." At one point, the opening number was going to be based on "Hello!," and feature snippets from various shows interwoven with "Elder Harris" knocking on the doors of snubbed folks like Williams and Radcliffe, but the other nominated shows pitched a fit about that being too much spotlight for Mormon.
ReplyDeleteI have been assuming it would be "I Believe" with something else thrown in for Gad. ("I Believe" is such a gorgeous song, and with all the funny thrown in about Mormonism too!) Bummer that Hello can't be the opening number.
ReplyDeleteI was assuming they were gonna open the show with "Hello". It is the most nominated and popular show of the year, so I don't see why they wouldn't do it. They used The bubble from
ReplyDeleteWicked the year that was nominated. No reason no limit BoM to one number. Looking forward to I Believe though.
The Tonys are going to be in exile for several years, because Cirque made a multi-year summer deal with Radio City for their new show.
ReplyDeletePulling for Mother****er for Best Play... really, anything but War Horse. As I said in the nomination thread: America, f*** yeah! Just because it's British doesn't mean it's good (Mark Rylance notwithstanding).
BoM is such a success and such an obvious frontrunner that it seems churlish not to do what would make for the best, most enjoyable awards show showcasing Broadway even if showcases BoM a little more than the rest. As LB says, it wouldn't be the first time.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised by "I Believe." While it's my favorite song and I'm happy to see it again, it's the most religious song by far and relatively less jokey/zippy than most of the others. I'm not sure what impression that's going to give the TV viewers.
Plus, it's an interesting choice because of how it features Rannells and not Gad. I wonder if that means something about the expected winner... (I was expecting the two to split the vote and Sheldon to take it, but maybe behind the scenes they're putting their weight on one to try to avoid such an outcome. Idina did beat Cheno in 2004, but I'm not sure those roles are perfect analogies and they both got to sing at the Tonys.)
"I Believe" is the song in Book of Mormon that made me laugh until I cried, so I'll be happy to see it again -but I would have preferred a group number like "Hello" or "Turn it Off" for the Tonys.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting - every Tony predictions article I read makes a different call for Best Play. It's nice to see a tight race there, and to see so many new plays on Broadway this year.
I'm hoping to see "The Normal Heart" and "Jersusalem" soon, as long as I can score cheap TDF tickets. I was avoiding The Normal Heart since I just saw the Public's revival with Raul Esparza a few years ago, but I hear such great things about this production.
Oh, and this would be a good place to mention that when I saw "Born Yesterday" last week, I was sitting right in front of our favorite Tonys host, Neil Patrick Harris.
Hasa Diga Eebowai!
ReplyDeleteCan we go back to the craziest part of this post: $1.99 for the entire Book of Mormon album??? That's a ridiculous deal!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I haven't at all looked yet: Necrology predictions?
ReplyDeleteArthur Laurents is unquestionably the big name, but given that he was apparently a fairly massive tool, not sure what sort of response he'll get.
ReplyDeleteKim - is that a comment directed at me, or your suggestion for the group number they should perform? :)
ReplyDeleteA song that made me laugh until I cried!
ReplyDeleteThis is my first year actually watching the Tonys, and I have NPH AND BOM to thank for that. Also, I apparently love initials.
ReplyDeleteIt's literally a steal! (There, I've covered my contribution to Grammar Rodeo as well.)
ReplyDelete