off-stage right

Below are thoughts, predictions, wishes, etc about Sunday nights Tony Awards – this post will address the musical categories (plays and special performances to follow).   Of course I know that the Awards have become more about selling tickets (especially on the road) and the ceremony, well, you can read my thoughts about the ceremony here.  But for the sake of this post, I am going to remove all cynicism and believe for a bit that the awards are about excellence.  This year was a really great year for musicals.  Even though I think Billy Elliot will sweep a lot of the awards, I think in many categories it is a really close call.  For the most part, I can honestly say, I won’t be mad no matter who wins this year.

I should note that even though I am not a Tony voter, I try my best to mimic the process, so many of the shows, I have seen recently (I often hold off on purpose for those that I can wait on).  Some I have posted thoughts (not reviews) on, some I haven’t – two reasons for this, timing and frankly until I was really encouraged recently to put my thoughts on shows in the blog, I hadn’t posted much about shows I was seeing.

Best Musical

Billy Elliot, The Musical

Next to Normal

Rock of Ages

Shrek The Musical

For once, I am with the actually in full support of the front-runner.  I enjoyed all of the shows for very different reasons, but Billy Elliot really was in a league of it’s own among these nominees.  Without question for me it had the strongest emotional impact and stayed with me the longest.

Best Book of a Musical

Billy Elliot, The Musical,  Lee Hall

Next to Normal,  Brian Yorkey

Shrek The Musical,  David Lindsay-Abaire

[Title of Show], Hunter Bell

This is a difficult one for me.  I am slightly biased (okay more than slightly) towards original material for this category, but this isn’t the Oscars where you have adaptations and originals, so that said…I think Billy Elliot will win and I won’t mind in the least bit but for originality and story Next to Normal might deserve it a bit more.  Of course for pure originality the vote would go to [Title of Show] but we all know how about the voters long-term memory issues about anything that has closed.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Billy Elliot, The Musical, Music: Elton John, Lyrics: Lee Hall

Next to Normal, Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

9 to 5: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton

Shrek The Musical, Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

Billy Elliot will win and it will deserve the win, as a friend said to me the other day “the score could not have matched the show better.”  But honestly, I love Dolly Parton.  I really enjoyed 9-5.  I never posted about it because I saw the first preview and it would be morally wrong to write about a preview (yes I believe that full heartedly).  But I had so much fun at that show.  I just don’t understand the negativity and lack of love for it.  There I said it.

Best Revival of a Musical

Guys and Dolls

Hair

Pal Joey

West Side Story

Hair, Hair, Hair.  Easiest pick of musical categories for me.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical

Gavin Creel, Hair

Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical

Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages

J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal

Tough category, one of the most difficult of the year.  But it should be the Billys who win it.  I loved all of the other performances and wouldn’t be upset if any of them won.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Stockard Channing, Pal Joey

Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical

Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical

Alice Ripley, Next to Normal

Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story

I don’t see how Alice Ripley doesn’t win this.  But I am a huge fan of all of the ladies in this category.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical

Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical

Will Swenson, Hair

Again super tough category and Aaron Tveit isn’t even included (what is is with the men in musicals this year – why couldn’t there be 6 nominees?).  Again all of the performances in other years would be winners.  I think that Gregory Jbara deserves it the most.  He carries the darker side of the show on his shoulders.  How in the world can anyone not cry when he turns himself into a scab for his son’s dream.   It is a really remarkable performance.  Although David Bologna’s Expressing Yourself was my favorite number of the entire season and the final moment between Michael and Billy is one of the most beautiful moments of friendship ever portrayed in a musical.  Why couldn’t they both go off to London?  What will poor Michael do trapped in the coal town!

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal

Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Karen Olivo, West Side Story

Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey

Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Again, tough category, but Haydn Gwynne is my pick.  Although any of the ladies would be fine by me.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls

Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Scott Pask, Pal Joey

Mark Wendland, Next to Normal

Sorry friends in this category, I think the Brits have it and deserve it with Billy Elliot.

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages

Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical

Michael McDonald, Hair

Shrek The Musical was by far the greatest creative achievement on stage for costumes this year.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Hair

Kevin Adams, Next to Normal

Howell Binkley, West Side Story

Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Sorry friends in this category, I think the Brits have it and deserve it with Billy Elliot.

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Acme Sound Partners, Hair

Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages

Brian Ronan, Next to Normal

Sorry friends in this category, I think the Brits have it and deserve it with Billy Elliot.

Best Direction of a Musical

Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Michael Greif, Next to Normal

Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages

Diane Paulus, Hair

I could just repeat “Sorry friends in this category, I think the Brits have it and deserve it with Billy Elliot,” but I have to say it is astounding that two women are nominated for best direction of a musical.  I am proud as can bee to have worked with two of the directors in this category and their work this year was astounding.  Really difficult category!

Best Choreography

Karole Armitage, Hair

Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical

Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

Peter Darling should win if for nothing else than Angry Dance.  Again very competitive year.

Best Orchestrations

Larry Blank, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal

Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical

Billy Elliot, the Musical should win.

Related posts:

1. Michael Feingold on the freedom of no longer being a Tony voter and the conundrum of theater criticism in the era of digitalized communication