Steve On Broadway (SOB)

Marian Seldes: "They Told Us, 'Keep It Short'"

Marian Seldes: "They Told Us Keep It Short"

On Sunday evening, in accepting the Tony Awards' Lifetime Achieve-ment Award honoring her 63 years on the stage, Broadway legend Marian Seldes offered what was arguably the single most elegant acceptance in the history of the Tonys.

As noted yesterday, Seldes didn't utter a single word. Instead, she opted to soak in the enormously deserved standing ovation before exiting the stage with her rarefied dignity intact. Some say it was the best speech ever. And since she spoke volumes more with her eyes and sweeping gestures than most actors can ever verbalize, I think they're right.

Today, we learn why Seldes chose to keep it simple, yet ultimately as grand as could be. Blogger Steve Schalchlin writes this morning on Living In The Bonus Round:

We were invited Sardi's and sat at a table with Marian Seldes, who caused a puzzled sensation the night before at the Tony Awards when, after receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award, looked at the microphone, struck a pose and then walked off, saucily twirling her cane.

We had to ask her about it, of course. A. J. Shively, who was sitting on my other side, and who is in the cast of La Cage, said that he was upstairs with the Cagelles, who all were screaming in delight at her "speech."

With a twinkle in her eye, she said to Jim, "They told us, 'keep it short, keep it short, keep it short,' so I decided I would just say nothing."

And, of course, hers was the most memorable moment of the entire evening. She is, indeed, one of the great stage actresses of our time.

I'll second that, Steve. Marian Seldes is the epitome of a class act. There is no one else like her. Thanks for sharing that wonderful anecodote with the rest of us!

To view Marian Seldes' acceptance, go here and scroll down the menu to the twelfth item.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).


In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Labels: Acceptance Speeches, Broadway, Lifetime Achievement, Marian Seldes, Special Tony, Tony Awards

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, June 15, 2010 0 comments

Broadway Box Office Tweets Tony Edition - Week Ending June 13, 2010

Broadway Box Office Tweets Tony Edition - Week Ending June 13, 2010

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.

This past week was a particularly good one for the Great White Way as box office totals swelled by just over $2 million more than the previous week, no doubt as audiences flocked to see all the Tony nominated shows prior to Sunday night's award ceremonies.

For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the week ending June 13, 2010:

4:30 pm June 13 - WICKED/LION KING/ADDAMS FAMILY/BILLY ELLIOT/PROMISES PROMISES/JERSEY BOYS/FENCES each grossed $1 million+ last week

4:31 pm June 13 - Sold-out WICKED last week's top grossing Broadway show with $1,614,485. Average ticket price: $111.56

4:32 pm June 13 - Standing room only FENCES week's top grossing play $1,057,269 & week's highest capacity: 101.5%. Av tx priced $120.65

4:33 pm June 13 - A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC was week's highest priced ticket. Av price: $122.26. Grosses $911,429 on 100.1% capacity

4:34 pm June 13 - COLLECTED STORIES had last week's lowest gross: $117,408 & last week's lowest av tix priced: $30.55 (73.9% capacity)

4:35 pm June 13 - RACE had last week's lowest capacity of 59.1% grossing $358,328 & average tickets priced $71.64.

4:36 pm June 13 - AMERICAN IDIOT had biggest increase in capacity. Up 20.5% to 73.3%. Grosses w/av tix priced $86,66

4:37 pm June 13 - EVERYDAY RAPTURE & FENCES had week's "biggest" capacity drop of .1% & .2% respectively. Every other show gained

4:38 pm June 13 - WICKED stayed steady in 100% capacity week over week. They don't sell standing room only tickets

4:39 pm June 13 - Overall, Broadway box office was up 9.14% week over week. Grosses up more than $2 million to $21,958,013

6:14 pm June 13 - NEXT FALL producer Richard Willis hopes to keep show open through summer despite no Tony wins & low box office demand


Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Labels: A Little Night Music, American Idiot, Broadway Box Office, Collected Stories, Fences, Next Fall, Race, Tony Awards, Wicked

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, June 14, 2010 0 comments

Tony Awards Monday Morning Quarterbacking

Tony Awards Monday Morning Quarter-backing

Think my title mixes two extremes of popular entertainment where never the twain shall meet?

Think again.

Since New York Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez appeared on last night's Tony Awards as a self-proclaimed "theatre aficionado" (when this Jet was introduced, dare I say, many in the audience likely thought he was from the cast of West Side Story), and since this fall will see the Broadway bow of Lombardi, it's entirely apropos.

(Click here for the full list of Tony Award winners).

Yes, there will be the carping about Memphis' big win as Best Musical, but let's face it -- the show has what it takes to be a huge success on tour, and lest we forget, a large number of the Tony voters represent the touring class. But it was telling that for the first time in years, the Tony-winning Best Musical earned less awards (four) than the year's Tony-winning Best Play, Red.

Red earned a total of six well-earned Tony Awards, including a first ever for estimable director Michael Grandage, who has become a master of both musicals and plays. Eddie Redmayne surprised (me) as the winner in the Best Featured Actor category, but given his astounding Broadway debut, I could not quibble with the choice of the Tony voters. I had hoped his co-star Alfred Molina would win in what was arguably the evening's most competitive category, but as I predicted, Denzel Washington won for his superb performance as Troy Maxson in Fences.

Which brings me to the photo above. In addition to also accurately predicting Fences would win Best Revival of a Play, Washington's co-star Viola Davis proved to be the most deserving winner of the evening for her bravura performance. In fact, so absolutely certain was I that Davis would win that I had made a twitter wager with @BroadwayGirlNYC that I would eat my Fences Playbill if she failed to take home the Tony. Although that Playbill looked mighty tasty on my plate, I knew all along that I never needed to worry about actually eating it.

In terms of overall predictions, I got 17 out of 26 correct or just over 65%. In the categories that were broadcast, I accurately predicted 11 out of 15 or just over 73%. Not bad, but after entering producer Ken Davenport's contest, I blew his tie-breaker question that asked how long (without going over) Marian Seldes' Lifetime Achievement Award speech would be; I thought I was being modest by predicting it would clock in at a bit over 2 minutes.

I'm sure all of us were wrong as she didn't utter a single word, opting instead to soak in the enormously deserved standing ovation before exiting the stage. Some say it was the best speech ever. And since she spoke volumes more with her eyes and sweeping gestures than most actors can say in a blue streak, I think they may be right.

Speaking of blue streaks, there were plenty to be seen in the hair of numerous cast members via the number of performances afforded American Idiot, which took home two Tony Awards in creative categories. But were all those televised numbers enough to move the needle on its struggling box office? I'm sure we'll hear soon enough. But let's just consider this. For the week of June 6, the show attracted a capacity of 52.6%, which was very anemic for a Best Musical nominee. If there isn't a box office boost for this tuner, you can expect to see closing notices posted very shortly.

Same goes for Come Fly Away, which failed to walk away with any awards. Like American Idiot, this Twyla Tharp tuner has been losing its audience and was down to 56.8% capacity for the week ending June 6. Million Dollar Quartet is in the danger zone, too (it attracted just 57.8% capacity during that same period), but at least Levi Kreis to score a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and the show didn't come off too shabbily during the broadcast.

But it's Next Fall I predict will post the first closing notice. The show grossed a paltry $116,150 for the week ending June 6 and attracted just 52.3% capacity in what is already one of Broadway's smallest houses. Perhaps they thought they could eke it out through the Tonys, but the producers may feel it's time to finally pull the plug after going home empty-handed. Expect a closing notice at any moment.

For the second year in a row, I spent my Tony Awards evening in the comfort of my own home where I tweeted the night away. Among my tweets that resonated most with my fellow Twitterers (by virtue of how frequently they were retweeted) were the following comments:

(Upon Tony Awards entrance of Angela Lansbury:) There's no legend quite like Angela Lansbury. She's not an overnight sensation ... she's a lifetime sensation! #Tonys

(As Catherine Zeta-Jones was singing "Send In The Clowns":) Catherine Zeta-Jones inexplicably became a bobble-head #Tonys

(During performance from cast of Come Fly Away:) Still think COME FLY AWAY looks like an after-after-after party where all the decent people already went home #Tonys

(As Cate Blanchett was presenting:) Could someone figure out a way to bring Cate Blanchett to Broadway? She's 1 of the best actresses of our time, stage or film. #Tonys

(At start of Lea Michele's rendition of "Don't Rain On My Parade":) Now for the biggest Broadway audition in history as Lea Michele has high hopes for FUNNY GIRL revival. #Tonys

(Just after it the winner was announced in this category:) Best Actress in a Musical: Catherine Zeta-Jones in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. All the other actresses were robbed, but I predicted this #Tonys

(When Memphis' Best Musical acceptance speech was cut-off:) It's over?! Most awkward finish to a Tony Awards show goes to Sean Hayes. What just happened?! #Tonys

Speaking of my Twitter comments, about halfway through the Tony Awards, my friend Esther at Gratuitous Violins alerted me that my Twitter feed was appearing on the New York Times' online Tony coverage (her tweets were there as well).

I was so honored, yet flabbergasted, that I couldn't help but tweet, "I feel like the folks from [title of show] in learning that my tweets are live on NYTimes' #Tonys Twitter feed. Will this go on site, too??"

And sure enough, it did.

So, what did you think of the Tony Awards? Thrilled? Disappointed? Somewhere in between? I'll be curious to know what you thought.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).


In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Fences, Gratuitous Violins, Marian Seldes, Mark Sanchez, Memphis, Red, Tony Awards, Tony Predictions, Twitter, Viola Davis

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, June 14, 2010 5 comments

2010 Tony Awards' Big Winner: Seeing Red!

2010 Tony Awards' Big Winner: Seeing Red!

Earlier this evening, the American Theatre Wing’s 64th annual Tony Awards ceremonies honored Broadway's best of the 2009-10 Theatrical Season.

While musicals Memphis and La Cage Aux Folles fared well by earning Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical, respectively, it was this year's Best Play winner Red that actually earned the most Tonys this year: six Tony Awards. Memphis earned four awards, while La Cage, Fences (this year's Best Revival of a Play) and Fela! each earned three.

Here is the full list of winners, along with my notations for whom I thought would win and those I thought most deserving of wins:

Best Play
In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play) - Author: Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall - Author: Geoffrey Nauffts
Red - Author: John Logan Will Win/Should Win
Time Stands Still - Author: Donald Margulies

Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela! Should Win
Memphis Will Win
Million Dollar Quartet

Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture - Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott Should Win
Fela! - Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
Memphis - Joe DiPietro Will Win
Million Dollar Quartet - Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family - Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Enron - Music: Adam Cork Lyrics: Lucy Prebble
Fences - Music: Branford Marsalis
Memphis - Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan Should Win/Will Win

Best Revival of a Play
Fences Should Win/Will Win
Lend Me A Tenor
The Royal Family
A View From The Bridge

Best Revival of a Musical
Finian's Rainbow
La Cage Aux Folles Should Win/Will Win
A Little Night Music
Ragtime

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law - Hamlet
Alfred Molina - Red Should Win
Liev Schreiber - A View From The Bridge
Christopher Walken - A Behanding In Spokane
Denzel Washington - Fences Will Win

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis - Fences Should Win/Will Win
Valerie Harper - Looped
Linda Lavin - Collected Stories
Laura Linney - Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell - The Royal Family

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer - La Cage Aux Folles
Sean Hayes - Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Chad Kimball - Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah - Fela! Should Win

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin - Finian's Rainbow
Sherie Rene Scott - Everyday Rapture
Montego Glover - Memphis Should Win
Christiane Noll - Ragtime
Catherine Zeta-Jones - A Little Night Music Will Win

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier - Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson - Fences
Jon Michael Hill - Superior Donuts Should Win/Will Win
Stephen Kunken - Enron
Eddie Redmayne - Red

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia - In the Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Rosemary Harris - The Royal Family
Jessica Hecht - A View From The Bridge
Scarlett Johansson - A View From The Bridge
Jan Maxwell - Lend Me A Tenor Should Win/Will Win

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin - The Addams Family Should Win
Robin De Jesús - La Cage Aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald - Finian's Rainbow
Levi Kreis - Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert - Ragtime Will Win

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook - Sondheim On Sondheim
Katie Finneran - Promises, Promises Should Win/Will Win
Angela Lansbury - A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit - Come Fly Away
Lillias White - Fela!

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage - Red Should Win/Will Win
Sheryl Kaller - Next Fall
Kenny Leon - Fences
Gregory Mosher - A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley - Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge - Ragtime
Terry Johnson - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Bill T. Jones - Fela! Should Win

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford - Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones - Fela! Should Win
Lynne Page - La Cage Aux Folles
Twyla Tharp - Come Fly Away Will Win

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Aaron Johnson - Fela! Should Win
Jonathan Tunick - Promises, Promises
Daryl Waters & David Bryan - Memphis

Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty - The Royal Family Should Win
Alexander Dodge - Present Laughter
Santo Loquasto - Fences
Christopher Oram - Red Will Win

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici - Fela!
Christine Jones - American Idiot Should Win/Will Win
Derek McLane - Ragtime
Tim Shortall - La Cage aux Folles

Best Costume Design of a Play
Martin Pakledinaz - Lend Me a Tenor
Constanza Romero - Fences
David Zinn - In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Catherine Zuber - The Royal Family Should Win/Will Win

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici - Fela! Should Win
Paul Tazewell - Memphis
Matthew Wright - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin - Hamlet
Neil Austin - Red Will Win
Mark Henderson - Enron Should Win
Brian MacDevitt - Fences

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams - American Idiot Should Win
Donald Holder - Ragtime
Nick Richings - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Robert Wierzel - Fela!

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners - Fences
Adam Cork - Enron Should Win/Will Win
Adam Cork - Red
Scott Lehrer - A View from the Bridge

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Robert Kaplowitz - Fela! Should Win
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen - A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier - Sondheim On Sondheim

I'll provide more analysis tomorrow, but until then, please let me know what you thought about this year's Tonys. Did the voters get it right?

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Labels: Broadway, Fela, La Cage Aux Folles, Memphis, Red, Tony Awards, Tony Predictions

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Sunday, June 13, 2010 0 comments

Tony Time 2010

Tony Time 2010

This evening marks the American Theatre Wing's 64th Annual Tony Awards hosted by one of Broadway's newest stars, Sean Hayes.

The Tonys remain the highest honors bestowed annually upon Broadway's new and revived plays and musicals. Named for theatre legend Antoinette Perry, the first Tony Awards were held in 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom with 11 awards presented in only 7 categories, along with 8 special awards.

This year, the Tony Award winners will be honored at Radio City Music Hall, where awards will be announced in a 26 categories -- one less than last year (the Special Theatrical Event category has been eliminated).

Fela! and La Cage Aux Folles lead the pack with 11 nominations each, followed by Fences with 10, Memphis with 8 and Red with 7 nods.

I have posted my Tony Awards predictions here for whom I believe will win, as well as weighing in on whom I think deserves to win.

Additionally, Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will honor the brilliance of both playwright Alan Ayckbourn and actress Marian Seldes. This year's Regional Theatre Tony Award will be bestowed upn the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center (Waterford, CT). David Hyde Pierce is flying back from London to receive the second annual Isabelle Stevenson Award for his work in the fight against Alzheimer's Disease. Last, but not least, four Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre will be awarded, including to: the Alliance of Resident Theatres (New York), esteemed theatrical fight director B.H. Barry, the Midtown North and South New York City Police Precincts, and Tom Viola (Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS).

Just like last year, I'll be viewing tonight's ceremonies from the comfort of my own living room. Look for my full wrap-up later. And just like last year, I invite you to check out my live tweets throughout the course of the Tony Awards along the right hand side of SOB or by clicking here.

In the meantime, whether you're in Radio City Music Hall, in Times Square or watching on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. EDT tonight, here's hoping you enjoy this year's event.

Here's to all the nominees!

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: American Theatre Wing, Broadway, Fela, Fences, La Cage Aux Folles, Memphis, Red, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations, Tony Predictions

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Sunday, June 13, 2010 0 comments

SOB's 2010 Tony Predictions

SOB's 2010 Tony Predictions

This Sunday, the American Theatre Wing’s 64th annual Tony Awards ceremonies will honor the best of Broadway's 2009-10 Theatrical Season. As we count down the days to the Tonys, it's time for me to place my wagers on those nominees I believe will actually win, as well as tell you whom I think should win.

As noted on Monday, I've been extraordinarily fortunate to see every single show, eligible and otherwise, that opened on Broadway over the past year. So unlike last year, I'll be able to at least make informed decisions. Whether I'm right or not remains to be seen.

There is plenty of momentum behind Red, La Cage Aux Folles and Fences, and it doesn't hurt that they all remain open to Tony voters and that they're pulling in respectable audiences. In the case of Fences, it's become box office titanium.

Given the dearth of truly new musicals this season, Tony voters are going to reward Memphis for being one of the lone tuners with original score and an actual book, plus it stands the best chance of being a hit on tour. The exception for Memphis will come (but shouldn't) in Tony voters' starstruck decision for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.

Something also tells me that given the lack of nominations -- except for one key nod -- for one of the season's earlier critical hits, Superior Donuts, along with the love shown already this awards season for its talented nominee that you shouldn't be surprised when they call his name. Similarly, with a certain Ragtime actor becoming a bona fide darling of the stage, don't be surprised if he pulls off an upset as well as Tony voters recognize the future star they have a chance to honor now.

Here are my picks:

Best Play
In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play) - Author: Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall - Author: Geoffrey Nauffts
Red - Author: John Logan Will Win/Should Win
Time Stands Still - Author: Donald Margulies

Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela! Should Win
Memphis Will Win
Million Dollar Quartet

Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture - Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott Should Win
Fela! - Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
Memphis- Joe DiPietro Will Win
Million Dollar Quartet - Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family - Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Enron - Music: Adam Cork Lyrics: Lucy Prebble
Fences - Music: Branford Marsalis
Memphis - Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan Should Win/Will Win

Best Revival of a Play
Fences Should Win/Will Win
Lend Me A Tenor
The Royal Family
A View From The Bridge

Best Revival of a Musical
Finian's Rainbow
La Cage Aux Folles Should Win/Will Win
A Little Night Music
Ragtime

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law - Hamlet
Alfred Molina - Red Should Win
Liev Schreiber - A View From The Bridge
Christopher Walken - A Behanding In Spokane
Denzel Washington - Fences Will Win

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis - Fences Should Win/Will Win
Valerie Harper - Looped
Linda Lavin - Collected Stories
Laura Linney - Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell - The Royal Family

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer - La Cage Aux Folles
Sean Hayes - Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Chad Kimball - Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah - Fela! Should Win

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin - Finian's Rainbow
Sherie Rene Scott - Everyday Rapture
Montego Glover - Memphis Should Win
Christiane Noll - Ragtime
Catherine Zeta-Jones - A Little Night Music Will Win

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier - Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson - Fences
Jon Michael Hill - Superior Donuts Should Win/Will Win
Stephen Kunken - Enron
Eddie Redmayne - Red

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia - In the Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Rosemary Harris - The Royal Family
Jessica Hecht - A View From The Bridge
Scarlett Johansson - A View From The Bridge
Jan Maxwell - Lend Me A Tenor Should Win/Will Win

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin - The Addams Family Should Win
Robin De Jesús - La Cage Aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald - Finian's Rainbow
Levi Kreis - Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert - Ragtime Will Win

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook - Sondheim On Sondheim
Katie Finneran - Promises, Promises Should Win/Will Win
Angela Lansbury - A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit - Come Fly Away
Lillias White - Fela!

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage - Red Should Win/Will Win
Sheryl Kaller - Next Fall
Kenny Leon - Fences
Gregory Mosher - A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley - Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge - Ragtime
Terry Johnson - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Bill T. Jones - Fela! Should Win

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford - Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones - Fela! Should Win
Lynne Page - La Cage Aux Folles
Twyla Tharp - Come Fly Away Will Win

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Aaron Johnson - Fela! Should Win
Jonathan Tunick - Promises, Promises
Daryl Waters & David Bryan - Memphis

Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty - The Royal Family Should Win
Alexander Dodge - Present Laughter
Santo Loquasto - Fences
Christopher Oram - Red Will Win

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici - Fela!
Christine Jones - American Idiot Should Win/Will Win
Derek McLane - Ragtime
Tim Shortall - La Cage aux Folles

Best Costume Design of a Play
Martin Pakledinaz - Lend Me a Tenor
Constanza Romero - Fences
David Zinn - In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Catherine Zuber - The Royal Family Should Win/Will Win

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici - Fela! Should Win
Paul Tazewell - Memphis
Matthew Wright - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin - Hamlet
Neil Austin - Red Will Win
Mark Henderson - Enron Should Win
Brian MacDevitt - Fences

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams - American Idiot Should Win
Donald Holder - Ragtime
Nick Richings - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Robert Wierzel - Fela!

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners - Fences
Adam Cork - Enron Should Win/Will Win
Adam Cork - Red
Scott Lehrer - A View from the Bridge

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans - La Cage Aux Folles Will Win
Robert Kaplowitz - Fela! Should Win
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen - A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier - Sondheim On Sondheim

Do my picks for this year's Tony Awards match yours? Let me know.

Tune in to CBS this Sunday, June 13, when Sean Hayes hosts the three-hour live broadcast.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Labels: Bobby Steggert, Fences, Jon Michael Hill, La Cage Aux Folles, Memphis, Ragtime, Red, Superior Donuts, Tony Awards, Tony Predictions

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, June 09, 2010 3 comments

2010 Tony Award Nominations Announced

2010 Tony Award Nomina-tions Announced

At 8:30 a.m. EDT this morning, Jeff Daniels (God Of Carnage) and Lea Michele (Spring Awakening) announced the nominees for the 2010 Tony Awards.

The top nominees are musicals Fela! (a new musical) and La Cage Aux Folles (a revival), each earning 11 nominations. The revival of Fences scored the most nominations among plays with ten nods. With 7 nominations, Red is the highest ranking new play of the season.

While I fully expected the Tony nominators to try and prove that they exude cool by selecting American Idiot among the Best Musical nominations, they also demonstrated an incredible degree of stodginess by placing Million Dollar Quartet in the same category. Fela! is the show to beat in this category.

It was great seeing some love shown for two musical revivals that closed prematurely: Ragtime (7 nominations) and Finian's Rainbow (3). Nevertheless, the critically-acclaimed La Cage Aux Folles is the odds-on favorite to win Best Revival of a Musical.

As for new plays, Red and Time Stands Still were expected to be nominated, but the eleventh hour Pulitzer Prize nomination (and ultimate snub) for In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play) assured its place among Best Play nominees. Expect to see Red win. Fences will likely win Best Revival of a Play.

Notable shows with few nominations, include The Addams Family (2), A Behanding In Spokane (1), Race (1) and Superior Donuts (1). Despite the year's most spectacular star turns, Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman, as well as A Steady Rain, were shut out of this year's nominations.

Among acting nominations, Jan Maxwell has earned two well-deserved nominations both for her leading performance in The Royal Family and for her featured role in Lend Me A Tenor. It's interesting to note that in that latter category, she'll be competing against her Royal Family co-star Rosemary Harris, who herself was nominated for Best Actress in the same lead role as Maxwell back in the 1975-76 production.

Here is the full list of nominees. Those with an asterisk (*) were on my list if I had been nominating. Those with two asterisks (**) were among those I accurately predicted the Tony nominators would actually choose (that truncated list only went as far as lead acting nominations).

Best Play
In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)** - Author: Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall - Author: Geoffrey Nauffts
Red* ** - Author: John Logan
Time Stands Still* ** - Author: Donald Margulies

Best Musical
American Idiot**
Fela!* **
Memphis* **
Million Dollar Quartet

Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture* - Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott
Fela!* - Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
Memphis*- Joe DiPietro
Million Dollar Quartet - Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family* - Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Enron* - Music: Adam Cork Lyrics: Lucy Prebble
Fences* - Music: Branford Marsalis
Memphis* - Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan

Best Revival of a Play
Fences* **
Lend Me A Tenor* **
The Royal Family* **
A View From The Bridge**

Best Revival of a Musical
Finian's Rainbow* **
La Cage Aux Folles* **
A Little Night Music* **
Ragtime* **

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law - Hamlet**
Alfred Molina - Red* **
Liev Schreiber - A View From The Bridge
Christopher Walken - A Behanding In Spokane**
Denzel Washington - Fences* **

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis - Fences* **
Valerie Harper - Looped* **
Linda Lavin - Collected Stories* **
Laura Linney - Time Stands Still* **
Jan Maxwell - The Royal Family* **

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer - La Cage Aux Folles
Sean Hayes - Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge - La Cage Aux Folles* **
Chad Kimball - Memphis*
Sahr Ngaujah - Fela!* **

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin - Finian's Rainbow* **
Sherie Rene Scott - Everyday Rapture* **
Montego Glover - Memphis* **
Christiane Noll - Ragtime* **
Catherine Zeta-Jones - A Little Night Music* **

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier - Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson - Fences
Jon Michael Hill - Superior Donuts*
Stephen Kunken - Enron*
Eddie Redmayne - Red*

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia - In the Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)*
Rosemary Harris - The Royal Family*
Jessica Hecht - A View From The Bridge
Scarlett Johansson - A View From The Bridge*
Jan Maxwell - Lend Me A Tenor*

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin - The Addams Family*
Robin De Jesús - La Cage Aux Folles*
Christopher Fitzgerald - Finian's Rainbow*
Levi Kreis - Million Dollar Quartet*
Bobby Steggert - Ragtime

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook - Sondheim On Sondheim
Katie Finneran - Promises, Promises*
Angela Lansbury - A Little Night Music*
Karine Plantadit - Come Fly Away
Lillias White - Fela!*

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage - Red*
Sheryl Kaller - Next Fall
Kenny Leon - Fences*
Gregory Mosher - A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley - Memphis*
Marcia Milgrom Dodge - Ragtime
Terry Johnson - La Cage Aux Folles*
Bill T. Jones - Fela!*

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford - Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones - Fela!*
Lynne Page - La Cage Aux Folles
Twyla Tharp - Come Fly Away

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr - La Cage Aux Folles*
Aaron Johnson - Fela!*
Jonathan Tunick - Promises, Promises
Daryl Waters & David Bryan - Memphis

Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty - The Royal Family*
Alexander Dodge - Present Laughter*
Santo Loquasto - Fences
Christopher Oram - Red

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici - Fela!
Christine Jones - American Idiot*
Derek McLane - Ragtime
Tim Shortall - La Cage aux Folles*

Best Costume Design of a Play
Martin Pakledinaz - Lend Me a Tenor*
Constanza Romero - Fences
David Zinn - In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)*
Catherine Zuber - The Royal Family*

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici - Fela!*
Santo Loquasto - Ragtime*
Paul Tazewell - Memphis
Matthew Wright - La Cage Aux Folles*

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin - Hamlet*
Neil Austin - Red
Mark Henderson - Enron*
Brian MacDevitt - Fences

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams - American Idiot*
Donald Holder - Ragtime
Nick Richings - La Cage Aux Folles
Robert Wierzel - Fela!

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners - Fences
Adam Cork - Enron*
Adam Cork - Red
Scott Lehrer - A View from the Bridge

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans - La Cage Aux Folles
Robert Kaplowitz - Fela!*
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen - A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier - Sondheim On Sondheim

This year's Tony Awards will be televised on CBS during a three-hour live broadcast on Sunday, June 13.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Labels: Broadway, Fela, Fences, La Cage Aux Folles, Red, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations, Tony Predictions

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, May 04, 2010 3 comments

Tony Predictions: Who Cares What I Think?

Tony Predictions: Who Cares What I Think?

Stealing a line from Rocco at What's Good, What Blows In New York Theatre, who cares what I think in terms of predicting this year's Tony Awards?!

(UPDATED June 9, 2010: To view my Tony predictions from this year's field of nominees, please click here)

Not only have I offered my picks for the shows I believe Tony nominators will choose for this year's awards over at Just Shows To Go You (you'll find some of my explanations of those choices at the close of this post), but I also offer you my personal picks for each of the major awards here after having seen every single new show that opened on Broadway this season.

You'll note that Brighton Beach Memoirs figures prominently on my list below. Even though the Tony Administration Committee ruled it ineligible for any awards due to its premature closing, I am not bound by their rules and thus am selecting those whom I believe are truly the most deserving. But also bowing to the committee's decision, you'll find alternative choices listed as well.

Also, it should be noted that I have paired the exceptional projection designers with their respective scenic designers. Since this is a growing design element for an ever-increasing number of stage shows, I believe that it's high time the Tony Administration Committee offered an award for Best Projection Design (not to mention recognition for Best Ensemble).

So, as if you really cared, here are my personal picks in each of the Tony categories:

Best Play
Enron
Red
Superior Donuts
Time Stands Still

Best Musical
Everyday Rapture
Fela!
Memphis
Sondheim On Sondheim

Best Revival of a Play
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Fences
Lend Me A Tenor
Oleanna

Since Brighton Beach Memoirs is ineligible due to its premature closing, I would select The Royal Family in its place.

Best Revival of a Musical
A Little Night Music
Finian's Rainbow
La Cage Aux Folles
Ragtime

Best Actor in a Play
Norbert Leo Butz - Enron
Daniel Craig - A Steady Rain
Michael McKean - Superior Donuts
Alfred Molina - Red
Denzel Washington - Fences

Best Actress in a Play
Viola Davis - Fences
Linda Lavin - Collected Stories
Laura Linney - Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell - The Royal Family
Laurie Metcalf - Brighton Beach Memoirs

Since Brighton Beach Memoirs has been ruled ineligible due to its premature closing, I would select Valerie Harper from Looped in place of Laurie Metcalf.

Best Actor in a Musical
Alexander Hanson - A Little Night Music
Douglas Hodge - La Cage Aux Folles
Chad Kimball - Memphis
Sahr Ngujah - Fela!
Jim Norton - Finian's Rainbow

Best Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin - Finian's Rainbow
Montego Glover - Memphis
Christiane Noll - Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott - Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones - A Little Night Music

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Chris Chalk - Fences
Jon Michael Hill - Superior Donuts
Brian d'Arcy James - Times Stands Still
Eddie Redmayne - Red
Noah Robbins - Brighton Beach Memoirs

Since Brighton Beach Memoirs has been ruled ineligible due to its premature closing, I would select Stephen Kunken from Enron in place of Noah Robbins.

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia - In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Rosemary Harris - The Royal Family
Scarlett Johannson - A View From The Bridge
Jan Maxwell - Lend Me A Tenor
Marin Mazzie - Enron

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin - The Addams Family
Robin De Jesús - La Cage Aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald - Finian's Rainbow
Levi Kreis - Million Dollar Quartet
Euan Morton - Sondheim On Sondheim

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Katie Finneran - Promises, Promises
Jackie Hoffman - The Addams Family
Angela Lansbury - A Little Night Music
Lillias White - Fela!
Terry White - Finian's Rainbow

Best Director of a Play
David Cromer - Brighton Beach Memoirs
Rupert Goold - Enron
Michael Grandage - Red
Kenny Leon - Fences

Since Brighton Beach Memoirs has been ruled ineligible due to its premature closing, I would select Stanley Tucci from Lend Me A Tenor in place of David Cromer

Best Director of a Musical
Christopher Ashley - Memphis
Terry Johnson - La Cage Aux Folles
Bill T. Jones - Fela!
Michael Mayer - American Idiot

Best Musical Score
Joe DiPietro and David Bryan - Memphis
Andrew Lippa - The Addams Family
Branford Marsalis - Fences
Lucy Prebble and Adam Cork - Enron

Best Book of a Musical
Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice - The Addams Family
Joe DiPietro - Memphis
Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones - Fela!
Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott - Everyday Rapture

Best Choreography
Warren Carlyle - Finian's Rainbow
Stephen Hoggett - American Idiot
Bill T. Jones - Fela!
Sergio Trujillo - Memphis

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr - La Cage Aux Folles
August Ericksmoen and Danny Troob - The Addams Family
Aaron Johnson - Fela!
Michael Starobin - Sondheim On Sondheim

Best Scenic Design (Play)
John Lee Beatty - The Royal Family
Wilson Chin - Next Fall
Alexander Dodge - Present Laughter
Anthony Ward (and John Driscoll, Projection Design) - Enron

Best Costume Design (Play)
Jane Greenwood - Present Laughter
Martin Pakledinaz - Lend Me A Tenor
David Zinn - In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Catherine Zuber - The Royal Family

Best Lighting Design (Play)
Neil Austin - Hamlet
Russell H. Champa - In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Mark Henderson - Enron
Brian MacDevitt - A Behanding In Spokane

Best Sound Design (Play)
Adam Cork - Enron
Michael Hooker and Peter Fitzgerald - Looped
Bray Poor - In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
David Van Tieghem - After Miss Julie

Best Scenic Design (Musical)
Beowulf Boritt (and Peter Flaherty, Projection Design) - Sondheim On Sondheim
David Gallo (and Shawn Sagady, Projection Design) - Memphis
Christine Jones (and Darrel Maloney, Projection Design) - American Idiot
Tim Shortall - La Cage Aux Folles

Best Costume Design (Musical)
Marina Draghici - Fela!
Santo Loquasto - Ragtime
Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch - The Addams Family
Matthew Wright - La Cage Aux Folles

Best Lighting Design (Musical)
Kevin Adams - American Idiot
Ken Billington - Finian's Rainbow
Howell Binkley - Memphis
Natasha Katz - The Addams Family

Best Sound Design (Musical)
Robert Kaplowitz - Fela!
Brian Ronan - American Idiot
Dan Moses Schreier - Sondheim On Sondheim
Ken Travis - Memphis

As for that list of nominees I believe the Tony nominators will choose, here's some additional background into my thought process.

In the Best Play category, even though I wasn't wowed by In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play), I said it would be hard to imagine the Tony nominators not selecting it given it's the only Pulitzer-nominated show in the bunch. But critical darling Next Fall, another play I was not enamored with, could pull an upset and find itself nominated. Red is probably the only real lock on a nomination.

For Best Musical, I said that American Idiot is likely to get a nod from nominators who want to avoid being labeled stodgy. But didn't they already accomplish that in previous years by nominating far superior shows like Spring Awakening, In The Heights and Passing Strange? They'll really be viewed as stodgy if they opt for pablum like Million Dollar Quartet.

Among the potential nominees in the Best Revival of a Play category, Fences is the only sure-thing lock on a Best Play Revival nod, but I expect A View From The Bridge to be nominated, even though I wasn't as mesmerized as the critics.

As for the Best Revival of a Musical, this is the category where it's really a process of elimination given that there were only six choices. Bye Bye Birdie is automatically scratched off the list first. I can't help but think there's still so much remaining favorable sentiment for Ragtime and Finian's Rainbow that Promises, Promises becomes the odd show out.

As for Best Actor in a Play, which has one of the most crowded field of contenders, there's much talk about Liev Schreiber and Christopher Walken being nominated at the expense of Daniel Craig. Sure A Steady Rain was last fall, but surely Tony nominators will not forget the incredible support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS received from Craig and Hugh Jackman, who together helped make Broadway a fun place to visit near the end of 2009. Since Craig delivered the truly memorable performance losing himself in a thankless role, he'll be rewarded with a nod.

In the Best Actress in a Play category, now that the Tony Administration committee (rightly) ignored precedent that the role of Rose in Fences was a supporting one, expect to see Viola Davis leading the pack here. Jan Maxwell, Laura Linney and Linda Lavin should also be locks.

So dear readers, what are your thoughts? Do you agree with both my picks for who the Tony nominators will select, as well as my own personal preferences?

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Labels: Best New Musicals, Best New Plays, Best Revival of Plays, Best Revivals of Musicals, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations, Tony Predictions, Tony Rules

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, April 30, 2010 7 comments

SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: My First Tonys

SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: My First Tonys

Over the course of the last decade, I’ve been truly fortunate to enjoy a number of enlightening firsts in my personal theatergoing that have only served to increase my deep and abiding love for the art form known as live theatre. What follows is one of my ten favorite experiences of the last ten years.

If you’ve ever looked at that little photo of me on the right hand side of this page, you’ll know that my eyes are peeking out from above one of those lovely little awards that American Theatre Wing' and Broadway League jointly use to honor Broadway’s best each year.

It is an Antoinette Perry or Tony Award, and I first came face to face with one when my dear friend and exceptional photographer Stephen Mosher offered an impromptu photo shoot as part of a much larger series of images he created with Tony Awards in his custody. After the death of celebrated costume designer Florence Klotz, her Tonys -- including the one I’m holding -- were placed in his care. With Klotz’s Tony for her work on Pacific Overtures and a few clicks of Stephen’s camera, he helped me live up to the moniker Steve On Broadway.

Attending the Tonys was another story. I’ll never forget the thrill of attending the 2008 ceremony at Radio City Music Hall since it was the year Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County was the major contender among straight plays. Hosted by the wonderful and appropriately funny Whoopi Goldberg, the Tony experience gave me many insights that I would never have known from watching it at home.

I learned so much, not only about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into this production, but also just how much more fun actually being there can be. It's not just seeing the nominees and presenters in person, but the chance to see those amazing performances live on stage yet again, including Patti LuPone’s “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.” It's also the nonstop buzz you feel from the moment you step onto the red carpet right up until you receive your Tony swag bag upon departure from the Gala.

Among all the new plays, August: Osage County was the big winner, not only as Best Play, but also for director Anna D. Shapiro, scenic designer Todd Rosenthal and actresses Deanna Dunagan and Rondi Reed. My Love Of My Life (LOML) and I were up on our feet for each of those wins, and curiously, upon a later viewing of a recording of the televised ceremony, we were pleasantly surprised to see us right over the top of Reed’s shoulder offering her our standing ovation just after she had been named Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Among the new musicals, we may have been cheering for Passing Strange, but our seats were immediately behind the contingent from In The Heights. So when their wins were announced from the stage, it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement of the moment for them.

While I didn’t enjoy a repeat appearance at this year’s Tony Awards, my LOML and I were absolutely delighted to receive an invitation to attend the 75th Annual Drama League Awards, which honor the best on Broadway as well as off and off-off.

If the Tony Awards are Broadway's equivalent to the Academy Awards, then the Drama League Awards are, as Shrek The Musical star Christopher Sieber quipped to me, “like the Golden Globes for theatre!" Sieber, by the way, was one of the 71 nominees for distinguished performance from New York theatre. And so it was with nearly all of the nominees assembled for a wine-filled luncheon on a three-tiered dais that reminded one nominee of a large "Match Game" set (it looked more to me like a celebrity telethon minus the telephones).

The glory of the Drama League Awards is that while there are all those nominees ranging from the famous Oscar-winning stars to the actors who've just experienced their first major breaks Off-Off-Broadway, they all have an equal opportunity to say a few words. And many do it with such a welcome flourish.Despite the fact they were all vying for one award, the sense of community they shared as actors was palpable. It was truly incredible and one of the best celebrations of the theatrical art form I've ever enjoyed.

Just as my LOML and I mingled with the stars at the Tony Awards and the ensuing Tony Gala and August: Osage County party that followed, we found ourselves in the midst of a galaxy of stars at the Drama League reception immediately prior to the lunch. At one point, we found ourselves surrounded by Angela Lansbury, Cynthia Nixon, Jeremy Irons and the three Billys from Billy Elliot. With so many actors packed into one tight space, it was no wonder we were asked more than once if we were among the nominees.

Would I go back to the Tony and Drama League Awards? Are you kidding? Absolutely.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for both awards shows and my friend Stephen Mosher graciously took a photo for me out of the goodness of his own heart.

Labels: August Osage County, Awards, Billy Elliot The Musical, Drama League, Patti LuPone, Rondi Reed, Tony Awards

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, December 21, 2009 1 comments

Tony Awards 11:03 Number

Labels: Broadway, Liza Minnelli, Marc Shaiman, Neil Patrick Harris, Scott Wittman, Tony Awards

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, June 10, 2009 2 comments

Tony Recap Redux

Tony Recap Redux

And the award for funniest laugh-out-loud and spot-on recap of Sunday's Tony Awards goes to Gil Varod at Broadway Abridged.

Pure genius.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Broadway, Broadway Abridged, Gil Varod, Tony Awards, Tony Recap

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, June 09, 2009 1 comments

Twittering The Tonys

Twittering The Tonys

By now, you already know that Billy Elliot - The Musical won the most Tonys during last evening's ceremony (click here to view a full list of all of this year's Tony Award winners).

Billy Elliot earned 10 Tonys in all ... or 12 if you count David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish individually for the joint Tony they received as "Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical" -- a topic I'll circle back to shortly.

The evening started out surprisingly enough as Martin Koch (Billy Elliot - The Musical) and Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt (next to normal) were both declared winners in a tie for Best Orchestrations.

But it all ended up seeming so, well, mostly predictable. While I accurately predicted 19 out of 27 categories, I was dead-on in almost every one of the major categories.

The predictabity was OK, not just because I liked most of the shows and performances that won, but also given the wonderfully witty 11:00 number offered up by host Neil Patrick Harris, which only needed a few last-minute changes from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The only things completely unpredictable were the excrutiatingly painful headbanging poor Bret Michaels endured or the embarrassing mics that seemed to not work more often than they did.

Unlike last year, when I enjoyed the Tony Awards from a great orchestra seat at Radio City Music Hall, I was in the comfort of my own living room offering up my Tony tweets via Twitter. It was a totally unique experience for me, but one that I have to admit enjoying primarily because of the banter with other theatre Twitters.

The only downside was that during the first hour of the televised awards, I hit Twitter's limit on the number of tweets any one individual can post in any given hour. Who knew? I certainly didn't! Fortunately, after being sidelined for over a half hour, I was able to get back on, although I ended up being a bit more judicious in what I posted.

Now, coming back full circle on the awards, the only winner I still can't wrap my head around is giving all three Billys the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Don't get me wrong, I am sure they are each very talented. Yet, how can the four other nominees who give 8 performances each week compete with three actors who perform 3 times tops per week? And to say that they are all equally worthy? Well that thinking's akin to the way they give away soccer trophies just so no one's feelings will get hurt.

Yes, I know about the bizarre Tony precedents.

In 1960, all of the young actors portraying the von Trapp family children in the original production of The Sound Of Music -- Lauri Peters, Kathy Dunn, Evanna Lien, Mary Susan Locke, Marilyn Rogers, William Snowden , and Joseph Stewart -- were nominated together in the category of Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Wonder if Snowden and Stewart ever fully recovered from that!

This year's Tony winning Best Performance by a Leading Actress Alice Ripley had to share a joint nomination for the same award with Emily Skinner for Side Show back in 1998 simply because they were portraying conjoined twins Violet and Daisy, respectively. I always thought conjoined twins had their own individual personalities.

There used to be a rule that whoever opened in the show was eligible for the Tony. Just ask Frank Dolce, who alternates with Tony nominee David Bologna as Michael in Billy Elliot - The Musical. Same show, different rules apparently apply. Maybe it was their rousing ode to individuality called "Expressing Yourself" that did them in.

I'll get off my soapbox long enough to admit how pleased I was with the rest of the results overall -- in fact, I plan to finally see both Billy Elliot and God Of Carnage on Broadway after having first seen them in London.

I was downright thrilled (sorry David Bologna) when Gregory Jbara -- one of Broadway's nicest actors -- won for his role in Billy Elliot. I got goosebumps when Angela Lansbury earned her fifth acting Tony. And I was giddy with delight that The Norman Conquests rightfully won Best Revival of a Play during prime time where it belonged (although I thought director Matthew Warchus deserved to win for that effort over his other God Of Carnage).

So, dear readers. What did you think of this year's Tony Awards? And how many of the winners did you get right?

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Alice Ripley, Angela Lansbury, Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, David Alvarez, God Of Carnage, Gregory Jbara, Kiril Kulish, The Norman Conquests, Tony Awards, Trent Kowalik, Twitter

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, June 08, 2009 2 comments

And The Tony Goes To...

And The Tony Goes To...

Moments ago, the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League's 63rd Annual Tony Awards hosted by Neil Patrick Harris became history!

Billy Elliot - The Musical was the evening's biggest winner, including for Best Musical, but God Of Carnage had a great night among new dramatic works, winning Best Play. And my personal favorite show of the year The Norman Conquests earned Best Revival of a Play ... in prime time! And Hair won Best Revival of a Musical as it should have.


Here are all the nominees and winners:

Best Play
Dividing The Estate - Horton Foote, Author
God Of Carnage - Yasmine Reza, Author **Winner**
reasons to be pretty - Neil LaBute, Author
33 Variations - Moises Kaufman, Author

Best Musical
Billy Elliot - The Musical **Winner**
next to normal
Rock Of Ages
Shrek The Musical

Best Book of a Musical
Billy Elliot - The Musical - Lee Hall **Winner**
next to normal - Brian Yorkey
Shrek The Musical - David Lindsay-Abaire
[title of show] - Hunter Bell

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 ** Winner**
9 To 5 -The Musical - Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton
Shrek The Musical - Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

Best Revival of a Play
Joe Turner's Come And Gone
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests **Winner**
Waiting For Godot

Best Revival of a Musical
Guys And Dolls
Hair **Winner**
Pal Joey
West Side Story

Best Special Theatrical Event
Liza's At The Palace **Winner**
Slava's Snowshow
Soul Of Shaolin
You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jeff Daniels - God Of Carnage
Raúl Esparza - Speed-The-Plow
James Gandolfini - God Of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush - Exit The King **Winner**
Thomas Sadoski - reasons to be pretty

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Hope Davis - God Of Carnage
Jane Fonda - 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden - God Of Carnage **Winner**
Janet McTeer - Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter - Mary Stuart

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish - Billy Elliot - The Musical **Winners**
Gavin Creel - Hair
Brian d'Arcy James - Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis - Rock Of Ages
J. Robert Spencer - next to normal

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 **Winner**
Josefina Scaglione - West Side Story

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
John Glover - Waiting For Godot
Zach Grenier - 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan - The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter - The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson - Joe Turner's Come And Gone **Winner**

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Hallie Foote - Dividing The Estate
Jessica Hynes - The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland - reasons to be pretty
Angela Lansbury - Blithe Spirit **Winner**
Amanda Root - The Norman Conquests

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
David Bologna - Billy Elliot - The Musical
Gregory Jbara - Billy Elliot - The Musical **Winner**
Marc Kudisch - 9 To 5 - The Musical
Christopher Sieber - Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson - Hair

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 **Winner**
Martha Plimpton- Pal Joey
Carole Shelley - Billy Elliot - The Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill - Guys And Dolls
Ian MacNeil - Billy Elliot - The Musical **Winner**
Scott Pask - Pal Joey
Mark Wendland - next to normal

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson - Exit The King
Rob Howell - The Norman Conquests
Derek McLane - 33 Variations **Winner**
Michael Yeargan - Joe Turner's Come And Gone

Best Costume Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson - Exit The King
Jane Greenwood - Waiting For Godot
Martin Pakledinaz - Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward - Mary Stuart **Winner**

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregory Gale - Rock Of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand - Billy Elliot - The Musical
Tim Hatley - Shrek The Musical **Winner**
Michael McDonald - Hair

Best Lighting Design of a Play
David Hersey - Equus
David Lander - 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt - Joe Turner's Come And Gone **Winner**
Hugh Vanstone - Mary Stuart

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 **Winner**

Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti - Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke - Equus **Winner**
Russell Goldsmith - Exit The King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg - Joe Turner's Come And Gone

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners - Hair
Paul Arditti - Billy Elliot - The Musical **Winner**
Peter Hylenski - Rock Of Ages
Brian Ronan - next to normal

Best Direction of a Play
Phyllida Lloyd - Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher - Joe Turner's Come And Gone
Matthew Warchus - God Of Carnage **Winner**
Matthew Warchus - The Norman Conquests

Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Daldry - Billy Elliot - The Musical **Winner**
Michael Greif - next to normal
Kristin Hanggi - Rock Of Ages
Diane Paulus - Hair

Best Choreography
Karole Armitage - Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler - 9 To 5 - The Musical
Peter Darling - Billy Elliot - The Musical **Winner**
Randy Skinner - Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Best Orchestrations
Larry Blank- Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Martin Koch - Billy Elliot - The Musical **TIE Winner**
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt - next to normal **TIE Winner**
Danny Troob and John Clancy - Shrek The Musical

So, dear readers, are you happy with the results? I'll provide my own perspective on the winners and the overlooked tomorrow.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Billy Elliot The Musical, God Of Carnage, Hair, The Norman Conquests, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Sunday, June 07, 2009 1 comments