66TH ANNUAL TONY AWARDS YAAAAYYYY
There are musicals
and there are plays
there are dancers
and lots of gays
but which nominees
will be winning Tonys
So lets see what's in the caaaards
at the 66th Annual Tony Awaaaaaards
^read in any flamboyant/brassy melody you like
Its no secret that I love Broadway musicals.
LOL
Anyway I'd talk about my history with the theatre and plagiarize the works of other, better livejournal users, but it would make for a very long, tearful post about how I saw Peter Pan and snow for the first time and it was so fing beautiful etc etc. So here I am, after a month of living in America at the end of a millenium and having the great great graduation-related privilege of getting to see five, yes FIVE Broadway shows. All discounted of course (except for Evita which was soooo not worth it I can't believe I paid full price for that nonsense). I saw Nice Work If You Can Get It, Evita, Peter and the Starcatcher (this one is a play), Anything Goes (winner of last years Tony for Best Revival of a Musical) , and Newsies. Two of these are nominated for Best Musical (Nice Work, Newsies), One is nominated for Best Revival (Evita), and Peter and the Starcatcher is up for Best Play.
I'd try elaborating on all my picks and commentary for every category and nomination but IT SIMPLY CANNOT BE DONE.
I'll just elaborate on the nominees for Best Musical in alphabetical order:
1. Leap of Faith
Leap of Faith is a sad sad little show with songs by Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast/your childhood) and his (in my opinion) lesser collaborator Glenn Slater (sure he wrote the lyrics for Tangled but w/e). It's based on a 1992 film about a con-man who cons small towns into believing that he is a preacher and collects their money and uses it for himself. But omg the tables turn! When he has feelings for the flinty town sheriff and she has a handicapped son and shat hits the fan and junk. It is the only one of the four nominees that will NOT be open for the awards because it completely and utterly flopped. It closed with only 20 performances after it was savaged by critics and abandoned by audiences. And as much as I pity this show (unmarketable, based on a movie that no one even remembers), it did not deserve its slot for Best Musical, which is the only thing the show is nominated for. Not even a nom for its leading man, Raul Esparza, who is super awesome and deserves better. Let's hope it lives on in school plays and licensing and marketable afterlife.
Click to view2. Once
The musical with the most nominations this year (11) is based on the movie Once. You know Once? Falling Slowly? It won the Oscar for best song in 2007 yes? Anyway, this musical is about a Guy (that's his name ya kno) who works as a busker in Ireland. He meets this Czech pianist and they fall in love but THEY DON'T KISS. Falling in love + not kissing = ULTIMATE SAWI. That aside, this critical darling seems like half a dark horse (or a WAR HORSE AHAHAHA) and half a breadwinner already. It has the most nominations and is probably the most qualified to actually win, but it isn't the marketable type you know? It's not big and shiny like the rest of them. Nevertheless, I believe that Once should win Best Musical this year, not because I actually have seen it or liked it the best. It's for a more weird, protective reason that I'll explain later. Nevertheless, despite not having seen it, it looks like a really lovely, heartfelt show. And the orchestra is basically the cast, who all play their own instruments. Can I just mention the Guy is kinda cute? He's kinda cute.
3. Nice Work If You Can Get It
This George Gershwin jukebox musical (which I usually hate, but this is an exception) is about a wealthy playboy (Matthew Broderick) living in the Prohibition era. And some bootleggers hide some alcohol in his mansion and he's getting married but he falls in love and all these 1920s shenanigans happen and it's all really just quite the musical comedy. I thought this show was kinda slow at the top of Act I but the whole Act II was cleaned up reaaal well. And after all, George Gershwin is one of my favorite composers ever. One of them. Also I got to meet Matthew Broderick HEY HEYY. I enjoyed the show and thought it was really quite funny and well-done but it just wasn't the best. And I really just can't see it winning the award. Better luck next time Matthew!
4. Newsies
OMG You guys cannot even imagine how obsessed I am with this show right now. I saw this show on the last day I was in the States and I saw it with Jamie (yeah that Jamie). Based on the 1992 Disney flop musical film NEWSIES (which starred Christian Bale and yes I'm serious), it centers on a newsboys strike held in the late 1800s in New York. It's about unions. Yeah. This show is Alan Menken's other show this season, since he wrote the music for the movie in the first place. At first I was adamant to see this show because I was going in blind, not knowing the music or even what it was about, apart from the newsboys thing. But when those boys (young, attractive DANCER BOYS mind you) started dancing ohoho Jamie and I went absolutely apeshat cray. The music is straight-up 1990s Disney and the dancing is AMAZING. I personally this show survives on the power of the truly truly amazing dancing. I listen to the cast album at least thrice a day and I know the dance moves and sing the lyrics and ugh. Obsessed. I have been so obsessed with this show to the point that last night, I found out that one of the dancers had strep throat and I literally had to ask my dad how long strep throat lasts because I wanted him to be back pirouetting as soon as possible. And if you are into So You Think You Can Dance, there are four SYTYCD alumni in the ensemble. And the ensemble is just way too talented (and attractive) for my life.
go to 3:41 for the actual performance because the intro is kinda long
an exchange after the show:
Me: I'm just overflowing with so much joy and happiness and...and...
Jamie: Yeah, you're overflowing with something.
But do I want to win Best Musical? Of course I do. But should it win? No it should not. Because if any of the trolls on Broadway message boards get a hold of this, all people are going to do is complain about how flashy trashy corporate Broadway is killing the beauty of Once and smaller musicals of the like. If Once wins, everyone goes home happy. Except Leap of Faith. I believe that if Once wins, then Newsies should at least have Best Score and Best Choreography (most deserved award). I know this isn't the most intelligent insight on who should win and who shouldn't, but what do I know? I didn't see Once! I just want my baby to be happy!
Now enjoy last year's Tony opening sequence with NPH singing that Broadway is "Not Just for Gays" anymore! He's hosting again this year so +1 for musical theatre.