Tony Awards... - A low-key season?

Post by **dws1982** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:36 am

Speaking of a play that transferred from off-Broadway, Irena's Vow opened yesterday. Reviews range from negative to raves (NY Times was Negative), while reviews for leading lady Tovah Feldshuh range from mildly positive to (mostly) very strong to raves. In another, weaker year, I'd say she might manage to win on career points. But in a year this strong, I doubt she even gets a nomination, unless one of the big guns flops. The "Irena's Vow Reviews" thread at BroadwayWorld is funny, as people who insist that this is Tovah's year face off with those who disagree.

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Post by **Damien** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:43 pm

Big Magilla wrote:
cam wrote:I am not familiar with the rules re Off-Broadwy plays in the running for the Tony.I thought Dividing The Estate and [title of show] played Off-Broadway first.

The Tonys do not recognize Broadway off-Broadway runs. The Drama Desk awards and others would consider (title of show) ineleigible for this season as it played off-Broadway a couple of years ago. It's probably not going to be nominated for anything anyway,

I'm not familiar with Th Estate, but the same rule would apply.

Even though it didn't find an audience, [title of show] is beloved in the theatre community and I expect it to receive a number of nominations, including Best Musical.

Cam, if a show transfers from off-Broadway to Broadway, it's then eligible for the Tony. Torch Song Trilogy is an example of a Best Play winner that came in from off-Broadway (off-off-Broadway, actually).

Guys and Dolls actually received mostly terrible reviews (with everyone wondering, how the hell do you mess up Guys and Dolls?), with John Lahr in The New Yorker a notable exception.

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Post by **Big Magilla** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:33 pm

cam wrote:I am not familiar with the rules re Off-Broadwy plays in the running for the Tony.I thought Dividing The Estate and [title of show] played Off-Broadway first.

The Tonys do not recognize Broadway off-Broadway runs. The Drama Desk awards and others would consider (title of show) ineleigible for this season as it played off-Broadway a couple of years ago. It's probably not going to be nominated for anything anyway,

I'm not familiar with Th Estate, but the same rule would apply.

Post by **cam** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:07 pm

I am not familiar with the rules re Off-Broadwy plays in the running for the Tony.I thought Dividing The Estate and [title of show] played Off-Broadway first.
One should consider Enter Laughing, and whoever said Hair would win, obviously has not seen the rave reviews for Guys And Dolls. West Side Story( partly in Spanish) would be my second choice.

Post by **flipp525** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:36 pm

Okri wrote:How about Cate Blanchett, flipp? Three more oscar nominations, some acclaimed stage productions and the upcoming BAM production of A Streetcar Named Desire. At the very least, she's escaped the curse.

I totally forgot about her. Absolutely, yes. She also should've been nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button this past year.

Post by **Okri** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:00 pm

How about Cate Blanchett, flipp? Three more oscar nominations, some acclaimed stage productions and the upcoming BAM production of A Streetcar Named Desire. At the very least, she's escaped the curse.

I always assumed if one of the two leading candidates in best play is American, go for that one (Doubt vs The Pillowman, Arcadia vs Love! Valour! Compassion, Last Night of Ballyhoo vs Skylight, Side Man vs Closer etc). So I think Dividing the Estate will take it.

For me, the most bizarre thing about this Tony season thus far is the inclusion of The American Plan as a new play. I love the play (maybe not top tier Greenberg, but damn near close), but it's in no way a new play. It opened the same time as Assassins, and the was a revival in 03/04.

Mary Stuart better be awesome.

Post by **FilmFan720** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 4:08 pm

Damien, when are we going to get Inside Tony? I feel like the wheelings and dealings and politicking are even worst here than the Oscars...and the divas even cattier!

Post by **Damien** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 4:02 pm

The three boys from Billy Elliot will count as one entity for purposes of the Best Actor -- Musical race. I'd say their winning is a done deal.

Alice Ripley in Next To Normal is said to be amazing; Sutton Foster received wonderful reviews for Shrek, although there's no love lost on that show.

Best Actress in a Play is an embarrassment of riches, with the fllowing in the mix: Jane Fonda (33 Variations), Kristin Scott Thomas (The Seagull), Janet McTeer (Mary Stuart), Harriet Walter (Mary Stuart), Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit), Carla Gugino (Desire Under the Elms), Elisabeth Moss (Speed-The-Plow), possibly Susan Sarandon.

Post by **paperboy** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:17 am

Billy Elliot and God of Carnage to win the top prizes? Unless there's something lurking out there I don't know about.

I think Billy Elliot's a done deal. God of Carnage's only competition would seem to be Reasons To Be Pretty, Dividing The Estate and Irena's Vow. Unless they want to honor the late Horton Foote or (less likely) encourage Neil LaBute I'd say Yasmina Reza is collecting her second Tony.

Post by **Mister Tee** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:27 am

My gut reaction to the Lansbury mention was also that Mme. Arcati was a supoorting role. But Lansbury, as a top-line name, might be slated in lead the same way Page was.

Fonda, Scott Thomas and the ladies from Carnage seem like the strongest best actress candidates, but I long ago abandoned trying to understand the quirks of the Tony nominating committee. They could just as easily decide everyone in Carnage is featured, or snub Fonda for no reason beyond her celebrity (as they did Dustin Hoffman when his '84 Death of a Salesman won critical raves).

What about Gandolfini for lead actor? God of Carnage seems more audience-friendly than Ionesco.

Someone I know saw Impressionism. His comment: "I don't think I'm a stupid person, but I had no idea what was going on"

Billy Elliot and God of Carnage to win the top prizes? Unless there's something lurking out there I don't know about.

Post by **flipp525** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:46 am

dws1982 wrote:Marcia Gay Harden (God of Carnage--possibly featured),

I forgot about this one. Two friends of mine in NYC who are a couple (one of whom is a Tony nominee himself

said that Marcia Gay Harden was hilariously fabulous in God of Carnage.

As a sidenote, has there been any other Best Supporting Actress winner this past decade who's continued to turn in such varied, dynamic performances after her win? (Okay, maybe Tilda Swinton as well, but it's early). Harden's work in Damages (especially last week's episode that she put in her pocket and walked away with -- not an easy feat when you're sharing a screen with Glenn Close) has been superlative. Add her heartbreaking nominated performance in Mystic River, another powerful turn in The Dead Girl, and the list goes on. There've been a couple pay-the-bills type roles (Mona Lisa Smile comes to mind), but for the most part it looks like she escaped the curse Best Supporting Actress curse of slipping into obscurity, phoning it in performance after performance or becoming a vacant blockbuster whore.

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Post by **OscarGuy** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:54 am

When considering the Best Musical nominees, ALWAYS consider what would sell well on tour. A large portion of Tony voters are tour performers or producers, which explains why a show like Spamalot can win a Tony even when, though an amusing romp, is not a "great" musical in most senses of the word. It generally effects both winners and nominees.

Post by **paperboy** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:06 am

There are very few original musicals getting premiered on Broadway this season. How would this affect the Tonys? Billy Elliot is a sure thing among the Best Muscial Show line up, but what else is out here?

Definite nominee will be Billy Elliot (winner) and the 'make up the numbers' nominees will come from Next To Normal, 9 to 5, Title of Show, Rock of Ages or Shrek.

Has anyone heard something about "Nice Work if you can get it"?

It fell apart after director Kathleen Marshall pulled out. Never played its tryout in Boston and is officially "postponed" (read: don't hold your breath).

And as for revivals, it seems like a better scenario (as last year's one). But only with the new productions of Hair, West Side Story and Guys & Dolls the category feels already empty.

Pal Joey will make up the numbers and Hair will probably win.

Finally, is the already closed Equus nominable as a play? Did it got good reviews?

It's eligible for Best Revival (Play) as the original production won Best Play in 1975. Also eligible are the revivals of The Seagull, A Man For All Seasons, All My Sons, Speed The Plow, Blithe Spirit, Exit The King, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Mary Stuart, The Norman Conquests, The Philanthropist, Desire Under The Elms and Waiting For Godot so I'd guess Equus will miss the cut.

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Post by **Big Magilla** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:07 am

Reza wrote:Why is Angela Lansbury being mentioned for the lead category? Isn't it a supporting role?

Not necessarily. Geraldine Page was nominated in the best actress category for her Madame Arcati in the 1987 revival which she was appearing in when she died. None of the other actors (Richard Chamberlain, Blythe Danner, Judith Ivey) were nominated.

Post by **Reza** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:30 pm

Why is Angela Lansbury being mentioned for the lead category? Isn't it a supporting role?

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Tony Awards... - A low-key season?