Tony Nominations...Play, Musical

[skynyc]

Well, tomorrow's the big day.

 

Thought I would throw out my thoughts and some of what I have thought and heard regarding Theater's Biggest Night.

 

There are four slots in the Play and Musical categories, for original productions and revivals.

 

Starting with Plays:

 

In the Original Best Play category, there are fourteen shows vying for the four spots, and many of them would be easy to nominate in lesser years.

I think that three of them are shoo-ins: Not only because they're good plays, but almost as importantly...they're still running.

 

Clybourne Park

One Man, Two Guvnors and

Other Desert Cities

 

It's that fourth spot that's hard to choose. Will it be Seminar which has been popular with audiences, (especially before Alan Rickman left) or Venus in Fur which is still running, and is a sexy romp with two up and coming actors. Or perhaps even the charming little British pantomime: Peter and the Starcatchers. I really enjoyed the biographical drama, The Columnist, but many of the critics, who were apparently familiar and disinterested in Joseph Alsop, were less than lukewarm about the play as a whole. And then there's the Judy Garland bio-show: End of the Rainbow. And then there's Nicky Silver's The Lyons which snuck in at the eleventh hour and got some pretty terrific reviews.

 

I think it's a long shot that Mountaintop, (the MLK Jr.) play will be remembered, ditto Stick Fly about wealthy African Americans on Nantucket. Chinglish, which I thought interesting is long gone, and almost surely overlook-able.

 

I think if I was on the committee, by myself alone, I would choose The Columnist, but I suspect that the nod will go to The Lyons, with Peter and the Starcatcher as the dark horse.

 

Revival of a Play is a little easier to call, frankly because it almost doesn't matter what is nominated, Death of a Salesman is going to win.

 

I think again, that there are two easy choices for additional nominees...

Gore Vidal's Best Man

Wit

 

I think Master Class, which is playing in London now with Tyne Daly has been gone for a long time. Road to Mecca wasn't loved by the critics, although Rosemary Harris gave a wonderful performance. Man and Boy with Frank Langella (whose new tell-all book is all the buzz) wasn't strong enough to merit serious consideration. Private Lives got decent reviews, but audiences didn't come.

 

I think the slot will go to Master Class.

 

The Musical categories are somewhat easier...

 

Best Musical is going to be between two shows:

Newsies

Once.

 

But the other two slots?

FOr some shows it's the difference between closing on Sunday or closing in the slow summer lull.

 

I think that Nice Work if You Can Get It will get it. Which leaves one other slot: and sadly, I personally think it should go to the terribly named Lysistrata Jones. I thought that it was a stronger show than Leap of Faith, and certainly Ghost, but I also would LOVE it if Spiderman: Turn off the Dark got a nod. It's been pulling in tourists and audiences for over a year and providing fodder for the naysayers like Riedel. I would be very happy if it got the spot, if only to be able to show a little something during the Tony broadcast.

 

And finally Musical Revival:

 

Follies

Evita

Porgy and Bess

Jesus Christ Superstar

Godspell

On a Clear Day...

 

At any rate, Clear Day is the bomb of the season and I suspect that Godspell will be the odd man out...it's too folksy, too quiet, too youthfully energetic to appeal to the committee.

 

It's been a busy season...I have enjoyed it. And I look forward to seeing what makes the cut tomorrow.

[+ WilliamM]

I enjoyed both Seminar and Venus in Furs, so either one would please me.

 

It's understood that Follies will be nominated, but I pray that it does not win. I liked many aspects of the revival, especially the ghosts. But, I thought Bernadette Peters was badly miscast & none of the other lead performers were so good than they made me forget Peters.

[+ Lucky]

Very good work, skynyc! And also very brave since the awards nominees are to be announced today and you might be proven wrong here or there,but I give you the Tony for best prognosticator!