Broadway.com is "filled with mad respect" for Todd Kreidler's book? The book of that musical is the biggest piece of sh!t Broadway has ever seen. I actually found a lot to admire in "Holler" but the book should be killed with fire.
I think there are five likely candidates to get in for Best Original Score: Fun Home-Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron Honeymoon in Vegas-Jason Robert Brown The Last Ship-Sting Something Rotten!-Wayne & Karey Kirkpatrick The Visit-John Kander & Fred Ebb
As has been said on this board many times, JRB will not be nominated for score this year. It will be: The Visit, Fun Home, Something Rotten & The Last Ship. I will be very surprised if that doesn't happen.
The Visit, Something Rotten, and Fun Home are certainly locks. The fourth will be either Sting or JRB. I'd give the edge to Sting, but you never know with these people.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
I love that they mention Craig Lucas being nominated for Prelude to a Kiss, but NOT Light in the Piazza which, you know, would have been for the same category as American in Paris...
Is it really, though? Sting wrote some really pretty pop songs. Not a theater score. There's a difference. I think Jason Robert Brown has the edge.
Broadway.com used to have columns by Ken Mandelbaum and John Simon. Now it's just a pathetic joke starring that pleasantly obnoxious fanboy what's his name, with guest appearances by Andrew Lloyd Webber's good looking daughter.
The problem with Broadway.com that they like to do opinion/gossip pieces, but their finances come from one of 2 channels. One being a ticket broker and tue second from advertising by producers. Thus they run into an ethical dilemma; Be honest about a show thats terrible and not only risk advertisement sales, but also ticket sales. For example two of the hottest tickets in town currently are Finding Neverland and A Fish in The Dark. Both shows opened to essentially universa pans, but I would predict that A Fish in the Dark will not be on their radar of Best Play nominees, unloke Finding Neverland. The reasoning is because A Fish in the Dark was/is sold out through June 6th, so Broadway.com is not trying to sell tickets. This is compared to Finding Neverland which is definitly a major money maker for the site, in terms of ticket sales and advertisments. It would be like Michael Riedel having to sell tickets to the shows he is bashing in his column, next to impossible.
I don't 100% agree with their predictions, but I think Broadway.com is great. I much prefer them than listening to Richard Ridge. It is seriously painful to listen to his interviews on opening night.
jv92, I highly disagree with your assertion that Sting didn't write a theater score. Please listen to it again or read the lyrics. "The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance" is a story. "Shipyard" is a story. "August Winds" is a story.
neolightsxo, I saw it in the theater. I listened to the album twice. It's a nice song cycle. It's really not a theater score. I don't need to experience it anymore that I have.
Just because a song tells a story, doesn't mean it's a theater song. "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor tells a story. Lovely song-- one of my favorites. Not a theater song.