Tony Award Categories You'd Like To See

[leighmiserables]

carolinaguy said: "I think the only way they could recognize understudies is with some sort of special, non-competitive award. Kind of like a Tony version of Gypsy of the Year."

This would probably never logistically work for the Tonys, but my statewide high school theatre awards have a sort of Gypsy Robe ceremony like this that I've always liked—

The cast of each show that's nominated for "Best Ensemble" votes (prior to the award ceremony) for one of their ensemble members to become the "Gypsy Honoree." This person gets to go up onto the stage when their show is announced during the category, and if their show wins Best Ensemble, the Gypsy Honoree gets the "Gypsy of the Year" award and a small scholarship. 

I was my school's honoree when we did Godspell my junior year. It was a wonderful moment/surprise and they could somehow work something like it into the Tonys I think it'd be awesome. 

 

[coreman009]

Two categories 100% come to mind:

-Best Song (this would be one of the most fun categories every year)

-Best Ensemble (meaning everyone, not just non-characters; Come From Away is a perfect example)

 

[raddersons]

I do miss the category for Best Special Theatrical Event -- there's always those small limited engagements that theaters have while they're waiting for the big shows to come. Paramour, The Illusionists, and concerts like Patti and Mandy all fit in these categories (Liza won her Tony Award for this category). But I understand it's hard to vote for because lots of those little shows have closed by the time it's Tony season. 

[bryan32]

best kid actor and actess

 

[Call_me_jorge]

This isn't really related to the original question, but I've been thinking a lot and I realized it doesn't make tons of sense to have the tony awards in June. I think they should move it to around January. If the tony awards are in January I think it could help shows through the winter slump and then they just have to ride along through summer and fall. The fall also wouldn't be as dead as it usually is, since it would be the time when all the new shows start to open.

[HamilHansen]

The 2017 Noms for Best Ensemble would most likely be:

Come From Away

Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812

The Play That Goes Wrong

Miss Saigon

 

Best Broadway Debut:

Denee Benton (Great Comet)

Josh Groban ((Great Comet)

Lucas Steele (Great Comet)

Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon)

 

[chewy5000]

Although it might seem kind of silly to lump projections in with set or lighting, they're not an integral part of stagecraft (ie. you can do a show without them) and so don't deserve their own award.

[HeyMrMusic]

If the Emmy Awards have an award for music direction, there's no excuse for the Tonys to not have this award. Not to mention, Best Conductor and Musical Director was a category until 1964.

[poisonivy2]

Tony Award for Best Song:

Nominees this year would have been:

Dust and Ashes (TGC)

You Will Be Found and/or For Forever (DEH)

Welcome Home (Bandstand)

Me and the Sky (Come From Away)

Hope (GHD)

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

I'm not sure if a Tony for Best Song would be such a good idea. Best Score is the category that recognizes every single song the composer(s)/lyricist(s) wrote for a musical. I think if there was a separate category for the songs, it might be hard for nominators to single a number or two out from the rest (unless of course, the producers of these musicals only submit two songs for consideration like the Oscars have in recent years).

[Jarethan]

Itonlytakesajourney said: "Best Ensemble would be tricky, but ultimately it'd go to the shows with the most creative/involved/big ensemble. If the category was available this year, GC vs Dolly would be incredibly hard to judge. 

And DEH or CFA would win.  I'd bet a million mythical dollars it'd be CFA.

Update: After reading the rest of the posts, I realize that there are probably different perspectives on Best Ensemble.  To me, I't be 'best Cast' and include everyone in the show, possibly meeting some minimum time on stage requirement.  (I am thinking of the dancers in the first scene of ACL or the people who show up and stand there for the last scene of An Inspector Calls.  I don't see how they would be eligible for an award).

 

[dramamama611]

This thread comes up all the time and the answers are always the same.  

Ensemble would be fine....but I feel they are included in the "best" category.

YES to make up/hair/wig

 

Understudies and or Replacement?  No.  No. No.   It's impossible.  How do the VOTERS see that many shows?   How many times can one sit through Chicago? Or even Hamilton?   The voters are from all over the country....how often are they suppose to drop the rest of their lives and get to NY to see all these shows?    Additionally: you'd have to have BOTH the nominators AND the voters see all the shows. 

 

To whomever suggested that "names" might be more willing to be replacements if there was an award, that's simply ridiculous.  The large percentage of artists don't persue this career for awards.  Names especially don't need them.  (I'm not saying it isn't nice, but since WE kow there is a lot of politics behind them, so do they.)   If Lupone's (or whomever's) only reason for going into a show is to pick up a trophy?  I don't want to see that performance.  

 

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Jarethan said: "Itonlytakesajourney said: "Best Ensemble would be tricky, but ultimately it'd go to the shows with the most creative/involved/big ensemble. If the category was available this year, GC vs Dolly would be incredibly hard to judge. 

And DEH or CFA would win.  I'd bet a million mythical dollars it'd be CFA.

Update: After reading the rest of the posts, I realize that there are probably different perspectives on Best Ensemble.  To me, I't be 'best Cast' and include everyone in the show, possibly meeting some minimum time on stage requirement.  (I am thinking of the dancers in the first scene of ACL or the people who show up and stand there for the last scene of An Inspector Calls.  I don't see how they would be eligible for an award).

 

 

I don't know if CFA would really win. Yes, the whole ensemble is amazing, but the Tony voters would probably opt for a bigger and much more involved team like GC. And DEH? Yes, it's a good show, but they don't need that ensemble award because there are much better casts out there. The ensemble is not extremely good, and that's one hypothetical award they wouldn't sweep. The reason I said Dolly vs GC was because both shows have been especially praised for their ensembles. CFA could've had a shot though. 

 

[David10086]

"Best Loser from Last Year's Tony Awards" in each of the categories. You know how the camera is on each of the nominees, and once the winner's name is called all the others have the ear-to-ear grin on their faces, and clap like a seal? Well, they should pick the one who is most convincing as being genuinely happy for the winner.

 

Then again, if someone snarls for the camera, or starts to cry, or gives the winner the finger - that would be most honest response, and that should win the Tony.



 

 

[BwayGeek2]

Best Song

Best Ensemble Song / Number 

Best Solo???? 

Best Family Friendly Show 

[MyLife]

Best Broadway World Troll and Troll Thread.

[little_sally]

I think there needs to be separate Best Play and Best Production of a Play Tonys. Or a Best Playwright one. It's not fair that a musical can win Best Score, Book, and Orchestrations, as well as Best Musical, and a play only has one to win.

[leighmiserables]

I know this is sort of straying, but since other people are doing it and it seems fun, here's what I think would've been up for the suggested categories: 

BEST ENSEMBLE
Great Comet 
Hello, Dolly! 
Miss Saigon 
Groundhog Day
Come From Away or The Play That Goes Wrong 

BEST SONG 
"Dust and Ashes" from Great Comet
"No One Else" or "Sonya Alone" from Great Comet 
"For Forever" from Dear Evan Hansen 
"Hope" from Groundhog Day 
"Pink" from War Paint or "Requiem" from Dear Evan Hansen 

BEST BROADWAY DEBUT 
Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon) 
Denée Benton (Great Comet) 
Josh Groban (Great Comet) 
Grace McLean or Amber Gray (Great Comet)*
Dave Hearn or Henry Shields (The Play That Goes Wrong) 

*I know I made this category GC heavy, but most of the standout newcomer performances did come from them. 
 

[Jarethan]

leighmiserables said: "I know this is sort of straying, but since other people are doing it and it seems fun, here's what I think would've been up for the suggested categories: 

BEST ENSEMBLE
Great Comet 
Hello, Dolly! 
Miss Saigon 
Groundhog Day
Come From Away or The Play That Goes Wrong 

BEST SONG 
"Dust and Ashes" from Great Comet
"No One Else" or "Sonya Alone" from Great Comet 
"For Forever" from Dear Evan Hansen 
"Hope" from Groundhog Day 
"Pink" from War Paint or "Requiem" from Dear Evan Hansen 

BEST BROADWAY DEBUT 
Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon) 
Denée Benton (Great Comet) 
Josh Groban (Great Comet) 
Grace McLean or Amber Gray (Great Comet)*
Dave Hearn or Henry Shields (The Play That Goes Wrong) 

*I know I made this category GC heavy, but most of the standout newcomer performances did come from them. 
 

I assume that you are only considering musicals.  Certainly, the casts of ADHP2, The Little Foxes (my vote), Jitney, Oslo, Sweat, Indecent, The Play That Went Wrong, Significant Other, would be a little disappointed.

 

"

 

[johannabarker]

The Oliviers do an "Audience Choice" Best Long Running Show Award... 

[leighmiserables]

Jarethan said: "I assume that you are only considering musicals.  Certainly, the casts of ADHP2, The Little Foxes (my vote), Jitney, Oslo, Sweat, Indecent, The Play That Went Wrong, Significant Other, would be a little disappointed."

I'm going off of shows I've seen from the 2016-17 season. Which is every musical, The Play That Goes Wrong, Significant Other, and Indecent. 

[non-stop26]

I think there should be a way for alternates to be recognized. Maybe they could compete in the best actor/actress category?

[Scarlet Leigh]

The issue and yet also the great thing about an ensemble award would be that it's a gives way for a very broad range of things that qualify as a "best" ensemble. Everyone has a very different opinion on what makes a good ensemble. Like to me, it doesn't matter how big or even talented that ensemble is. It matters how well they work together as a group. A lot of people so far have said that if this award had been given out this past year that they would not consider CFA to make the cut as a nominee. To me, that would have been the winner. They move around that stage, weaving together, moving set pieces, harmonizing, storytelling as if they are all ONE. They depends so much on one another and it doesn't matter that they are not dancing around in highly choreographed numbers, it matters that they are in total sync with each other and the show flows like water because of it.

[Steve C.]

Best Cast for Performance/Consideration/Care and Love that did everything possible to promote their show, perform, keep a lot of backstage and actors employed (practically standing on their heads), used social media, etc. but the show still closed: BANDSTAND

Best Performance by a Cast Member and/or friend, that as a Grown Up, acted like a petulant child that didn't get their 2 scoops of Ice Cream and did everything possible to trash their job, ruin their show and f**ked a lot of people out of a job.

Gee, the name escapes me... 

[JudyDenmark]

Absolutely Best Song and Best Ensemble!

I also think it's a crime that there's no Tony for vocal arranging. At the very least combine it with orchestrations a la score & lyrics. When I think about my favorite moments in musical theatre songs, 9 times out of 10 it's because of the vocal arranging. 

[leighmiserables]

JudyDenmark said: "I also think it's a crime that there's no Tony for vocal arranging. "

That's a good one! Didn't even think of that (which is honestly why we need the award).