BroadwayGirlNYC: My Tony Nom Reactions pt 1

BEST PLAY

The Assembled Parties Author: Richard Greenberg
Lucky Guy Author: Nora Ephron
The Testament of Mary Author: Colm Tóibín
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Author: Christopher Durang

These nominees remind me that I need to see more plays! I love musicals so much that I often return numerous times, and put off seeing dramatic (and comedic, though less often) straight plays. Of these four, the only one I've seen is Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike -- which is, in classic Durang style, a social commentary delivered via absurd dialogue and clever, ridiculous characters. A big disappointment for me is that The Performers, by David West Read, was not -- and in fact could not be -- nominated in this category. In order to be Tony eligible, a show must have 8 performances (not including previews). The Performers were one short, closing after its 7th show. Mine is a somewhat controversial opinion, but I say that The Performers was hands down one of the best plays in the last several seasons. I saw it twice in its short run, and that is one play that, given the opportunity, I'd have returned to even more often than most musicals.

BEST MUSICAL

Bring It On: The Musical
A Christmas Story, The Musical
Kinky Boots
Matilda The Musical

This is a category with two powerhouses and two underdogs -- Matilda and Kinky Boots as the former, and Bring it On! and A Christmas Story as the latter. Matilda, which won just about every award in London, is as smart as funny as it is irreverent and dark. The show boasts a stellar cast across the board (I've seen two of the four young actresses who play Matilda so far). And Tim Minchin's music is delightful and weird, singable yet unlike anything I've ever heard on Broadway. Kinky Boots is not quite as groundbreaking -- I can think of several previous musicals to which it pays homage -- but the combination of humor, heart, Billy Porter(!), and an absolutely fantastic score by Cyndi Lauper, I consider it an extremely strong contender. Bring It On! is a fun show with cheer-tastic choreography, a crowd-pleaser that could tour extremely well especially with the words "Best Musical" next to it on a marquee. That may be its best hope for an upset; many Tony Votes are cast by regional representatives across the country, who arguably benefit most from a show with wide appeal. And A Christmas Story, with music and lyrics by Pasek & Paul... well, I just feel really PROUD of those guys. Not even thirty and they are proving themselves as the real deal. Because the show is seasonal, it won't be as appealing to the "tour" voters who want a show that can run year-round. But I'm glad it was nominated. I was taken (admittedly) by surprise to find myself thoroughly entertained. Bottom line is I think this is largely a two-show contest.

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

A Christmas Story, The Musical - Joseph Robinette
Kinky Boots - Harvey Fierstein
Matilda The Musical - Dennis Kelly
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella - Douglas Carter Beane

Best Book of a Musical, and all of the shows represented are adaptations of stories told elsewhere. A Christmas Story and Kinky Boots from films, Cinderella from a fairy tale and then a TV movie (Douglas Carter Beane is responsible for the "new book"), and Matilda from a Roald Dahl book (a movie version was released in 1996, but this musical is an adaptation of the original text). I feel that, in order to really speak in this category, I'd want to go back to the source material and see how much was changed in creating the Broadway show. Acknowledging that I have not (yet) done that, I do tip my hat considerably to Beane, who put a new spin on the familiar Cinderella story: Ella falls in love because Topher is a kind man who just happens to be a prince, and "living happily ever after" for them means enacting change for the better in the world around them. Source material aside, there's no doubt that all four librettos are engaging, moving, and significantly entertaining.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE

A Christmas Story, The Musical, Music and Lyrics: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Hands on a Hardbody, Music: Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, Lyrics: Amanda Green
Kinky Boots, Music & Lyrics: Cyndi Lauper
Matilda The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Golden Boy
Orphans
The Trip to Bountiful
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Hard for me to comment on this category. In fact, I really can't, since I've only seen two of the shows: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Golden Boy. So I will say this: I love Edward Albee. I don't connect so well with Clifford Odets. But I get that he's brilliant. If I was voting (between the two I've seen) I'd pick Virginia Woolf... but I gotta get to the other two before June 9 so I can make a decent and educated comment on the category.

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Annie
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Pippin
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella

My thoughts on the rest of the categories coming soon!

What do YOU think??? Tweet me!!!!