Talking Tony: Who Will Win the 2003 Tony Awards... and Why.
By: BWW Jun. 06, 2003
Earlier this week, NYU hosted a panel of theater experts to predict who will win the Tonys. BroadwayWorld.com was there to cover it and here's the full report.
The panel consisted of Melissa Bernardo from Entertainment Weekly, Elyssa Gardner from USA TODAY, Mike Kuchwara from the Associated Press, Tom O'Neil from GoldDerby.com, Susan Haskins from Theater Talk and David Sheward for Backstage.
Susan Haskins filled in for Michael Riedel and she was very funny speaking on his behalf. She made the whole audience giggle at several times during the 2 hour session, and I would love to see her speak again. The time flew and the class only covered eight awards. It was a panel filled with people who were passionate about theater which made it a great time, and I hope that it's repeated again next year. The two hours flew by, and I was left hoping that it would go into extra innings (pun intended as I love Take Me Out). Here are what the experts had to say:
Best Actor In a Play- The experts predicted Brian Dennehy
Best Actress In a Play- The panel predicted Vanessa Redgrave
Best Actor In a Musical- The panel predicted Harvey Fierstein
Best Actress In A Musical- This was a toss up between Bernadette Peters and Marrissa Jaret Winokur
Play Revival- Long Day's Journey Into Night
Musical Revivial- Nine
Play- Take Me Out
Musical- Hairspray
My Predictions- (I CAN HEAR THE BELLS)
Best Musical- Hairspray Best Revivial- Long Day's Journey Into Night
Best sets- Dinner at Eight
Best Featured Actress In A Play- Marian Seldes (she was marvelous in Dinner at Eight)
Choreography- Twyla Tharp Movin Out
Book Of A Musical- Hairspray
Theatrical Event- The Play What I Wrote or Def Poetry Jam
Featured Actor In A Musical- Dick Latessa Hairspray
Featured Actress Musical- Jane Krawkowski Nine
Score Of A Musical- Hairspray Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman
Orchestrations- Hairspray Harrold Wheeler
Best Actor In A Musical- The one and only Harvey Fierstein-(EDNA YOU ARE SO DIVINE, BIG BLOND AND BEAUTIFUL)
I intend to be glued to the tube starting at 6:30 with the red carpet event on NY 1 and then I will watch the entire Tony show on CBS. Just me in some silk pajamas and a bottle of Red Wine; no high heels, no fancy dress. Sounds like a marvelous way to spend an evening.
My personal picks for this years Tonys are Marissa Jaret Winokur from Hairspray, Denis O'Hare from Take Me Out, Marian Seldes from Dinner at Eight and Jayne Atkinson in Enchanted April. I want Jayne to win but think Vanessa Redgrave will take the Tony. I was also dissappointed that Kerry Butler was not nominated. Who forgot her? (this is your brain on drugs)
Do the TONY AWARDS MATTER or is it a way to sell tickets? Personally, I think the Tony Awards and other Award shows help people who are not as exposed to theater witness the magic that we all get to see on a regular basis.
Who do you think will win and why? The experts agreed that it will be a huge sweep for Hairspray what do you think?
Rooting for Denis O'Hare!
Hope to interview him soon. Loved his interview on THE RED CARPET!
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