'Newsies': 'Meet Jeremy Jordan' - and how about his Tony chances?

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 9:26am

With what looks like rave reviews across the board, Jeremy Jordan appears to be a top contender for Best Actor in a Musical. But who will get those five coveted slots?

If I had to speculate, besides Jordan, I could see Raul Esparza, Steve Kazee, Norm Lewis and Ricky Martin.

Or am I underestimating Matthew Broderick, Reeve Carney, Richard Fleeshman, Paul Nolan, Hunter Parrish or Ron Raines?

And for Jeremy Jordan fans, here's a link to a profile we did of him in this past Sunday's N.Y. Daily News. It's 3 pages and includes quotes from him, Alan Menken, Dolly Parton & many more.
N.Y. Daily News: Meet Jeremy Jordan, the Broadway star of Disney's 'Newsies'

[PianoMann]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 9:35am

One name you left out that needs to be there is Danny Burstein!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 9:43am

Yes, I have a feeling this could be Danny Burstein's year

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 9:52am

Still don't think the guy can sing.

He can whine really well in a straight tone on pitch, though.

[dreaming]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 9:53am

I think Danny Burstein will win. Jeremy Jordan will likely be nominated. However, I think that Danny Burstein winning will be their way of honoring Follies. (I think Evita will take revival of a musical.)

If I had to call the nominations right now:

Danny Burstein
Raul Esparza
Jeremy Jordan
Steve Kazee
Norm Lewis

*And Steve Kazee or Jeremy Jordan's spot could go to Matthew Broderick and/or Paul Nolan.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 11:23am

Jordan has tons of charisma, as most reviews have noticed, but acting and charisma are two different things. Nothing Jordan has done has shown me he is a good actor yet.
Burstein's got it all and I also believe it's finally his year to take the TONY. (and not to honor FOLLIES)
Team Danny here.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 11:29am

Jordan, Burstein, Esparza, and Kazee will likely take 4 of the 5 slots. My pick for the last one would be Norm Lewis, but it could also go to Broderick or Martin if they get raves.

I agree with the sentiment about it feeling like Burstein's year, though given the choice, I'd vote for Jordan.

[PianoMann]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 11:55am

Admittedly, I've only seen Burstein and Lewis thus far, but I really can't imagine any performance topping Burstein this year. That doesn't mean he'll win, but he sure as hell deserves it!

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 11:58am

Maybe I'm the only one who really wasn't blown away by Danny B. Perhaps because they had to abbreviate The Right Girl since he is not a dancer, and that number requires a superb, muscular dancer.

I do think FOLLIES could pick up an award for Best Featured Actress, too (for any of the 4 women).

[AndersonTours]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 5:32pm

I'm on Team Danny as well. His was one of those performances I think I'll remember forever. For me, it was that good.

And, once again, he took a character that everyone thought they knew and made it into something better and more special.

He keeps doing that. I think it's his year.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 12:24am

I didn't leave off Danny Burstein's name by accident. Yes, I know he's been ruled Tony eligible, but I don't think Buddy is a leading role. Of the four main parts, he probably gets the least amount of stage time. He has no solo numbers in Act I, and personally speaking, he just didn't stand out. I think the 1972 Tonys got it right when they nominated Gene Nelson, in the same role, for Featured Actor in a Musical. (If anyone from this 'Follies' revival gets a nod, it'll be Jan Maxwell.)

And even if Burstein be nominated for Leading Actor in a Musical, there are two other factors that work against him: 'Follies' closed way back in January. 1. That means his performance won't be as fresh in the minds of Tony voters. And 2. If you didn't come into New York, or catch it during its run, you're going miss out on all those potential votes.

Somehow, I don't think it's Burstein's year.

As much as I love Norm Lewis in 'Porgy,' it could be between Raul Esparza and Jeremy Jordan. Esparza got terrific reviews for 'Leap of Faith' in L.A. and he's a four-time Tony nominee who's could be overdue to win, and Jordan got wonderful reviews for BOTH 'Bonnie & Clyde' and 'Newsies.' With only 8 new Broadway musicals this season, Jordan's starred in a quarter of them.

Updated On: 3/31/12 at 12:24 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 12:33am

Phyllis doesn't have a solo in Act 1 either....

If the show were still running, I'd say that Burstein would have a great chance at winning.

Updated On: 3/31/12 at 12:33 AM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 12:37am

It's Danny's year. I am not convinced Raul will get a nomination-sorry kids, I just don't see it happening.

[bookofmel]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 1:13am

Yeah, I don't get the Danny Burstein thing either, at least for Follies. First, it's a pretty small role to be a "leading" actor. And maybe I saw an off night (I came the final week), but he was really rough in Act One and only seemed to portray different shades of angry and really angry. I loved his number in Act Two, but overall I would never even consider nominating him based on what I saw.

I'm seeing Leap of Faith next week, and I'm very interested to see if Raul lives up to the hype.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 1:47am

FOLLIES is not really a star vehicle, but there are 4 leading roles and Buddy is one of them. Danny made every moment on stage special. I doubt he will be forgotten.
We may be a small percentage who post here, but Danny seems to be the fav, even on this thread.

[PianoMann]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 9:50am

Regardless of how you felt about Danny's performance, I'd put him above Ron Raines, who was excellent in Follies nonetheless, and certainly Hunter Parrish...

[AndersonTours]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 10:21am

Danny will be nominated and don't be surprised if he wins. The other roles may be larger, and that may be a factor, but it's the quality & the depth. So far, I haven't seen another performance come close.

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 12:55pm

I don't see Danny winning. I'll be happy for him if he gets nominated - he was excellent - but I'd say that Jeremy Jordan and Norm Lewis both have much better chances.

[dreaming]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 1:33pm

I think Danny Burstein's time has come. No male performance in a musical this season has touched me as deeply as his. (And the role is so different from what he's done previously.) I really didn't care about Buddy very much until I saw his performance-his portrayal of Buddy was heartbreaking. I am genuinely rooting for him. I liked his performance more than anyone else's in Follies. (He is also performing the role in LA-which may or may not help him.)

I love Raul Esparza and would not be broken hearted if his performance warranted an award.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 2:56pm

Norm doesn't have much buzz at this point. I think it could end up being between Burstein and Esparza. It's just so damn hard for a performance from a closed show to win. Look at Laura Benanti last year.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 3:32pm

Yes, but let's not forget who is voting-Danny's peers. Danny has been in the biz a long time and I believe his time has come. He was exceptional in Follies.

I don't think Raul has earned the respect of his peers. Everyone was convinced he was getting a Tony for Company and it didn't happen. I suspect the same will happen this year.

[PianoMann]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 3:36pm

Laura Benanti is a decent example, however there is no musical this season -- that has opened thus far -- that has the support or momentum that Book of Mormon did. Nikki's win was, in my opinion at least, just part of the Mormon support. Clearly Benanti deserved the award and she won the precursors.

There is no Mormon-supported show this year, so this category should really be on merits.

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 3:48pm

But Nikki gave a pretty good performance too. Not as good as Laura but very good.

Updated On: 3/31/12 at 03:48 PM

[dreaming]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 4:04pm

Bettyboy-I was going to say the same thing. Danny Burstein has paid his dues and is a respected actor. He has that going into the Tony race and it will help him. Plus, Follies was a big event this season-closed or not.

Updated On: 3/31/12 at 04:04 PM

[PianoMann]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 4:28pm

I don't mean any disrespect to Nikki! My point was just to refute that Danny is in a similar position as Laura was last year. Out of all the of the likely nominees for Lead Actor, none are from "the show" of the year, merely because there hasn't been any show of that kind.