I've never understood their inclusion of off Broadway into these lists. They can't be nominated for Tony Awards, it's impossible. So why waste time including them?
On the other hand, I completely agree with Brantley's picks.
I agree with Brantley's acting, book, and score predictions. But I don't think Beautiful will take Best Musical, Act One will get Best Play, or Raisin will take Best Revival of a Play.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
It always amuses me when the "experts" opinions don't match. I think there are a LOT of categories this year that are really up in the air. Exciting!!!
I'd love Mare Winningham and/or Reed Birney to win the Featured Categories. Casa Valentina needs to be honored somewhere for all of those incredible performances. I still think it has a fair shot at Best Play as well, but Mare and Reed would be completely justified should they win. Do the Tony voters really want to hand Mark Rylance a third Tony already when Reed Birney is giving the performance of his career?
^ In what capacity do you work for MTC? You only ever post about their shows.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
I think Rylance will win for the production as a whole. It was an incredible production.
I thought Mare Winningham was fine, but the men outshone her. I think one of the ladies from Raisin might slip in or Celia Keenan-Bolger will win for the performance of HER career. She was incredible.
I think leading actress in a play is very, very tight.
Mark Rylance absolutely is deserving of a third Tony. His Viola was one of the finest performances I have ever seen, and maybe the definitive take on the role.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
I would LOVE to see Celia Keenan-Bolger win this year!
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
It is the policy of the Times that its critics do not vote for arts awards. Not theatre, film or television. Since this is their policy, I think the Times needs to stop trying to influence people who actually do vote which is what their articles like this say to me.
Its time to let your critics vote or just shut up about the whole process.
"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable."
--Carrie Fisher
"Mark Rylance absolutely is deserving of a third Tony. His Viola was one of the finest performances I have ever seen, and maybe the definitive take on the role."
Um, Mark Rylance didn't play Viola in Twelfth Night, that was Samuel Barnett (who is also nominated for best lead actor in a play). Rylance played Olivia.
I feel that way over Brantley not Isherwood. Agree with Isherwood except where he gushes over the snorefest called jones. What a waste of acting talent. Sort of like preparing for a good steak dinner at Smith & Wollensky or Sparks and getting The special at Tad's instead.
I mean Sutton is fantastic but it would be insane if she had 3 Tonys. She's like Hilary Swank. They deserved it when they won and they are always great. But THREE?
I think the inclusion of off-Broadway shows in the "should have been nominated" feature is to remind readers that some of the best, most laudable work in New York isn't on Broadway at all. Just to add context to the Tonys, which I think is always beneficial.
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.