Kelli O'Hara has won the Tony- Page 3

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 1:56pm

I love Cheno and though she was terrific in OTTC, but not not only was I glad that Kelli won the Tony, I thought that she deserved to win it.

To me, there is ample evidence contradicting the pity Tony theory.  Ruthie Ann Miles won against fierce competition, as many if not most thought that Sydney Lucas was going to pull it out, and of course the show itself won Best Revival, again against very solid competition.  To me, this simply indicates that the Tony voters just really liked The King and I, and Kelli deservedly reaped the benefits of that affection.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 2:08pm

"I disagree. I disagree fundamentally, with every word of your post."

 This.  There was nothing in that post that was accurate in the slightest.

[RaiseYouUp]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 2:38pm

"To me, there is ample evidence contradicting the pity Tony theory.  Ruthie Ann Miles won against fierce competition, as many if not most thought that Sydney Lucas was going to pull it out, and of course the show itself won Best Revival, again against very solid competition.  To me, this simply indicates that the Tony voters just really liked The King and I, and Kelli deservedly reaped the benefits of that affection."

 Good point. I think the term "pity Tony" (while I did use it earlier) is probably not a very good way to put it. It is more of a Tony honoring her body of work over the years in addition to this year, and not just a Tony for her performance this year. And there is evidence that points to the fact that that might be the case. That does not mean she was not deserving. Each actress in the category was been deserving. That's why they were nominated.

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 2:55pm

Anyone who would call this a "pity Tony" is being disrespectful of both Kelli and her marvelous performance, and the process itself

Im sure the vote between her and Kristin was very close

 

I saw and loved both performances and they were as different a roles as you could possibly imagine.  

 

one was understated, refined and brilliantly executed

one was exuberant over the top and brilliantly executed 

 

If anything nudged Kelli over the top, its that Anna is an iconic role singing some of the most beloved songs in broadway history, and On the 20th was a niche show revival that most voters were probably not that familiar with

I loved Kristins performance, and I REMEMBERED Kelli's performance and believe that may have been the difference that made the difference....

Way to go Kelli, and thanks Kristin for a fantastic performance (while battling a virus!)

 

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 3:13pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrTmQ8EslOw&feature=youtu.be

 

Random: Someone posted Kelli's quick change from the performance last night. It's fascinating to see all the beautiful costume layers!!

Plus: Has a woman ever had such beauitful shoulders? She's inspiring me to do more push ups.

 

Updated On: 6/8/15 at 03:13 PM

[skies]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 4:06pm

I'm not sure what is a "pity" win , I love both Kristin and Chita but neither winning over Kelli was IMO a slam dunk.   They (and the other nominees) were all good in their roles and I could see Kelli winning regardless of who her competition was.

[starcatchers]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 7:07pm

"If you truly believe that the Tonys award people just for waiting 10 years, look into the history of Chita Rivera's career. Now THAT was a wait. 
Any of the three women were deserving. I am happy for Kelli."

 

This has been bugging me since I started reading through the thread. Five. There were five very deserving nominees.

 

I'm not O'Hara's biggest fan, but as I haven't seen The King and I yet, I'll keep my mouth shut.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 7:11pm

She deserved to win but I must admit that it will be a pleasure not hearing about how she has never won again.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 7:13pm

I'm in the camp of "she should have won last year".  I'm hoping to see TK&I later in July though, so I won't say she full deserved it yet.  I love watching her on stage and really proud/happy that she got her moment last night, though. 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 7:19pm

"She deserved to win but I must admit that it will be a pleasure not hearing about how she has never won again."

 I'm sure Kelli feels the same.

[ZannaDo]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 7:49pm

If we're going to pick through Kelli's performances, let me just say I wasn't anywhere near as impressed by her in Bridges as I was by her in South Pacific and The King and I. Talk about an accent going in and out, her Francesca accent sounded completely false to me and it was very inconsistent. Maybe it's just the fact that she was stuck working with a total bore of a show, but the whole thing just felt like a soap opera or a bad romance novel brought to the stage. Steve Pasquale left much more of an impression on me than Kelli did. I found her performance...I don't know. She's always wonderful and she was in wonderful voice, but it just wasn't "wow" for me. Jessie Mueller was far and away the deserving winner last year, but I honestly preferred Sutton Foster's performance to Kelli's as well and would've been delighted to see her take home the Tony for Violet.  

I thought Kelli was simply wonderful in The King and I, I didn't have a problem with her accent, and I thought she really showed that a great performance is not always about being showy or having big brassy numbers to show off. She was elegant and restrained and in wonderful voice playing a classic role just beautifully. I think this was her year and I'm glad she was rewarded for the work she's doing. 

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 8:16pm

 

I think that they were both Tony-deserving performances. Since they can only give the award to one actress, they gave it to Kelli. She is a rare talent. A fine actress who also has a world class voice. If the songs of TKAI didn't stretch her voice to its full range, there's a lot more to singing than hitting the high notes. I'm especially happy for her knowing that she would have been hurt by being passed over again.

 

I'm also sorry that 20th Century was shut out. They took a gamble by dusting off a rather forgotten show from almost forty years ago, with a type of humor that you rarely see on Broadway, and with an operetta-like score that you rarely hear on Broadway. And they made it work, according to the cheering audience I saw it with last week.

 

Now this show will quietly close as scheduled and probably never be heard from again.

 

But I was very fortunate to see in one season two such fine productions, very different but both so entertaining.

Updated On: 6/9/15 at 08:16 PM

[theminutepast]

Posted: 6/8/15 at 9:07pm

Go ahead and educate me if you like, but I think Kelli was clearly the right choice over Kristen. Both were wonderful in their roles and Kristen demonstrated amazing vocal range and variety as Lily Garland. However, it was an easy role for her in terms of comedic talent and natural charm. Kristen has played a lot of zany or over-the-top characters. Lily Garland isn't a big stretch for her whereas Kelli has consistently taken complex roles that stretch her abilities as an actress.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 6/9/15 at 12:16am

And people wonder why award show bodies tend to award dramas and ignore comedies when people think comedy is underrated and under appreciated.

The only lesson for you to learn is that Chenoweth spells her first name with an "i", not an "e".

Updated On: 6/9/15 at 12:16 AM