Will/Should Win: Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Will/Should Win: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Will Win: The Little Foxes
Should Win: Jitney
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Hello Dolly
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Will Win: Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
Should Win: Denis Arndt, Heisenberg
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Will/Should Win: Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Bette Midler, Hello Dolly
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Will Win: Danny DeVito, The Price
Should Win: Michael Aronov, Oslo
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Will Win: Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes
Should Win: Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll’s House, Part 2
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Will Win: Gavin Creel, Hello Dolly
Should Win: Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will/Should Win: David Gallo, Jitney
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: Santo Loquasto, Hello Dolly
Should Win: Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will/Should Win: Jane Greenwood, The Little Foxes
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will/Should Win: Jennifer Tipton, A Doll’s House, Part 2
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen
Should Win: Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Will Win: Bartlett Sher, Oslo
Should Win: Sam Gold, A Doll’s House, Part 2
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Will Win: Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day
Should Win: Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Will Win: Larry Hochman, Hello Dolly
Should Win: Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen
"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
To those of you who think that Comet should triumph over DEH, while recognizing that everyone is entitled to an opinion, I say this: Go back and read the full thread of "Dear Evan Hanson Issue." What it shows is that while many of the people who posted in the thread have problems with the DEH book for personal and legitimate reasons, those people, along with those who LOVED the show took an incredible amount of time to post very detailed, very textured and very personal reactions to the show. It's a show that generates an incredible reaction, mostly highly positive and on occasion critical, but the thought, care and SERIOUSNESS shown in those posts is like nothing I think any of us have ever seen on a theater chat board. And everyone seems to agree that the show has one of the most memorable performances in a least a decade, perhaps longer. Neither Comet nor any other musical has generated a thread here that begins to rival the thread I'm referring to, and I commend every single poster who took the time to articulate what they either did or didn't like about the play. Both sides are legitimate, and one's individual reaction is very much intertwined with their own personal situations and experiences.
So in my view, if DEH does not win the Tony for the best musical it will be a travesty.
CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.
RaisedOnMusicals said: "To those of you who think that Comet should triumph over DEH, while recognizing that everyone is entitled to an opinion, I say this: Go back and read the full thread of "Dear Evan Hanson Issue." What it shows is that while many of the people who posted in the thread have problems with the DEH book for personal and legitimate reasons, those people, along with those who LOVED the show took an incredible amount of time to post very detailed, very textured and very personal reactions to the show. It's a show that generates an incredible reaction, mostly highly positive and on occasion critical, but the thought, care and SERIOUSNESS shown in those posts is like nothing I think any of us have ever seen on a theater chat board. And everyone seems to agree that the show has one of the most memorable performances in a least a decade, perhaps longer. Neither Comet nor any other musical has generated a thread here that begins to rival the thread I'm referring to, and I commend every single poster who took the time to articulate what they either did or didn't like about the play. Both sides are legitimate, and one's individual reaction is very much intertwined with their own personal situations and experiences.
So in my view, if DEH does not win the Tony for the best musical it will be a travesty."
Huh? The award isn't for longest or most serious discussion, it's for Best Musical. And clearly, for at least some people, Dear Evan Hansen isn't that- the discussion has no bearing on it.
Obviously lots of people like Dear Evan Hansen, but this view that it should win because it's important or edgy is irritating. Likewise, I don't want it to win not because I found the subject matter uncomfortable, but because I thought it poorly written. Anything else beyond that doesn't really matter.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
RaisedOnMusicals said: "To those of you who think that Comet should triumph over DEH, while recognizing that everyone is entitled to an opinion, I say this: Go back and read the full thread of "Dear Evan Hanson Issue." What it shows is that while many of the people who posted in the thread have problems with the DEH book for personal and legitimate reasons, those people, along with those who LOVED the show took an incredible amount of time to post very detailed, very textured and very personal reactions to the show. It's a show that generates an incredible reaction, mostly highly positive and on occasion critical, but the thought, care and SERIOUSNESS shown in those posts is like nothing I think any of us have ever seen on a theater chat board. And everyone seems to agree that the show has one of the most memorable performances in a least a decade, perhaps longer. Neither Comet nor any other musical has generated a thread here that begins to rival the thread I'm referring to, and I commend every single poster who took the time to articulate what they either did or didn't like about the play. Both sides are legitimate, and one's individual reaction is very much intertwined with their own personal situations and experiences.
So in my view, if DEH does not win the Tony for the best musical it will be a travesty.
"
First, I think it's important to note that "Best Musical" does not equate to "Most Emotional Musical." If that were the case, then Wicked would've beat Avenue Q, etc. Best Musical means just that – the best overall musical.
In Regards to Best Musical: I love both shows, however, The Great Comet is in my opinion on a whole different level from Dear Evan Hansen, even though I think Dear Evan Hansen is a much more emotional show than The Great Comet. TGC is a piece of artwork; there is and has never been nothing like it on a Broadway stage before, and while it doesn't have a Ben Platt leading it, it is unarguably the most intricate and eclectic show on Broadway this season. Dear Evan Hansen, while an emotional ride/a more "real" show, doesn't really do anything to advance theatre as an art form. Yes, it captures mental illness on stage. So did Next to Normal. Yes, it shows a dysfunctional and realistic family on stage. So does Fun Home. Yes, its star is an impeccable actor and singer, but his elevation of a role (which, in my opinion, is kind of sleazy – I mean, he lied to people about their dead son. Yes, he sings a sad song at the end and his awkwardness makes you like him, but he never really faces consequences for his actions which is kinda gross in my opinion) should not carry the show through for Best Musical. Would I be upset if Dear Evan Hansen won? No, by all means it's a good show, but I think The Great Comet is a much better overall experience.
As for awards such as Best Score/Orchestrations: Dear Evan Hansen's score is great. It's catchy, poppy, and the lyrics are witty. But in no world do I think a score of sixteen enjoyable pop songs should trump the inventiveness, creativity and actual stretching of what music is that appears in the twenty-eight songs featured in The Great Comet. Same goes for Orchestrations – DEH's are nice, but TGC has legitimately some of the most complicated and innovative orchestrations I've ever heard on a stage.
Also (this isn't regarding you, but a criticism many people try to push on the show), I may add that I am tired of people saying that The Great Comet doesn't invoke an emotional response from the audience. Sure, a lot of people don't openly sob in the theater (though the two times I went I definitely saw people wiping away tears), but it makes you think. And it's not like the lyrics are empty, I mean:
But then why am I screaming? Why am I shaking? Oh God, was there something that I missed? Did I squander my divinity? Was happiness within me the whole time?
They say we are asleep Until we fall in love We are children of dust and ashes But when we fall in love we wake up And we are a God And angels weep But if I die here tonight I die in my sleep
Please, someone explain to me how a show with lyrics like those can be considered superficial and trite. Please. I'm genuinely confused.
In short, I like both shows, but nothing about Dear Evan Hansen is risky. It's an enjoyable, thought-provoking, and oftentimes highly personal show, but The Great Comet breaks a hundred "rules" of theatre, all while having an amazing score, ingenious lyrics, and some of the best performances on Broadway this season.
I can speak only for myself, obviously. But as a participant on that thread who has also commented elsewhere on Dear Evan Hansen, I must respectfully disagree with RaisedOnMusicals.
It's a positive thing that any work of art, especially a musical, is being taken seriously and discussed thoughtfully. That is to the show's credit, that it generates such discussion, even if my own feelings are mixed. But that certainly doesn't mean it should win Best Musical. Shoot, a lot of the people on that thread strongly dislike Dear Evan Hansen.
I only saw two new musicals on my recent trip, Dear Evan Hansen and Great Comet. I might have liked Come From Away better, or Groundhog Day, or a show that wasn't nominated. So I can't say what I think should win.
But if my only two choices were Great Comet and Dear Evan Hansen, I would choose the unique, fascinating, fun, and surprisingly moving Great Comet. And I agree that the show has gotten a bad rap. Pierre is depressed, basically suicidal, and he's only tentatively (but touchingly) better by the end of the show. I loved the conclusion, and it left me with a much more honest feeling of hope than DEH. But I will address that on another thread so I don't hijack this one.
Updated On: 5/2/17 at 03:11 PM
I guess a lot of people have no opinion on the non-musical side of Broadway.
"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 can't believe that an argument is being made that Dear Evan Hansen has faced more critique on the boards therefore it should win Best Musical. What kind of illogical statement?
"I can't believe that an argument is being made that Dear Evan Hansen has faced more critique on the boards therefore it should win Best Musical. What kind of illogical statement?"
OK, I accept some of the criticism that my earlier post has provoked, but there's also been some amount of misinterpretation of what I said (or meant to say.) It's not that there's been MORE criticism of DEH than other shows (criticism here meaning both positive and negative), it's the NATURE of the criticism which to me demonstrates that DEH has accomplished what a great piece of art is intended to accomplish, significant, sustained and serious thought and discussion. It's very difficult to read through the entire thread of Dear Evan Hanson Issue without recognizing that it's had a profound and lasting impact on so many that have seen it, an impact (good or bad) that has moved so many to write such long and personal reactions (me not being one of them.) In no way has anything I've said been a commentary on any other show.
CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.
I understand the point you are trying to make. But you're commenting on a thread about what should win a Tony for best new musical, citing Great Comet, and saying Dear Evan Hansen should win in very strong terms in part because it's been criticized and defended passionately on a different thread.
In the end, this is the trouble with getting caught up in award show absolutism. You liked Dear Evan Hansen and believe it's the best of the nominated musicals. There is nothing wrong with that opinion, and you will have plenty of company, although I think it's a stretch to cite a thread filled with critiques of the show (far harsher than my view) to support your argument.
Yeah I still don't get it. Just because people spend five minutes writing a post about what they liked/disliked about Dear Evan Hansen doesn't all of a sudden mean it's clearly having a major impact on everyone. We're all here to share our opinions on theatre, positive and negative. I would wager the reason why Hansen has received such thoughtful posts on that thread is because a lot of people have an issue with the way the show portrays mental illness, which is something that can effect people very personally and very deeply. Just look at all the criticism towards 13 Reasons Why. Much stuff has been said about that show - positive and negative - but I don't think many people are saying it should win Emmys because of that.
suggesting you move on is being rude? alright, then. You also must not visit the off-topic board -- I'm quite active over there. Do your research before attacking others, asshole.
Your profile is private so I can't research your posts unfortunately and am only able to go off what I see.
Telling someone to move on from sharing their opinions is mildly inconsiderate but stuff you have said to others that dislike the show is downright rude yes.
Don't bother engaging. The Headband is only here to assert his own perceived superiority. He's the only person whose 2 cents actually make the conversation worth less.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Will Win: Dear Evan Hansen (though I wouldn't be surprised if Come From Away took it)
Should Win: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
BEST PLAY
Will Win: Oslo
Should Win: A Doll’s House, Part 2
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Will Win: Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen
Should Win: Dave Hein and Irene Sankoff, Come From Away
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Will Win: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen
Should Win: Dave Malloy, The Great Comet
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Will Win: The Little Foxes
Should Win: Jitney
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Hello Dolly
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Will Win: Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
Should Win: Chris Cooper, A Doll's House, Part 2
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Will/Should Win: Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Bette Midler, Hello Dolly
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Will Win: Michael Aronov, Oslo
Should Win: John Douglas Thompson, Jitney
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Will Win: Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes
Should Win: Jayne Houdyshell or Condola Rashad, A Doll’s House, Part 2
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Will Win: Gavin Creel, Hello Dolly
Should Win: Lucas Steele, The Great Comet
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will/Should Win: Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will Win/Should Win: Mimi Lien, The Great Comet
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will/Should Win: Jane Greenwood, The Little Foxes
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Will Win: Donald Holder, Oslo
Should Win: Christopher Akerlind, Indecent
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Bradley King, The Great Comet
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Will Win: Bartlett Sher, Oslo
Should Win: Sam Gold, A Doll's House, Part 2
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Will/Should Win: Rachel Chavkin, The Great Comet
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Will/Should Win: Sam Pinkelton, The Great Comet
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Will/Should Win: Dave Malloy, The Great Comet
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.