Julie Andrews and the Tony

[jacksonpotter]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 4:51pm

Does anyone think she would have won the Tony had she not declined it for Victor/Victoria? Its upsetting because she is only the T away from the EGOT, and Julie is one of the most gifted musical theatre performers of her generation. Do you think that the ATW might give her an honorary Tony sometime? 

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 4:54pm

I think she would have been a shoo-in had she accepted the nomination. I'm conflicted about her response; while I appreciate her loyalty to her colleagues, the show was weak and no one else was deserving of a nomination except potentially Rachel York, but Featured Actress was already stacked that year. Given the history, she may have no interest in accepting an honorary Tony.

[Withonelook2]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 5:01pm

I love Julie Andrews. If anything she should have on for My Fair Lady

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 5:02pm

She presented Best Musical to Jersey Boys years later, so it looks like mended fences with the Tonys

[Gorlois]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 5:14pm

I'm actually really curious as to why she hasn't been given an Honorary Tony, as she has appeared at the Tonys several times since the V/V debacle. She's perhaps the most high-profile name to award one to, and she lives in NY State now so it wouldn't be a huge hassle. There must still be bad blood on one or both sides.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 8:51pm

It is so upsetting that she's a T away from an EGOT. You would think Julie Andrews of all people would've had a Tony before an Oscar/Emmy/Grammy. There was a little hope in me that she'd be cast as Mrs. Higgins in the My Fair Lady revival and would've gotten a Tony from that, but oh well. Even if she got an honorary Tony, I don't think it technically counts to being an EGOT anyway. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 9:32pm

Withonelook2 said: "I love Julie Andrews. If anything she should have on for My Fair Lady"

By all accounts, Judy Holiday gave one of the great musical comedy performances.  Every song she had was terrific and included several classics; her 11 o'clock number is legendary.  I did not see either performance; but, if I could go back in theatre history and see one performance that I missed, I am pretty sure that it would be Judy Holiday in Bells are Ringing.

Over Laurette Taylor?  Over Ethel Merman in Gypsy?  Over Judith Anderson in Medea?  Over Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy in Streetcar?  Over Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza in South Pacific?  Absolutely.  In all of those cases, many great actors have given many great performances in those roles; I have seen a number of great Medea's, great Mama Rose's, great Blanches (maybe not Stanleys, admittedly),  etc., as have many of the older people on this board (simply because they have had more time to see more Mame's, Medea's, Blanche's, Amanda's, Hamlet's, etc.  

I don't think anyone could replace Judy Holiday in Bells Are Ringing, witness the rotten reviews that Faith Prince received in a role that everyone thought was perfect for her.  (I will conjecture that Barbara Harris would have been great, but I don't understand to this day why she decided to disappear.

Finally, Bells are Ringing is not Gypsy or South Pacific or Mame or Hello Dolly or My Fair Lady; but the role of Ella is a great one in Musical Comedy.

I take this all back if you actually saw both Judy and Julie in the original productions, which I imagine a few posters have.  After Eight?????

Updated On: 12/14/17 at 09:32 PM

[The Other One]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 10:35pm

I can't stand "Bells Are Ringing."  I wish Julie Andrews had won the Tony that year.  No, I didn't see either performance, I was not alive, but I'm pretty sure the voters consciously went with a tried and tested vet over a newcomer whose show was going to win everything else anyway.

I get why Holliday has her fans, but I also think her Oscar is arguably the luckiest in the Academy's history.

Updated On: 12/15/17 at 10:35 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/14/17 at 10:59pm

I know She can’t sing anymore, but I bet there’s some play that she can do that can get her the tony.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 12:07am

First, had no clue Andrews never won a Tony. Mind blown. Second, now I'm sooo curious about this Holiday I've never heard of.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 12:14am

She'd be great in A Little Night Music as Madame A. Maybe that would get her a Tony.

[Gorlois]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 12:17am

Call_me_jorge said: "I know She can’t sing anymore, but I bet there’s some play that she can do that can get her the tony."

I sometimes wonder if her voice is so damaged that any role in a 8 performances per week show would be too much for her. That surgeon really ****ed up her instrument.

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 12:18am

Guys... it's Julie Andrews. Are we seriously going to let her go through life and not win a Tony Award? I'd be fine with her doing a limited run of sitting on a chair onstage in silence if it means we can give her a Tony. 

[jacksonpotter]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:26am

I don't know if it's just me but Julie deserves the honourary tony or best actress (featured or lead) in a MUSICAL! She's Julie Andrews, her Tony shouldn't be for a play (not that there's anything wrong with winning a Tony for a play) , also what do people think of Audra being the O away from the egot, unfortunately I don't think that Oscar is ever going to come, what do you think?

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:54am

GeorgeandDot said: "She'd be great in A Little Night Music as Madame A. Maybe that would get her a Tony."

Someone in another thread once suggested a Cate Blanchette-Julie Andrews ALNM and I literally think about it at least once a day.

[newintown]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 7:53am

"Second, now I'm sooo curious about this Holiday I've never heard of."

It's "Holliday." And what has this world become?If you're serious, and really don't know Judy Holliday's work, I would recommend starting with Born Yesterday; not only is she terrific in it, the story itself is a perfect explication of the current social/political situation in the US, all about how a complacently ignorant populace will blithely allow a venal minority to take power and acquire everything for themselves.

Updated On: 12/15/17 at 07:53 AM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 11:14am

carolinaguy said: "I think she would have been a shoo-in had she accepted the nomination. I'm conflicted about her response; while I appreciate her loyalty to her colleagues, the show was weak and no one else was deserving of a nomination except potentially Rachel York, but Featured Actress was already stacked that year. Given the history, she may have no interest in accepting an honorary Tony."

I'm not sure if Julie Andrews really would've won given that she was the only nomination Victor/Victoria received, and the last time a sole nominee won an acting award was Michele Pawk for Hollywood Arms back in 2003.

Though I wouldn't be surprised if we see Andrews back at the Tonys next year to introduce My Fair Lady.

Updated On: 12/15/17 at 11:14 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 11:21am

Julie would be marvelous as Mrs Higgins in MY LAIR LADY.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 11:38am

But why would she ever stoop to do what is a pretty minor role, unless they ever get around to making that movie that was once rumored to be happening?  Remember that Emma Thompson was writing the script and, first Keira Knightley and then Carey Mulligan were rumored as being in the forefront for Eliza?  If they do the movie, that could do the trick.  

[newintown]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 11:39am

As much as everyone adores La Andrews, I can't imagine the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical being presented to someone in a role (Mrs. Higgins) that appears in only two scenes (and does rather little in both) and has no songs. Unless the season is an exceptionally dry one.

As far as the chances of her winning if she had accepted the Victor/Victoria nomination or not - she was a nominee that year, despite "not accepting the nomination" (see below), and still lost to Murphy, who was the belle of the ball that year. Most people found Andrews to be sadly far too elderly and delicate to play the role - and, remember, the show was a notorious turkey; the nominating committee refused, despite great pressure from Isabelle Stevenson herself, to reconsider their decision to nominate Andrews alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhaxOw1_JB8

[ggersten]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 12:13pm

I think Ms. Andrews is an amazing performer - but she did just three Broadway shows early in her career - and then not again for over 30 years until her husband importuned her to do Victor/Victoria on stage.  I don't know the reasons why she stopped stage performance after Camelot.  Perhaps it had to do with having a child.  I'm sure she had many opportunities to return to the Broadway stage, but for whatever reasons, those roles never happened.  Her lifetime was not on stage -   That said, there have been some "interesting" special Tony Awards over the years.  Special Tony Awards  

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 12:54pm

Initially child and then BIG movie star.  I can't think of one person over the last 50 years who is / was a BIG movie star at the time and who would commit to a year on Broadway, including rehearsals.  The answer everyone will come up with is Hugh Jackman, who was NOT a BIG movie star when he starred in Oz; (I really like Hugh Jackman), but he is a much bigger Broadway star than movie star.   

JA had a succession of monster hits; and even her flops took a long time to film.  By the time her career was in lower gear, she seemed to be into the California life style and married to a successful movie director.  I assume that she was also protective of her Broadway legacy (1 massive hit, 1 big hit, 1 hit) and was probably extra careful about selecting a bad choice  V/V was in some ways an easy choice, because it had been a hit movie that got her an Oscar nomination, and it was written / directed by her husband.  

I have always been a JA fan, but I have to admit that I don't feel that she desperately needs a special Tony.  (I also didn't think Streisand deserved a special Tony; because she lost to Carol Channing, went off to Hollywood and never came back?  To me a special Tony would recognize someone who made a real commitment to the theatre, but never managed to win one competitively.  Streisand got it because she is Streisand, not because of her Broadway portfolio...it was an excuse to get her on the show.  I can think of other more deserving people who made a real commitment to theatre, created some great memories, but never won a Tony (and were not movie stars).

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 4:15pm

"I have always been a JA fan, but I have to admit that I don't feel that she desperately needs a special Tony. (I also didn't think Streisand deserved a special Tony; because she lost to Carol Channing, went off to Hollywood and never came back? To me a special Tony would recognize someone who made a real commitment to the theatre, but never managed to win one competitively. Streisand got it because she is Streisand, not because of her Broadway portfolio...it was an excuse to get her on the show. I can think of other more deserving people who made a real commitment to theatre, created some great memories, but never won a Tony (and were not movie stars)."

While I do agree with this, I think the careers of performers like Andrews, Streisand, Midler, Minnelli, and the like helped to shine a light on musical theatre through their film and concert work, even if they weren't consistently on Broadway or working in the theatre.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 4:31pm

Julie Andrews has had a wonderful career filled with many successes and awards. She's received the Kennedy Center Honors and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by the Queen. I suspect some of you are more concerned about her not having won a Tony than she is herself.

In any event, handing her an honorary Tony just so she can have an EGOT is an EGOT in name only. The real spirit of having an EGOT is that you won those awards competitively.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 9:39pm

I spent years being mad at Judy Holliday for robbing Bette Davis of her "All about Eve" Oscar. Then I found out she robbed Julie Andrews of her "My Fair Lady" Tony and I got mad all over again.

Don't dogpile on me -- I know it wasn't her fault and she didn't actually "rob" either of them. And I know she was talented, but I don't think she was half as talented as either Bette or Julie, and it just bugs me!