Tony Award Performances- Questionable Song/Performance Choices

[Soaring29]

Posted: 3/23/18 at 11:05pm

Obviously, a lot of the Tony Award Performances are problematic, but some of the choices of songs /performance choices make me scratch my head: 

1. Spring Awakening( Totally F*CKed, 2007): The use of Totally F*CKed without the use of the word ****ed is pretty idiotic- there were definitely other numbers that could have been utilized  into the SA Medley instead. 

2. Follies Revival(Buddy's Blues, 2012): This song has grown  A LOT  on me recently, but at the time of the Tony's (where I was very excited to see what they were going to present), I really could not stand this  number especially because it made no sense that they picked ONLY this song to perform. Although I now believe  that it is indeed a great performance, it still can be argued that it was not a great representation of the show given that taken out of context, the song comes across much differently and is not appealing to a mainstream audience.  

3. Grey Gardens(The Revolutionary Costume For Today, 2007): Same reasons as #2- there were so many  other great songs they could have featured here as well in order to demonstrate the greatness of this show. 

4. Into The Woods(NO BERNADETTE, 1988): Okay, I'm still really unclear as to why Bernadette wasn't in this number(and why she wasn't nominated for the Tony, but that's another story, never mind... :) ).  Also, why after the last verse of Children Will Listen do they sing the  " So into the woods you go again"  verse and  not include the  "Though it's fearful, though it's deep, though it's dark" verse? That verse is especially impactful/important to the music IMO. Time was obviously  a reason, but it dampers the number to me. 

Your thoughts? Any song choices/performances from the Tony's that puzzle you as well?

 

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/23/18 at 11:11pm

The recent revival of Hello, Dolly! comes immediately to mind, of course.

What a sad waste. A performance by Bette would live on for decades. The one that was given is already forgotten.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/23/18 at 11:15pm

Here's a thread discussing the Bernadette/Woods/Lack of Nom thang.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1000231

Sorry I can't link from phone.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 3/23/18 at 11:16pm

Why was that again? Something with the staging or something?

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 3/23/18 at 11:37pm

Groundhog day. They had a HUGE miss on the song they performed. It was just so odd and they could have really gotten more people intrested with a better song.

Another one that comes to mind is It shoulda been you, I love Lisa Howard but it didnt work to just have her perform.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/23/18 at 11:48pm

Yeah, the Hello, Dolly! performance from last year was a result of Scott Rudin feeling too precious about the staging for the big production numbers, so he offered the producers of the Tonys to have the cast perform at the Shubert Theatre, but was turned down.

[Rainah]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 12:07am

You know some part of me enjoys Spring Awakening giving no damns and performing whatever they wanted... let spring awakening say f**k! But from a marketing standpoint, yeah, not ideal. What would you suggest instead? 

As everyone noted, Hello Dolly. They came off looking terrible for protesting that they needed their specific theatre to perform, when Great Comet was rolling up their sleeves and putting on the best performance of the night

[msmp]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 1:08am

"Face to Face" was a poor choice for War Paint, I think, even though it featured Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersole nicely. I would have gone with either an abridged version of "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" or a medley of "Pink" and "Forever Beautiful."

[Soaring29]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 5:25am

Song Of Purple Summer perhaps- Or just let them say **** and have  written parental warnings broadcast before they performed? 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 6:13am

Soaring29 said: "Song Of Purple Summer perhaps- Or just let them say **** and have written parental warnings broadcast before they performed?"

Im pretty sure they wanted to go the naughty route.  While Purple Song is pretty, on its own, it doesn't tell you ANYTHING about the show or themes. (Lots of people will tell you the song makes no sense.)

 

Also, FCC regulation don't allow the fbomb with or without a warning. Which is why lots of live shows have an actual 30 second delay, to be able to bleep stuff out.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 7:29am

Aladdin "Friend Like Me" and Something Rotten "A Musical"- they're both showstoppers live, but when chopped up for a Tony performance they just seemed disjointed

[mikey2573]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 8:35am

BILLY ELLIOT performing "Angry Dance" made no sense.  The number doesn't work without the buildup of the scene that precedes it.  "Electricity" would have been a better choice,but that number had already been performed on TV numerous times.  So, a shortened version of "Solidarity" would have been ideal. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 9:08am

Beauty & the Beast performing a medley of four/five numbers in what seemed to have been a combination of stuff at their venue and at the Tonys.

The original cast of The Color Purple starting with 'Hell No', then transitioning into the finale.

The Visit transitioning into 'I Would Never Leave You' after 'Love and Love Alone'.

Waitress starting with a brief version of 'Opening Up' before transitioning into Sara Bareilles performing 'She Used to Be Mine', followed by Jessie Mueller's rendition.

The most recent revival of West Side Story performing 'The Dance at the Gym'.

[South Florida]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 11:20am

The botched Next To Normal performance comes to mind.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 12:06pm

It didn't really matter because they were going to sweep everything but I always thought "Yorktown" was an odd choice for Hamilton to perform. 

Their iconic opening number "Alexander Hamilton" or the big I Want song of "My Shot" would have been better choices.

[Trina55]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 12:18pm

Bwayfan292 said: "Groundhog day. They had a HUGE miss on the song they performed. It was just so odd and they could have really gotten more people intrested with a better song.

 

I agree whole-heartedly about Groundhog Day. They shot themselves in the foot with that song choice. It completely baffled me. I also remember thinking “please, just don’t have the person in a groundhog costume on stage” and of course they did. Made though show look silly and pathetic, when the show itself had a lot to offer. 

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 3:43pm

Bright Star for me. I wish they had done something a little more uplifting like Whoa Mama. Or even a medley, which isn’t usually my first choice but I think would’ve worked for this. If You Knew My Story kind of made the show seem dull, even though I think Carmen Cusack is great.

And ugggghhhh Groundhog Day. Such a great song in the context of the show, but it did absolutely nothing to show off the humor and wittiness that made that show what it was. Don’t really know that there’s a great choice out of context, though. Maybe a cut version of One Day? Day One?

Also, I’m taking this time to atone for the negative thoughts I had when I heard Fun Home was doing Ring of Keys. I don’t think I’ve ever been more wrong!

ETA: @poisonivy2, I totally agree about Yorktown being a weird choice. I always thought they should’ve done The Room Where It Happens.

Updated On: 3/24/18 at 03:43 PM

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 4:08pm

Groundhog Day was the first to come to mind for me, too; the number was not at all indicative of the actual show. "If I Had My Time Again" is not only one of the catchiest, upbeat numbers in the show, it also represents some of the themes in the show. To me, that would have been the obvious choice. But, a lot of Groundhog Day's public appearances were baffling, like the completely out-of-context "Philanthropy" on The Today Show. 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 4:16pm

I disagree with Bright Star. That was the performance that made me interested in the show. Maybe it was because of Carmen Cusack and the camera work.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 4:44pm

"Lot's Wife" from CAROLINE, OR CHANGE was simply a horrible choice.  Yes, its the 11 o'clock number but out of context, its just a Debbie Downer of a number.  So many other choices could have been used, possibly  the delicious "Laundry Quintet" that in a few minutes showcases the various music genres featured in the musical as well as the unique narrative of the basement laundry room appliances coming to life.  

"Face to Face" from WAR PAINT was also a horrible choice.  They should have done a gorgeous medley showcasing the fabulous costumes and women featured in the musical.  Just showing Ebersole and LuPone singing: BORING.  

"The Revolutionary Costume for Today" from GREY GARDENS was an excellent choice as 110% of the world population is mostly familiar with the legendary 1975 documentary.  Having Ebersole in full Little Edie regalia and showcasing how they musicalized her famous words many know verbatim was the best national advertisement they could have ever done.  

[SeanD2]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 4:56pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" from GREY GARDENS was an excellent choice as 110% of the world population ismostly familiar with the legendary 1975 documentary. Having Ebersole in full Little Edie regalia and showcasing how they musicalized her famous words many know verbatim was the best national advertisement they could have ever done."

If you think that anywhere close to a majority of the country, let along the world, has even heard of the documentary Grey Gardens you're sorely mistaken. It's an obscure curiosity known primarily by a certain generation of gays and those obsessive Gilmore Girls fans who research every reference the show makes (and there's a lot of overlap in those audiences).

[SeanD2]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 4:58pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "The Visittransitioning into 'I Would Never Leave You' after 'Love and Love Alone'."

 

This wasn't the original plan. Not sure what caused them to add in I Would Never Leave You, but it wasn't included in that morning's dress rehearsal which I attended.

 

 

[Soaring29]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 7:07pm

I actually don't mind Hell No right before the finale- I thought it worked pretty well. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 7:13pm

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "I disagree withBright Star. That was the performance that made me interested in the show. Maybe it was because of Carmen Cusack and the camera work."

I still think Bright Star has some of the best camera work in tony award history and Carmen Cusack gave one of the best performances. Just the part where the camera circles around Carmen is stunning in itself.

I actually think Bright Star should have done something more dramatic. Like Way Back in the day or At Long Last. Like something that could really show off Carmen’s skills

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/24/18 at 10:48pm

Ghost for sure.