The Great "Best Musical" Race of 2019- Page 4

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 10:18am

Hadestown is already campaigning heavily. Methinks they are afraid.

[After Eight]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 10:26am

"Hadestown is already campaigning heavily. Methinks they are afraid."

Afraid of what?

They have a song about building a wall.

How could they not win the Tony Award?

[bdn223]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 1:35pm

ChildofEarth said: "Hadestown is already campaigning heavily. Methinks they are afraid."

I wouldn't say afraid so much as over confident. They are trying to set the race as a repeat of last year's The Band's Visit sweep, by establishing Hadestown as the only show that "can win". By "Can Win" I mean that Hadestown is the only show that is "true art" deserving of the award Best Musical, with the rest of its fellow nominees being commercial tourist theme park musicals, as Frozen, Mean Girls, and Spongebob were all easily classified as last year. That differentiation and the classic argument that only a drama can be considered awards worthy and comedy is for the commoners. This why Drama and Musical/Comedy are separated at the Globe and Emmys, as history shows with the Oscars, comedy is rarely if ever awarded over drama. In the 75 times Best Play has been awarded only 10 times has it been awarded to a comedy, less than 5 of which could be considered straight comedies and not comedic dramas. In the past 25 years when Best revival of a play has been awarded only 3 comedies have won. In the 16 years Best revival was a joint Play and musical category only 1 comedic play won. This is compared to the Best Musical where about 26 of the 69 musicals awarded were comedies. 

The difference this year is that only 2 of the 5 nominees for Best New Musical are seen as cash grabs (Beetlejuice and Ain't to Proud). The later of the two is actually a solid musical that could be considered a dark horse, alla Jersey Boys winning Best Musical despite Drowsy Chaperone walking away with more Tonys that night. Of the other the 2 nominees are solid comedies that have the respect of the community and are being championed by members of the community and not just corporations like last year.   Tootsie is stage adaption of a film that actually truly adapted the piece for the stage instead of staging the movie. It works, and has a hilarious book, that many have said is one of the best books of a musical Broadway has seen in years if not decades. Its the rare musical that people find fault in the score and not the book, which is the go to criticism for any musical. The Prom is a solid musical that the community has embraced, despite audiences being lukewarm to it at best. It honestly has the best "story" for awards season as "the little show that could" in the same vein as A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Avenue Q .

Hadestown's strategy of trying to establish itself as the only musical "worthy of winning" walks a very fine line, as it can turn to backlash alla Matilda and Wicked, when a different show (Tootsie or The Prom) can successfully argue "Vote with your Heart, not your head". 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 8:27pm

Hadestown is winning and it knows it too.

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 8:51pm

I’m not 100% sold on Hadestown winning (though I think it is the best new show since Hamilton), but sending flowers to the other nominees seems...heavy handed.

[BenElliott]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 8:54pm

I just saw Hadestown today and it's definitely winning. I haven't seen that sort of audience energy at any of the other nominees.

I think if anything this year is a lock, it's Hadestown for Best Musical and Best Score.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 5/1/19 at 9:18pm

I don't understand at ALL how SO many people are saying that The Prom is a threat to Hadestown. Okay first off, what happened to like a week ago when it was Tootsie that was the one in this two man race? And second...... The Prom over Hadestown? Really? That's like comparing a fine wine to chocolate milk. I find myself totally just flabbergasted in the last few days every time that someone says something like "It's either going to be Hadestown or The Prom, I just don't know." There is NO contest between those two and I just....... am I missing something here?

[nxt2bridges]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 5:44pm

So I think the thing about this race is that Hadestown layers the concept of what we do for art, love, passion, with topical issues such as climate change, corporate greed/inequality, industrialism, creating a really compelling concept. That being said, a significant number of people have raised the question or supported the notion that the show needs to be slimmed significantly (cut to 1 90 minute act, switch the leading couple)- which is a pretty big critique of the supposed frontrunner for best musical. That being said, Tootsie has the nominations and the book to be considered the best produced musical of the season. However, that does not mean it will win the Tony for best musical. We also saw what could be called a foreshadowing (or continuity) of bucking the commercial adaptation from last year. Both Network and TKAM were not nominated for best play ( though one could attribute TKAM to backlash) On top of that, you have the gender issues with tootsie (both in those employed and content matter). My money is [figuratively] on Hadestown. The other shows (hold the prom - which I think will get CFA treatment, but slightly less) are not the traditional "best musical." A 'best musical' is innovative, advances a concept, tells a meaningful story.  

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 9:14pm

After Eight said: ""Hadestown is already campaigning heavily. Methinks they are afraid."

Afraid of what?

They have a song about building a wall.

How could they not win the Tony Award?"

HADESTOWN on THE TODAY SHOW looked awful. Cheap and arrogant, and too artsy for its own niche self. I thought the selection that scene to do on the TV show was a big miss for them. 

https://www.today.com/video/see-the-hadestown-cast-perform-livin-it-up-on-top-on-today-1515460675932

What do you think?

[Rogerdellibovi]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 9:42pm

bdn223 said: "ChildofEarth said: "Hadestown is already campaigning heavily. Methinks they are afraid."

I wouldn't say afraid so much as over confident. They are trying to set the race as a repeat of last year'sThe Band's Visitsweep, by establishingHadestownas the only show that "can win". By "Can Win" I mean thatHadestownis the only show that is "true art" deserving of the award Best Musical, with the rest of its fellow nominees being commercial tourist theme park musicals, asFrozen,Mean Girls,andSpongebobwere all easily classified as last year. That differentiation and the classic argument that only a drama can be considered awards worthy and comedy is for the commoners. This why Drama and Musical/Comedy are separated at the Globe and Emmys, as history shows with the Oscars, comedy is rarely if ever awarded over drama. In the 75times Best Play has been awarded only 10 times has it been awarded to a comedy, less than 5 of which could be considered straight comedies and not comedic dramas. In the past 25 years when Best revival of a play has been awarded only 3 comedies have won. In the 16 years Best revival was a joint Play and musical category only 1 comedic play won. This is compared to the Best Musical where about 26 of the 69 musicals awarded were comedies.

The difference this year is that only 2 of the 5 nominees for Best New Musical are seen as cash grabs (Beetlejuice and Ain't to Proud).The later of the two is actually a solid musical that could be considered a dark horse, allaJersey Boyswinning Best Musical despiteDrowsyChaperone walking away with more Tonys that night. Of the other the 2 nominees are solid comedies that have the respect of the community and are being championed by members of the community and not just corporations like last year.Tootsieis stage adaption of a film that actually truly adapted the piece for the stage instead of staging the movie. It works, and has a hilarious book, that many have said is one of the best books of a musical Broadway has seen in years if not decades. Its the rare musical that people find fault in the score and not the book, which is the go to criticism for any musical.The Promis a solid musical that the community has embraced, despite audiences being lukewarm to it at best. It honestly has the best "story" for awards season as "the little show that could" in the same vein asA Gentleman's Guide to Love and MurderandAvenue Q.

Hadestown's strategy of trying to establish itself as the only musical "worthy of winning" walks a very fine line, as it can turn to backlash allaMatildaandWicked, when a different show (TootsieorThe Prom)can successfully argue "Vote with your Heart, not your head"."

 

I do see Hadestown fans doing this but how do you think the Hadestown producers are doing so? I think the only arrogance was when the whole nominated cast posted to support Reeve who wasn’t nominated, which just seems kind of unnecessary to me. I feel like Tootsie is definitely a cash grab, probably more so then Ain’t Too Proud. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 10:16pm

Yes I haven’t seen the arrogance form the producers.
I don’t think this is similar to Matilda where it came to Broadway with several Olivier awards already. Hadestown, in contrast, didn’t even get any Olivier nominations.
I think campaigning heavily is something all nominated shows will do each year during Awards season so no surprise there.

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 11:06pm

ChildofEarth said: "Hadestown is already campaigning heavily. Methinks they are afraid."
 

And if they didn't campaign heavily people would complain they are looking arrogant as the clear front runner.  I think what any show does when it is given good reviews and lots of nominations is that it campaigns heavily.  The strategy is to pour gasoline on the fire, and they are smart to do it.  

 

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 11:23pm

EVERY show is already campaigning heavily. How many extra interviews for actors have suddenly popped up. How many times have I signed onto this site and been greeted with "THE PROM NOMINATED FOR BEST MUSICAL" banner in my face in the last few days? Everyone does it and everyone does it a little differently. If anything Hades town is not being arrogant, they are being safe. They have a momentum going and they don't wanna loss it now. A lot of others have to kick it into high gear because they didn't really have a momentum going to begin with.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 5/4/19 at 11:44pm

NYCblurb said: "After Eight said: ""Hadestown is already campaigning heavily. Methinks they are afraid."

Afraid of what?

They have a song about building a wall.

How could they not win the Tony Award?"

HADESTOWN on THE TODAY SHOW looked awful. Cheap and arrogant, and too artsy for its own niche self. I thought the selection that scene to do on the TV show was a big miss for them.

https://www.today.com/video/see-the-hadestown-cast-perform-livin-it-up-on-top-on-today-1515460675932

What do you think?"

Oh, hush.  What are you going on about?  Show looked fine.  You want to see arrogant and cheap, go see that ugly cash grab attempt Tootsie.  Hadestown isn't "artsy."  What does "artsy" even mean?

 

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 6/9/19 at 3:07pm

Looking forward to see who wins tonight in The Great Best Musical Race of 2019. I’ll be here on the sofa watching until the last award is given. 

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 6/9/19 at 3:12pm

I have school tomorrow, but hopefully I can manage to stay up!  Fingers crossed!!!