Head Over Heels - Commentary on the Snubs

[A Part of It All]

It has been a full day and I’m still in shock by the lack of empathy and respect shown by the entire community regarding the utter dismissal of Head Over Heels. This show meant so much to so many people and really spoke to many, yet the show was completely snubbed of any Tony nominations across the board? It’s almost as if they’re saying, “This isn’t your world…” to all people who identify as LGBTQIA+. I’m very tired of old, straight, white, and let’s be real… most likely transphobic men getting to pick what wins and what is written out of history. Bonnie Milligan and Peppermint both deserved nominations and were robbed of winning awards.I’m worried that this show will be forgotten and based off the response to Bonnie’s snub, I am worried she may be disheartened and will leave the industry. I do not want that to happen. I would love to see her in The Prom one day! Also, I would love to see Peppermint onstage again. I think she’d be a fun Paulette in Legally Blonde, the Musical!

I just wanted to start this thread to celebrate the legacy of Head Over Heels and to let any fans of the show to understand that this show WAS the best show on Broadway this season. This show had the BEST message in any recent musical. This show would have won if people gave it a chance.

Do not give up your love for this show. Let its memory live on.

We’ve got the beat! We're mad about YOU!

[singer234]

Bonnie’s not gonna leave the industry lol she is prob glad her schedule opened up for the Britney musical she’s doing. But I agree...she really deserved a featured actress nod.

[Kitsune]

singer234 said: "Bonnie’s not gonna leave the industry lol she is prob glad her schedule opened up for the Britney musical she’s doing. But I agree...she really deserved a featured actress nod."

Wait, is Bonnie connected to the Britney musical at the moment? (Bonnie has posted about doing different workshops and developmental lab, but I never knew the names).

If she ends up in the final version of this show, that would push me into buying a ticket.

[MyLife]

Bonnie maybe, but in no way did Peppermint deserve a nomination.

 

And Head Over Heels will still mean a lot to people regardless of its nomination or award status,  The truth is the show was not that great. It shouldn't be given nominations just because it is a show that champions the LGBTQIA+ community... it also needs to be good.

[Pippin]

I was rooting for you, but stopped reading after “Peppermint deserves a nomination”.

Many things about this production were deserving; Peppermint is not one of them.


I would have given them a nomination for:

Bonnie
Lighting
Orchestration
Choreography
Costumes


I wish they would have opened in the last two months, rather than last summer.

[A Part of It All]

The show was fantastic and represented people rarely seen onstage. We should encourage shows like this, which is why I think nominations (and of course some wins) were necessary this time around.  I was lucky enough to see the show 27 times, both the first preview and final performance too.

I'm not afraid to award trans excellence and I wish less people were too. 

[LizzieCurry]

I loved Head Over Heels. I saw it twice, including closing night. I wish it'd been recognized more, but I wasn't surprised. I'm just glad it's being licensed so quickly.

[(Insert Clever Name)]

Shows get awards for quality, not how great they are in representation

[Mike Barrett]

Im in agreement, I want more Peppermint and people like Peppermint and more shows like this on Broadway. But just because Peppermint was on Broadway does not mean she needs to be nominated, and since she wasn't nominated it does not mean they're transphobic. Also, The Prom is an extremely friendly LGBTQ show, that was heavily nominated across the board. S they aren't saying "You aren't welcome" because thats just not true. However, I'm in 1000% agreement its mainly white men who decide these things, and that MUST be changed up, but I think ultimately this show just wasn't tony worthy, but it does NOT mean people didn't love, respect, adore, and be moved by this show. Awards aren't the end all be all, I'm glad you enjoyed and supported this show! 

[MarilynMonroeSmash]

I mean I loved Head Over Heels as much as the next person. I saw it 3 times, but I'm not surprised by the lack of nominations. Yes, it was a show that welcomed the LGBTQIA+ community more to Broadway, but that doesn't mean it automatically is the best show of the season. If you were saying the show should be awarded a special Tony for excellence in opening the community and shinning a light on people that are normally not the leads of a musical, then I would completely agree. But the show was fun and light, yet it wasn't the best. The book is a bit messy at the beginning and wrapped things up way too quickly at the end. That's why it wasn't nominated, not because of transphobia. Believe me, I'd be the first to call people out for transphobia, but this isn't the case. Peppermint did not deserve a nom, but Bonnie did and a lot of that comes down to when the show opened and closed. The period between this time was long and other shows open. Shows that honestly were better written and at times performed then Head Over Heels. Imagine if Lilli Cooper was not nominated and Milligan still wasn't, but Stephanie Hsu was. Would people still be angry? I don't know. I understand your anger at a beloved show not receiving recognition. Believe me, this show holds a special place in my heart, but when I think about it critically, it's not the world's best show. Simply because it created visibility on Broadway doesn't mean it's a fantastic show. It's fantastic for the visibility, but that and content are not the same thing. It being not nominated because the content was not up to par of the visibility, does not makes the nominations transphobic. Transphobia is real and ever-present in the world and in the theater community (Maybe Burke), but not in this case. And I hope Head Over Heels opens the theater community for more shows like this and shows that are Tony worthy. It may not happen as soon as we want, but it will because of this show.

[SomethingPeculiar]

The Tonys honor the best work, not the best intentions. Head Over Heels' intentions were good, but it was poorly executed. Its reviews, ticket sales (only 121k people saw it over 29 weeks, which is fewer people than saw Wicked in the last 8 weeks), length of run, and lack of nominations all back that up.

It's ridiculous to think that a LONG-shot nominee –– in her Broadway debut in a mega-flop –– would leave the business because she was "snubbed." Anyone petty enough to do that should have picked a different career path...a serious theatre person will tell you that it is all about the work, not about awards. (Daniel Radcliffe has now been in 4 Broadway shows and has 0 noms; Reed Birney was 60 when he got his first nom; Bonnie's costar Rachel York originated 5 roles and has never been nominated.) Since you have this opinion, I trust you've seen every eligible musical this season: Of the 5 nominees, who do you feel were undeserving of a nomination, to make room for Milligan and Peppermint?

I hope all the artists involved with Head Over Heels (and Be More Chill, and other shows) will be motivated to work even harder on their future projects, to create the highest quality of work that appeals to ticketbuyers and critics.

[A Part of It All]

I did not feel The Prom represented our community very well. I do think The Prom did a great job at instersecting the struggles of middle-to-lower class struggles, compounded by LGBTQIA+ issues.                   At least Head Over Heels had actual representation. 

[dramamama611]

Not getting nommed (or hired or cast....or whatever) doesn't automatically mean phobia/or an ism. Sometimes (hopefully often) it's about quality.   Sure, the show meant a lot to some people - but it wasn't universally loved.   So please don't re-write history by making this about something it isn't.

You weren't "lucky" to see it 27 times, you chose to.  (And that's fine - no judgement)  But when you look to make a statement about a non issue, it's brings the entire discussion to a screeching halt.  

I'm all for more representation of both actors and roles in any way (more LGBTQ+, more roles for persons of color - all colors, more color blind casting) but awards need to have integrity and no, this didn't deserve lots of accolades.

[LuPita2]

It shouldn't be given nominations just because it is a show that champions the LGBTQIA+ community... it also needs to be good.

Exactly. It was a bad show, the Tonys don't have awards for inclusion. However, it spoke to people and they have a lot of respect/love for the show. That has to be enough since it's gone.  It was not a slight against any community.  

[UncleCharlie]

A Part of It All said: "I just wanted to start this thread to celebrate the legacy of Head Over Heels and to let any fans of the show to understand that this show WAS the best show on Broadway this season."

No actually, it wasn't. It was one of the worst. But you went to see it a bunch of times and enjoyed it which is great. It doesn't need nominations to validate your enjoyment of it and what it meant to you.

[Fredrich Yeager]

If Bonnie Milligan leaves the industry because she didn't get nominated for an award, she didn't deserve to be in this industry to begin with.

I didn't see it, so I can't attest to whether it got snubbed, but saying they snubbed it because it heavily featured LGBT representation is absolutely ridiculous. Tony nominees notoriously love rewarding performances and shows that play with gender and sexuality. Kinky Boots, Hedwig, Hairspray, etc. Just this year, Choir Boy and The Boys in the Band (which featured a complete cast of out, gay actors) were heavily praised and rewarded. We have the first Tony nomination ever for a non-binary person (Taylor Mac is nominated for Best Play for Gary). The Prom's plot heavily features around LGB identities. Tootsie discusses the complexities of gender and sexuality, and its theme focuses around the difficulties and discrimination women face in the entertainment industry and the men who make it harder for them. 

And even outside of LGBT representation, this has been a really good year for the Tony's in terms of diversity in other forms. Ali Stroker is the first actor or actress in a wheelchair ever to be nominated for a Tony (and has a decent shot at taking home the prize). Hadestown features a predominantly POC cast and is likely to win big this year. Speaking of Hadestown, if it wins Best Musical, it will be the first time that an all female creative team will take home the prize. 3/5 of the Best Featured Actor in a Musical nominees are Black. Tootsie's creative team comprises of a Middle Eastern, Jewish man and two gay men. And all but one of the nominees for Best Featured Actress in a Play are over 55. 

The Tony Awards, and by extension the Broadway community, certainly has its issues when it comes to diversity and LGBT representation. But by God, this is not the year to be complaining about straight, white men (also a play that opened this year marking the first broadway play by an asian woman) telling others they don't belong.

[LizzieCurry]

I'm with SomethingPeculiar, except for the "poorly executed" part — it wasn't the greatest show, but it was joyful and made a large segment of people happy. Sometimes there just isn't enough of an overlap in the venn diagram between a vocal fandom and those who become the deciding factor come awards season.

Not everything that makes you happy (or very happy, or very very happy) will get official, quantifiable recognition.

[JSquared2]

A Part of It All said: "I'm not afraid to award trans excellence and I wish less people were too."

Let me take a wild guess -- are you a millennial?

 

 

[victoriafr]

In my opinion, the show was poorly executed. But there are a large group of people who enjoyed the show, then that's fantastic, I'm happy for them. But saying that it not getting any Tony nominations sends a message to LGBT+ people that they don't belong in this world is juvenile and ridiculous. 

The best way to immediately disprove what you said about that is to look at what other shows were nominated for Tonys. The Prom-- nominated for Best Musical and so many others. The Boys in the Band-- nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Same goes for Torch Song. 

"this show WAS the best show on Broadway this season. This show had the BEST message in any recent musical": are you out of your mind? I understand you're bitter about a lack of nominations, which you can of course be, but let's not forget about shows like The Prom, that also have great messages! You're entitled to your opinion about what the best show on Broadway this season was, but, frankly, what are you on? 

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Awards are decided on by a set group of people who all have their subjective tastes. You have to go into it with that understanding. Everyone is voting for what appealed to them and what is being shoved in their faces with campaigns to remind them to vote. 

I LOVED Head Over Heels. I would personally have nominated it for Best Musical, definitely Bonnie Milligan in featured, and probably Book, Costumes, and Choreo. BUT I'm not a Tony nominator. The show closed a long while ago. The only aspect of the show with any type of awards campaign behind it was Milligan. And compared to her competition, it was a VERY minor campaign. That doesn't take away from the fact that her performance was brilliant. And to say someone would leave the industry after being snubbed for a Tony is ridiculous. No sane person would make such a decision. 

The fact is the Milligan was what we would call an "on the bubble" contender. She showed up in some precursor awards but had many factors against her (mainly that the show was long closed, poorly reviewed, and there was very little campaign). She was Head Over Heel's best chance for a nom (with I suppose a long shot at Book, considering the uniqueness of it). Nothing else from the show was ever going to break through with the Tonys.

I think its hard to say that by snubbing HOH they are transphobic or against representation. We have two queer classics in Play Revival (Boys in the Band, Torch Song) with out gay casts. The Prom is camp but is about love and inclusiveness (again with out actors in the queer roles.) In featured actor (play) there are three nominated out men playing gay characters. We have our first non-binary writing nominee with Taylor Mac (Gary, Best Play). Theres a best musical nominee (Aint Too Proud) with 5 black leads, and three of them were nominated. There's at least one POC in all but 2 acting categories (lead and feat actress - play). Choir Boy, a story about growing up black and gay, is nominated for Best Play. Ali Stroker is the first actor using a wheelchair to be nominated.

This is all to say that not everything is an attack. There is clearly a very diverse set of nominees this year. Could the nominating body be diversified more? Sure. Do i think Milligan should be just as competitive as Stroker and Gray for feat actress? You bet! But not getting a nomination doesnt take away from the quality from her performance. And someone who in her bway debut got into OCC and Drama League is going to be getting lots more work. Love what you love, but dont always expect it to line up with the politics and campaigns of an awards body.

[treblemakerz]

JSquared2 said: "A Part of It All said: "I'm not afraid to award trans excellence and I wish less people were too."

Letme take a wild guess -- are you a millennial?



"

Come on, now. There's no need for that. People complain all the time about ageism on these boards towards older theatergoers, and while that's true and should be addressed, there's no need to meet younger theatergoers with disrespect, either, because of your preconceived notions.

There are plenty of things I disagree with in the original argument, but I can argue those things and make my point without dismissing someone because they may be a "millenial," which really doesn't have anything to do with the conversation at hand. You're just looking for a reason to be dismissive.

 

[msmp]

Like many, I think Bonnie Milligan probably deserved a nomination, but it's hard to say who I would bump from the nominee list to "make room" for her. The Tony Award rules are pretty strict too; they could only have added a sixth nominee if the voting was, I think, within 5 votes between fifth and sixth place? Regardless, she got recognition in the form of nominations from other organizations, and for someone making their Broadway debut, that's huge! I think she's going to have a good career in front of her, and we should celebrate that--and celebrate that, Tony nod or not, she built a big fanbase out of this role!

And here's another thing. Shows don't need Tony nominations or wins to be meaningful or memorable to people. While it scored a few nominations, one of my favorite shows--The Scarlet Pimpernel--won zero Tony awards in its run. But it's still a show that means a lot to me and to many other fans of Frank Wildhorn or the original novel the show is based on. It entertained and it had meaning; it just wasn't the show that the nominators or award voters thought was the best in '97.

The same thing applies here I think. HOH had a lot of meaning for a lot of people, and offered some great representation for trans people, a group whose stories are not told often enough to a mainstream audience and who have faced tremendous discrimination in society and the industry. Other people simply loved that it was a joyous and fun show that let them escape the outside world for a couple hours. Still others liked seeing their favorite band's music in a new context. Does that make it the best show? No, it doesn't. But was it a show that brought joy to the 100K+ people who saw it during its run? Absolutely. And that in and of itself has great meaning.

[smidge]

I find it very hard to believe that Tony voters are against LGBTQIA representation because they didn’t nominate Head Over Heels. Those darn anti gay theater people!

[Jordan Catalano]

This whole thread is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read on this board.

[LizzieCurry]

Would you rank it stupider or smarter than the Playbill display wall war of 2008?