Bizarre Acting Category Placements

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/21/21 at 6:42pm

I was just thinking of two examples and figured a thread could bring forth some others.

I personally never understood why Susan Browning and Leland Palmer were nominated in lead for playing April in Company and Fastrada in Pippin respectively. Both roles are very clearly supporting, with the latters character practically being a nonentity in her shows second half.

Also another strange placement in Companys first Broadway production was Elaine Stritch in lead for playing Joanne. But thats at least understandable since she was easily the most famous actor in the cast and her role, while firmly supporting, is at least the second biggest showcase of the ensemble.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 12:48am

Many bizarre ones, especially with older shows, are based on billing. But they’re still bizarre.

Some that come to mind are:

George Rose winning in the leading category for playing Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady

George Rose nominated in the leading category for playing the Major-General in The Pirates of Penzance

John McMartin nominated in the leading category for playing Cap’n Andy in Show Boat

John McMartin nominated in the leading category for playing the Narrator/Mysterious Man in Into the Woods

Lotte Lenya nominated in the leading category for playing Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret

Lonette McKee nominated in the leading category for playing Julie in Show Boat

Dee Hoty nominated in the leading category for playing Vi in Footloose

Yul Brynner winning in the featured category for playing The King in The King and I

Tom Bosley winning in the featured category for playing Fiorello in Fiorello!

Dick Van Dyke winning in the featured category for playing Albert in Bye Bye Birdie

Jerry Orbach nominated in the featured category for playing for playing Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls

William Daniels nominated in the featured category for playing John Adams in 1776

Mark Baker nominated in the featured category for playing Candide in Candide

Bill Hutton nominated in the featured category for playing Joseph in Joseph...

Daniel Jenkins nominated in the featured category for playing Huck in Big River

Willy Falk nominated in the featured category for playing Chris in Miss Saigon

Michael Cerveris nominated in the featured category for playing Tommy in The Who’s Tommy

Brian d’Arcy James nominated in the featured category for playing Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success

Will Swenson nominated in the featured category for playing Berger in Hair

Isabel Bigley winning in the featured category for playing Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls

Barbara Cook winning in the featured category for playing Marian Paroo in The Music Man

Carol Lawrence and Josie de Guzman nominated in the featured category for playing Maria in West Side Story

Tammy Grimes winning in the featured category for playing Molly in The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Chita Rivera nominated in the featured category for playing Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie

Maureen Brennan nominated in the featured category for playing Cunégonde in Candide

Carlin Glynn winning in the featured category for playing Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Wanda Richert and Kate Levering nominated in the featured category for playing Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street

Laurie Beechman nominated in the featured category for playing The Narrator in Joseph...

Liz Callaway nominated in the featured category for playing Lizzie in Baby

Mary Beth Peil nominated in the featured category for playing Anna in The King and I

Alyson Reed nominated in the featured category for playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret

Daisy Eagan winning in the featured category for playing Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden

LaChanze nominated in the featured category for playing Ti Moune in Once On This Island

Kelli O’Hara nominated in the featured category for playing Clara in The Light in the Piazza

And of course: William Snowden and Joseph Stewart nominated in the featured actress category for playing Friedrich and Kurt in The Sound of Music

[StardustsChild]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 1:02am

Mary Beth Peil in The King and I is the one that consistently gets my blood boiling. They literally deleted the Leading category in 1985 rather than rightfully nominate her as the leading actress (aka the I in King and I).
This is the niche hill on which I will die, Mary deserves her Tony.

[Ke3]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 5:01am

Daisy Eagan and LaChanze were nominated for Supporting in 1991 despite their characters being the clear lead in their shows. I listened to a podcast once where one of the producers on 'Secret Garden" said they submitted Daisy into supporting to avoid competing with Lea Salonga and the mammoth that was 'Miss Saigon'. I'm sure the same was true for submitting LaChanze. Trying to give them more of a shot.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 5:16am

[singer234]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 8:06am

Though she wasn’t nominated, I also thought it was odd Lea Michele was considered featured for Wendla in Spring Awakening. The part may have less stage time then Melchior, but has quite a few songs and solos, and plot wise is basically the female counterpart to him. Seems like an obvious leading man/lady (or boy/girl in this case) situation, but I guess they felt differently.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 9:35am

singer234 said: "Though she wasn’t nominated, I also thought it was odd Lea Michele was considered featured for Wendla in Spring Awakening. The part may have less stage time then Melchior, but has quite a few songs and solos, and plot wise is basically the female counterpart to him. Seems like an obvious leading man/lady (or boy/girl in this case) situation, but I guess they felt differently."

Lea Michele was considered leading for Spring Awakening.  And while I agree with it, ironically that probably ended up costing her a nomination as leading was a much more competitive category that year than featured was.

https://www.playbill.com/article/tony-rulings-poppins-score-eligible-for-nomination-les-miz-and-chorus-line-directors-ineligible-com-137823

[singer234]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 10:06am

You’re right, my mistake! I had it totally switched in my head. If I recall she was upset she wasn’t considered featured because she thought her stage time was equivalent to John Gallagher Jr’s, or something to that effect. My b.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 11:01am

NameGreg said: "I was just thinking of two examples and figured a thread could bring forth some others.

I personally never understood why Susan Browning and Leland Palmer were nominated in lead for playing April in Company and Fastrada in Pippin respectively. Both roles are very clearly supporting, with the latters character practically being a nonentity in her shows second half.

Also another strange placement in Companys first Broadway production was Elaine Stritch in lead for playing Joanne. But thats at least understandable since she was easily the most famous actor in the cast and her role, while firmly supporting, is at least the second biggest showcase of the ensemble

Despite there being some excellent actresses in the category, they were very lean.  They were nominated to fill in the category.  Stupidly.

I would suggest several that are probably controversial; they would have deservedly won in featured, but managed to win in lead, despite some serious competition.

-- George Rose in My Fair Lady

-- Joanna Gleason in Into the Woods

-- Donna MacKechnie in A Chorus Line

One that sort of mystified me: Ron Leibman won lead actor for the Millenium Approaches portion of Angels in America; yet, Nathan Lane was only nominated in featured category, despite appearing in both parts.

OF course there are all those performers who won or were nominated for featured instead of lead, because their names were not above the title, e.g., Maureen Stapleton for The Rose Tattoo; Tammy Grimes for The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

 

 

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 11:22am

I actually think The Narrator/Mysterious Man works as a leading role, though he definitely borders on supporting. In my opinion, given how often he pops up in act 1, he can count as a lead there, but with both parts reduced in act two - even though both of them have their respective big moment there - he’s supporting there. So to me, that role can go either way.

I agree with and knew about many of the other examples listed, though at least in many of their cases, it was due to the old billing rule. I always respected William Daniels for rejecting the nomination because of that, even though he would’ve easily won.

Another example I thought of was Nancy Opel going lead for playing Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown. John Cullum also went lead for playing Cladwell, but he was the biggest name in that cast, and his role is pretty central even though it’s more supporting. However, even though Bobby Strong is clearly the largest role, it’s still pretty much an ensemble show, so it’s not the most fraudulent placements around.

Another odd one that I thought of was both Howard McGillin and Will Chase being nominated as featured players for portraying John Jasper in Drood. What makes this much more noticeable is that Cleo Laine and Stephanie J. Block were nominated for those productions in lead for playing the Princess Puffer and Edwin Drood/Dick Datchery respectively, even though both Jasper is clearly a larger part than both.

Updated On: 1/22/21 at 11:22 AM

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 12:01pm

singer234 said: "You’re right, my mistake! I had it totally switched in my head. If I recall she was upset she wasn’t considered featured because she thought her stage time was equivalent to John Gallagher Jr’s, or something to that effect. My b."

I definitely had to look it up because I couldn't remember, and I could definitely see both them considering her featured and her wanting to be considered featured.  But I agree it makes more sense to have her leading.

NameGreg said "Another odd one that I thought of was both Howard McGillin and Will Chase being nominated as featured players for portraying John Jasper in Drood. What makes this much more noticeable is that Cleo Laine and Stephanie J. Block were nominated for those productions in lead for playing the Princess Puffer and Edwin Drood/Dick Datchery respectively, even though both Jasper is clearly a larger part than both."

In the case of Chase, I'm pretty sure Roundabout wanted him in featured because they knew he had no chance in leading that year (was pretty clearly established it would be between Billy Porter and Bertie Carvel) whereas featured was pretty wide open.  Plus they had Jim Norton in leading, so presumably didn't want two contenders in the same category.  But definitely another case where the role could go either way.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 12:17pm

I know the whole "over the title" thing with regards to placement, but I have a question about exceptions:  I know the producers of individual shows can petition for different placement, but can/does the committee have the power to make that choice WITHOUT the formal request?

 

I find it interesting that while some parts FEEL like supporting roles (Wendla, for example) they are still the "most leading" of the female characters, and that explains some placements.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 1:02pm

dramamama611 said: "I know the whole "over the title" thing with regards to placement, but I have a question about exceptions: I know the producers of individual shows can petition for different placement, but can/does the committee have the power to make that choice WITHOUT the formal request?"

This is a huge gray area and I'm pretty sure it's not formally spelled out anywhere.  It technically says the producers have to petition any changes, however it also gives the committee the final say in determining eligibility.  So I believe they technically can change leading to featured or vice versa without the petition, even though it doesn't specifically say that they can.

The one that always gets me is the fact that Joel Grey won featured for the Emcee in Cabaret but then was considered leading for Amos in the Chicago revival.  I mean, the featured part for Cabaret makes a bit of sense since this was well before they started petitioning the committee to change eligibility.  But Chicago in what is clearly a featured role in which the production was already pushing for James Naughton in leading?  That makes zero sense on any end.

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 1:09pm

Yeah, it’s clear that Chase (and McGillin) were just the production aiming for easy nods and wins, though both lost to actual featured players. McGillin would’ve made lead if they pushed him there, but it’s probable Chase wouldn’t have made the cut, as he very likely would’ve split the vote with the snubbed Norton. Sadly, the Tonys really just didn’t go for the actors in that brilliant cast, even though it was filled with outstanding players. The fact that it closed before the awards and you’re not statistically likely to see everyone benefit from the voting likely played a role. But anyway, while I do understand the logic of the placements, it’s still just weird to have actresses in lead for blatantly smaller roles than the one in featured. 

Mentioning that year, I don’t think most people really thought of Bertie Carvel as a lead in Matilda. It’s just that he dominates the show so effortlessly and was so damn good that he could win in a more competitive leading category, something that should’ve happened at the Tonys. Worth noting, likely thanks to most of their history joining together both genders in supporting, the Oliviers bump up supporting roles into lead categories much more often. For instance, Leigh Zimmerman was nominated as lead actress for playing Ulla in The Producers, while Conleth Hill won supporting for playing Roger Debris, a larger role, but since there’s already two actually leading men, he’s kept as a featured player.

Updated On: 1/22/21 at 01:09 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 1:42pm

Broadway61004 said: 
"The one that always gets me is the fact that Joel Grey won featured for the Emcee in Cabaret but then was considered leading for Amos in the Chicago revival. I mean, the featured part for Cabaret makes a bit of sense since this was well before they started petitioning the committee to change eligibility. But Chicago in what is clearly a featured role in which the production was already pushing for James Naughton in leading? That makes zero sense on any end."

According to Joel Grey, this was actually an error made by someone who worked for the Weisslers. They intended on petitioning for Grey to be "featured" despite being above the title, and the paperwork never went through. Therefore, despite being a lock on the featured actor in a musical Tony that year, Grey wasn't even nominated. I bet Chuck Cooper, who won for The Life, is grateful. Grey was really pissed.

Another fun fact: Elaine Stritch demanded to remain in the leading actress category for her over-the-title performance as Parthy (a pretty small part) in the revival of Show Boat. As a result, she wasn't even nominated despite the fact that only Glenn Close and Show Boat's actual leading lady Rebecca Luker were the only other actresses eligible.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 1:55pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "According to Joel Grey, this was actually an error made by someone who worked for the Weisslers. They intended on petitioning for Grey to be "featured" despite being above the title, and the paperwork never went through. Therefore, despite being a lock on the featured actor in a musical Tony that year, Grey wasn't even nominated. I bet Chuck Cooper, who won for The Life, is grateful. Grey was really pissed."

Ah, that makes a lot more sense!  I just remember when Wicked came around everyone saying over and over "yes, we have Joel Grey in the right category this time".

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 3:42pm

For what it's worth, here's what Elaine Stritch had to say about the 1995 Tonys: “I don’t want to win a Tony for support[ing] at my age. I’m very vibrant and very active in this business — but I am, and, when I have billing on the same line with Cap’n Andy [John McMartin], I want to be nominated for leading lady. I don’t give a (bleep) how many lines I have or how many songs I have. I don’t want to be up for support. Not that I have anything against supporting players—the name itself is my idea of theatre—but, very much like 'Company,' everybody in Show Boat is an ensemble player. There is no star in Show Boat.”

Given how lean the Leading Actress in a Musical category was that season, I wonder why the Tonys didn't bump up Megan Mullally from ''How to Succeed.'' Rosemary IS the leading lady of that show. They also could've bumped up KT Sullivan, who played Lorelei Lee in the Goodspeed revival of ''Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,'' but they ultimately chose to only nominate Close and Luker.

Updated On: 1/22/21 at 03:42 PM

[K-MO]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 4:01pm

Donna McKecknie nominated for Lead Actress for Cassie in 1976 for "A Chorus Line".
Charlotte D'Amboise nominated for Featured Actress for Cassie in 2006 for "A Chorus Line".

(I'm thinking Kelly Bishop and Priscilla Lopez's performances might have made the featured category too crowded.  Though in shows like "Fun Home" and "Hamilton" packed in featured performers in their categories, too.)

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 4:08pm

Thanks, HeyMrMusic. I probably would've singled out a lot of those same examples if I had gotten to this thread earlier. Those debatable choices seem to be due to three things: billing, weak seasons or category fraud.

I also agree with StardustsChild about Mary Beth Peil in ''The King and I.'' She should've been nominated in Leading, and could've competed with Leilani Jones, who was billed above the title in ''Grind.'' Instead, the Tonys dumped the Leading Actress and Actor categories in 1985, and bumped Peil and Jones to Featured (which Jones won). Anna is clearing a Leading role, and all the other actresses who have been Tony-nominated for playing her - Gertrude Lawrence, Donna Murphy and Kelli O'Hara - were up for Leading and won.

I've always felt bad for William Daniels, who deserved to win a Tony for Leading in ''1776.'' But would Daniels have beaten Jerry Orbach (''Promises, Promises'' ), who actually won? Curiously, the Drama Desk singled out about 20 performers that season for awards, but Daniels wasn't even among them!

In more recent history, I really disagreed with the Tonys' treatment of Kristine Nielsen in ''Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike.'' It was an ensemble comedy and Nielsen was below the title. She should've been up for Featured, but the Tonys chose to bump her up to Leading, which cost her, her Tony. (Nielsen lost to the legendary Cicely Tyson in ''Trip to Bountiful.'' ) I agreed with the Outer Critics, which nominated Nielsen for Featured, and she won.

Finally, one more head-scratcher: Ben Fankhauser, as Davey in ''Newsies.'' Jeremy Jordan, who played Jack, is the show's leading man. Fankhauser offered stellar support as Jack's best friend. But even though Davey has no solo songs, the Tonys ruled Fankhauser was eligible for Leading, which made no sense at all. Anyway, Jordan got nominated for Leading (and I think should've won), but Fankhauser was frozen out because he was put in the wrong category. What a shame. He deserved a Featured nomination for his wonderful work.

Updated On: 1/22/21 at 04:08 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 7:37pm

I feel like the most baffling cases of category fraud in Tony history occurred before the 21st century. We don't see as many really strange ones these days. However, since most of the big ones have already been named, here are some of the more notable cases of category fraud just from this past decade:

--Bertie Carvel in Matilda - he won the Olivier in the leading category, and the producers thought they could replicate their success despite the fact that the role is very much supporting. And it absolutely cost him the Tony he deserved.

--James Earl Jones in The Best Man - nominated for leading, in a featured role

--Alessandro Nivola in The Elephant Man - definitely a co-lead in my opinion, but they put him in featured to clear the way for Bradley Cooper

--Kristine Neilsen in Gary - nominated in featured for a co-lead role.

--Celia Keenan-Bolger - won for featured, for a co-lead role

[mikem]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 9:32pm

In terms of the earlier question about whether the Tonys can make up their own minds about category placement regardless of what the show petitions, they can currently do that, although my understanding is that is a relatively recent development and was not true when Joel Grey was in Chicago.  It's explicit in the Tony rules that the Administration Committee has the right to "place an eligible candidate in a category other than that indicated by the opening night program or requested by the producer". 

I think this happened with Kristine Nielsen.  I spoke to her at the stage door for Vanya and Sonia after the Tony nominations were announced, and it seemed clear that she had not been looking to be put in the Leading category.  And there was little incentive for the producers of her show to move her into Leading.  Cicely Tyson was clearly going to win for Leading Actress for The Trip to Bountiful, and the eventual winner of Featured Actress was Judith Light, who had just won the year before for Other Desert Cities and gave a good performance in The Assembled Parties but it wasn't one that was talked about the way Nielsen's was.  If Nielsen had been nominated in Featured, she almost certainly would have won, and that would have been better for Vanya's producers as well as for Nielsen.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/22/21 at 11:29pm

MikeM, I agree 100% with your perception of what happened to Nielsen, which was a shame. She got raves all around, and I will never forget her phone call (as Sonia) in Act II of ''Vanya and Sonia.'' Nielsen took what seemed like a 10-minute monologue and turned it into a mini-one-act play about a woman who had finally discovered romance in her life. Moments and performances, like that, don't come along every day, and Nielsen got screwed out of a Tony.

And speaking of ''The Elephant Man,'' Carole Shelley won a Tony for Leading Actress in a Play for the original production. (OK, she actually tied with Constance Cummings in ''Wings.'' ) Shelley was billed above the title, and so have the subsequent actresses who played Mrs. Kendal: Kate Burton (in the 2002 revival) and Patricia Clarkson (in the 2014 revival). Yet Burton and Clarkson were both nominated for Featured Actress. Why? It's the same-sized role.

And: Gene Nelson was Tony-nominated for Featured Actor in a Musical for playing Buddy in ''Follies'' (1971) . But Danny Burstein was Tony-nominated for Leading Actor in a Musical for playing Buddy in the 2011 revival.  Huh?

Updated On: 1/22/21 at 11:29 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/23/21 at 12:11am

Wayman_Wong said: "Why?It's the same-sized role.

Huh?"

 

I can't tell if your confusion is rhetorical, but in any case I think it's worth noting for the sake of the larger discussion: I think all of these inconsistencies can be attributed to any combination of the following variables:

1. Competition from other shows (i.e, placing an actor in supporting so they don't have to compete with a juggernaut performance)

2. Competition from their own show (i.e, placing an actor in supporting so they don't have to compete with their own co-star)

3. Director influence: sometimes a particular role might feel more emphasized in one production more than another due to the way it's directed, even if the number of scenes/songs is the same. 

4. Changing sensibilities about what constitutes a lead/featured role: I think nowadays we're more focused on the size of the role than the size of the name on the marquis, though there are still plenty of exceptions to that - especially when strategy comes into play like in my 1st two points. But then sometimes it's also just up to pure interpretation. Especially in an ensemble piece, where you could make a case for the shared spotlight putting more people in leading, or putting more people in featured. It's subjective, and because the pool of committee members is in constant flux, it just depends on their call.

Updated On: 1/23/21 at 12:11 AM

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 1/23/21 at 10:59am

I agree that Kristine Nielsen was cheated out of a Tony. She was a slam dunk in the featured category (where she belonged) but had no chance in leading. I still think about that phone call in the second act.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/23/21 at 2:06pm

William Daniels actually refused his Featured/Supporting Actor nomination for 1776 on the grounds that John Adana is clearly the lead. That was actually what made the Tony committee start to be more flexible about categories in regards to billing.