Best & Worst Best Book of a Musical Tony Winners?- Page 2

[djjd007]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 11:30am

Sunset Boulevard’s book reads like they put the movie quotes into ChatGPT and instructed it to write a two act musical. But that year, the only other new musical was the revue, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, so it was a very uncompetitive year. While SB is one of my favorite shows and many productions have overcome the book, it remains incredibly weak. 

Awards season that year was a mess. Out of all the questionable wins for Sunset, it didn’t snag best costume design, which actually was award-worthy. 

Updated On: 3/29/23 at 11:30 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 11:45am

OhHiii said: "Diablo Cody's win for JLP is truly a blemish on the legitimacy of the award."

You just have to chalk it up to a weak season and the infuriating decision by the Tonys not to cut the number of nominees per category in half for that year. In any other year, that show only gets nominated for Actress, Feat Actress, Orchestrations, maaaaaaybe book just because it was an original story, and maaaaaaybe a 4th-slot Best Musical nom. But that's it. 

Updated On: 3/29/23 at 11:45 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 11:50am

Subject to personal opinion...

We had a pretty amazing run of Best Book winners from 2011-2016: Mormon, Once, Matilda, Gents Guide, Fun Home <3, Hamilton.

Similarly great from 2001-2006: Producers, Urinetown, Hairspray, Ave Q, Spelling Bee, Drowsy Chaperone.

[James885]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 12:39pm

BETTY22 said: "I sooooooo admire book writers.

It is almost impossible to underestimated how important and difficult this job is.

My hats off to those who do this work."

Agree. And it's oftentimes a very thankless job as well - if the show is good, the book writer often gets overlooked while everyone praises the songs. And if the show is bad, the book writer is often the one blamed, while people are sometimes more forgiving with the score.

As far as worst Best Book winners, for me Jagged Little Pill comes to mind.

The book for Spelling Bee was exceptional. So much so that I sometimes thought the songs got in the way.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 1:42pm

djjd007 said: "Sunset Boulevard’s book reads like they put the movie quotes into ChatGPT and instructed it to write a two act musical. But that year, the only other new musical was the revue, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, so it was a very uncompetitive year. While SB is one of my favorite shows and many productions have overcome the book, it remains incredibly weak.

Awards season that year was a mess. Out of all the questionable wins for Sunset, it didn’t snag best costume design, which actually was award-worthy."

Sunset Boulevard drives me crazy because it's like watching the movie at three quarters speed, particularly in the second act where you're just kind of waiting around for the inevitable conclusion. If they were able to shave fifteen minutes off, it would be a killer one-act, and a much better vehicle for those incredible melodies.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 3:47pm

BEST - to me these work even in a lackluster production. I also think A Strange Loop should be included but need a little more time and some more productions.

A Little Night Music

A Chorus Line

Into the Woods

Ragtime

Urinetown

The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee

The Drowsy Chaperone

Passing Strange

WORST

Sunset Boulevard

Memphis

Jagged Little Pill

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 4:07pm

It says something that when I think of JLP, I don’t remember the book or the characters or even the Alanis songs… I just remember the choreography and physical staging. It kept me saying “whoa, I’ve never seen anyone do anything like this in a musical” again and again.

Which means non-replica productions are going to be dire.

[vfd88]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 6:39pm

I truly believe Into the Woods has the best book in all of musical theatre.

Memphis is a bad winner but that year was, famously, ROUGH

[benhow2]

Posted: 6/19/23 at 4:27pm

djjd007 said: "Sunset Boulevard’s book reads like they put the movie quotes into ChatGPT and instructed it to write a two act musical."

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. I've read quite a few books and have much to compare it to. The result lacked originality and depth, relying too heavily on familiar lines instead of creating a compelling narrative. As an educator, I am concerned about the potential use of AI in student texts, books, and other forms of creative work. While it has benefits, I believe genuine human creativity and experience should be valued. That's why I appreciate platforms like https://ca.edubirdie.com/buy-an-essay where qualified authors write quality texts. It's important to balance using technology and ensuring that it enhances our creative efforts, not diminishes them.

Updated On: 6/30/23 at 04:27 PM

[Sebastian]

Posted: 6/19/23 at 5:03pm

Though already mentioned a little bit above, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is one of the best, we take it for granted now but there was a 95% chance that a musical about a frigging regional spelling bee contest simply ended being a complete uninterested disaster. It's amazing how it puts the focus in the actual spelling part of the show and doesn't take the route of something like Chess, while also letting character interaction and development happen between all the jokes and songs without brute changes in the pacing.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 6/19/23 at 5:25pm

Best (both great books & very deserving the year they won):
Fiddler on the Roof
Into the Woods
Ragtime
The Producers
Avenue Q
Spelling Bee
Drowsy Chaperone
The Book of Mormon
Matilda

Worst:
Cats
Rent (sorry...)
Spring Awakening (should have been Legally Blonde or Curtains)
Tootsie (should have been The Prom)

[DaveyG]

Posted: 6/19/23 at 6:06pm

The book (and score) for Tootsie - total dreck. Awarding it Best Book was a low point for Tony voters IMHO.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 6/19/23 at 7:44pm

BEST

Kimberly Akimbo David Lindsay Abaire 

WORST

memphis joe dipietro  how does this dude get work?

Updated On: 6/19/23 at 07:44 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/19/23 at 8:12pm

This year (2023) had 2 extremely strong books (Kimberly and SLIH), and two shows that largely owe their success to the book & original story (& Juliet and Shucked).

Thankfully they stopped there and didn't nominate a 5th book........

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 6/19/23 at 11:54pm

DaveyG said: "The book (and score) for Tootsie - total dreck. Awarding it Best Book was a low point for Tony voters IMHO."

I remember that spring that everyone seemed to be RAVING about the Tootsie book. Then I saw that and The Prom in the same weekend that summer and was like "um, did I miss something here?" The Prom was so superior in general including Book & Score. I would have still given Hadestown Best Musical & Score but I would definitely have given Book to The Prom.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/20/23 at 12:17am

I think it was the sheer joke-density of Tootsie that captivated everyone. When upon further examination, The Prom and even Beetlejuice had more sturdily-constructed books.

[B212323]

Posted: 6/20/23 at 2:40am

There's one great song and I liked the supporting performances but the rest was meh (Isn't the show they do inside the show basically the storyline for &Juliet?) 

[Soaring29]

Posted: 6/20/23 at 5:51am

Tootsie has a brilliant film script that didn't get recognized when the film version came out so maybe that was why it was awarded in addition to wealth spreading?