Tony Show Performances...

Posted: 2/15/04 at 11:24pm

Of the musicals and revivals that can be nominated for Tony Awards this year, which songs would you want to see perform on the telecast? I've been thinking this over during my hour long drive to work. While I haven't seen them all, I'm familiar with most of them.
My preferences are in parentheses.

Sorry if this list is incomplete...
New Musicals:
Avenue Q (It Sucks to Be Me)
The Boy From Oz (I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love)
Wicked (Defying Gravity or a medly of Popular/The Wizard and I)
Taboo (Talk Amongst Yourslves)
Never Gonna Dance (don't know it...)
Bombay Dreams (see above...)
Caroline, or Change (yet again...)

Revivals:
Big River (Not familiar with this one!)
Little Shop Of Horrors (Title Song/Suddenly Seymour)
Wonderful Town (Ohio)
Fiddler on the Roof (Tradition)
Assassins (I Am Unworthy of your love)

[etoile]

Posted: 2/15/04 at 11:36pm

Not to put a damper on anything, but it MAY just depend on what and whom are nominated.

[LiTtLeDaNcEr729]

Posted: 2/15/04 at 11:38pm

And uhm....its a bit early for Tony chatting already isn't it? Haha- its only February.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 2/15/04 at 11:39pm

Assassins and Big River may not even perform...I don't remember the closing date for Assassins...

Posted: 2/16/04 at 12:13am

It may be premature, but people provoke thought on things like this often, so I was wondering which songs you'd like to see.
I realize we have no control over it; it's not like there's a vote, but I suppose my underlying thought was, which of these favorites of yours do you wish the rest of the country (those who might not have the opportunity to come to NY) to see?
-DT

[MariantheLibrarian]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 12:47am

Oh, that's a perfectly normal question. I really hope they don't just do Defying Gravity for Wicked. I know they like to do the really big numbers (obviously), but of course they have to include Kristin in a major way.

Wonderful Town, don't really wanna see Ohio. Rather'd see something more high energy, but not Conga, because they already did that on the Today Show. :) Didn't they mostly do the numbers they did at the Macy's Day Parade last year?

Other musicals, well, don't really mind which ones they do. :)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 11:16am

WICKED should do a unique medley, such as my brilliant idea:

---
Start off with a quick "What is this feeling?" and when they get to "Yeeeeeettt" stop -

Joel Gray comes out to sing some of "Wonderful" -

Kristin Chenoweth comes out to sing some of "Popular" -

THEN -

"SO IF YOU CARE TO FIND ME, LOOK TOWARDS THE WESTERN SKY..."

They do the rest of Defying Gravity and bow.
---

For LOSH, they should do "Little Shop" and end with "Don't Feed The Plants." Can you imagine Audrey II coming out towards the audition, trying to get a bite of Bernadette Peters?!!

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 12:19pm

CapnHook: i love your idea for Wicked - I would love to see that done!! I love 'What is this feeling' live so much better then on the CD so being able to see it done would be awesome! But if Defying Gravity is done you HAVE to have her start w/ "its me! its me! IT'S MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! So if you cant find me..."

I was so disappointed that it wasnt on the Cast Recording, but i know it was discussed before so i won't go into it!!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 1:10pm

You're right. "IT'S ME" should start it, but only said once for a Tony performance, IMHO.

I'd love to create Special Performances for a living. I do it all the time in my head. I am addidcted to watching the Oscars, Tonys, Grammys, and the like.

[Sunfish]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 5:21pm

I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think only the shows nominated for Best Musical have numbers performed on the Tonys. Which is only 4? Does the Best Revival category perform? Also, isn't there a ridiculously short time period, like 3-4 minutes? Best Play used to do a short scene (remember that horrible year when they smashed the dialog of all the plays nominated into one giant "scene"?) but has that been eliminated?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 5:23pm

Revivals generally perform.

I believe only shows that are nominated that are still open can perform.

Now they usually show clips of those nominated for Best Play, instead of live performances.

Yes, only those nominated for Best Musical/Revival perform live.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 6:34pm

For Wicked I think they should either do a medley or What is This Feeling?

[Becky]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 6:47pm

"I believe only shows that are nominated that are still open can perform."


I remember shows that performed at the Tony's after they had closed (Parade, Side Show, etc).

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 9:53pm

What did Parade perform? I just can't recall at the moment. Maybe "Old Red Hills of Home"

[Becky]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 10:06pm

Brent and Carolee performed "This is Not Over Yet", and then the rest of the company came out onstage for a little bit of "Old Red Hills". I really loved that performance.....

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 10:11pm

who's broadcasting it this year? cbs again? oh please, please, please let them do "everything taboo" and see how much of the song they have to cut by invoking the 7 second delay. america needs to see some drag queens in prime time.

[ghostlight]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 10:14pm

For Wicked it should be a piece that features both Kristin and Idina equally. What is this feeling or For Good would work. I hate the medley thing. Just do one great song.

[gherbert]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 10:25pm

A couple of years ago, I believe it was the 2001 Tonys, it was made a rule that all the show presenting musical numbers could not present medleys. Somehow A Class Act managed to slide by this rule and I have a theory why. A Class Act's medley was moving, meaningful, and gave a true and honest picture of the show. In some of the years past some shows tried to cram in SO much into their 3 minutes to shine that it was almost exhausting to watch, not seamless at all. Since that year I don't remember there ever being another RULE againt medleys, but they have become considerable rare at the Tonys.

Finding a number suited for representation for Wicked will be difficult. Defying Gravity is a wonderful song and Kristin sings in it, but it really doesn't let Kristin go for it. The song is Idina's essentially, which is fine, but I would think that the producers would want to showcase BOTH women's enormous talents. "What is This Feeling?" would be an awful song to perform at the Tonys. And I love that song! But it wouldn't give a good picture of the show. The show is about the friendship between these two women and how they allow each other to grow, so a song about hating each other isn't appropriate. That leaves "For Good," which I think would be a great choice and the best choice.

And to answer questions above, each NOMINATED musical and musical revival is given a slot in the telecast to perform their number and occasionally, depending on the year, straight plays may perform (there was one year when each straight play did a scene that was pre-recorded, and that aforementioned year when a lot of the highly acclaimed actors of the season stood around and said random lines). If a show has closed there is no rule against them performing, but they usually don't (it really depends on how long the show has been closed come Tony time). There have been some years when closed shows performed. And each show is given an alloted time, which is not always equal. I believe it was 2001 when The Producers was given more time than anyone else on the broadcast. Updated On: 2/16/04 at 10:25 PM

[Qfan]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 10:34pm

"It sucks to be me" may be a little harsh for cbs censors. If i was a betting man i'd say from the Q it'd either be "Everyone's a Little Bit racist" or "Fantasies Come True"

[Corine2]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 11:39pm

Last year (at the Drama Desk Awards Q did if you were gay)
My guess is they will do the same number.
I wish they would do the Internet is for Porn!(I would shout hooray) Updated On: 2/17/04 at 11:39 PM

[PennyLou]

Posted: 2/16/04 at 11:49pm

Ave Q also did If you where Gay for Broadway on Broadway it seems to be there show off number.

I'm pretty sure LSOH will do Suddenly Seymour.

Now Show's that are closed like Big Rive or Taboo they get to perform anyway if there nominated?

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 12:49am

Just curious...

If by some strange act of God Taboo gets nominated for Best Musical, how do they perform? Is it more likely they'll do a small number, because they don't technically employ a cast anymore, or will they call in their ensemble for a big staged number? What about costumes? Is it most likely we'll see Euan singing "Stranger in This World", since he'll most likely be nominated for Best Actor, to keep it simple and easy?

[TabooCuTie14]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 2:22pm

i think that Taboo would do come on in from the outside because everyone is in that number. and it is such a good song, or perhaps they could do Out of Fashion?

[Sunfish]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 5:18pm

The producers of a show have to pick up the tab for the expense of paying the cast to perform on the Tonys, I believe. If they are already under contract, that's one thing, but to try to gather them from other shows, possibly in other states or countries, is unrealistic. If a closed show like Taboo were nominated, I think a solo or small ensemble number would be done. Not that I wouldn't love to see one of the big production numbers again, but after so much time it would have to be rehearsed and as much as they may like to perform on the Tonys the full cast just may not be available.

[malory]

Posted: 2/17/04 at 5:24pm

When are the Tony's, anyway?