Judging from the various threads, many of us have strong opinions about which musicals we like (or don't like), and whether the Tony voters get it right. If you controlled the Tony vote, which musicals would you have chosen to win the top prize over the past ten years (since 1997)?
I'll get the ball rolling by listing my picks, with the actual nominees in parentheses (asterisk next to actual winner) just as a reminder of some of the other shows that were around in a given year...
1997: Titanic (*Titanic, The Life, Steel Pier, Juan Darien)
1998: Ragtime (*The Lion King, Ragtime, Side Show, The Scarlet Pimpernel)
1999: Parade (*Fosse, Parade, The Civil War, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues)
2000: Contact (*Contact, The Wild Party, Swing!, James Joyce's The Dead)
2001: The Producers (*The Producers, The Full Monty, A Class Act, Jane Eyre)
2002: Urinetown (*Thoroughly Modern Millie, Mamma Mia!, Urinetown, Sweet Smell of Success)
2003: Hairspray (*Hairspray, Amour, Movin' Out, A Year with Toad and Frog)
2004: Avenue Q (*Avenue Q, Wicked, The Boy From Oz, Caroline, or Change)
2005: The Light in the Piazza (*Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light in the Piazza, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
2006: Jersey Boys (*Jersey Boys, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Color Purple, The Wedding Singer)
2007: Spring Awakening (Spring Awakening, Grey Garden, Mary Poppins, Curtains)
Enjoy the show on Sunday!
"This is wanting something, this is reaching for it,
This is wishing that a moment would arrive.
This is taking chances, this is almost touching, what the beauty is." --The Light in the Piazza
1997: Titanic (*Titanic, The Life, Steel Pier, Juan Darien)
1998: The Lion King (*The Lion King, Ragtime, Side Show, The Scarlet Pimpernel)
1999: Parade (*Fosse, Parade, The Civil War, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues)
2000: The Wild Party (*Contact, The Wild Party, Swing!, James Joyce's The Dead)
2001: The Producers (*The Producers, The Full Monty, A Class Act, Jane Eyre)
2002: Urinetown (*Thoroughly Modern Millie, Mamma Mia!, Urinetown, Sweet Smell of Success)
2003: Hairspray (*Hairspray, Amour, Movin' Out, A Year with Toad and Frog)
2004: Wicked (*Avenue Q, Wicked, The Boy From Oz, Caroline, or Change)
2005: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (*Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light in the Piazza, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
2006: Jersey Boys (*Jersey Boys, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Color Purple, The Wedding Singer)
2007: Grey Gardens (Spring Awakening, Grey Garden, Mary Poppins, Curtains)
1997- Titanic 1998- Side Show 1999- Parade 2000- The Wild Party 2001- The Producers 2002- Urinetown 2003- Hairspray 2004- Avenue Q 2005- The Light in the Piazza 2006- The Drowsy Chaperone 2007- Grey Gardens
RAGTIME instead of LION KING PARADE instead of FOSSE JANE EYRE instead of THE PRODUCERS URINETOWN instead of MILLIE THE WEDDING SINGER instead of JERSEY BOYS
In terms of revivals, I thought BELLS ARE RINGING and FOLLIES were much more engaging than 42ND STREET, though I think the shows themselves are more enagaging by nature. 42ND STREET is so mindless. Broadway Blog: Drop That Name!
1997: Titanic (*Titanic, The Life, Steel Pier, Juan Darien)
1998: Ragtime (*The Lion King, Ragtime, Side Show, The Scarlet Pimpernel)
1999: Parade (*Fosse, Parade, The Civil War, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues)
2000: The Wild Party (*Contact, The Wild Party, Swing!, James Joyce's The Dead)
2001: The Producers or The Full Monty (*The Producers, The Full Monty, A Class Act, Jane Eyre)
2002: Urinetown (*Thoroughly Modern Millie, Mamma Mia!, Urinetown, Sweet Smell of Success)
2003: Hairspray (*Hairspray, Amour, Movin' Out, A Year with Toad and Frog)
2004: Avenue Q (*Avenue Q, Wicked, The Boy From Oz, Caroline, or Change)
2005: The Light in the Piazza (although I am very fond of all of the musicals from this season) (*Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light in the Piazza, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
2006: The Drowsy Chaperone (*Jersey Boys, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Color Purple, The Wedding Singer)
2007: Spring Awakening (Spring Awakening, Grey Garden, Mary Poppins, Curtains)
"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy
"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.
Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"