Riedel: 'SPRING' FEVER

[Wanna Be A Foster]

June 11, 2007 -- "Spring Awakening" - the dynamic, critically acclaimed musical about teen-age sexuality - won seven Tony Awards last night, including Best Musical.
The show, by rock composer Duncan Sheik and playwright Steven Sater, also won Tonys for its score, script, direction, choreography and lighting.

John Gallagher Jr., a newcomer to the Broadway stage, picked up the Best Supporting Actor Tony for his performance in the show as a tortured young soul who commits suicide.

We're not in "Hello, Dolly" territory anymore!

__________________________________

David Hyde Pierce, the popular actor from the long-running sitcom "Frasier," pulled off last night's only upset, winning the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for his charming performance as a policeman who loves Broadway musicals in the mystery-musical, "Curtains."

Raul Esparza, the star of the revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Company," had been favored to win the award.

The Tonys last night proved one thing: Broadway, despite its emphasis on commercial, moneymaking machines like "Mary Poppins" and "Beauty and the Beast," still rewards a great and artistically important show when it sees one.

"Spring Awakening," which began Off-Broadway, was by no means a sure-fire commercial bet, and yet it was heralded last night by Broadway as a ground-breaking musical that's attracting hordes of teenagers to the theater. They stand outside every night, cheering the attractive young cast.

Duncan Sheik, who composed the music, also wrote the hugely popular rock song, "Barely Breathing," and has admitted that he was not a big fan of Broadway musicals. But last night, he said he'd fallen in love with musical theater, and was going to write more shows.

We can only hope.

'SPRING' FEVER

[bjh2114]

Does anybody want to inform Reidel that they won 8, not 7. Some columnist.

[Born To Reign]

Oh, Reidel, so wrong about so many things, all the time!

8 Tonys!

Best Musical
Best Direction
Best Score
Best Book
Best Featured Actor
Best Choreography
Best Lighting
Best Orchestrations

And we all wonder why no one believes his ****? Get your facts right

[WaltSummersPI]

Nice of him to even mention Grey Gardens, which picked up more of the acting awards than any other musical.

[jv92]

Hey Michael Riedel- F*CK YOU!

[munkustrap178]

Why, exactly, are you mad at Riedel?

[jv92]

He didn't mention Grey Gardens at all. That's why I'm mad.

[Born To Reign]

Because he acts like a clairvoyant and god's gift to NY theatre and can't even get his facts right. That's why.

[jv92]

No, I think he just hates Grey Gardens. He seems to write negative articles about it, complain about it and then go on about Spring Awakening.

[Thesbijean]

He can't count either. Spring Awakening won 8 Tonys, not 7...jeez...

[TheActr97J]

Maybe Grey Gardens just isn't that good.

[jv92]

No, I think he just doesn't like it.

[ljay889]

I agree. I just don't think he likes it. A few months ago he was already starting crap that maybe Laura Bell Bundy could steal the award from Christine Ebersole. Which we all knew would never happen.

[jv92]

If Grey Gardens had won Best Musical (if only) I bet he would have changed his mind and called it brilliant. Remember Titantic? Didn't he really have it in for that show and then call it brilliant and moving in the Press Room afterwards? He's such a frontrunner.
I can't stand reading his columns when he bashes Grey Gardens. At least on Theatre Talk, Susan Haskins shuts him up when he tries to belittle it.

[gustof777]

If he really didn't like Grey Gardens he would have rubbed it in their faces about how much they lost. Trust me. He's slime. But I don't think this is a bad column at all. He just basically reported who won and said how much he liked Spring.

[jv92]

He'll probably invite the creators of Grey Gardens onto his show next week and rub in their faces.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Riedel is an ass. Nuff' said.

[jv92]

He was such a jerk about Poppins too. Now, I did not liked Mary Poppins, but its choreography was alright and its set was great. He didn't need to belittle (though lovingly, I guess) that poor fellow from The LA Times for saying Poppins would win for its dances.

[munkustrap178]

You guys are ridiculous.

Seriously.

Ever since the Tonys, everyone on this board is LAUGHABLE.

[bwaysinger]

I think the standard response to Tony idiocy should henceforth be, "Blah blah blah blah blah."

[elphaba.scares.me]

WOW.

i haven't seen the show.

thanks for the spoiler alert, mr. reidel.

dammit.