Best Musical: Who Will Win? Who Will Upset?

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 11:58pm

With FRANKENSTEIN's ego explosion, MERMAID's plastic shower curtains, CRY-BABY's "tasteless"-ness, and GLORY DAYS' "why is this on Broadway?" (yeah yeah, "it hasn't opened yet"...), it looks like the four noms for Best Musical will be:

IN THE HEIGHTS
A CATERED AFFAIR
PASSING STRANGE
XANADU

Who do you think will win? Who do you think could upset that win?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:03am

I think the winner will be PASSING STRANGE, with IN THE HEIGHTS being a strong competition (and the one I'm pulling for).

Updated On: 4/27/08 at 12:03 AM

[shh282]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:03am

I hope In The Heights wins

but Xanadu is everywhere..

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:06am

PASSING STRANGE has a small shelf life due to there only being one Stew, and the possibility of touring success is essentially non-existent.

The winner will probably be IN THE HEIGHTS.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:09am

I'm going with a XANADU shockeroo...in the sad state of new musicals this season, it really did wind up being the best of the crop.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:10am

It will probably be IN THE HEIGHTS but I would love for XANADU to upset, it would be the most fun moment, like when Nathan Lane said AVENUE Q!

[little_sally]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:11am

In the Heights, with a possible Xanadu upset

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:13am

I believe that the 4 aforemtioned will indeed be our nominees this year, and deservedly so. In my humble opinion, all four individual pieces brought something wonderful to the Broadway stage this season:

XANADU started us off some 9 months ago, and folks, it's still doing great business, leaving audiences red-in-the-face and gasping for air from boundless laughs.

Next up came a little show called PASSING STRANGE - Having played Berkely Rep, STEW and his merry band of misfits took this new breed of musical mayhem to Joe's Pub, then the Public. To much acclaim, now-inspired and enlightened Mr. Schoenfeld and his crew took it upon themselves to give Broadway and theatergoers alike the shot in the arm we deserve,when it took to the Belasco. Now, West 44th is lit up with the electricity of rock/punk/funk/fusion all within the confines of a tri-coastal life lesson, wrapped in 2 hours of 20 minutes of bewilderment.

IN THE HEIGHTS, the story of 'good life on hard times,' penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda is surely gong to put a smile on audiences members' faces, and rightfully so. It makes you 'feel' for community, that stitch of pride we wear on our sleeves everyday, that incomparable sense of Americana, along with that loving way family and friends ... 'know you' for who you are, what you are, and what you want to be. It's a warm, fun, HIP show that'll leave you bouncing your way home.

Finally, we have a rather 'artsy' piece playing at the Kerr on 48th in John Bucchino-Harvey Fierstein chamber musical, A CATERED AFFAIR. Tugs at the heartstrings beyond one's imagination, as I've stated to believe previously. It wasn't taken too kindly by some critics - who found the message 'beyond their recognition' ... HOWEVER, I for one felt that the show is very much deserving of playing here; sharing a profoundly moving, all-too-human message: "Just take a breath, and open up your eyes. Right now" -

Life's a journey in itself, and if there's ONE thing that holds true it's that whether you're a working-class cabbie sicka nd tired of 'the same ol' mundane routine' with the ins-and-outs of family like Tom Hurley in AFFAIR, or a 20-something Youth trying to find himself, leaving your 'old life' and loved ones behind -- only later to realize that you left 'just when it was starting to feel real' like in PASSING STRANGE, or an up-start Latino making it happen on your own time, dreaming big and achieving that $96,000 with the company of others in the midst like IN THE HEIGHTS, or even a struggling artist (like Sonny Malone) who's contemplating 'ending it all' in XANADU -- only to be saved by muse-turned-mortal, lovingly beautiful blonde who helps you realize that athere's more to this life than black-and-white, there's more to life than x's and o's, it's up to you to live it as best you can and make due with whatever cards your handed.


That's my opinion, anyhow.
Updated On: 4/27/08 at 12:13 AM

[little_sally]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:14am

Btw, I can't imagine YF not getting nominated, so my picks would be:

Xanadu
Young Frankenstein
Passing Strange
In the Heights

[BenKaye]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:14am

PASSING STRANGE, with a XANADU upset.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:15am

Personally, I hope IN THE HEIGHTS takes it.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:18am

IN THE HEIGHTS is without a doubt going to win.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:18am

TIE? Has there ever been a tie?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:28am

Limelightmike, you are higher than me cause I didn't understand a word you cyber typed.
And was the PASSING STRANGE comment Too much acclaim mispelled on purpose, cause I was high enough to fine that ironic.
I'm sticking and voting for XANADU, even though I think A CATERED AFFAIR is the best new musical on Broadway.
Plug: Go See ADD1NG MACH1NE!

Yeah there has been a tie, I think.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:28am

I think IN THE HEIGHTS will win. XANADU might upset, but people seem to be forgetting the surprise on this board when XANADU managed the good reviews it got (at least, that was my impression).

If voters can see the possibility that PASSING STRANGE might might might work without Stew, it could win - but it isn't likely.

Same with A CATERED AFFAIR; it might get a few "Well, the critics didn't know what they were talking about, they were caught off-guard by this innovative show" votes, but it isn't likely to win.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:34am

I think it would be an upset if Xanadu DIDN'T win. Despite its fans, In the Heights is a fine off-Broadway show trying to be bigger than it is. I think the locks for a nom are:

Xanadu
Frankenstein
Heights

with the 4th going to Catered Affair or Passing Strange. Both are pure filler.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:38am

If YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN gets a Best Musical nom, it will be a sad sad day.

[little_sally]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:43am

Hey, if The Wedding Singer and Mary Poppins got nominations, YF can too.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:43am

If Mel Brooks' name wasn't on the thing, it would be praised around here. Of all the new musicals, I found it one of the best. Besides, it WILL get a nom. While critics may have gone after the show, critics don't nominate or make up a large pool of votes to matter. Its all about the road producers. Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia, Wedding Singer got nominations; YF will pull one in this slow year. At least Frankenstein embraces musical theatre; something I could argue that In the Heights and Passing Strange (Strage more) do in spades.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:50am

There was a tie for Best Musical once. It was in 1960, when The Sound of Music and Fiorello! shared the prize.

This year... In The Heights for the win!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 1:50am

A Catered Affair
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu

Any could win at this point.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 1:55am

"XANADU started us off some 9 months ago, and folks, it's still doing great business"

Have you looked at the grosses? I'm going to guess not.

I see the nominees being:

Xanadu
Passing Strange
YF
In The Heights

I personally want Passing Strange to win, but I think the most logical choice is In the Heights, given how appealing it would be to road promoters.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 3:29am

Xanadu is not doing as well as the producers and fans would have you believe. I wish the show a long run but I still don't think they can stay open without a Tony win. They're fighting the numbers with the size of the house alone.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 10:10am

How could any one of those shows "UPSET"? That implies there is a frontrunner that is assumed to be the winner going in.
An "upset" would be Butler winning over LuPone.

[Craig]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 11:02am

In the Best Muscial category - I truly think it's anyone's game

Reviews don't equal awards. And there's something about each show that could merit the win based on voting criteria.