Baltimore’s Shubow & Howard Predict 2006 Tony Winners

Well, Charm City, it is Tony time once again!  And we have joined forces to come up with our list of predictions for this year’s awards.  On some we agree, no question, including the prizes for outstanding play, musical, revival of a play and revival of a musical.  We also agree that it was bogus to announce an award for Best Replacement and not nominate anyone!  So we each named our favorite actor and actress in that would-be category.  And since we both have two possible winners in many categories and a healthy “discussion” about those on which we don’t agree, we BOTH agree that it is nice that the quality of shows this year has been enough to have real competition.  That being the case, the real winners are all of us who attend and love live theatre.

 And so, without further adieu, here are our first annual Tony predictions.  Let us know what you think!

Choreography:

James: Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone (Since I think they’ll want to reward him, but not for direction.)  If not him, then Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game (perhaps its only real shot for a Tony)

Charles: Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone.  If not him, then Donald Byrd, The Color Purple

 

Orchestrations:

Charles:  Sarah Travis, Sweeney Todd

James:  Sarah Travis, Sweeney Todd (If she loses, I will no longer watch the Tonys!)

(We BOTH agree that she has done a masterful job.)

 

Book of a Musical:

James: Bob Martin and Don McKellar, The Drowsy Chaperone (It is completely original, and I think Bob Martin deserves something, but it won’t be Best Actor.)

Charles: Bob Martin and Don McKellar, The Drowsy Chaperone

 

Score:

Charles: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, The Color Purple (The score has several brilliant, show stopping tunes!)

James: Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, The Drowsy Chaperone (This score mimics perfectly a bygone era, and is completely original, and totally completes the overall concept of this show!)

 

Scenic Design (Play):

James:  Santo Loquasto, Three Days of Rain (A moody set that fits the play AND frames Julia Roberts…)

Charles: John Lee Beatty, Rabbit Hole (The set was incredible.  The whole thing turned on a turntable!)

 

Scenic Design (Musical):

Charles: John Lee Beatty, The Color Purple (It was as beautiful as the whole show!)

James: David Gallo, The Drowsy Chaperone (What happened in that one apartment set was amazing, creative and funny, just like the whole show!   Charles, are you a John Lee Beatty fan or what?)

 

Costume Design (Play):

James: Catherine Zuber, Edward Albee’s Seascape (Those lizards were cool!)

Charles: Catherine Zuber, Awake and Sing!

(Go, Catherine!  You are a winner to us both!)

 

Costume Design (Musical):

Charles: Paul Tazwell, The Color Purple

James: Gregg Barnes, The Drowsy Chaperone

 

Lighting Design (Play):

James: Paul Gallo, Three Days of Rain (Moody lighting that fits the play AND frames Julia Roberts…)

Charles: Christopher Akerlind, Awake and Sing! (Lincoln Center always does such amazing technical work!)

 

Lighting Design (Musical):

Charles: Brian MacDevitt, The Color Purple

James: Natasha Katz, Tarzan

 

Direction (Play):

James: Nicholas Hytner, The History Boys

Charles: Nicholas Hytner, The History Boys

 

Direction (Musical):

Charles: John Doyle, Sweeney Todd

James:  John Doyle, Sweeney Todd (A brilliant, fresh take on a classic – reinvention not revival!)

 

Featured Actor (Play):

James: Ian McDiarmid, Faith Healer

Charles: Ian McDiarmid, Faith Healer

 

Featured Actress (Play):

Charles: Frances de la Tour, The History Boys

James: Jayne Houdyshell, Well

 

Featured Actor (Musical):

James: Manoel Felciano, Sweeney Todd

Charles: Jim Dale, The Threepenny Opera (One of only two good reasons to see the show.  I’ve loved him since Barnum.)

 

Featured Actress (Musical):

Charles: Elisabeth Withers-Mendes, The Color Purple (A fantastic Broadway debut!), if not her, then Beth Leavel.

James: Beth Leavel, The Drowsy Chaperone (Her performance has Tony-winner written all over it!)

 

Actor (Play):

James: Richard Griffiths, The History Boys.  If not him, then Zeljko Ivanek, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

Charles: Richard Griffiths, The History Boys

 

Actress (Play):

Charles: Cynthia Nixon, Rabbit Hole (She was BRILLIANT!)

James: Cynthia Nixon, Rabbit Hole

 

Actor (Musical):

James: John Lloyd Young, Jersey Boys (Gotta give that show something!) If not him, Bob Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone, only he barely sings…so…, I’ll go with Charles for my runner up…

Charles: Michael Cerveris, Sweeney Todd (He was incredible!)

 

Actress (Musical):

Charles: LaChanze, The Color Purple (This is her show!  She is well loved in the community.  She really carries it.)

James: Patti LuPone, Sweeney Todd (Her welcome back to Broadway in a Musical award… plus, she proved what Beth Fowler and Christine Baranski couldn’t – you can reinvent an Angela Lansbury role!)

 

And we agree on the 4 “biggies”:

 

Play Revival: Awake and Sing!

 

Musical Revival: Sweeney Todd

 

Play: The History Boys

 

Musical:  The Drowsy Chaperone  (Choice number 2: James: Jersey Boys, Charles: The Color Purple) Charles says, “The Drowsy Chaperone will win, but The Color Purple should.  It reminds me a lot of Ragtime, and just like Ragtime vs. The Lion King, people expected The Lion King to win, and this year, people expect The Drowsy Chaperone to win.”

 

And finally, we agree…

 

Best Replacement Actor: Jonathan Pryce, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Best Replacement Actress: Megan Hilty, Wicked

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