Nine years ago, the Tony Awards debuted a new award for Special Theatrical Event, to honor those shows that were slipping between the categorical cracks (like Contact in 2000, which won Best Musical, much to the shock of its own creators, who said so in their acceptance speech).
Earlier this week, the Tony Awards dropped it.
And everyone I know is wondering why.
The good money (and mine) points to the lack of consistent nominees in the category. In the first year, there was only one nominee, and in three of the last nine years, there was no award given.
Could it also have been pressure to eliminate an award to slim down the telecast, allowing more time for the "creative awards"? Could it be that the voters weren't attending these special shows (how many actually saw Soul of Shaolin)?
Whatever the reason, I'm going to miss the category. Sure, I'll agree, if you can't even find one nominee 33% of the time, then obviously the category is a little thin.
But still . . . if we didn't have that category, then Elaine Stritch probably wouldn't have won a Tony Award. And neither would Billy Crystal. And Def Poetry Jam too.
And Will Ferrell wouldn't even have been nominated (and therefore probably would have never showed up).
Despite the lack of a plethora of nominees, the category seemed to be working for me. There were some tight races. There were some emotional victories.
And most importantly, there were some excellent performances and productions that deserved to be honored.
It will be a shame if the next Billy Crystal of Poetry Jam isn't.
Alright, you've waited long enough! The winners of my Tony Pool are . . .
There were 27 awards given away on Sunday night. I got 6.5 wrong (that dang tie for orchestrations threw everyone for a loop) for a score of 76%.
In no particular order, here are my top 5 favorite nuggets from last night's Tony Awards Ceremony:
1. The "Is He Ok" Moment
Not sure what the cameras caught, but Bret Michaels of Poison took a little too much time on his exit after his rockin' opening number . . . and caught an incoming drop in the head. It knocked his cowboy hat right off his head, and the hat stayed on stage for several minutes as a reminder of the carnage we had all witnessed.
2. The "Did You Forget Something" Moment
Did anyone else notice that Liza didn't have an envelope when she went out to announce the winner of Best Musical? Why do I get nervous every time I see her do anything?
3. The "When Did They Write That" Moment
Kudos to the writers for drafting that clever closing number while the show was going on. Ok, I'm sure they wrote some stuff in advance, but, nevertheless, it's always great to go out with a few laughs. And there were some doozies in there.
4. The "You talk. No, you talk. No, you talk" Moment
Watching and waiting for one of the Billys to speak after they won their historic award was some of the finest silence on television. Those kids are a living example of, "They don't even have to do anything. They just have to stand there."
5. The "I Made A Big Star Blush" Moment
Hugh Jackman made Sarah Jessica Parker blush years ago when he got her involved with a Boy From Oz number. This year, it was Gavin Creel all up in Anne Hathaway's bizness during the Hair number, and when he crawled off her, she buckled over with laughter and let out a big smile like she was a 12 year old girl at a combination Miley Cyrus/Justin Timberlake concert . . . with backstage passes. And guess who showed up at the Hair party later on . . .
I had a lot of favorite moments from last night's ceremony. Overall, I thought it was a terrific show (although from what I "hear", there were a ton of sound problems that we didn't experience at the show itself). How do I judge it? Well, I think back to when I was a teenager and used to watch (and tape) the Tonys from my small hometown in Massachusetts, which seemed thousands of miles away from Broadway. If I think "the kid inside" would have liked the show, then I give it a thumbs up.
And this year, the 16 year old had a blast and would have played it over and over again on his VCR.
I'll have the results of the Tony pool soon. Stay tuned.
And tomorrow I'll tell you how I did in my predictions, and where and why I went wrong.
What did you think of last night's Tony Awards? Comment below.
Today's the last day to play!
Ok, here they are, as promised: my predicts for what the 800 or so Tony Voters will select as the winners of this year’s Tony Awards. To clarify, this is not what I think should win, nor is it what I necessarily voted for myself, but rather this is who I expect to be standing on that stage on Sunday night.
Drumroll, puhleeze.
BEST PLAY: GOD OF CARNAGE
The French can be snooty and smelly, but neither of those adjectives apply to French writer Yasmine Reza or her work of "Art." Her star-studded, super-grossing ($900k for a play?), smart yet accessible comedy (complete with barf jokes) will win out over the primary competition, Labute's reasons to be pretty.
BEST MUSICAL: BILLY ELLIOT
The Best Musical landscape is similar to Best Play. Another import, this one British, squares off against a smaller, perhaps more challenging, American musical, Next to Normal. Unfortunately for all you patriots out there, the British and Billy will take the big prize of the evening. And seeing the 147 kids in the show storm the stage at the end will be a sight to see, so stay up!
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: TOM KITT & BRIAN YORKEY, NEXT TO NORMAL
The Americans strike back here, as N2N deservedly picks up the score trophy. This award also comes with a note from many voters that reads, "Sorry we didn't vote for you for Best Musical. We loved your show, but . . ."
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL: LEE HALL, BILLY ELLIOT
For awhile, I thought N2N would pull a Urinetown or Falsettos split (and take both score and book while giving up the big prize to a more commercial choice, Millie and Crazy for You, respectively), as the voters like to reward writers of challenging work. The upset of the night would be if the voters tipped their hat to Hunter Bell and the TOS crew with an award. But frankly, I just don't think enough of them saw the show last fall to make that happen.
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY: THE NORMAN CONQUESTS
Great revivals were like foreclosures this year . . . on every block! (Too soon?) This category would have been even tougher to pick, had the nominators not forgotten about some of the fall shows (specifically, The Seagull). Norman gets the girl in this category, partly for its great production, and partly because of the degree of difficulty in staging three British comedies and running them in rep (I'd also bet that a bunch of voters voted for Norman while only seeing one of the plays.)
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: HAIR
The Most Improved Show award goes to Hair this year. Luckily, West Side doesn't need it with its Wicked-like grosses (it's a revival!).
BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT: LIZA'S AT THE PALACE
Obviously, I'm praying that I'm wrong with this one. Will's got a chance, thanks to the phenomenal success of the run and because it's fresh in everyone's memory. But a Hollywood A-lister bringing down Broadway royalty seems like a long shot to me, so I'm putting my money on the safe bet. That's ok. I'm still happy having put my investors money on the other guy. :-)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: GEOFFREY RUSH, EXIT THE KING
This is the easiest to call, which is unfortunate for Raul Esparza, who deserves to have a couple of trophies on his mantle. But God knows, he’ll have more chances to get up on that stage, as I don't see him making an exit anytime soon.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: MARCIA GAY HARDEN, GOD OF CARNAGE
There is a 60 second section in God of Carnage where Marcia doesn't utter a word. But you can practically read her thoughts as if they were written in a bubble above her head. She wins for that moment alone.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: THE THREE BILLYS, BILLY ELLIOT
Tatum O’Neal, Daisy Eagan , Anna Paquin. Voters love to give a kid a trophy. And the only thing better than one kid nominee . . . is three.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: ALICE RIPLEY, NEXT TO NORMAL
In an example of the Hollywood Rain Man syndrome (where playing a challenged individual of any type, physical or mental, gives you a boost at award time), Alice will win for her terrific portrayal of the challenged mom in N2N.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: JOHN GLOVER, WAITING FOR GODOT
This one could also be called the Best Spitter Award (previous winners would have included Jonathan Groff in Spring Awakening). John wins for saying the most with the least to actually say.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: ANGELA LANSBURY, BLITHE SPIRIT
There is currently only one woman who has won five Tony Awards. After Sunday, there will be two. Watch for the standing ovation when Angela takes the stage.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: CHRISTOPHER SIEBER, SHREK
The guy is on his knees for the whole show for Shrek’s sake!
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: HAYDEN GWYNNE, BILLY ELLIOT
Hayden hits a trifecta here: Outer Critics, Drama Desk, Tony. That much momentum can't be stopped.
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY: MATTHEW WARCHUS, GOD OF CARNAGE
For awhile, I thought Matthew's two noms would split his vote, but then I saw I took another look at God's grosses ($900k for a play?), and realized that he would take the Tony on the back of the show's success, and deservedly so.
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: STEPHEN DALDRY, BILLY ELLIOT
For awhile, I was calling a bit of an upset here, because without Diane, Hair would not be the hit it is. But at the end of the day, I think the majority of voters will give it to Daldry for the sheer magnitude of the work he did in directing Billy.
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: PETER DARLING, BILLY ELLIOT
When dancing is a major part of your plot, you better win choreography! Hands and toes down, Darling is the winner.
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS: MARTIN KOCH, BILLY ELLIOT
Big show + big score = Tony.
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: DEREK MCCLANE, 33 VARIATIONS
The other nominees in this category are mostly stationery sets, so Derek's "musical" set wins.
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: IAN MACNEIL BILLY ELLIOT
They had to drill a giant hole in the basement of the theater to allow for that house to come up through the ground, like a man from a mine, but it'll earn this man a Tony.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: DALE FERGUSON, EXIT THE KING
Whenever Kings and Queens are in a play, the odds for winning a costume award jumps up tremendously. Normally, I'd say give this one to Mary Stuart, but I'm going with Dale, for the absurdist suit of armor.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: TIM HATLEY, SHREK
Costume awards go to designs that stand out, and in a field of nominations that include one show about the 60s and two shows about the 80s, Shrek certainly stands out.
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: HUGH VANSTONE, MARY STUART
On Broadway, "rain" is an electrician and a lighting designer's job. It rains in Mary Stuart. And that's cool and memorable. So it'll rain a Tony on Hugh.
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSCIAL: RICK FISHER, BILLY ELLIOT
With the design awards, sometimes bigger is better. The bigger the show, the bigger the budget, and the more toys the designers have to play with. In this case, bigger is Billy.
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY: RUSSELL GOLDSMITH, EXIT THE KING
This is a tough one. Your guess is as good as mine. I went with the sounds of a dying king. Creepy.
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: PAUL ARDITTI, BILLY ELLIOT
Paul will win for excellent work, yes, but also for a syndrome I call, "Tony By Association."
So that's it! Make sure you tune in on Sunday to see how I do! And don't forget to make your picks on my Tony pool! There is only 2 days left to play and win $500! Click here.
If you're not following me on Twitter, click here. Just like last year, I'll be tweeting from my $900 seat (yep, that's how it costs - crazy, huh?) and I'll fill you in on everything that's going on from inside Radio City, including the not-suitable for airing, in between commercial breaks stuff.
If you don't yet have a place to watch - try Times Square! The Tonys will be on the Big Screen! With the new blocked off streets, it should be fun. Tweet me from there if you go. I'd love to hear what the party is like.
Oh, one more prediction before I sign off: during the telecast, I predict there will be two Jeremy Piven jokes. :-)
No one denies that this has been an extraordinary season on Broadway, considering the economic shite-storm the world has been walking through for the past six months.
Over the past 20 years . . .
- 65% of the winners of the Best Musical Tony opened in the Spring.
- 60% of the winners of the Best Play Tony opened in the Spring.
Over the past 15 years (the revival categories are only 15 years old) . . .
- 67% of the winners of the Best Revival of a Musical Tony opened in the Spring.
- 87% of the winners of the Best Revival of a Play Tony opened in the Spring.
On average, that means 70% of the Tony Award winners in these four major categories period were Spring productions.
There's an argument to open when the leaves are coming back on the trees, don't you think?
Over the past 20 years . . .
- 64% of the nominees for the Best Musical Tony opened in the Spring.
- 72% of the nominees for the Best Play Tony opened in the Spring.
Over the past 15 years . . .
- 60% of the nominees for the Best Revival of a Musical Tony opened in the Spring.
- 68% of the nominees for the Best Revival of a Play Tony opened in the Spring.
That means 66% of all the Tony Award nominees in these categories were Spring productions.
Shall we give you a another slice-o-matic for the same price?
Over the past 20 years . . .
- 62.5% of the winners of the Best Actor/Actress in a Musical Tony were from Spring shows.
- 75% of the winners for the Best Actor/Actress in a Play were from Spring shows.
That's 68.75% of all the top performance Tony Awards given to actors and actresses in Spring productions.
What about nominations?
Over the past 20 years . . .
- 60% of the nominees for the Best Actor/Actress in a Musical Tony were from Spring shows.
- 71% of the nominees for the Best Actor/Actress in a Play were from Spring shows.
- - - - -
Only 16 days left to enter The Producer's Perspective Tony Pool. You could win $500!
Play today! Click here!
Calling all Broadway handicappers! It's time to put your Tony pickin' skills where your mouth is!
Will Next to Normal be the Avenue Q of 2009 and send big Billy Elliot back to the mines? Will Angela Lansbury become only the 2nd woman in history to win 5 Tony Awards? Will Triumph The Insult Dog be allowed back on the red carpet?
Everyone has an opinion these days, but the only opinions I care about are yours!
Click here to play the 2nd Annual Producer's Perspective Tony Pool!
For prizes, this year The Producer's Perspective is offering its own version of an Economic Stimulus Package! Since so many of you have told me that your biggest challenge as a Producer is raising money, I thought I'd give you some!
The blog reader who picks the most winners will win the Grand Prize of a $500 American Express Gift Card.
The 1st runner up will win a $200 American Express Gift Card.
The 2nd runner up will win a $50 American Express Gift Card.
And, all winners will receive a copy of my book.
The rules of the game and the restrictions are all on the site, but a few super important ones:
- Only one entry per reader. Multiple entries will disqualify all of your entries.
- In order for us to verify entries, only email subscribers to the blog are eligible. If you are not an email subscriber, use the box to the left to subscribe now.
- Make sure you fill out ALL of the information on the "Verification Page" of your entry. Incomplete entries (and there were a few last year) cannot be counted.
- When asked for your email on the "Verification Page", make sure you enter the same email that you use to subscribe to the blog.
Please read all of the rules carefully on the site before submitting your entry! Don't forget, you're picking what you think WILL win, not what you want to win.
The Tony Pool will officially close on Saturday, June 6th at 11:59 PM, so don't wait! Play today!
Good luck to everyone!
Every May, the new Broadway shows battle it out for our big awards and the big bucks that come with them.