Up until 2001 I went to NYC at least once, and usually twice a year. I'd visit my grandmother, I'd have business there, or both, but whatever the reasons I made it out there and usually had caught a number of the shows nominated for Tony's.
Since my grandmother died in 2001, I'm lucky to make it there once every couple of years, and my last trip, in March, didn't even include time for theatre. The last couple of years were the first where I had not seen a single nominated musical or play. So it's hard for me to feel very emotionally invested in the outcomes. Obviously I still have favorite actors, composers etc, butthat's rooting for legacy recognition, not current recognition.
My thoughts on the show:
-Well, only one winner had music start playing under him, and that's good, because nothing bugs me more than when they start interrupting someone, especially if it's someone who's actually saying something moving or amusing or anything other than a list of "thank yous"
Of course they may have been able to avoid the music play-off by keeping the pace of the show so rapid it felt like they were trying to win a race. 60 stars, count 'em! They'll be moving by so fat it'll be hard to actually count 'em, but you get the idea.
-Color me shocked that Pajama Game beat out Sweeney Todd for Best Musical Revival. I've only seen the show once, in London, and it seemed like your basic, blah 50s American musical. My S.O. and I were noting that the last few years Tony voters have really favored the frothy/fluffy over the substantial, but Pajama Game struck me as onle average material. Kelli O'Hara clearly shows her versatility, moving from the lyric ingenue of Light in the Piazza to the modern woman (and belter) Babe, but didn't Harry Connick Jr seem a little stiff and uncomofortable? Sweeney Todd remains my favorite musical ever, and everyone has raved about this re-imagining of it, so this was the most surprising moment for me last night.
-The second most surprising moment (but one I enjoyed) was seeing LaChanze take the Best Actress in a musical award. I have loved LaChanze ever since I saw her in Once on this Island over 15 years ago. The Color Purple was obviously getting the BIG Tony voter snub last night, so I thought Patti LuPone had it sewn up. Maybe Sutton Foster. LaChanze is a wonderful performer, and her life has had a few tragic turns (her husband died in 9/11) so I was very happy that she won.
-It's hard for me to imagine that Jersey Boys is really that good...I'm not typically a fan of jukebox musicals. But it certainly did look entertaining last night. Anyone seen it?
-I love Cyndi Lauper and would love to see her in a show that could use her interpretative skills and emotional intensity, but having done Threepenny Opera some years back I was reminded: I really don't like it. Long, rambly, non-melodic, non-poetic songs...just like I remember :) And now that the same artistic staff sleazed up Cabaret a few years back, this just looks like they had a production meeting and decided to do the exact same treatment to Threepenny without a lick of customization. Throw a little leather here, a few tattoos there, some homo-erotic and S&M-oriented undetones here and there...Presto! You've got a "re-interpretation!"
-Why wouldn't they let us see Patti LuPone play the tuba? Whyyyyyyy?
-Molly Ringwald is coming to San Jose, playing Charity in Sweet Charity at AMT. Hence I was a little disturbed to see her looking so uncomfortable on stage! If her eyes popped open any wider I was afraid we'd have an incident straight out of the season finale of House. (Yes, I'm mixing my theatre talk with TV references, so sue me.)
-Lastly: The Wedding Singer looked appallingly, embarrassingly bad, didn't it? Horrible song...which might have been carried off if there were even a soupcon of irony in the mix. But no. It just was horrible, (And horrible, frenentic, cliched choreography too.) My jaw dropped soon into the number, and I never got it closed until the number was over.
What do I want to see based on the show? (Since it is mostly a big commercial for Broadway, after all.)
Sweeney Todd (but that was already true)
Drowsy Chaperone (looks fun, no doubt)
Color Purple (those are some powerful women performers up there!!)
Jersey Boys (I can be convinced this one is worthwhile...and those boys are definitely talented!)
How about you?
