SuckWatch: The Tony Awards

You know what sucks? The fact that Legally Blonde will be performing at the Tonys this Sunday sucks. It sucks that fluffy shows, shows that have been around for years, are getting substantial airtime when THIS YEAR'S nominees for awards like, oh, Best Revival of a Play aren't included in the broadcast at all.

Seriously?!??

Yes, seriously - awards for the design of Lighting, Costumes, and Sets, not to mention Choreography, and Book of a Musical will not be seen on CBS this Sunday. Instead, we'll be watching tired-ass numbers from Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, and Legally Fucking Blonde.

It's a disgrace. If it has to be moved to PBS in order to do the thing right, then for god's sake do it already. Don't let Les Moonves determine the proceedings of the biggest night in theater. Until then, Tony Awards, you're on SuckWatch.

Update: Kevin Spacey writes on twitter that "Tony Awards have reconsidered and Best Play Revival will now be on the telecast on CBS." Good.

Let us now have a moment for Passing Strange. It was one of the few great new musicals that Broadway has seen in years. It's single win tonight at the Tony's is a real shame. It deserved more.

Tony Noms - Who Got the Shaft?

Moxie is celebrating the nominees, especially little Robin De Jesus, the talented and beautiful de'Adre Aziza, and Kelli O'Hara, who might just swoop in and steal that Tony from shoo-in Patti LuPone. Thank god for a crap season of musicals in which Passing Strange can get the recognition it deserves - last year it would have gotten way less notice... but my guilty pleasure is always this paragraph in Playbill's announcement:

Notable omissions include Tony Award winner Kevin Kline, who did not receive a Best Actor in a Play nomination for his acclaimed performance in the revival of Cyrano de Bergerac; A Catered Affair director John Doyle, who won a Tony for his direction of Sweeney Todd and was Tony-nominated for his actor-musician Company; Cheyenne Jackson, who failed to receive a Best Actor in a Musical nomination for his work in Xanadu; Elizabeth Marvel, who was overlooked for her powerful performance in Top Girls; the exclusion of A Catered Affair from the Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score of a Musical categories; and the lack of a single nomination for the Debbie Allen-directed revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which features such Broadway favorites as Phylicia Rashad, James Earl Jones and Anika Noni Rose.

That's right, no love for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and very little love for MTC's Top Girls (there must be some fine print somewhere that Martha Plimpton gets a nomination by default. Just like David Pittu). Not much love for A Catered Affair, either - I haven't seen it, but it must be a trainwreck to get snubbed in favor of Cry-Baby. Ah yes, and Mauritius got just one nomination, for Bobby Cannavale. Meh.

The most surprising snub was Kevin Adams not being nominated for Passing Strange and it's giant light-wall. That was seriously awesome, and you will never convince me that the lighting in The Little Mermaid is better. Puh-lease.

Perhaps a Tony for casting isn't too far behind...

Award season just ended, and already the Tony committee is releasing news of two new categories for next season: Best Sound Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Musical. Looks like people were listening to Michae Mayer's acceptance speech. I'm all for more Tony awards. Theater is so collaborative, there are lots of creative roles that deserve recognition.

If they're adding two awards for Sound Design, I think a few more ought to be added, too. How about giving separate awards for music and lyrics? Best Ensemble awards would be interesting. On the other hand, for god's sake, don't let's lengthen the awards show even more. Thoughts?

Michael Mayer's long lost twin?

Among the zillion Tony articles, here's a fun one from Entertainment Weekly. Jason Clark writes, "Is it me, or does winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) look like the South Park version of Jared from Subway?" I say they do indeed bear a resemblance, though Michael Mayer is an incredibly talented gentleman, while uber-annoying Jared elicits a banshee scream and a channel change every time his face appears on my telvision. What do you think?

Does Michael Mayer look like Jared the Subway Guy?
	Separated at birth!
	Pretty similar, except that Michael Mayer is 1,573 million times cooler.
	No way - lay off the crack pipe, Moxie.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Tony Awards: Money Quotes

"There's a line in Frost/Nixon which says, "Success in America is unlike success anywhere else. That feeling when you're up, it's indescribable." I'm very grateful to the theater community, to my colleagues in Frost/Nixon here and overseas and the New York theatergoing public for allowing me that feeling this season. The line in the play then goes on to say "But there's another feeling, when it's gone, to somewhere else, to someone else." And I know that feeling, everyone in this room knows it. I suppose we can't stop people from putting us into competition with one another, and once we're here, I suppose we all want to win, but I think we must honor the common bond in us, the struggle. The striving for success because that's a race we simply can't lose. I am very proud, very honored to work and live among you splendid people. Thank you. Thank you for giving me that indescribable feeling, I wish it for you all." - Frank Langella gives the best speeches, no?


"I didn't go to acting school, [but] I have been working in the theatre for 25 years. Over that time you learn by doing and you learn by watching wonderful people, and you learn by making dreadful, embarrassing mistakes! . . . I literally made my debut 20 years ago in Lucky Stiff — a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. I sang the dog song." - Julie White in the Tony press room, following her win (via the Playbill.com Tony Blog)


"Frank Wood, Mary McCann, Kerry Gartner, Jim Carnahan, all of our producers..." - John Gallagher Jr. thanked Frank Wood and Mary McCann, the only two actors who were replaced when Spring Awakening moved to Broadway.

"Not one audience shot of Les Moonves in the entire TONY broadcast. I thought, “Wait a minute. Is this not the TONYS?” And then a winner mentioned Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall and I knew I was in the right place." - Blogger and tv writer Ken Levine on the Tony telecast

"Of all the big awards shows, I find the Tonys the most reliably moving... Though the awards honor only a fraction of what makes up even New York theater, they nevertheless seem to stand for the art as a whole in a way that the Oscars, Grammys or Emmys don't — they represent a community rather than an industry." - Robert Lloyd of the LA Times , in his review of the telecast

"I did tell Jack O'Brien that if he wanted to a do a musical of this, I think 'Serfs Up' would be a good title." - Tom Stoppard

"Special thanks to music director Kim Grigsby, sound designer Brian Ronan, casting director Jim Carnahan because the Tonys aren't given for their categories, and I think they should be." - Michael Mayer thinks there should be a Tony for casting.

"That's the virus of the show... It starts with that young woman whose body is talking to her. I told them, 'Feel just the tips of your body. Feel all those gentle, tender places you would like to be kissed." - Spring Awakening choreographer Bill T. Jones (via Variety)

Tonys Tonight!

Hey kids, in case you forgot, a little thing called the TONY AWARDS are happening tonight. The Tony website and NY1 have red carpet coverage beginning at 6:00pm, and at 7:15pm there's a webcast of the design awards, which the website is trying to spin as a cool thing, rather than the big ole shafting of designers that it actually is.

Most of the winners are pretty obvious, but here are my predictions. I might do some liveblogging, so those who really care can compare my predictions to the evening's turn of events. We'll see how well I do.

BEST MUSICAl
Spring Awakening. Duh.

BEST PLAY
Coast of Utopia. This category is a disappointment. Frost/Nixon, The Little Dog Laughed, and Radio Golf - all have merits, but none of them are genius plays. Even COU was most memorable for the performances, concept, and design than for the actual play(s).

REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Company. I haven't seen A Chorus Line, nor am I particularly interested. I think voters will right the wrong that was passing over Sweeney Todd for Pajama Game last year, and give Company the statue. There's nothing new about A Chorus Line, and giving it another award just doesn't feel right.

REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Journey's End, and well deserved. A stunning, shattering revival that met it's end too early.

LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
La Ebersole. Without question.

LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Raul Esparza. I'm going to go with Raul, though I do think that of any of the "given" categories, this is the one that the dark horse could snatch - David Hyde Pierce is so winning in his smart performance in Curtains, it's a possibility.

FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
John Gallagher Jr! Hoping that these Pittu dark horse whispers don't come to fruition. Spring Awakening's success is largely due to the total rockingness of Johnny's performance.

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Mary Louise Wilson. $10 says fiery Wilson tells Orfeh to shove it in her acceptance speech.

ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Julie White, baby! Her Iron Chef stint sealed the deal.

ACTOR IN A PLAY
Frank Langella, though I'd like to see it go to Boyd Gaines. Legendary Langella will take home the statue. I'm looking forward to his tux and his speech. What a dapper dan.

FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Billy Crudup. In the words of my boss, Coast of Utopia is best described in two words: "Billy Crudup".

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Jennifer Ehle. Martha Plimpton could take it, but Ehle's work was far more layered, nuanced, gentle and specific. I'll be happy to see either win.

BEST SCORE
Spring Awakening, duh.

BEST BOOK
Grey Gardens. Let's face it, Spring Awakening's book isn't it's selling point. "I'll teach you to say please"? Please. Grey Gardens' book lays the story at your feet in a beautiful, cohesive, and deeply moving way.

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Spring Awakening. It's all about that band, especially the soulful, haunting cello combined with the rocking guitar licks.

BEST LYRICS
Spring Awakening. Evocative, explosive, innovative.

BEST THEATRICAL EVENT
Jay Johnson, the Two and Only. Sorry, Kiki. Jay's story makes an unexpected subject moving and inspiring, and manages to be relatable to the child in all of us. It was just better theater than the cabaret-style antics of (fabulous) Kiki & Herb.

DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Michael Mayer, for Spring Awakening.

DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Jack O'Brien, for Coast of Utopia. I mean if that's not a directorial achievement...

CHOREOGRAPHY
Bill T. Jones for Spring Awakening, but only because they don't have competition from In The Heights, which will win next year.

LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Spring Awakening! Kevin Adams might be the most deserving winner of the whole night. I want to sleep with his designs.

SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Mary Poppins. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Fine. Whatever.

COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Grey Gardens. Not just for the leopard prints, either. Those one-piece jumpsuit things the ladies wear in act one are FABULOUS. The tuxedos, the robes, it's all just beautiful.

SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Coast of Utopia. They won it in the first 30 seconds of the play, with the wave and Brien in the chair with the glove. That is THEATER, people!

COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Coast of Utopia again. Obviously.

LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Coast of Utopia. 9 hours to play with, and they kept it interesting throughout.

I know why the Tony ratings suck

Two reasons: Disney, and the 80's. Well, sort of.

After the fracas over who should and should not be invited to perform at the Tonys, there's been a lot of debate over why nobody tunes into the show anymore. Some say it's because nobody cares about theater anymore. Others say it's because there aren't any stars, like the Oscars or the Grammys. Nobody outside the tristate area has seen most of these shows, or knows who these people are.

Here's my thing. Picture Mr. Average Joe sitting with his family in Idaho, or Delaware, or wherever on June 10th. Joe has no idea who Boyd Gaines or Raul Esparza are. Joe might recognize Frank Langella or Christine Ebersole when they see their faces. It's not that Joe doesn't care about theater, in fact, just the opposite. His daughter is in every school musical, and he enjoyed bringing the family to a Broadway show when they visited New York this past year. But here's the rub, kids - what show did Joe bring the family to? Take a look at the numbers. Odds are pretty good that they saw Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, or Phantom of the Opera.

These long-running-into-the-ground shows are invariably packed with people from all over the country. Few people from the tristate area is going to see this stuff at this point. The shows stay open solely thanks to the out-of-town audiences. If only these throngs of people were venturing into shows that were newer to Broadway, imagine how different things would be. Word of mouth would spread so much faster about the season's best new shows, and people would return to their home states spreading the word. Instead, we have "Well, three years ago Mrs. VanShnitzel saw Phantom, and she liked it, and said it had a really big chandelier, so let's see that." Why just last week, over eleven THOUSAND people saw Phantom. Think about how many have seen it over the seven hundred years it's been on Broadway. Imagine those numbers dispersed into the various newer, better, more interesting, more fun, exciting shows.

Yes, I know it's nothing more than a pipe dream, but wouldn't it be cool if the rest of America was interested in seeing new shows? While the original cast is still intact, while the star is still in it, while the chorus still gives a crap? If that could happen, there's no doubt that the Tonys would be the television event that they apparently used to be many moons ago. But, aside from restricting the length of a run, the way we restrict a presidential term (not such a terrible idea, actually), how do you get the midwesterner out of Phantom and into, say, Curtains?

Ignorance Central: Who the hell was Antoinette Perry?

My college education wasn't very good. This was probably my fault - I had a little problem with finding studying very, very boring, while things like browsing the produce aisle at Wegman's, watching Iron Chef, producing my own shows, and playing beer pong were quite interesting to me. Fast forward a couple years, and my keen ability to bullshit my way into a passing grade has been an asset in the workplace, but my lack of actual knowlege of stuff like, oh, theater history has been a pesky little problem. So with that in mind, I'd like to share with you the answers to a few questions that I'm always wondering, courtesy of the slacker's best friend, Wikipedia. This may be a continuing column, since the breadth of my ignorance can be pretty expansive at times.

Who the hell was Antoinette Perry, of the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards?

Well, she helped found the American Theater Wing (which, for thoroughness' sake, started and runs the Tony awards, gives grants and scholarships, and also has a number of programs supporting the arts, like SpringboardNYC). Perry started as a teenage actress in the very early 1900's, and became a successful director and producer, responsible for the Pulitzer-winning play Harvey. She died in 1946, during the play's long Broadway run. After her death, her friends and colleagues commemorated her contributions to the theater, and her producing partner, Brock Pemberton, suggested a series of awards be created in her honor. Thus, we've had the Tony Awards since 1947.

Review: Grey Gardens (finally)

Was it the unbelievable amount of hype? The low energy of a Tuesday night at the theater? Or just the fact that I wasn't really feelin' it? I finally caught Grey Gardens last night, and while I think it's a beautiful show, it just didn't give me the chills I expected. I feel like everybody gets so rabid over Christine Ebersole's performance, I just couldn't help being underwhelmed. I finally understand why people feel that Spring Awakening's hype ruined it for them - when you miss seeing a show when it has all the momentum, and then have to listen to everybody under the sun get all orgasmic over it, enjoying it that much yourself feels unoriginal and forced.

The things I loved:

The stage pictures. Some beautiful moments, like the news clippings at the top of the show, a distraught Little Edie running down the stairs and out the door at the end of act one, and Mary Louise Wilson sitting in bed, feebly unable to open the can of cat food. Like Coast of Utopia, there are moments of the show that stick in my brain like little fires still burning.

I also really liked the use of the two young girls, embodying so much hope and entitlement in act one, and I loved them as the cats in act two.

I also thought Erin Davies did an admirable job at a very tough role. She has to be innocent and hopeful, but also tip her hand as to the recalcitrant, dramatic, petulant woman she will become (and has always been, in some ways). I can't imagine Sara Gettelfinger in this role - though she's very talented, she seems much too adult and hard for Young Edie.

And of course, you have to hand it to Christine Ebersole. Everyone raves about her as Little Edie, but I found her Edith to be every bit as strong of a performance. Edith was strong and forceful but very weak inside, and embodied with spot-on accuracy the kind of truly toxic mothers who use both insults and affection as deadly weapons. I was pleasantly surprised by her Little Edie's sense of humor and sarcasm, still being lighthearted in such a dark place. I thought it was kind of cool that this woman would be so shunned, yet have such a caustic wit instead of endless self-pity.


What I wasn't thrilled with:

What's the deal with the score? So many songs seemed shticky or just inconsequential. How about "Marry Well" and "Hominy Grits"? Both songs are there for a reason, yes, but it just seemed like there were better ways of telling us how the family feels about marriage, and just how inappropriate Edith's attention-grabbing is. It seemed, in both numbers, that they filled the void by having the cute young girls skip around with some cutesy choreography. These, and some of the other numbers (the patriotic one in act two felt waaay overblown, too), just felt like time that could have been better spent.

I also expected the story to be told in a more dynamic way. We know from the prologue what happens to Grey Gardens and to Little Edie. So what story is really being told in act two? The story to be told is that Edie decides to leave, attempts to leave, and then realizes she cannot. I wish the arc of that journey had been more compellingly and excitingly actualized in the book and lyrics. When it comes right down to it, I was a little bored.

Let it be known that this is why I hate seeing Broadway musicals months after they've opened. I have no doubt that on opening night, Grey Gardens was a flourishing triumph, with plenty of conflict and excitement and tension and all that good stuff. However, after a few months, the rough spots stick out like sore thumbs, and the lagging energy is fully palpable. I felt the same way at Company a few weeks ago - I left fantasizing about how much more exciting it must have been when it was fresh and new.

Also, now that I've seen Spring Awakening and Grey Gardens, I have to say that SA feels like the Tony winner for best musical. I find SA so exciting, the energy so high, that Grey Gardens feels stuffy and stale in comparison. Of course, if I'd seen the first preview of GG (as I did SA), I bet I'd feel quite differently.