But the real draw for me is the opening of all of the Broadway musicals and plays-honestly, I don't understand how people can pass up the chance to see so much vibrant, wonderful theater if they live there (except, you know, the cost), and it makes me want to figure out some way to skip paying rent for a month just so I can see people sing to the rafters and soliloquize raw pain on the stage.
This all said, I was going to give a list of some of the shows that I most wanted to see, but then I realized that the Tony nominations were already going to be announced on Tuesday, and though I sadly haven't seen any of the shows (argh...why do I not save my money better?!?), I figured I should give my two cents on what will be nominated in the big eight categories. While I'm going through these, I'll tell you what I would see if I managed to win the lottery tomorrow (actually, if I won the lottery tomorrow I'd see them all as I'm a theater-junkie, but I digress).
Best Play
All the Way
Casa Valentina
Mothers and Sons
The Velocity of Autumn
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| Tyne Daly in Mothers and Sons |
The Nominees: Can we first off just say thank god that I'm only predicting the nominees right now? In the many years since I started following the Tony Awards, I have never seen a race this wide open for both Best Play and Musical. Usually there's a War Horse or Book of Mormon waiting in the wings, ready to take everything in sight-this year, though, there's not a lot of frontrunners. Velocity of Autumn and All the Way have that nice combination of critical acclaim and prestige, and surely are going to be included. Casa Valentina has the magnetism of Harvey Fierstein and Joe Mantello, both of whom are frequently a fixture at the Tony Awards and makes me think this is included. There's a few other plays that spring to mind (Outside Mullingar, Act One) that could make the cut, but I think absence makes the heart grow fonder for Terrence McNally, and his Mothers and Sons is my upset surprise.
If I Had a Golden Ticket: Mothers and Sons seems the most interesting to me, and seeing Tyne Daly on a Broadway stage is a magnificent thing.
Best Musical
Aladdin
The Bridges of Madison County
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Rocky
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| Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale in The Bridges of Madison County |
The Nominees: I believe theoretically both of these races could go five-wide, but the field typically stays at four, so I'm going to stay there. Aladdin is probably the surest thing of the bunch, even if that doesn't necessarily translate to a win-Disney has a major push, the show has gotten much better notices than it did in previews, and it's certain to be the biggest hit of the bunch. It's hard to believe that If/Then isn't there, even if it isn't AMAZING in the reviews, but the tepid response (despite boffo box office thanks to Idina) has me place it at fifth place. Rocky is probably the biggest news of the year (people will not stop talking about it), and will make it. The final two I'm basing off of reviews-Kelli O'Hara's getting excellent notices in Bridges (and she's the Midas touch of nominations, even if she can't win a trophy to save her life) and Gentleman has been far more successful than I initially expected. Throw in the jukebox hit Beautiful (featuring the music of Carole King) and you probably have some combination of the four nominees.
If I Had a Golden Ticket: I would give it to Bridges...it was going to be Aladdin but you just know that one's going to go on tour and Kelli O'Hara having steamy sex tops boxing any day of the week, in my opinion.
Best Revival of a Play
The Glass Menagerie
A Raisin in the Sun
Twelfth Night
Waiting for Godot
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| Cherry Jones and Zachary Quinto in The Glass Menagerie |
The Nominees: Rule Number One of the Tony Awards is to not discount Scott Rudin, so A Raisin in the Sun, despite it just being revived, will surely be back for another go-around, though Rudin will have to accept his loss to The Glass Menagerie, one of the only sure things about this year's Tony Awards. Other star-encrusted shows like James Franco's Of Mice and Men and Rachel Weisz's Betrayal will probably take the backseat to more celebrated works like Twelfth Night and Waiting for Godot, though this being the Tony Awards, they could have one of their celebrity mood swings and try to put a movie star in the audience.
If I Had a Golden Ticket: It would have to go to Glass Menagerie-Tennessee Williams can be breathtaking on-stage, and I've heard it was a miracle to behold.
Best Revival of a Musical
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Les Miserables
Violet
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| Sutton Foster in Violet |
The Nominees: An exceedingly light year for this category, the only other production that could be in contention would be Cabaret, which is getting a lackluster response and seems very similar to the 1998 production of the play. Violet and Hedwig are both making their Broadway debuts, but have been around long-enough that they will probably go with this much easier category for a nomination. Who wins is a great question-does Les Miz get in based on box office, or does that still seem "been there, done that" after it hauled off at the Oscars so recently?
If I Had a Golden Ticket: Violet, hands down-Sutton Foster is perfection.
Best Actor in a Play
Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Ian McKellen, Waiting for Godot
Mark Rylance, Richard III
Patrick Stewart, Waiting for Godot
Denzel Washington, A Raisin in the Sun
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| Mark Rylance |
The Nominees: Mark Rylance's performance in Jerusalem remains the most impressive thing I've ever seen on a Broadway stage-thinking about the final moments of that play still sends shivers down my spine. He is the Daniel Day-Lewis of the theater, and I doubt that he misses this year, even if that means he gets nominated twice (he could make it for Twelfth Night for featured). Honestly, this lineup seems relatively set. Tony Shalhoub's work in Act One is a possibility, but I think that Denzel with his movie star appeal (and Scott Rudin pushing) will be able to trump him. And James Franco-sorry dude, but picking fights with critics isn't going to help you one bit.
If I Had a Golden Ticket: It's hard to pass on Rylance, but Professor X and Magneto on the same stage-that's impossible to turn down.
Best Actress in a Play
Toni Collette, The Realistic Joneses
Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn
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| Audra McDonald |
The Nominees: I'm still not entirely sure how Audra is in a play with the entire Billie Holiday discograpy playing during Lady Day, but that's a discussion for a different time. As it is, she will go for her record sixth Tony win likely against a woman who has never managed to pull off a trophy despite four nominations and decades in the theater, Estelle Parsons. I am going to guess that sentiment (and the sure realization that McDonald will have others) will give this to Parsons (keep in mind they gave Cicely Tyson the trophy last year), and that they will be joined by Tyne Daly and Cherry Jones, both getting strong notices. The last shot is a hodgepodge, but I'm going to go with one of my brother's favorite actors, and a movie star to boot, Ms. Toni Collette, an actress the Tonys honored with a nomination some fourteen years ago for The Wild Party.
If I Had a Golden Ticket: Audra, forever and always.
Best Actor in a Musical
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ramin Karimloo, Les Miserables
Andy Karl, Rocky
Steven Pasquale, The Bridges of Madison County
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| Andy Karl |
The Nominees: It's unfathomable that after all the years he's spent promoting Broadway and championing the Tony Awards that NPH's comeback to the Great White Way wouldn't be honored in some fashion-I find it difficult, quite frankly, to see him losing though Jefferson Mays is a constant presence on Broadway and hasn't won in a decade. Andy Karl (who like a certain leading lady in the Best Actress category, was part of the wonderfully charming Mystery of Edwin Drood revival recently) should get his first nomination as Rocky Balboa, and Steven Pasquale's sexy and brooding leading man in Bridges should also make the cut. For the final slot, I'm going with the tried-and-true Jean Valjean, which won Colm Wilkinson a nomination in the original production and probably can do the same for Karimloo.
If I Had a Golden Ticket: The more I read about it, the more, honestly, that I kind of want to see Rocky, which isn't remotely my cup of tea. The heart wants what it wants, I guess.
Best Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Violet
Marin Mazzie, Bullets Over Broadway
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful
Kelli O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County
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| Idina Menzel |
The Nominees: Like the Oscars, the Tony Awards have their frequent favorites, and two of them happen to be Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara, who rarely miss (O'Hara is in the hunt for her first Tony win, whereas Foster already has two). It seems unthinkable that Idina Menzel would miss on her big, splashy return to Broadway, even if her show doesn't seem quite there for a nomination for the big prize (then again, this is the Tony Awards...this category is probably the "big prize"). Jessie Mueller is on a roll lately in a similar way to last year's winner Patina Miller (everything she touches turns to gold), and I couldn't be happier for her (she was the best thing about Mystery of Edwin Drood, and as I mentioned above, that's a play filled with best things). The final nomination I'm going with Marin Mazzie, another Tony nominee-but-not-winner favorite (three nominations in this case, so Kelli doesn't have to start sweating yet), as reprising the role that won Dianne Wiest the Oscar surely has to count for something. If the Tony Awards try to go big and movie-star like, Michelle Williams tepid performance in Cabaret could be the stunner, but they've avoided stars in poorly-reviewed vehicles before (Julia Roberts, anyone?), so I think the five Broadway divas will be sufficient.
If I Had a Golden Ticket: Easily my favorite category of the night, so I will cheat and say all of them.
Those are my thoughts-how about yours? Who are you rooting for on the 29th? Should I pull the plug and do my NYC trip and give in to temptation? Share in the comments!
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