# 2016 Tony Awards **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249 "2016-06-13T13:44:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/1 "2016-06-13T13:44:08Z")
Hamilton got 11, missing tying the record by one. Kudos to Andrew Lloyd Webber and School of Rock. Their number really, really rocks. Host James Corden was _excellent_ from start to finish. The Les Miz number in the limo had me cracking up. And second best opening of all, but Neil Patrick Harris’s 2013 opening number is still first. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/2 "2016-06-13T13:54:55Z")
The Tonys are always the best award show. One subtle advantage is that the numbers from the Musicals have been well-rehearsed. 🙂 Cordon was great. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/3 "2016-06-13T13:58:09Z")
One not-so-subtle advantage is that the actors have proven they can do it live. Though I thought the Fiddler number was really, really bad. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/4 "2016-06-13T14:27:37Z")
Good show. Nothing blew me away like Sidney Lucas’ performance of Ring of Keys from “Fun Home” did last year. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/5 "2016-06-13T14:54:32Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Though I thought the Fiddler number was really, really bad. It was a very odd choice; the highlight of that wedding scene is the dance with the bottles, but they cut that out. They clearly wanted an ensemble piece and I wonder if time constraints cut out some of them. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/6 "2016-06-13T15:21:37Z")
I only watched until a little after 10:30, but I loved almost everything! The Orlando acknowledgement, the opening number, James Corden, etc. I didn’t care for the “Carpool Karaoke” bit: that video had already gone viral, and while I’m sure some viewers hadn’t seen it yet I think the time could have been better spent on something else. I kept wanting to fast-forward through it. I also didn’t like the “Ham4Ham” stuff in the street: the numbers were rushed and extremely short, and seemed like another thing using up time that could have been better spent elsewhere. Though I did have to laugh the second time Lin-Manuel Miranda said, incredulously, “_Andrew Lloyd Webber_ on tambourine!” I agree that the \*Fiddler \*number was surprisingly “meh.” I was hugely impressed by Carmen Cusak’s performance of “If You Knew My Story” (from _Bright Star_), and the performance by the ensemble of _The Color Purple_. Cynthia Erivo certainly deserved that standing ovation! This is the only awards show that I watch. If my heart has layers, theater is part of its foundation. ❤ (Music is the other part, yet I never watch/care about the Grammys…go figure.) ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/7 "2016-06-13T15:34:35Z")
This was the first time I had watched the Tonys (a friend convinced me to watch it). It really did seem like “The Oscars, but with diversity.” Are they always that way, or was it just because of “Hamilton” and “The Color Purple” this year? Or is there something about Broadway that pulls a wider array of people? ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/8 "2016-06-13T16:26:38Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > This was the first time I had watched the Tonys (a friend convinced me to watch it). It really did seem like “The Oscars, but with diversity.” Are they always that way, or was it just because of “Hamilton” and “The Color Purple” this year? Or is there something about Broadway that pulls a wider array of people? Broadway is generally more diverse though the more important factor is that eligible shows per year are much fewer than the eligible movies. In other words, Hollywood produces diverse movies too, but there are so many movies (ahem, films) that it becomes easy to focus on many quality all-white productions at the expense of diverse productions with some level of an out in terms of overall quality. On Broadway there aren’t very many new musicals and plays each year, so a single diverse musical goes a long way (especially if it is good). For Best Musical, it comes down to “who did not get nominated” more than "who got nominated. Plus, strong black singers is kind of a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/9 "2016-06-13T17:19:14Z")
Doing it live in front of an audience eight times a week is extremely hard. Broadway doesn’t care about your color, gender, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. The biggest concerns are do you fit the role and can you do it? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/10 "2016-06-13T17:53:09Z")
Broadway also has had much success with musicals with diverse casts. If you look at nominees over the past decade, they include _Bring it On, The Scottsboro Boys, Fela!, Memphis, In the Heights_, and _Passing Strange_. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/11 "2016-06-13T18:06:04Z")
“The Humans” was written by a Scranton native. His father was my high school principal. He and I discussed an issue or two back in the day, as I recall, so I feel like I am as much a part of the Best Play award as Kramer was when he won for “Scarsdale Surprise.” ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/12 "2016-06-13T18:20:15Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > This was the first time I had watched the Tonys (a friend convinced me to watch it). It really did seem like “The Oscars, but with diversity.” Are they always that way, or was it just because of “Hamilton” and “The Color Purple” this year? Or is there something about Broadway that pulls a wider array of people? I think this was at least somewhat of an outlier, with 3 heavily-non-white best musical nominees. I also agree that the Fiddler number was an odd choice. No one picks Fiddler on the Roof as they show they go to because they really really want to see some good group dancing. I have no idea what the Color Purple is about, or what that song is about, but goodness that lady can sing. I thought the overall production was well done. James Corden was appealing and fun, if not quite NPH. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/13 "2016-06-14T13:16:19Z")
Just want to add that Lin-Manuel Miranda is only the second composer to have his first two shows win the Tony for Best Musical. the first was Robert Lopez, for Avenue Q & Book of Mormon. ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/14 "2016-06-14T15:24:33Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It was a very odd choice; the highlight of that wedding scene is the dance with the bottles, but they cut that out. They clearly wanted an ensemble piece and I wonder if time constraints cut out some of them. Yeah, it seemed more “Broadway-like”, for want of a better term, and less authentic European Jewish folk-like. Jerome Robbins’ original choreography seemed more authentic to the kind of people the Anatevkans were. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-tony-awards/757249/15 "2016-06-15T01:31:12Z")
Can I brag for a second that I was at the Tonys rehearsal and then got to congratulate several of the major winners at the after party? 😃 Loved the opening number! No surprises among any of the wins, but I am thrilled for Cynthia Erivo! When I saw The Color Purple in previews I immediately said to my friend that there is the year’s Best Actress no question. It’s pretty cool that both Cynthia & Daveed Diggs won for their Broadway debuts! I hope they ask James Corden back again next year!