# The Tony Awards: Airing This Sunday Night **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2008, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777 "2008-06-13T06:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/1 "2008-06-13T06:44:50Z")
OK, so I haven’t been to NYC in ages, and obviously haven’t seen any of the shows nominated, but here is why I dearly love the Tony Awards: 1. You get to see snippets from the shows - and usually they are pretty good segments with some great song and dance, and the occasional riveting dramatic performance. 2. Sure, there are the Oscar’s and the Emmy’s and the Grammy’s, but the Tony’s takes the cake when it comes to high-camp drama. Usually, I have never even heard of the winner, let alone the other nominees, but mygod when that winner is announced, you would think they were just found not guilty at a murder trial; the overly-dramatic shock and awe, followed by the uncontrollable sobs by the person sitting next to them, accompanied by a pocket of co-stars screaming like holy-rollers in a Baptist church. It is a veritable explosion of emotions - the epitome of drama queens in all their glory! 3 The acceptance speech. Ohlordy, the acceptance speech. This alone is worth the price of admission You know they have practiced this for hours at home in front of the mirror, or perhaps with their acting coach - every syllable is enunciated with care, every nuance is timed to perfection; it is humble, it is magnanimous, it is solemn, and without the support of that wonderful person sitting next to them (close up of red-eyed, weeping spouse) they would not be standing here, and bygod, theatre is proof that there is intelligent life on this planet. (Be sure to knock back a shot every time someone talks about the “incredible journey” they took to get where they are now.) Although I minored in theater in college, was in many shows and even worked for a professional theater for several years, I find this show about as pretentious as it gets. Still, I am glued to the television during the Tony Awards - like a voyeur spying on his neighbors having sex; I am simply fascinated by the whole ordeal. I can hardly wait til Sunday! ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/2 "2008-06-15T15:44:03Z")
Hmm…if this thread is any indication, ratings for the show tonight are not exactly going to go through the roof. Oh well, I am looking forward to seeing it. In case anybody else is going to watch, and has seen any of the shows, any predictions of who will/should win? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/3 "2008-06-15T17:53:03Z")
We’re going to watch here. To add to your #3: No other awards show has anywhere near as much thanking of “partners” as the Tonys, which still makes me a little verklemmt… ---
**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, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/4 "2008-06-15T17:55:30Z")
I really don’t think this show is any more pretentious than the Oscars, or Emmys, or Grammys, etc… To win a Tony Award puts you in a select group of people and it really is an honor. Just because you may not know their names does not mean they aren’t deserving of the win or aren’t extremely talented. For most of the nominees, they don’t have anywhere near the name recognition of movie/TV stars or pop singers (even though IMO they are much more talented.) The list of nominees, my predictions are in bold. I’ve seen most of the shows & performances nominated this year. Best Play \*\*August: Osage County \*\* Rock ‘n’ Roll The Seafarer The 39 Steps Best Musical Cry-Baby **In The Heights** Passing Strange Xanadu Best Book of a Musical Cry-Baby Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan In The Heights Quiara Alegría Hudes Passing Strange Stew \*\*Xanadu Douglas Carter Beane \*\* Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre Cry-Baby Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger In The Heights Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda The Little Mermaid Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater \*\*Passing Strange Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald Lyrics: Stew \*\* Best Revival of a Play \*\*Boeing-Boeing \*\* The Homecoming Les Liaisons Dangereuses Macbeth Best Revival of a Musical Grease Gypsy \*\*South Pacific \*\* Sunday in the Park with George Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Ben Daniels Les Liaisons Dangereuses Laurence Fishburne Thurgood \*\*Mark Rylance Boeing-Boeing \*\* Rufus Sewell Rock ‘n’ Roll Patrick Stewart Macbeth Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Eve Best The Homecoming \*\*Deanna Dunagan August: Osage County \*\* Kate Fleetwood Macbeth S. Epatha Merkerson Come Back, Little Sheba Amy Morton August: Osage County Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Daniel Evans Sunday in the Park with George Lin-Manuel Miranda In The Heights Stew Passing Strange \*\*Paulo Szot South Pacific \*\* Tom Wopat A Catered Affair Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Kerry Butler Xanadu \*\*Patti LuPone Gypsy \*\* Kelli O’Hara South Pacific Faith Prince A Catered Affair Jenna Russell Sunday in the Park with George Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Bobby Cannavale Mauritius \*\*Raúl Esparza The Homecoming \*\* Conleth Hill The Seafarer Jim Norton The Seafarer David Pittu Is He Dead? Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Sinead Cusack Rock ‘n’ Roll Mary McCormack Boeing-Boeing Laurie Metcalf November \*\*Martha Plimpton Top Girls \*\* Rondi Reed August: Osage County Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical \*\*Daniel Breaker Passing Strange \*\* Danny Burstein South Pacific Robin de Jesús In The Heights Christopher Fitzgerald The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein Boyd Gaines Gypsy Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical de’Adre Aziza Passing Strange \*\*Laura Benanti Gypsy \*\* Andrea Martin The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein Olga Merediz In The Heights Loretta Ables Sayre South Pacific Best Direction of a Play Maria Aitken The 39 Steps Conor McPherson The Seafarer \*\*Anna D. Shapiro August: Osage County \*\* Matthew Warchus Boeing-Boeing Best Direction of a Musical Sam Buntrock Sunday in the Park with George Thomas Kail In The Heights Arthur Laurents Gypsy \*\*Bartlett Sher South Pacific \*\* Best Choreography Rob Ashford Cry-Baby \*\*Andy Blankenbuehler In The Heights \*\* Christopher Gattelli South Pacific Dan Knechtges Xanadu Best Orchestrations \*\*Jason Carr Sunday in the Park with George \*\* Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman In The Heights Stew & Heidi Rodewald Passing Strange Jonathan Tunick A Catered Affair Best Scenic Design of a Play Peter McKintosh The 39 Steps Scott Pask Les Liaisons Dangereuses \*\*Todd Rosenthal August: Osage County \*\* Anthony Ward Macbeth Best Scenic Design of a Musical David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network Sunday in the Park with George Anna Louizos In The Heights Robin Wagner The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein \*\*Michael Yeargan South Pacific \*\* Best Costume Design of a Play Gregory Gale Cyrano de Bergerac Rob Howell Boeing-Boeing \*\*Katrina Lindsay Les Liaisons Dangereuses \*\* Peter McKintosh The 39 Steps Best Costume Design of a Musical **David Farley Sunday in the Park with George** Martin Pakledinaz Gypsy Paul Tazewell In The Heights Catherine Zuber South Pacific Best Lighting Design of a Play \*\*Kevin Adams The 39 Steps \*\* Howard Harrison Macbeth Donald Holder Les Liaisons Dangereuses Ann G. Wrightson August: Osage County Best Lighting Design of a Musical **Ken Billington Sunday in the Park with George** Howell Binkley In The Heights Donald Holder South Pacific Natasha Katz The Little Mermaid Best Sound Design of a Play **Simon Baker Boeing-Boeing** Adam Cork Macbeth Ian Dickson Rock ‘n’ Roll Mic Pool The 39 Steps Best Sound Design of a Musical \*\*Acme Sound Partners In The Heights \*\* Sebastian Frost Sunday in the Park with George Scott Lehrer Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific Dan Moses Schreier Gypsy ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/5 "2008-06-16T01:19:39Z")
Any other cultured people on these boards watching right now? Thought I’d bump it up. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/6 "2008-06-16T01:24:15Z")
There are apparently some interesting perks involved in being married to the network’s president… Oh, and while I absolutely love Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Bette Midler as only a gay man can, Mama Rose is a character that has been waiting patiently for Patti Lupone since The Merm hung up her cloche. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/7 "2008-06-16T01:41:18Z")
I’m glad Faith got to perform. I loves me some Faith Prince! Megan Mullally has a decent voice. Why do they even try to do the bawdier songs from these shows, knowing that they’re going to have to censor it into banality for the network? ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/8 "2008-06-16T01:45:24Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] There are apparently some interesting perks involved in being married to the network’s president… Oh, and while I absolutely love Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Bette Midler as only a gay man can, Mama Rose is a character that has been waiting patiently for Patti Lupone since The Merm hung up her cloche. [/QUOTE] I got goosebumps. I’ve seen Patti Lupone on stage (in Passion, of all things), and I think she’s brilliant, but she’s never been one of my favorites. But I can admit now that Bernadette Peters (who IS one of my favorites) was woefully miscast as Mama Rose, and this is Patti Lupone’s role. I’m thrilled with Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti’s wins. And I could listen to Faith Prince sing for days. Seems like it’s a fairly weak year, though, save several shows and actors. I’ve seen better high school productions of Grease. If I were a member of that cast or even just in production, I would be embarrassed after tonight. That was just bad. Terribly bad. It was a joy seeing Kelli O’Hara, though - she was brilliant in A Light In The Piazza, and I adore seeing her. I’m not much of a South Pacific fan, but I think I’d even enjoy this production. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/9 "2008-06-16T01:48:36Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I’m glad Faith got to perform. I loves me some Faith Prince! [/QUOTE] I’d ask you to marry me, but I don’t think it would work on either of our parts 😉 :D. My husband is watching the show with me, though. He happily watches every year and listens to be bitch, whine, moan, and cheer. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/10 "2008-06-16T01:48:59Z")
[QUOTE=Elza B] It was a joy seeing Kelli O’Hara, though - she was brilliant in A Light In The Piazza, and I adore seeing her. I’m not much of a South Pacific fan, but I think I’d even enjoy this production. [/QUOTE] I’ve caught a lot of the revival on AccuBroadway the last several months, and I really do like this production, audio-wise anyway. The last production of it that’s been taking up space in my head was the Carnegie Hall concert performance with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Reba MacIntire. **Elza** , do you know if this _Grease_ cast included the actors who got picked in that television show last year? ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/11 "2008-06-16T01:51:06Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I’ve caught a lot of the revival on AccuBroadway the last several months, and I really do like this production, audio-wise anyway. The last production of it that’s been taking up space in my head was the Carnegie Hall concert performance with **Brian Stokes Mitchell and Reba MacIntire**. [/QUOTE] There’s an odd pairing if I ever saw one. I’m not a big fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein to begin with (yeah, I know, blasphemy - I do enjoy many of the shows, but they aren’t usually among my favorites), so if they have me interested in seeing an R&H show, it must be a fantastic production. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/12 "2008-06-16T01:53:49Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I’ve caught a lot of the revival on AccuBroadway the last several months, and I really do like this production, audio-wise anyway. The last production of it that’s been taking up space in my head was the Carnegie Hall concert performance with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Reba MacIntire. **Elza** , do you know if this _Grease_ cast included the actors who got picked in that television show last year? [/QUOTE] Yep. It was Max and Laura (can’t remember their last names). Laura does have a beautiful voice, although I think she’s a little forgettable, but Max just wasn’t and isn’t ready for Broadway. I heard them both on Seth Rudetsky’s show on Sirius, and he had Max sing “Those Magic Changes” - his voice cracked and he couldn’t hit a note above a G without screwing it up. He’s charming, but not Broadway-ready. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/13 "2008-06-16T01:57:58Z")
Well, that was one of the best/craziest acceptance speeches ever (the guy who won for _Boeing Boeing_). ETA: I should also mention that Miranda’s rapped acceptance for best musical score was pretty awesome. I gotta check out this show. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/14 "2008-06-16T02:02:49Z")
[QUOTE=Elza B] There’s an odd pairing if I ever saw one. I’m not a big fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein to begin with (yeah, I know, blasphemy - I do enjoy many of the shows, but they aren’t usually among my favorites), so if they have me interested in seeing an R&H show, it must be a fantastic production. [/QUOTE] Well, it was a concert performance and not an actual full staged version. And [Reba was stilted, at best](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe4APcqb3VU). But it was in heavy rotation on AccuBroadway for months and months (I listen to the Wide Playlist), so it got stuck in my head. I actually preferred that version’s Bloody Mary, played by the incomparable [Lillias White](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VFQTcrXpqE). ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/15 "2008-06-16T02:08:02Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Well, it was a concert performance and not an actual full staged version. And [Reba was stilted, at best](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe4APcqb3VU). But it was in heavy rotation on AccuBroadway for months and months (I listen to the Wide Playlist), so it got stuck in my head. I actually preferred that version’s Bloody Mary, played by the incomparable [Lillias White](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VFQTcrXpqE). [/QUOTE] I saw her in The Life, and holy shit - she was brilliant. Not one of my favorite shows, but she’s one of a kind. I could sit and listen to her all night. Okay - I really enjoyed the performance for In The Heights more than I expected. My budget is going to be screwed when I have to download all of these new OCRs (I usually decide after the Tonys what new shows I want.) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/16 "2008-06-16T02:14:47Z")
[QUOTE=Elza B] I saw her in The Life, and holy shit - she was brilliant. Not one of my favorite shows, but she’s one of a kind. I could sit and listen to her all night. Okay - I really enjoyed the performance for In The Heights more than I expected. My budget is going to be screwed when I have to download all of these new OCRs (I usually decide after the Tonys what new shows I want.) [/QUOTE] Heh…after Patti did her thing, **supervenusfreak** just looked at me and said “The cast recording goes on sale in August.” ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/17 "2008-06-16T02:17:02Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Heh…after Patti did her thing, **supervenusfreak** just looked at me and said “The cast recording goes on sale in August.” [/QUOTE] I just looked at my husband and said “August.”. He said “What?” I said “No, the cast recording for Gypsy is out in August.” His name is August 😃 . Thanks for the info - I’ve been trying to find out when it would be out. At least I can space them all out a bit. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/18 "2008-06-16T02:50:35Z")
Meh, _Rent_. Yay for Idina. But…I always feel like a shriveled-up curmudgeon because I just don’t care for the show. I’m kind of in the camp that thinks that if Larson hadn’t pulled a Gower Champion, _Rent_ would have been a one-season show that might be on it’s first revival next year. I loves me some Liza, too…she just can’t help herself! Chewing the scenery even when there’s no scenery to chew! She looks terrific, though. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/19 "2008-06-16T02:55:31Z")
Oh, god, I love you, Patti! I don’t know who the orchestra thought they were trying to play off the stage there, but Ms. Lupone was having NONE of it. “Shut up! It’s been 29 years!” There’s a Tony classic clip for future years. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777/20 "2008-06-16T03:00:34Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Oh, god, I love you, Patti! I don’t know who the orchestra thought they were trying to play off the stage there, but Ms. Lupone was having NONE of it. “Shut up! It’s been 29 years!” There’s a Tony classic clip for future years. [/QUOTE] It was the same asshole who tried to play off Elaine Stritch several years ago. :rolleyes: There are just certain people that you let finish. Elaine Stritch. Patti Lupone. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tony-awards-airing-this-sunday-night/452777.md?page=2)