Just as an aside,
last nigth as we were watching the awards, I commented to my boyfriend, “We’re watching the Tony Awards, drinking glasses of Shiraz, and our cats are cuddled up next to us–could we get any gayer?”
Maybe They can give you a second toaster for Special Achievement in Homosexuality. 
It’s not that bad, not much worse than Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
“All I know, all I owe
I owe Ioway
I owe Ioway all I owe
And I know why”
(from State Fair)
And if we’re getting away from “state” songs:
“Only goes to showa
The greatest man since Noah”
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Bleh. And if I delve into my “flops” collection, I can get worse than any of these…
I really like Wonderful Town, but I also thought that the woman who sang “Swing” was…dull. You need a loud, brash, brassy voice–Ethel Merman, Rosalind Russel, Kim Crisswell. This lady was too wimpy, IMO.
I thought whatshername–the tatooed lady who caterwauled “What I did for Love” should be banned from ever singing again. Possibly the ACLU can file a lawsuit against “cruel and unusual punishment” to ban her from singing. Ew. She missed a ton of notes.
I was surprised that they didn’t do “Popular” from Wicked–much more of a crowd pleaser than “Defying Gravity” (even if it doesn’t allow Idna much to sing). Or maybe, if they wanted a duet, they coulda done “What Is This Feeling” (which also has the advantage of being funny)
I was very suprised and disappointed that Chenoweth didn’t win anything (I love Cheoweth–and she’s hot–You all can fight over Hugh Jackman, but I get Chenoweth*). She shoulda been eligible for “best featured actress” (she only gets two solos and a duet or three)
I don’t have the cast recording of “Carolina or Change” yet, and based on the bit I heard, it ain’t high on my list.
I’m glad they started drowning out the moron who was trying to politicize the Tony awards. The Tonys have consistantly tried to have more class than other awards and even though I agree with what the bozo was trying to say, this wasn’t the place.
Also, what about the guy from that “Frozen” play who turned his acceptance speech into a comercial? Tres tacky.
I’m not upset that Avenue Q beat Wicked for best musical, but I was rooting for Wicked. I am pissed that Schwartz didn’t get “best score”–Avenue Q’s’ score is cute and all, but Schwartz wrote some great stuff.
And the opening–Um…Hugh? “One Night Only” is a song that was written for a black woman to sing in a “Motown” style (Dreamgirls)–and it was weird to see a white guy singing a white-bread with mayo version. Perhaps another song would have been a better choice?
Fenris
All I have to say is:
GO AVENUE Q!
Shows that the “little show that could” truly can do it. I love it when the underdog wins against big blockbusters like Wicked…
Shows you can go far, with a little Puppet Nudity!
Avenue Q has been, by far, my favourite musical in a VERY LONG TIME… and I’m usually a Sondheim geek.
The “tatooed lady” was Mary J. Blige who I’ve known for years. I was cringing in embarassment for her. I don’t know what to say, especially after reading the Talking Broadway posts on her “performance.”
I agree! I was so hoping Wicked would win. I’ve seen the show twice and it’s a wonderful theater experience. Idina is amazing as Elphaba and Christin Chenoweth is superb as Glinda. Couldn’t be happier that Idina won, however!
I thought the Avenue Q number looked stupid. If that’s what the show is like, I’m glad we decided against seeing it last time I was in New York.
Carol Channing should have worn something more flattering. Her skinny little legs looked out of place. But she’s a hoot!
I was seriously concerned for Sarah Jessica Parker. Good thing she didn’t have a wardrobe malfunction. But, take a hint, girl. . . wear clothes that FIT!
I was surprised that Avenue Q took it, but glad, because it looks like a dynamite show. I will have to really make an effort now to go see it. Very surprised that Idina beat out Kristen since Kristen has been getting all the attention.
AFAIK, OZ goes on hiatus whenever Hugh needs to be out of the show, I can’t see the thing running a week past his last performance. That is truly a one-man show, and from his performance as host, I can see why :eek:
A couplea more points and a question
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What was up with the Tony Bennett and the Mary Bilge stuff? Who cares? More clips from more shows–that’s what I watch the Tonys for, not to watch non-theater types (I assume, I’ve never heard of Bilge before, but Bennett is the ultimate lounge lizard) butcher songs.
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I thought the “Big River” bit where they were signing everthing was strangely graceful…I don’t know how well it’d work for the dialogue/action sequences, but during the song, it was kinda cool.
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Spoil me-- How does Wicked end?
I’m pretty certain that Elphaba survives–there’s that earlier line about how “Heh…they even belive that she’s so wicked that water will melt her.”…so what happens? I’ve read the book, twice, and it becomes gibberish about 2/3ds of the way through. Assuming it goes on tour and assuming it gets to Denver, it’ll be a couple of years before it gets here, so spoil me please.
Hugh Jackman is the ONLY good thing about OZ! It is a dreary little show, but he lights up the stage!
Elphaba hides out in Fieryo’s family castle, which is chock full of trap doors and secret passageways. Throwing water on her does NOT melt her. She slips through a trap door, helped by Glinda, reunites with Fieryo who is now the Scarecrow, and they live happily ever after.
Not to mention that “Lullabye of Broadway” is from a movie (Gold Diggers of 1935), not a Broadway show. There were seriously no Broadway songs they could have foind for Tony to croon?
I’m pretty sure it was used in 42nd Street, which won a Tony in the early '80s, making it legit (if lame)
PS: Thanks annie!
I see your Andrew Lloyd Webber and raise you a Robert Merrill.
"Your crazy music truly tickles us
Although your whole technique’s ree-dickle-us
Some love Van Cliburn
But my sweet Henry I yearn…"
He mangles one word to make it rhyme with another, but ignores the obvious and perfectly acceptable rhyme (Cliburn…I burn). From Funny Girl to that. Yeesh.
It almost seemed like she was being a rather poor sport about it, and I really didn’t expect that from her.
Big River was wonderful. I only wish they’d actually shown an entire number live. The signing during dialogue was not distracting at all…I liken it to how whenever I go to a movie, it always takes me a few minutes to synch the recorded sound and screen images in my head. After a few minutes, you adjust to the theatrical conceit and it just works. The number they probably would have shown, “Waiting For The Light To Shine” had my favorite theatrical moment from the past season. Huck is downstage, signing and “singing”, and the upstage wall parts to show the chorus looking offstage right (toward the “light”) and singing/signing along. Then the music STOPS, and the signing continues in silence for about 16 bars. It was breathtaking.
And instead of that, we got Mary J. Blige butchering “What I Did For Love.” No justice.
So I take it that this means that American musical theater is out of its rut?
(sorry, haven’t followed it for a while, but you lot seem a lot more excited than everyone was at the last Tony Awards discussion I took part in a few years ago)
Nitpick: Andrew Lloyd Webber never wrote a lyric in his life. Indeed, the man has trouble speaking coherently. Let’s give credit (or blame) where it is due: Joseph’s lyrics were penned by Tim Rice, later to move work with Elton John on Lion King & AIDA.
I’ve always thought that “What I Did For Love” can be a litmus test for someone’s show-knowedge. If they refer to the song (or perform it) as a “torch song”, they don’t get it!
The character (Diana?) in A Chorus Line is not singing about how much she loves Zach, the director. The song comes right after Zach asks everyone what they’ll do when they have to stop dancing and in the context of career choices to make and paths not taken, Diane(?) sings about how she doesn’t regret what she’s done for her love of dance. It’s. not. mushy. and anyone who handles it as a varient of “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man O’ Mine” is clueless.
Ok. Bad lyrics then? Fine. (and note that normally, Tim Rice is a wonderful lyricist–he did Blondel which has some of the most clever lyrics ever) But if we’re going for bad:
“Take me to a zoo
That’s got chimpanzees
Tell me on a Sunday, please”
Tell Me On A Sunday Lyrics by Don Black (IIRC).
The female lead is singing how it would make the inevitable breakup easier if there were simians around. :dubious: I’m not sure that a public dumping in the monkey house at the zoo would make the breakup easier. DUMB lyric and frankly, “chimpanzees”/“please” don’t quite rhyme.
True. I’d have written it as,
“Take me to a zoo
That’s got chimps with fleas,
We’ll watch them throw their poo—
Tell me on a Sunday, please.”
I’ve never really been much of a Broadway person, despite living in NYC, but I saw Wicked two weeks ago, and absolutely fell in love with Idina Menzel. Her face, her voice, her talent, her GREEN! I just about cried when I read her bio in the program and found out she was already married.
Netheless, I broke my half-month-long no TV challenge in order to see the performance of Defying Gravity (which DID happen to be my favourite song from the play), and later to see her accept best actress, which is only the second Tony award I’ve EVER cared about (the first being Art winning best play in 1998, seeing as it was the only nominee I saw, and I loved it).
oh and btw, I’m restarting this challenge. It’s such a thrill to go 3 days without having to find out about JLO being married again, since it isn’t being stuffed down my throat on every channel I’d tune to.
snort
:smack: Sweet Jesus. Thanks Annie-X. Serves me right for posting before coffee. Being that the only ALW I can tolerate is Superstar (where he manages to steal from Gregorian chant, of all things) and Evita, I glossed right over the composer and lyricist with the same bombastic brush.
He certainly gets my vote for Ugliest Man in Musical Theatre, though. Talk about simian…