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Sunday, June 6, 2010

2010 Tony Award Nominees & Predicitions

Hard to believe it's that time of year again. Next week, the most important awards ceremony of the year will be broadcast once again.

"Umm, wait. You're wrong. The MTV Movie Awards are tonight, not next week."

...OK, get the hell off my blog! In fact, anyone out there reading this that considers the MTV Movie Awards to be important or meaningful, leave this page and never return.

Now that we've taken care of that, we can move on. I am of course talking about the 2010 Tony Awards. For those who might not know, the Tony Awards are presented annually to the best that Broadway theatre has to offer. And being the theatre devotee that I am, I'm going to run down the nominees and give my picks for who I think should win.

But first, I'll be perfectly honest with you. Much like last year, I haven't seen any of the nominated shows and for most of them, I know little to nothing about them.

"What?!? What kind of a theatre devotee are you then?"

A poor one who doesn't have the time or money to travel to New York and see these shows. And I thought I told you to leave!

Anyway, I've decided to consult Wikipedia to learn about the shows I'm unfamiliar with. Based on my readings, I'll choose which nominee the award should go to. Everybody OK with that? Than we shall begin.

Best Play

In the Next Room or the vibrator play
Author: Sarah Ruhl

Next Fall
Author: Geoffrey Nauffts

Red
Author: John Logan

Time Stands Still
Author: Donald Margulies 

And the Tony should go to: In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play). Because let's be honest, how can you not love a name like that?

Best Musical

American Idiot

Fela!



Memphis

Million Dollar Quartet

And the Tony should go to: American Idiot. It's about damn time another great rock concept album was fleshed out into a full-scale Broadway musical. I still think that The Who's Quadrophenia needs to go this route.

Best Book of a Musical

Everyday Rapture
Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott

Fela!
Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones

Memphis
Joe DiPietro

Million Dollar Quartet
Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

And the Tony should go to: Memphis. Truth be told, the plots of these musicals don't really hold my interest very much. Though out of all of them, I think Memphis sounded the least dull.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

The Addams Family
Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

Enron
Music: Adam Cork
Lyrics: Lucy Prebble

Fences
Music: Branford Marsalis

Memphis
Music: David Bryan
Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan 

And the Tony should go to: The Addams Family.

Best Revival of a Play

Fences

Lend Me a Tenor

The Royal Family

A View from the Bridge

And the Tony should go to: Lend Me a Tenor. Sounds like a very entertaining play from reading the synopsis. I love a good farce.

Best Revival of a Musical

Finian's Rainbow

La Cage aux Folles

A Little Night Music

Ragtime

And the Tony should go to: La Cage aux Folles.


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Jude Law, Hamlet
 
Alfred Molina, Red
 

Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge
 

Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane
 

Denzel Washington, Fences
 
And the Tony should go to: Christopher Walken, A Beheanding in Spokane. Why? Hello, it's Christopher Freakin' Walken!

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Viola Davis, Fences
 
Valerie Harper, Looped
 

Linda Lavin, Collected Stories
 

Laura Linney, Time Stands Still
 

Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family

And the Tony should go to: Laura Linney, Time Stands Still

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles
 

Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
 

Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
 

Chad Kimball, Memphis
 

Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

And the Tony should go to: Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow
 

Montego Glover, Memphis
 

Christiane Noll, Ragtime
 

Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
 

Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

And the Tony should go to: Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

David Alan Grier, Race
 

Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences
 

Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts
 

Stephen Kunken, Enron
 

Eddie Redmayne, Red

And the Tony should go to: David Alan Grier, Race

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Maria Dizzia, In the Next Room or the vibrator play
 

Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family
 

Jessica Hecht, A View from the Bridge
 

Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
 

Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor

And the Tony should go to: Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
 

Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
 

Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow
 

Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
 

Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

And the Tony should go to: Kevin Chamberlin,  The Addams Family

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
 

Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
 

Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
 

Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
 

Lillias White, Fela!

And the Tony should go to: Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music

What follows now is a list of the artistic and design Tonys. Since it would be hard for me to pick a winner without having been able to see or hear all the nominees, I abstain from making any choices in the following categories. 

Best Scenic Design of a Play

John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family
 

Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter
 

Santo Loquasto, Fences
 

Christopher Oram, Red

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Marina Draghici, Fela!
 

Christine Jones, American Idiot
 

Derek McLane, Ragtime
 

Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

Best Costume Design of a Play

Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me a Tenor
 

Constanza Romero, Fences
 

David Zinn, In the Next Room or the vibrator play
 

Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Marina Draghici, Fela!
 

Paul Tazewell, Memphis
 

Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin, Hamlet
 

Neil Austin, Red
 

Mark Henderson, Enron
 

Brian MacDevitt, Fences

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, American Idiot
 

Donald Holder, Ragtime
 

Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles
 

Robert Wierzel, Fela!

Best Sound Design of a Play

Acme Sound Partners, Fences
 

Adam Cork, Enron
 

Adam Cork, Red
 

Scott Lehrer, A View from the Bridge

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles
 

Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
 

Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music
 

Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

Best Direction of a Play

Michael Grandage, Red
 

Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall
 

Kenny Leon, Fences
 

Gregory Mosher, A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical

Christopher Ashley, Memphis
 

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
 

Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
 

Bill T. Jones, Fela!

Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
 

Bill T. Jones, Fela!
 

Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
 

Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away

Best Orchestrations

Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles
 

Aaron Johnson, Fela!
 

Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises

Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis

Well, that will do it for my 2010 Tony Awards preview. Be sure to watch the Tonys next Sunday at 8 PM EST on CBS. I know I'll be watching it. Very likely live Tweeting the event much like I did last year so keep an eye out for details pertaining to that.

Last year I fell absolutely in love in the show Next To Normal thanks to the Tony Awards. Will that happen again with another show this year? We shall see. 

1 comment:

  1. Great post!!

    I have to say that Enron was my personal favorite show (play or musical) of the year, despite its untimely demise. This was followed closely by Red, which rocked my world.

    I agree with some and disagree with others...I guess we will see the results next week!! :) Can't wait!

    ReplyDelete