FCS: Special 2013 Tony Awards Edition

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Happy Tony Awards Day!

It's like Easter for the theater community!

I thought about doing a post like this - in celebration of this most blessed day - last year, but didn't get around to it.

But first, a few words of background:

As I've often said, I'm NOT a theater insider.  I'm just a guy who loves to see shows.  I haven't seen everything, but I have seen many of the nominated shows.  I also tend to follow theater related news fairly closely, so I have a pretty decent working knowledge of all of the shows - even the ones I haven't seen.

Now, a word about my process for this post:

I filled out my "ballot" from the New York Times and these are my choices.  It's a mix of predictions and wishes.  In some categories I've selected the recipient that I expect to win because of the buzz I've heard.  In some categories I've selected the recipient that I hope to win because of my strong feelings.  I'll try to note which selection is which as I go along, along with maybe a few comments here and there.

In each category below, the title or name in italics is my choice for the award.  Once the winners are announced, I'll update the post so that the actual winners appear in bold.  I'll put an asterisk (*) before shows/performances I've actually seen.  Won't it be interesting to see how many I get right?!

The Tony Awards are the ultimate "From the Cheap Seats" experience - my seat is right in my living room!

Don't forget to tune in on CBS at 8:00 pm on the East Coast!  (Pre-show festivities can be viewed online at tonyawards.com - red carpet arrivals at 6:00, pre-broadcast awards at 7:00)

So here's my ballot:

Best Musical - I think it's going to be the Matilda year in the musical category

Best Play - I LOVED The Testament of Mary, but I really think it's going to be Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical - I sort of doubt it will ACTUALLY go to Laura Osnes, but I really wish it would.  She was a dream in the role of Cinderella.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical - again, it seems sort of unlikely, but Rob McClure was brilliant in this short-lived, but delightful show.

Best Original Score - again, it's the Matilda year...  But I have at least heard bits of the recordings of all of the shows, and I could see that Matilda should get this one.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play - this one isn't just a hope, but a sort of prediction.  Not only was Cicely Tyson brilliant and completely deserving, but she's getting old.  She's 89.  This may be her last chance to win a Tony, and I think the voters may take that into account.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play - the fact of Tom Hanks' star power, and the fact that he is so generally beloved, and so rare to live theater makes for this prediction
  • Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
  • Nathan Lane, The Nance
  • Tracy Letts, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
  • Tom Sturridge, Orphans

Best Revival of a Musical - this is more of a wish than a prediction.  If I were to "predict" in this category, I'd probably say Pippin.  But any result other than Annie will please me.

Best Direction of a Musical - highly unlikely that I'm right on this one, but I can't decide between the other three.

Best Direction of a Play - I haven't seen any of them, so I'm just going with buzz, here...
  • Pam MacKinnon, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • Nicholas Martin, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
  • Bartlett Sher, Golden Boy
  • George C. Wolfe, Lucky Guy

Book of a Musical - again, it's the Matilda year

Best Revival of a Play - obviously I just chose the only one I saw, but it WAS great!

Best Performance by an Acrtress in a Featured Role in a Musical - this would be a bit of a coup, if I'm right, but she was an outstanding member of that cast.  And even though the show wasn't excellent, and didn't do well at the box office, it was better than it got credit for being.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical - I'm pretty sure I'm wrong about this one, but he was superb in Drood.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play - a total shot in the dark, based on buzz.  But at least you can see that I'm not just picking the shows I saw...  haha
  • Carrie Coon, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
  • Shalita Grant, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
  • Judith Ivey, The Heiress
  • Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
  • *Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful

Best Lighting Design of a Play - okay, maybe this time I'm just picking the one I saw...

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play - you know how I keep saying it's the Matilda year on the musical side?  Well, I think it's the Vanya... year on the play side.
  • Danny Burstein, Golden Boy
  • Richard Kind, The Big Knife
  • Billy Magnussen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
  • Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy
  • Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy

Best Sound Design of a Play - So.  Sound Design isn't really something that I usually pay a lot of attention to.  But it was SO good in Testament... that I noticed it.  I'm pretty sure I even wrote about it.  Since that's so rare for me, I can't imagine that any of the others could have been much better.

Best Sound Design of a Musical - WOW! A musical category where Matilda doesn't get a nomination! Weird! haha...  But as to my pick - just picked the one I saw.  No idea, really. (see above - this isn't really my category...)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical - I've said it before...

Best Choreography - part of me thinks my choice here is a long shot, but in reality, the acrobatics in Bring It On were amazing.  I'm surprised the show didn't last longer than it did.

Best Orchestrations - I haven't seen the others, but the orchestrations in Cinderella were superb.

Best Scenic Design of a Play - totally a biased wish.  I have a friend who worked on The Nance in this department.
  • John Lee Beatty, The Nance
  • Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
  • David Rockwell, Lucky Guy
  • Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy

Best Scenic Design of a Musical - It will probably be Matilda, but just a shot in the dark for me...

Best Costume Design of a Play - again, just pulling for my friend's show, even though this wasn't directly his department.  Though this is high on my "to see" list.
  • Soutra Gilmour, Cyrano de Bergerac
  • Ann Roth, The Nance
  • Albert Wolsky, The Heiress
  • Catherine Zuber, Golden Boy

Best Costume Design of a Musical -  this one isn't actually a shot in the dark, just picking the one I saw sort of pick.  The costumes in Cinderella were beyond spectacular.  Not just that they were beautiful and appropriate to the setting, but they actually contributed to the story telling through the transformations of both Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother.  I'll be disappointed if I'm wrong on this one.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I think you're underestimating KB. While Matilda got great reviews early on, and was a favorite, once KB opened it took the lead. Pretty sure it's going to sweep things; maybe one or two for Matilda.
S&V&M&S, on the other hand, I agree should win.
June 9, 2013 at 3:17:00 PM EDT
Jon M. Richardson said…
I fully accept that I may be wrong... And I fully admit that I haven't seen either, yet. But from the clips I've seen, and the music I've heard, I can't get excited about Kinky Boots. I might feel differently if I had the full experience of it... We'll see! Just a few hours now! :)
June 9, 2013 at 3:47:00 PM EDT
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