Which TV characters did Veganuary and which ones are sticking with it?by Randi / February 2, 2021Today’s show is a video stream presented by the Barn Theatre, available from today until March 7.
The Secret Society of Leading Ladies tries to make the pre-recorded multi-performer concert experience a little more engaging and a little more cohesive, by letting viewers decide which leading lady characters and songs will be part of their unique concert combo. Conceived of by Barn Theatre’s Ryan Carter, the show aims to create a world where our beloved (for the most part) characters somehow exist together, know each other, and take turns at the mike. With each viewer deciding their own setlist, the concept lets us make the experience as enjoyable as possible, while also catering to our lockdown-worsened attention spans.
The show definitely succeeds on the engaging front: Choosing what song you get to hear next is almost giddy fun, and exerting that kind of control in a show is pretty rare. (It’s also kind of a gift from the creative team to give us control over anything at this time, like they are doing more than therapists can. Anyway…) The production quality of the choose-your-next-player interactive menu was quite impressive, and you have plenty of time to weigh your options and decide if you’re more in the mood for a song from Ghost or Fame. I also liked that they showed pictures of each performer along with the song title in the choosing menu, so you can also decide based on performers you know and like and want to hear.
As for the cohesiveness, however, that was a disappointment. The idea that all these famed musical theatre characters were somehow at this venue together, aware of who the others were, and part of some secret society didn’t really gel, since – because of lockdown restrictions – they couldn’t really film conversations among the performers. (They tried a little bit to show them chatting (filmed and shown one at a time), but the pacing was as awkward as the commentary.) It would honestly be such a fun show to delve into how these famous characters from all sorts of shows would interact with each other, kind of like the higher-brow version of that Disney picture of all the cartoon princesses having a sleepover that lives rent-free in my head (I want to go to there/be a cartoon princess). But that idea didn’t really gel.
As a plain-old concert, though, it’s a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing all these familiar faces, some new-to-me faces, and hearing some songs I haven’t listened to in a while in a combination I definitely didn’t hear before.
Because it was essentially a concert, the featured moments favored belting over building characters or telling stories. The sound was a little wonky too, so any pitch problems came through way more noticeably than seemed right. I loved that even where a performance had some issues, the singer always brought it home with a huge belted note at the end, like they knew it almost didn’t matter what came before because most people will just remember a fantastic final note.
Yet as expected in a concert showcase performed by mainly yoots, the show often felt like the belting Olympics in more ways than just big endings, with vocal acrobatics given more consideration than inhabiting a character and telling that character’s story. Of course, it’s difficult to do the latter in just one song, but without much of it, the conceit that these were the characters and not the actors fell flat. “Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad”, performed by Emma Kingston was far and away the highlight, surprising because it’s from a score I’m very familiar with but not toooo fond of (Bonnie & Clyde) and originally sung by one of my favorite clear-voiced performers (Laura Osnes). This was the rare performance that told a story and used belting as a tool to do so, rather than just focusing on belting for belting’s sake. How many times can I say belting in one sentence, wow.
Note that it is quite short – only 5 choose-your-next-performer menus compose the show before the finale; we didn’t even finish eating dinner before it was over. Definitely choose a multi-stream ticket so that you can go back and watch the other performances as well; otherwise, it’s a little too short. Also, since each performer is presented as an option only once per show (regardless if you skipped them in round 1 – they don’t come back in round 4 as an option), the multi-stream ticket would let you watch e.g. two ladies from the same round.
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“Peter Pan Live!”: Could Have Fooled Me, NBC
Watch this instead
This may be totally over as a conversation by now but a) I am not in America and b) I couldn’t get through this in one sitting.
Big takeaway: Peter Pan is a weird ass show. If people came into the NBC musical broadcast without having a background in the story, they would deem it the stuff of nightmares. Mostly the nightmares of people who are against problematic gender norms, pedophilia, kidnapping, and weird sexual relationships. Considering that these live musicals are chosen to appeal to families – i.e. children – I’m sure that this production was indeed the first exposure to Pan for a big portion of the audience. This realization isn’t so much sad as f-ing nuts. Can you imagine seeing this broadcast without having a foundation in the story to protect your soul? Nightmares.
Big takeaway: Peter Pan is a weird ass show. If people came into the NBC musical broadcast without having a background in the story, they would deem it the stuff of nightmares. Mostly the nightmares of people who are against problematic gender norms, pedophilia, kidnapping, and weird sexual relationships. Considering that these live musicals are chosen to appeal to families – i.e. children – I’m sure that this production was indeed the first exposure to Pan for a big portion of the audience. This realization isn’t so much sad as f-ing nuts. Can you imagine seeing this broadcast without having a foundation in the story to protect your soul? Nightmares.
Peter Pan, based on this travesty from NBC, is about a rebellious girl who can fly between worlds. You know she is rebellious because she has short hair, ugly clothing, and a lack of emotion despite a constant smile. This rebel kidnaps two little boys and their inappropriately dressed older aunt and takes them to a modern version of the tunnel scene in Willy Wonka. Although the little boys have a lovely mother with the most beautiful voice ever (and I guess the aunt has such a sister?), their dad is a jackwagon so you’re okay with them getting some air for a while.
One of the boys wears a top hat. All the time. Even at bedtime. Even while flying. The other boy, no doubt scarred by his emotionally unavailable father, can’t think of any happy thoughts except for candy, setting him up for serious dental problems later in life, if not the ‘betus itself.
These three Darling people are tended to by Nana, a big fluffy dog who is smart enough to sense danger and protect her human siblings. Whyyy is the musical not about Nana? One of life’s unanswered questions. That dog is wicked smaht.
Peter Pan and his twinkling ball of light, which we are supposed to accept as a fairy even though we’ve seen full-bodied fairies like Stanley Tucci in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and all over New York, teach dear old aunt Wendy and the two boys how to fly, or really how to jerk around panicked and gracelessly when hoisted by very visible wires. Seeing the wires doesn’t bother me as much as everyone’s inability to fly without appearing to have constipation-induced seizures. Why are they so awkward? Did anyone teach them how to do the flying bits? Did they even have a chance to practice flying around before the live show? It doesn’t seem like it. They should have just done all CGI flying if it was going to be this bad.
In very little time at all, thanks to dear old Aunt Wendy’s breathlessness and fluttery eyes, we realize that this is actually a love story between Peter and Wendy, making J. M. Barrie’s tale perhaps the first lesbian fairy tale. But why does Peter, ostensibly a 25-year-old girl, need a 28-year-old girl to tuck her and her male followers in at night? It’s very creepy. But the story is quite progressive: Not only are Peter and Wendy lesbian lovers, but they are in an interspecies love triangle with a jealous ball of light. Wow. Much progress.
So the littlest boy, Michael, starts out as adorable before gradually getting more and more annoying. During the adorable phase, he grabs his teddy bear before flying off to Neverland. That is cute. What’s not cute is what would actually happen to the humans if they flew unprotected by spacesuits between freaking realms. Skin melting and stuff. That might be more entertaining though. This shit be dull. Peter/Allison Williams seems too embarrassed to fully commit to the role as lead lesbian lover. Gotta get over that before the second show.
Commercial break: Cool, a Wal-mart commercial with Melissa Joan Hart and I’m guessing her actual family of husband and three boy children who are playing with a toy fairy. It’s cute until the husband person says “I’m pretending it’s a helicopter.” That’s a cool message to send to all young boys, Wal-Mart, that to be male you can’t play with pretty colored toys or fairies unless you pretend it’s something MACHINE and MANLY. Cool. Outdated gender roles are the coolest. This is a good place to share one of my favorite infographics:
One of the boys wears a top hat. All the time. Even at bedtime. Even while flying. The other boy, no doubt scarred by his emotionally unavailable father, can’t think of any happy thoughts except for candy, setting him up for serious dental problems later in life, if not the ‘betus itself.
These three Darling people are tended to by Nana, a big fluffy dog who is smart enough to sense danger and protect her human siblings. Whyyy is the musical not about Nana? One of life’s unanswered questions. That dog is wicked smaht.
Peter Pan and his twinkling ball of light, which we are supposed to accept as a fairy even though we’ve seen full-bodied fairies like Stanley Tucci in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and all over New York, teach dear old aunt Wendy and the two boys how to fly, or really how to jerk around panicked and gracelessly when hoisted by very visible wires. Seeing the wires doesn’t bother me as much as everyone’s inability to fly without appearing to have constipation-induced seizures. Why are they so awkward? Did anyone teach them how to do the flying bits? Did they even have a chance to practice flying around before the live show? It doesn’t seem like it. They should have just done all CGI flying if it was going to be this bad.
In very little time at all, thanks to dear old Aunt Wendy’s breathlessness and fluttery eyes, we realize that this is actually a love story between Peter and Wendy, making J. M. Barrie’s tale perhaps the first lesbian fairy tale. But why does Peter, ostensibly a 25-year-old girl, need a 28-year-old girl to tuck her and her male followers in at night? It’s very creepy. But the story is quite progressive: Not only are Peter and Wendy lesbian lovers, but they are in an interspecies love triangle with a jealous ball of light. Wow. Much progress.
So the littlest boy, Michael, starts out as adorable before gradually getting more and more annoying. During the adorable phase, he grabs his teddy bear before flying off to Neverland. That is cute. What’s not cute is what would actually happen to the humans if they flew unprotected by spacesuits between freaking realms. Skin melting and stuff. That might be more entertaining though. This shit be dull. Peter/Allison Williams seems too embarrassed to fully commit to the role as lead lesbian lover. Gotta get over that before the second show.
Commercial break: Cool, a Wal-mart commercial with Melissa Joan Hart and I’m guessing her actual family of husband and three boy children who are playing with a toy fairy. It’s cute until the husband person says “I’m pretending it’s a helicopter.” That’s a cool message to send to all young boys, Wal-Mart, that to be male you can’t play with pretty colored toys or fairies unless you pretend it’s something MACHINE and MANLY. Cool. Outdated gender roles are the coolest. This is a good place to share one of my favorite infographics:
Back to the show: This narrator sounds like that English tart Lorraine Finster!!!
Once Peter, his new lover, and the boys get to Neverland – an impressively technicolored set – we get to meet our Captain Hook. No, not Christian Borle (Smee and Mr. Darling), who actually won a TONY for playing Captain Hook (at least a variation), but Christopher Walken, that singular adjuster of all rhythms of language that we thought were okay to accept as unchanging. Christopher Walken is on many drugs here but none of the ones that give energy, so that doesn’t bode well for the next too many hours.
Side note, when did Christian Borle DOUBLE his arm size?
Once Peter, his new lover, and the boys get to Neverland – an impressively technicolored set – we get to meet our Captain Hook. No, not Christian Borle (Smee and Mr. Darling), who actually won a TONY for playing Captain Hook (at least a variation), but Christopher Walken, that singular adjuster of all rhythms of language that we thought were okay to accept as unchanging. Christopher Walken is on many drugs here but none of the ones that give energy, so that doesn’t bode well for the next too many hours.
Side note, when did Christian Borle DOUBLE his arm size?
As we watch Christopher Walken stare at the cue cards next to the camera, we learn that pirates are these long-haired hot people who dance well. Why are people scared of pirates? They seem awesome. They probably have good tips for detangling hair after swimming in the ocean.
Although the story keeps telling us that we are supposed to be scared of Hook, a notorious pirate ship captain, it seems he’s really a Lower East Side drag queen with general malaise and a too-light shade of pancake makeup.
So distracted by Smee’s arms! I guess the camera does add 10 pounds, and it all goes to Christian Borle’s arms? Maybe he’s wearing fake arms?
The pirates’ carrying Hook on a sedan chair as his face betrays zero emotion is a metaphor for this show.
Christian Borle deserves a freaking Emmy for trying to breathe life into Walken. Seriously, he just blew into Walken’s arse. He literally tried to breathe life into him. He is not holding anything back. Gotta try everything.
Now we meet the Lost Boys. Given their costumes and homoerotic physicality, the Lost Boys are just Chilton drop-outs? Duke lacrosse players? Ah! Aside from giving us the progressive lesbian relationship, “Peter Pan” also tells important lessons about white male privilege. The whole Lost Boys aspect, it seems, is a precautionary tale about the current state of our society and its persistent, ignorant condoning of bad male behavior, continually excused as ‘just boys being boys’ or rewritten as a slam on irrelevant female behavior. These preppy prepschool boys in their striped rugby shirts and popped collars and colorful caps represent the Duke lacrosse players, the Steubenville football players, and all the other masses of men who are ‘lost’ because they don’t face necessary punishment and therefore never learn responsibility or proper ways to behave as respectable members of our society. So that’s what Peter Pan is about? Interesting. Is that why he’s played by a woman always? For feminism? Is that why they are singing this awful song about how Wendy will be their mother? “We have a mother at last we have a mother”, because their mothers are the only women they are able to recognize as deserving respect and the only ones who probably believe that they are decent at heart? I find the basic premise of rooting for the Lost Boys to defeat the Pirates as flawed. I want the pirates to win. These boys are trouble, if my hypothesis is correct. They will just inflict lots of pain and torture throughout their lives and get away with it. At least the pirates are honest about their intentions. Wow, Barrie was pretty prescient.
Moving on from sexism and misogyny to racism, within these enormous wedding bouquet trees, the Lost Boys are surrounded by the natives but they don’t know it. The natives (at least they are no longer calling them the Indians? I think?) literally have their feet on the Lost Boys’s asses but the Boys have no idea what’s going on. Is this a metaphor for American history, that the white Lost Boys can’t see the Indians right next to them? Or that they are blinded by their disregard of them?
Commercial break: F-ing A but “Into the Woods” looks AMAZING. I am so eager to see this movie instead of finish watching “Peter Pan” that I don’t think I can form full paragraphs for a while.
The Lost Boys KILL Wendy? What in the actual hell is this show? See, preppy prepschool white boys are TROUBLE TO WOMEN. And Tinkerbell is legit evil! Why is that ball of light not being extinguished? Why do people care if people don’t believe in her? She is EVIL.
Peter is actually singing about ‘Oh the pleasure she’ll bring to us’ about Wendy. This is so lesbians love story!
Omg MASS GROUP SHOWER SCENE this is vulgar. Why are all the Newsies in one small bathtub together? Do I have to rewatch Newsies to understand all the homoerotic subtext is that as well? Are all musicals this batshit? No.
“I Won’t Grow Up” really drives home my newly realized theory about this show being a scathing indictment of masculinity in modern society. These boys refuse to learn how to be better citizens! Refuse to mature and take responsibility! This show is deep. Neverland represents their mental state of everlasting “youth and joy and liberty”, their escape from being better members of actual society and living in a fantasy world of privilege and ignorance instead. Whoa.
Back to Peter and Wendy. They are going on a moonlight canoe ride on the lagoon. It’s pretty much the same setting as “Kiss The Girl” but without that amazing song. Or any song at all! Why can’t these two lovebirds have a beautiful duet on the water at this point? Nonetheless, this is pretty special. We don’t really get a lot of legit lesbian romance on television. There’s a lot of gay male relationships on TV, and thanks primarily to “How To Get Away With Murder” a lot of gay sex, but TV doesn’t give equal airtime to gay women. So this is nice.
Yet the story is making the common ignorant assumption that all women are jealous of each other over the menfolk or some shit like that. Why does every single female character need to be jealous of the others because they all love Peter? That look Wendy gave to Tiger Lily was a ‘bitch stay away’ if I ever saw one. And Even Older Aunt Wendy (who is ACTUALLY that English tart Lorraine Finster) lets her daughter run away with Peter? And they all wish that ALL the female descendants of Wendy will forever be taken away by Peter when they come of age? What is THAT creepy shit about! That’s a level of disgusting not even seen in Greek tragedies.
I’m focusing on the gay lovers and the Lost Boys’ metaphor because the rest of this is too dull to bother with. In the big climax sword fight between Hook and Pan, the pirates either fell asleep or sacrificed themselves to the sea witch to avoid having to watch any more. It was the slowest, most painfully uneventful sword fight OF ALL TIME. Who choreographed this? Kids do a better job playfighting with swords cut out of construction paper.
And as much as I love the Newsies, they are too old to be Lost Boys if the little Darling boys are meant to be their peers. They are actually old enough to be their fathers, and so the whole ‘Wendy be our mother!’ thing is just gross. That’s just gross.
I don’t have the energy to think any more about how dull this production was. I’m too disappointed in such a wasted opportunity. All I can say is thank god for Kelli O’Hara. And next year they better do “Hair”. Something worth watching.
Tony Toni Tone: It’s the Day of the Tony Awards!
I took this! I once was there!
IT’S CHRISTMAS IN JUNE!!!! Christmas!!! Chrriiisssstmass! I mean the Tonys! Same same!
Obviously this is the most exciting time of year, not just for me but for all of us, with all the past season’s shows come (and, sadly, some gone) and ready to be feted (fetid? feta’d like the cheese (don’t eat cheese)?) with the most important awards in theatre. Well, second most, as my opinions are obviously the most important. And at the same time we have all the shows of next season tantalizing us with their news and announcements. Hooray for Theatre Chrimble Day!
This season has been dominated by “Hamilton”, as everyone in their right mind except for every single person I talk to in England knows (seriously no one knows it here and I’m like COME ON NOW I even made my gym listen to the album during a circuits class no I am not a trainer but I like to boss people around). But, unlike what CBS would have you believe in their attempts to advertise the awards, there’s much much more to this absolutely splendid season than “Hamilton”. Yes it’s probably the greatest show ever, but you know what? This season had so many other productions that also made it onto my greatest shows ever list. It was a standout year by any means, and it just happened to also be the year of “Hamilton”. I truly hope that it wins the awards it deserves to win, and while that is a lot of them, it is not all of them. I hope the voters don’t get swept away in Ham fever, as they did in the nomination process/as the whole world is overall, but I also hope they don’t get bogged down by any desire to incite a backlash or anything.
Okay, confession time: I can’t talk about the plays this season. I only saw a few…actually I saw one new one (“King Charles III”) and one revival (“Noises Off”). I really think that was all. Both were very special: KS3 was a future-historical tense play, lots of will have hads, about what might happen after Queen Elizabeth dies and Charles ascends the throne (get it he’ll be the third Charles). It was a fascinating look at the royal family and I loved how they made the semi-villain the person everyone would least expect. (Except me. I would totally expect her.) But it only brought a limited run over from London (confession, that’s where I saw it, but the same cast was brought over for Bway like a day later so it’s the same) and closed back in January, so the chances of it winning are low, despite how crazy Americans get over everything Britain farts out. As for “Noises Off”, it was one of the absolute funniest, most flawless productions I’ve ever seen. Telling the tale of a group of nutters trying to put on a play, the first act shows rehearsals (going pretty ridiculously badly), the second act shows the production from the audience’s point of view (going pretty wrong), and the third act shows the production going on another time from backstage (going absolutely bonkers). Getting all the bits from different perspectives and recognizing where things from earlier came into play later reminded me of “The Norman Conquests”, the greatest comedy plays I’ve ever ever ever seen. And the cast (Andrea Martin?! Megan Hilty?! Jeremy Shamos?! Rob McClure?! Tracee Chimo?! So many!) was amazing. Really. I would love for it to win Best Revival of a Play, but it will probably go to one of the very depressing dramas on hand. OH I also saw ‘A View from the Bridge’ because it transferred from London and we saw it here! Okay! I saw three!
But, despite living in London, I did make some time for the musicals. I would like to see everything that opens each season and some years I’ve done an incredible job with both musicals and plays but I mean I live in London so bite me. I’ve emboldened the picks below, either what I believe will win, what I want to win, or both, just read the text to get an idea. Let’s go!
Okay, confession time: I can’t talk about the plays this season. I only saw a few…actually I saw one new one (“King Charles III”) and one revival (“Noises Off”). I really think that was all. Both were very special: KS3 was a future-historical tense play, lots of will have hads, about what might happen after Queen Elizabeth dies and Charles ascends the throne (get it he’ll be the third Charles). It was a fascinating look at the royal family and I loved how they made the semi-villain the person everyone would least expect. (Except me. I would totally expect her.) But it only brought a limited run over from London (confession, that’s where I saw it, but the same cast was brought over for Bway like a day later so it’s the same) and closed back in January, so the chances of it winning are low, despite how crazy Americans get over everything Britain farts out. As for “Noises Off”, it was one of the absolute funniest, most flawless productions I’ve ever seen. Telling the tale of a group of nutters trying to put on a play, the first act shows rehearsals (going pretty ridiculously badly), the second act shows the production from the audience’s point of view (going pretty wrong), and the third act shows the production going on another time from backstage (going absolutely bonkers). Getting all the bits from different perspectives and recognizing where things from earlier came into play later reminded me of “The Norman Conquests”, the greatest comedy plays I’ve ever ever ever seen. And the cast (Andrea Martin?! Megan Hilty?! Jeremy Shamos?! Rob McClure?! Tracee Chimo?! So many!) was amazing. Really. I would love for it to win Best Revival of a Play, but it will probably go to one of the very depressing dramas on hand. OH I also saw ‘A View from the Bridge’ because it transferred from London and we saw it here! Okay! I saw three!
But, despite living in London, I did make some time for the musicals. I would like to see everything that opens each season and some years I’ve done an incredible job with both musicals and plays but I mean I live in London so bite me. I’ve emboldened the picks below, either what I believe will win, what I want to win, or both, just read the text to get an idea. Let’s go!
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BEST MUSICAL
Bright Star Hamilton School of Rock Shuffle Along Waitress Not really sure about this one just kidding adurr “Hamilton” is the greatest musical of all time so yeah it will win. If it wasn’t nominated, I think “Shuffle Along” is the clear second place, as I said in my last pre-Tony review. But I think it should be a much closer race for second than it is. “Waitress” and “Bright Star” have lovely unique scores (by famous people!) and lovely quiet stories, while “School of Rock” is a super fun ride that makes audiences happy. What a solid year! Though I don’t think any of the four really scream best musical of the year like, say, “Dear Evan Hanson” did for me (but it was off-Broadway (next year woot!)). Well it’s a good thing this is all a moo point because “Hamilton” knows what to do in the trench ingenuitive and fluent in French I mean… LEADING ACTOR MUSICAL
Alex Brightman, School of Rock Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof Zachary Levi, She Loves Me Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton God I know I say ‘any other year’ a lot and sometimes you’re just like ‘well no…there will be stronger stuff in any other year too…’ but for Danny Burstein it’s really true. He’s the Kelli O’Hara of male Broadway actors, having been nominated five or six times without a win. He is a workhorse and a darling and really who on earth would have ever thought that he WOULDN’T be winning for his turn as Tevye, the role he was born to play? But “Hamilton” really put the kibosh on a lot of those kinds of stories, so I’m sorry Danny, please keep doing lots of shows and maybe hopefully one day you’ll get yours. Zachary Levi was surprisingly fantastic in “She Loves Me”, stealing the show from his cast of Broadway stalwarts and stars with his endless charm and impeccable timing. But the year of “Hamilton” means the year of extraordinary male performances in “Hamilton”. Lin, the creator, really is great in the title role, and although at first I was upset he won the very prestigious Drama League award (only awarded to one acting performance across the board every season –men, women, featured, lead, doesn’t matter, just one gets it), but he really did deserve it: His performance defines this season, it’s the thing people will remember most, and that is kind of what that award does. But for the Tony, I don’t think Lin should beat Odom/yeah he’s good with the words cuz he wrote ‘em/but Leslie’s voice and acting overflowed him/and I hope tonight we’re all saying ‘Philly boy you damn showed ‘em’. He’s RG. FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me Jennifer Simard, Disaster! Adrienne Warren, Shuffle Along This one is much harder than I ever thought it would be. After seeing “Hamilton” last year, way too long ago now and I am suffering withdrawal and why didn’t I buy all the tickets when nobody knew what it was yet I only got two what the hell is wrong with me, the one thing I remember thinking DURING “Satisfied” was “Renee is going to win a Tony”. Everyone seemed to think so. But the bad thing about a show opening so far away from the Tonys is that new things come in and people take over that spotlight and some voters forget how amazing older performances were. Danielle Brooks has gotten raves for her excellent job in Purps, as has Adrienne Warren pulling double duty. Somehow, Jennifer Simard’s truly hilarious turn as a gambling-addicted nun in the truly ridiculous Disaster! has gained traction lately with everyone wanting to see her perform on the telecast, and what was once a surprisingly cool nomination is now considered by some pundits to be a dark horse for the award. But that shit kinda cray. The real dark horse, or maybe frontrunner, is Jane Krakowski as Ilona in “She Loves Me”, or as I called her, the “Miss Rhode Island” of it, and if you get that, we should be friends. Her definitive take on the role has garnered her several of the lead-up/Golden Globe style awards. But my money’s still on Renee, not just because of Hamilton’s potential to sweep but because she was breathtaking and if I could vote, I would vote for her. And Daveed in every category. BEST BOOK
Steve Martin, Bright Star Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton Julian Fellowes, School of Rock George C. Wolfe, Shuffle Along, Or the Rest of the Title I meannnn how cool is it that Steve Martin is nominated for two Tony Awards! I like him very much! Also am I the only person who whenever Julian Fellowes is mentioned goes “Hello I’m Julian Fellowes!” in Tracy Morgan’s voice? Um anyway, so book. Several pundits and people who think they are smart choose ‘Shuffle Along’ to win for book, just to spread the wealth around from “Hamilton” but also because some TRUE IDIOTS think that sung-through shows don’t have books. Listen people, if you are someone who thinks that, then you do not have ANY IDEA what the book is, and you do not deserve the right to call yourself a journalist or a theatre critic or really anyone who knows things, because you don’t. As for the former reason, to spread the wealth, it’s an equally bad reason because omg don’t give an award that Hamilton actually really deserves to the one with the worst book! Seriously, “Shuffle” had the potential to be an unbelievable show, but the book is a mess. THE BOOK IS ITS BIGGEST PROBLEM. So that critics want to award THAT aspect of it over other much more deserving parts gives me agita something fierce. I don’t want “Hamilton” to sweep, really (especially Lead Actress), but it should absolutely win the awards it deserves to win, and book is one of them. |
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
The Color Purple Fiddler on the Roof She Loves Me Spring Awakening Confession (again): I haven’t seen “Fiddler” yet. I love “Fiddler” though, hell I was in “Fiddler” (not on Broadway) (yet) (look so Jewish) (even more so in London because my hair is frizzier in this weather) (I’m getting away from myself) and I love Danny Burstein, so I have no qualms about including it in the mix when I say this is the best season I can remember (or read about) for musical revivals. The other three, the ones I saw, were absolutely flawless. Throughout and after “Color Purple”, “She Loves Me”, and “Spring Awakening” I thought to myself (in the very very few rare moments when I was aware that I was still a person and not part of the air in that theatre just floating in admiration) “Holy crap, this is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.” So what a competition! That’s why those three are all italicized above – I would be happy if any of them won. The reimagining of “Spring Awakening”, using deaf actors and sign language to add even more depth and genius to that beautiful show (god that scene with Krysta Rodriguez) (holy crap that ending scenery), in any other year would have be the clear winner, I think, but its limited run ended in January and that’s a really big hurdle to overcome. But also, it’s so f-ing competitive because of the other two shows: first, the beyond sublime giddy puppy of a show peeing all over your feet and running around in circles until you down and pet it “She Loves Me”, the musical version of “You’ve Got Mail” so, ya know, perfection. This is How to Perfectly do a Revival Method 1: stay true to its heart, exactingly traditional and true, but do it perfectly. The last one, “The Color Purple”, the one that rips your heart out and stuffs hot burning sand into the hole it left but then rebuilds your heart a little bigger than it was before (not in a congenital enlarged heart way but in a full of love way) and gently puts it back where it belongs and then gives you a big bear hug through tears, is How to Perfectly do a Revival Method 2: scale down what wasn’t necessary before and let the emotional center soar without excess baggage so that the beautiful story and score shines more than anyone previously thought possible. This year, I think “Purple” has the edge because Method 2 proved more exciting and spell-binding and life-changing for all viewers. It also had a secret weapon, an immigrant we know and love who’s unafraid to step in and show the world that she is a force that no one can dare reckon with (see below). But honestly, any of these would be deserving winners, which is an awesome, rare thing to be able to say about any category in any thing ever. LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me Carmen Cusack, Bright Star Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple Jessie Mueller, Waitress Phillipa Soo, Hamilton To give you an idea of how competitive this category was for nominations, Audra wasn’t even nominated even though she was fantastic and is always award-worthy even in crap like Ricki and the Flash which I couldn’t even finish on an airplane except for her scenes. Just such strong performances by talented women this year. But now that we’re actually talking about the award, I don’t think this is competitive at all. Sure, Laura Benanti (“in any other year!”) is beloved onstage and gives a phenomenal performance, heartfelt and sung superbly and hilarious too; and sure Phillipa is really lovely in the monster smash of a generation and lots of fangirls want her to win despite her role being a little below the standard of what I think this category requires; and sure Jessie Mueller is always dependably worthy and gives show-stopping performances that break your heart; and sure Carmen Cusack is giving a wonderful Broadway debut that has charmed everyone who has seen her. But, no. Nope. Cynthia Erivo is to right now what Audra McDonald was in the ‘90s (and also now and forever) – a game changer. Talent like this doesn’t come around often and performances like hers don’t soon leave your memory. She is unstoppable and if she doesn’t win, it’ll be like when Raul Esparza didn’t win for “Company” but approximately 41 billion times worse. I mean awards don’t matter and all and she is so talented that the Tony can’t really begin to recognize how amazing she is but still she deserves it. And I’m not just saying this because we are friends. (It counts if I baked for her and she ate it and we talked about it right. That’s all friendship is.) FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton Brandon Victor Dixon, Shuffle Along Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress Jonathan Groff, Hamilton Christopher Jackson, Hamilton DAVEED MY MANNNN. Daveed is so good in “Hamilton” it’s not really fair to other actors. Like in the world. He’s a rapper (and maybe the best one on earth omg listen to clipping. right now) and was a theatre major at Brown (where my friend knew him! Or her friend did! It’s hard to remember because my head exploded!), but wasn’t really known in the theatre world at all before his debut in “Ham” and now he’s just THE GREATEST MAN ALIVE well no not that but seriously everyone adores him and you can’t not adore him and he’s absolutely incredible in two very different roles and if he doesn’t come to London with it I will be quite sad. Give him all the Tonys. Gonna do my only ‘should have been nominated’ comment here. Okierete Onaodowan (also my friend because of baked goods in London) should have been nominated over one of the others, probably Jon Groff whom I absoluuutely adooore but was onstage for 3 minutes. He was hilarious and perfect, but Oak does some seriously impressive acting up there as the bigger than life Hercules Mulligan in the first act and then the taciturn, sickly, small professor of a politician James Madison in the second. He’s really incredible. |
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Bright Star, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell (who i keep calling Little Edie)
Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda
School of Rock, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater
Waitress, Sara Bareilles
How cool is it that Sara Bareilles wrote a musical and it’s actually great?? How cool is it that Steve Martin wrote this charming show of mostly banjo music and it’s lovely?? How cool is it that Sir Andrew in the Hot Pants has a new show?? Pretty cool!
Hamilton.
Bright Star, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell (who i keep calling Little Edie)
Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda
School of Rock, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater
Waitress, Sara Bareilles
How cool is it that Sara Bareilles wrote a musical and it’s actually great?? How cool is it that Steve Martin wrote this charming show of mostly banjo music and it’s lovely?? How cool is it that Sir Andrew in the Hot Pants has a new show?? Pretty cool!
Hamilton.
OTHERS THAT I CARE ABOUT IT’S JUST TWO REALLY:
Savion Glover must win choreography for “Shuffle Along”. It was not only the best part of that show, but it was the best choreography of the season. What he can do with tap dancing is beyond awards. I love that he makes tap dancing seem so necessary and fresh and somehow like the physical version of hip-hop music. It’s very cool. He’s doing for dance in theatre what Lin is doing for music.
Savion Glover must win choreography for “Shuffle Along”. It was not only the best part of that show, but it was the best choreography of the season. What he can do with tap dancing is beyond awards. I love that he makes tap dancing seem so necessary and fresh and somehow like the physical version of hip-hop music. It’s very cool. He’s doing for dance in theatre what Lin is doing for music.
The other thing I care about is Lighting and anything technical, which should absolutely go to American Psycho, which I didn’t see (so sad, so sad), but which I know from clips (legal) and people whose opinions I respect revolutionized the use of projections and computers to tell their story. I like that they pushed the boundaries in every single way, and at least they should be awarded in some way here. However, I think “She Loves Me” should win for Set Design, because that incredible toybox set so beautifully defined what splendor can come on Broadway stages.
Here’s my last confession of the day: I can’t watch this shit live, I mean come on it’s starting at 1am my time. So please don’t text me your reactions to what happens. You CAN send emails and write comments because I won’t read those until after I watch. Enjoy! Don’t forget to leave out a plate of cookies and (nondairy) milk for the ghost of Ethel Merman!
