Tony Committee Declares Max/Laura Leading Actor/Actress

MrE1111 · Guru

Tony Committee Declares Max/Laura Leading Actor/Actress

stlgreaser · Veteran Member

I think this is awesome! Sure they have some competition but hey! there is still a chance! Cant wait to see them there!

karidaberixx · Senior Member

this is great! i hope jenny and matt get nominated for best supporting actor/actress!

MrE1111 · Guru

Tough(est) competition in terms of featured actress categories:

Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman (Xanadu), Sutton Foster, Andrea Martin, and Megan Mullally (Young Frankenstein), Sherie Rene Scott (The Little Mermaid), Laura Benanti (Gypsy - my predicted winner), Leslie Kritzer (A Catered Affair), Loretta Sayer (South Pacific), Alli Mauzey (Cry-Baby).

Featured Actor:

Tony Roberts (Xanadu), Christopher Fitzgerald (Young Frankenstein - my predicted winner), Danny Burstein (South Pacific), Boyd Gaines (Gypsy), Harvey Fierstein (A Catered Affair), Chris Hanke (Cry-Baby).

themusicman · Veteran Member

Let's hope one of them manages to win. Even so, let's hope they perform at the Tonys.

Maxismylove · Senior Member

Just to be clear, this means that they are up for consideration by the nominating committee but have not yet been nominated for a Tony in those categories.
I sure hope the show is nominated for best revival.

grannygreaser · Senior Member

Maxismylove wrote:
I sure hope the show is nominated for best revival.

I hope so also, since that would mean an opportunity for a musical number from the show at the Tony Awards. I would love to see nominations for Max, Laura, Jenny, Matt and others involve, but there is a lot of competiton out there. How many revivals are we looking at that are eligible for the Tonys this year?

Ray · Senior Member

I thought that Actors in a New Musical and Actors in a Revival were in separate categories. Shows how much attention I paid to this show in the past. Does Patti LuPone have any realistic competition? I don't know any of the other people.

MrE1111 · Guru

grannygreaser - The revivals this season are Grease, Gypsy, South Pacific, and Sunday in the Park with George. Because there are never as many revivals as there are new musicals, the nominating committee only has to nominate 75% of the revivals that open. Grease could very well be left in the cold, considering how it's not very highly regarded within the theatrical community.

Ray, Actors in new musicals and revivals are in the same category. Many feel that Momma Rose is the role Patti LuPone is meant to play, but last summer's production at New York CityCenter (which this revival is a transfer of) created two camps - those who loved the whole damn thing and those who felt that it was Patti bowing to the pressure of carrying the show and playing herself rather than the character.

Right now, British actress Jenna Russell has the edge, having won the Olivier (the London Tony) for her performance in 'Sunday.' You can also make a case for Kelli O'Hara, the Tony nomination favorite, Faith Prince, one of the "legends," Kerry Butler, the talented still up-and-comer, and Priscilla Lopez, a former Tony winner.

Laura Mom · Senior Member

What an extreme informative edge those living in or around New York City have in just their knowledge base of these different shows and their actors and actresses! By contrast if you can imagine what you know about the MInneapolis theatre world, that's sometimes about how much I feel I know about Broadway. And I love theatre! But I'm lucky to usually get to New York even once a year (before Laura was out there) so obviously have seen a small number of shows and just do not even necessarily recognize even pretty big names on Broadway. How I wish I had your knowledge and ability to see so many shows! Thanks again for keeping us informed. It will be fun to know that Max and Laura, the rest of cast, and the show itself can at least be CONSIDERED for nominations. It will be fun to watch this year, indeed.

broadwaydiva80 · Member

This is awesome!!! Here is a link in case anyone wants to see the article

http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=24497

MrE1111 · Guru

Jane, in any normal season, the quote is "well, it's an honor just to be nominated." This is the first season in recent memory where they quote is "well, it's an honor just to be considered!"

This seems like a tough year for musicals - many Broadway favorites appearing, but it's an even tougher year for plays. In fact, this is the first season (again in recent memory) where only 2 NEW musicals opened before the new year 2008 began. By contrast, in a week's timespan, 5 plays opened to rave reviews. (FYI - If you're in town before April 9, do see August: Osage County, the best American play to open on Broadway in years.)

Among the high profile names on Broadway this season - Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Kevin Kline, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Harvey Fierstein, Laurence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman, Francis McDormand, Laura Linney...

Just to be considered in that company would make me beam from ear to ear.

Laura Mom · Senior Member

Well said, Mr. E!

grannygreaser · Senior Member

MrE1111 wrote:

grannygreaser - The revivals this season are Grease, Gypsy, South Pacific, and Sunday in the Park with George. Because there are never as many revivals as there are new musicals, the nominating committee only has to nominate 75% of the revivals that open. Grease could very well be left in the cold, considering how it's not very highly regarded within the theatrical community.

Thanks for the info, MrE. It's too bad "Grease" is not regarded highly. I really enjoyed this production and for me, it's the fastest two hours I've spent in a theater, even after seeing it five times now. Still not tired of it. It's the first time I've seen it on Broadway although I've seen several other productions, but it really stands out for me. I really liked Kathleen Marshall's approach, but I realize I am in the minority here.

Ray · Senior Member

grannygreaser.....regarding Kathleen's approach, here's a possible scenario...
Given that Sandy is the central character, in that everything revolves around her, especially Danny...

Let's say that Kathleen went into the tv show knowing that she wanted a serious core to the show.
It follows that the panel would promote Laura to the top spot, as she is the serious type, not a musical comedy actress.
If the original Bostwick/Demas interpretation had been the goal, Ashley would have been the obvious choice. Max could go either way.

If none of this is true, and Kathleen had to shape the show to accommodate Laura's personality, then the present interpretation is more Laura's than Kathleen's. In any case, you like it, and I'm not sure that you are in the minority.

MrE1111 · Guru

I don't know how right or wrong you are, considering that casting was based SOLELY on the votes, and that Marshall was booked with her next project (a high profile revival of a high profile classic musical) which was postponed until the 2008-2009 season because the Grease show came a'knocking.

I can't speak for her, but I think it's fair to say that she went in blind in terms of interpretation. My biggest problem was how straight-forward the production was. Marshall has won two Tony Awards for Best Choreography, for reinventing shows widely regarded as "old chestnuts" - Wonderful Town and The Pajama Game. There was nothing in this production that was radical in any way, shape, or form. It was a run o'the mill production of Grease, as opposed to a re-invention, which it could easily have been.

Regarding tayloring the show to fit personalities, one of the best/worst (depending on who you talk to) kept secrets were the consolation prizes which would have been awarded if the final voting had turned out different.

-- Edited by MrE1111 at 03:20, 2008-01-24

singingdoc · Veteran Member

Mr.E-
You've peaked my curiosity. What prizes does "the street" say would have been awarded, had Max and Laura not won their roles?

gramps3 · Senior Member

singingdoc wrote:

Mr.E-
You've peaked my curiosity. What prizes does "the street" say would have been awarded, had Max and Laura not won their roles?

Me too.

Stan/gramps3

Laura Mom · Senior Member

Me three!

Ray · Senior Member

Way back when, in the heat of battle, rumor had it that Max would have been offered Doody, and Laura one of the Pink Ladies.

In the unlikely event that the public would not vote in accordance with the panel's wishes, the panel probably had a Plan B, but it doesn't matter now.

MrE1111 · Guru

Shhh! It's a secret!

-- Edited by MrE1111 at 22:56, 2008-01-25

themusicman · Veteran Member

I'm not big on conspiracy theory. The panel wanted Austin because when he got the least amount of votes, they still picked him over Chad.

And Ashley was just as good as Laura.

Ray · Senior Member

C'mon now, musicman, when it came down to Austin vs. Max, who did all three panel members pick? Or did you miss that episode?

Going back to Austin over Chad... Austin was the far superior singer, but outrageously unsuitable for Danny... This made him almost certain to lose against Max, and that's what they were banking on, literally.

No argument about Ashley. In fact, "It Takes Two" had what is lacking in Grease.

Kait · Senior Member

This is all just speculation, though, right? We don't know what was actually in the judges' minds, or if they agreed on every point. (I highly doubt that they did.) I am a Max fan and undoubtedly have a bias, but it seemed to me that he had to work his way upward throughout the show. Only on that last show did all of the judges choose him.

More of my .02:

I'm stuck way out here in Kansas with no 'ins' to the theater world, but I heard the Max-Doody rumors -- only through the Online boards!! Never heard the rumor about Laura getting a Pink Lady role. I wonder about the validity of either rumor because they scream of unfairness. If Max and Laura were being considered for such an honor, why weren't any other of the very talented hopefuls? If the public is to believe they have a real say, they have to have the say.

I'm no music expert, but I'd never believe that Austin was a far superior singer to Chad. Both are talented in different ways.

Ray · Senior Member

Excellent post, Kait... You're absolutely right. It's all speculation, conjecture, personal opinion. The rumors are irrelevant.
As for the public having a real say, they simply did what the panel advised them to do. I believe there were only two shows where the voters had the last word, and in both cases, the panel made it clear who they wanted.