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Random & occasional musings on theatre-related topics...   

My Ten-Second Tonys

6/8/2014

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As a true fan and very experienced audience member, by choice and with no obligations, professional or otherwise, I find it interesting to consider the Tony Awards categories/nominees to see which nominee in each category rises to the top of my own list within the first 10 seconds.  Definitely not predictions, these are my truly instinctive picks, based only on the fact that my heart went to the choice of its own accord.  Oh, and I've exercised my elf prerogative to make a 15-second choice too :)!

I have to resist the urge to overthink, because in my experience theater-goers walk out of the theaters with "of the moment" impressions that are generally not subject to change after more discussion with those of varying opinions.  Theater is ephemeral, often emotional, sometimes just plain fun, and even life-changing for some.  When you see a show, it is your personal reaction that counts.  I love the Tony Awards, especially because they shine a bright light on the marvelous array of choices for folks wanting to take in a show.  And it's so great to see these incredibly hard-working artists/performers get international attention.

So here, in each official category, are my 10-second Tonys:

Best Play

Act One / Author:  James Lapine
All The Way / Author:  Robert Schenkkan
Casa Valentina / Author:  Harvey Fierstein
Mothers and Sons / Author:  Terrence McNally
Outside Mullingar / Author:  John Patrick Shanley

Picture
10-Second: 


Casa Valentina

Picture
15-Second:

Outside Mullingar

Best Musical

After Midnight
Aladdin
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Picture
10-Second:

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Picture
15-Second:

Beautiful 
The Carole King Musical

Best Revival of a Play

The Cripple of Inishmaan
The Glass Menagerie
A Raisin in the Sun
Twelfth Night
Picture
10-Second:


The Glass Menagerie

Picture
15-Second:

Twelfth Night

Best Revival of a Musical

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Les Misérables
Violet
Picture
10-Second:

Violet

Picture
15-Second:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Book of a Musical

Aladdin / Chad Beguelin
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical / Douglas McGrath
Bullets Over Broadway / Woody Allen
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder / Robert L. Freedman
Picture
10-Second:

Beautiful

Picture
15-Second:

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

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

Aladdin / Music: Alan Menken / Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin 
The Bridges of Madison County / Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown 
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder  / Music: Steven Lutvak / Lyrics: Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak 
If/Then / Music: Tom Kitt / Lyrics: Brian Yorkey 
Picture
10-Second:

The Bridges of Madison County

Picture
15-Second:

If/Then

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Samuel Barnett, Twelfth Night
Bryan Cranston, All The Way
Chris O'Dowd, Of Mice and Men
Mark Rylance, Richard III
Tony Shalhoub, Act One
Picture
10-Second:

Bryan Cranston, All The Way

Picture
15-Second:

Samuel Barnett, Twelfth Night

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn
Picture
10-Second:


Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill

Picture
15-Second:

Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ramin Karimloo, Les Misérables
Andy Karl, Rocky
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Bryce Pinkham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Picture
10-Second:

Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Picture
15-Second:

Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Mary Bridget Davies, A Night with Janis Joplin
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Kelli O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County
Picture
10-Second:

Jessie Mueller, Beautiful The Carole King Musical

Picture
15-Second:

Idina Menzel, If/Then

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Paul Chahidi, Twelfth Night
Stephen Fry, Twelfth Night
Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night
Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie
Picture
10-Second:

Reed Birney, Casa Valentina

Picture
15-Second:

Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Sarah Greene, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun
Anika Noni Rose, A Raisin in the Sun
Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina
Picture
10-Second:

Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie

Picture
15-Second:

Sarah Greene, The Cripple of Inishmaan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Danny Burstein, Cabaret
Nick Cordero, Bullets Over Broadway
Joshua Henry, Violet
James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin
Jarrod Spector, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Picture
10-Second:


Joshua Henry, Violet

Picture
15-Second:

Jarrod Spector , Beautiful The Carole King Musical

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Linda Emond, Cabaret
Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Anika Larsen, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Adriane Lenox, After Midnight
Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Picture
10-Second:

Anika Larsen, Beautiful The Carole King Musical





(photo courtesy of playbillvault.com)

Picture
15-Second:

Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, Act One
Bob Crowley, The Glass Menagerie
Es Devlin, Machinal
Christopher Oram, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Picture
10-Second:

Bob Crowley, The Glass Menagerie

Picture
15-Second:

Beowolf Boritt, Act One

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Christopher Barreca, Rocky
Julian Crouch, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Santo Loquasto, Bullets Over Broadway
Picture
10-Second:


Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Picture
15-Second:

Julian Crouch, Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Act One
Michael Krass, Machinal
Rita Ryack, Casa Valentina
Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night
Picture
10-Second: 

Rita Ryack, Casa Valentina

Picture
15-Second:

Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Linda Cho, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway
Arianne Phillips, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Isabel Toledo, After Midnight
Picture
10-Second:

Linda Cho, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder




Picture
15-Second:

Arianne Phillips, Hedwig and the Angry Inch




(photo by Joan Marcus, care of show website)

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Paule Constable, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Jane Cox, Machinal
Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie
Japhy Weideman, Of Mice and Men
Picture
10-Second:

Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie

Picture
15-Second:

Japhy Weideman, Of Mice and Men

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Christopher Akerlind, Rocky
Howell Binkley, After Midnight
Donald Holder, The Bridges of Madison County
Picture
10-Second:

Kevin Adams, Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Picture
15-Second:

Donald Holder, The Bridges of Madison County

Best Sound Design of a Play

Alex Baranowski, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
Dan Moses Schreier, Act One
Matt Tierney, Machinal
Picture
10-Second:

Steve Canyon Kennedy, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill

Picture
15-Second:

Matt Tierney, Machinal

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Peter Hylenski, After Midnight
Tim O'Heir, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Mick Potter, Les Misérables
Brian Ronan, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Picture
10-Second:

Brian Ronan, Beautiful The Carole King Musical

Picture
15-Second:

Peter Hylinski, After Midnight

Best Direction of a Play

Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night
Michael Grandage, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Kenny Leon, A Raisin in the Sun
John Tiffany, The Glass Menagerie
Picture
10-Second:

John Tiffany, The Glass Menagerie

Picture
15-Second:

Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night

Best Direction of a Musical

Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Leigh Silverman, Violet
Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Picture
10-Second:

Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Picture
15-Second:

Leigh Silverman, Violet

Best Choreography

Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine, Rocky
Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin 
Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway
Picture
10-Second:

Warren Carlyle, After Midnight

Picture
15-Second:

Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin

Best Orchestrations

Doug Besterman, Bullets Over Broadway
Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Steve Sidwell, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Jonathan Tunick, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Picture
10-Second:

Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County



Picture
15-Second:

Jonathan Tunick, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

There you have it!  Here's an invitation to you to throw out the detailed analysis, and share some of your 10-Second picks below :).

p.s. The photo at the start of this post of the daffodils on the stage is from my top "missing" musical that should have been nominated in multiple categories, Big Fish!
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  • FRONT OF HOUSE
  • Stage Directions
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    • Choosing a Show
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    • Choosing a Seat
    • Getting a Discount
    • The Theaters >
      • Broadway
      • Off Broadway
      • Washington, DC
    • Theater Tips
  • Stage Presence: A Blog
  • Stage Door Tips & Tales
    • Stage Door Tales: A Blog
    • Stage Door Stars!
    • Stage Door Tips/Etiquette
    • Stage Door Locations >
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    • Contact Me