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Stage Presence...

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

Ellen's 10(&15)-Second Tonys '15

5/18/2015

2 Comments

 
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So the Tony Awards are approaching, and thankfully, it's not my job to hand down weighty analysis of a fragile art form like theater. But I love talking about it, and because I know how personal this art is for those who make it, I'm happy when there's a chance to recognize the work.

My picks are not about who will win, or even who should win.  My "wins" could just as easily be someone else's lost 2.5 hours of their life, never to be regained. My "eh" reaction might be someone else's ecstatic delight.  Certainly I appreciate the "winning" for what it can do for a show in terms of nourishment; awards can be powerful fuel that allow artists to continue working and giving us more art. But awards are not the measure of your own relationship with a show, which is deeply personal, whether good, bad or "eh." 

By my count, there were 35 shows (not counting the special events) that opened during the 2014-15 season, and I've seen, to date, 27 of them. I will see a 28th show on the day of the Tony Awards (The Visit), so haven't considered that one in this list, for fairness. Here are the shows I didn't see, almost all due to shortened runs: This Is Our Youth, Holler if Ya Hear Me, Disgraced, Living on Love and Doctor Zhivago, .  

Like last year, I'm giving myself ten seconds to see what shows bubble to the top of my consciousness as special...those are the shows that get my "Ten-Second Tony" awards. This is my post, so (1) I decree two honorees per category (a 10-second and a 15-second choice); (2) I'm adding back the Sound Design category, and (3) I'm adding in Best Ensemble and Best Book of a Play  categories. I know that the Best Play category officially recognizes the playwright, but I think of that category as referencing the entire production as a whole, and the discussions I have with friends about Best Play and Best Musical categories, we are usually talking about it holistically, not just the playwright.

With the exception of Fun Home, which I have seen in various incarnations over the past 2.5 years, I saw most of these shows just once. But if I saw a show more than once, I've gone by my reaction on my first visit.  And when I look at my choices, it's interesting to me, how many of them are shows that I knew very little about, and walked in relatively free of preconceptions.  There's a lesson in there, I think. 

In the end, my picks are really just a reflection of what I truly enjoyed seeing on stage this past season.  And just because I didn't pick a show as a top choice in my Ten-Second Tonys, doesn't mean I wouldn't have given it an official Tony nomination. For the record, the omissions that most offended me in the official nominations were Side Show and Finding Neverland, not just in the Best Show categories, but other categories as well. Luckily, I get to remedy that here.  

As Helen Mirren knows, it's good to be queen.

Note: For better or worse, all photos are by me.

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Best Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time








Wolf Hall Parts One & Two










Best Revival of a Play

You Can't Take it With You









The Elephant Man












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Best Musical

Fun Home










An American in Paris
















Best Revival of a Musical

The King and I 








Side Show














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Best Actor in a Play

Alex Sharp / The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time










Bradley Cooper/ The Elephant Man










Best Actress in a Play

Helen Mirren / The Audience












Carey Mulligan / Skylight


















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Best Actor in a Musical

Michael Cerveris / Fun Home













Brian d'Arcy James / Something Rotten!

















Best Actress in a Musical

Leanne Cope / An American in Paris










Erin Davie/Emily Padgett / Side Show


















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Best Featured Actor in a Play

Bryce Pinkham / The Heidi Chronicles










Micah Stock / It's Only a Play

















Best Featured Actress in a Play

Annaleigh Ashford / You Can't Take It With You










Cush Jumbo / The River














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Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Josh Grisetti / It Shoulda Been You










Max von Essen / An American in Paris












Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Sydney Lucas 
Emily Skeggs            /  Fun Home
Judy Kuhn








[Yeah, I just can't...give them all the awards...and while we're at it, let's just give Beth Malone (below, right; Adult Alison, nominated in Leading Actress category) one too...categories be damned...this is why we need a Best Ensemble Tony Award]


























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Best Costume Design/Play

Christopher Oram / Wolf Hall Parts One & Two













Bob Crowley / The Audience










Best Costume Design/Musical

Catherine Zuber / The King and I 










Bob Crowley / An American in Paris













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Best Scenic Design/Play

Bunny Christie & Finn Ross / The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time










David Rockwell / You Can't Take It With You













Best Scenic Design/Musical

David Zinn / Fun Home











Michael Yeargan / The King and I















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Best Original Score (written for the theater)

Jeanine Tesori (left) & Lisa Kron / Fun Home










Gary Barlow & Eliot Kennedy / Finding Neverland













Best Book of a Musical

Lisa Kron / Fun Home







Karey Kirkpatrick & John O'Farrell / Something Rotten!











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Best Book of a Play/Playwright

Simon Stephens  / The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time










Peter Morgan / The Audience
















Best Lighting Design/Play

Paule Constable / The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time










Paule Constable & David Plater / Wolf Hall Parts One & Two











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Best Lighting Design/Musical

Ben Stanton / Fun Home













Kenneth Posner / Finding Neverland













Best Direction of a Play

Jeremy Herrin / Wolf Hall Parts One & Two



Stephen Daldry / Skylight

















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Best Direction of a Musical

Sam Gold / Fun Home










Bartlett Sher / The King and I

















Best Choreography

Mia Michaels / Finding Neverland







Scott Graham & Stephen Hoggett / The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time












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Best Orchestrations

John Clancy / Fun Home










Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky & Bill Elliott / An American in Paris














Best Sound Design/Play

Ian Dickinson / The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time




Paul Arditti / Skylight















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Best Sound Design/Musical

Kai Harada / Fun Home









Jonathan Deans / Finding Neverland











Best Ensemble/Play


You Can't Take It With You






Wolf Hall Parts One & Two













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Best Ensemble/Musical

Fun Home












Finding Neverland
2 Comments
Jobal
5/22/2015 05:32:47 pm

Love your picks & pics!! I guess I will know if mine will match once I get to see everything soon... but two choices that also rise to the top for me are YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU and Annaleigh Ashford -- both have GOT to win!! :)

Reply
Ellen link
5/29/2015 06:12:57 am

Thanks!! I think both have a great chance! :) I mean, it had adorable kittens as part of the cast!

Reply



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  • FRONT OF HOUSE
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    • Getting a Discount
    • The Theaters >
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  • Stage Presence: A Blog
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