06/04/04

When I first saw the list of the 2004 Tony nominees back in early May, I couldn't imagine how I would pick this year's winners. Maybe I was just thrown because some of the anticipated winners weren't even nominated! Luckily, as the month of campaigning dragged on, things become clearer. Even as I sat down to put my thoughts to paper today, phone calls were coming in warning me of changes in the air. “Wonderful Town is gaining on Assassins!” “Caroline actually could win both book and score!” and, perhaps most excitingly, “Idina will win!” Since I tend to be pretty good at doing this, I put a lot of thought into the predictions below. But I have to admit that there are still a handful of categories where just about anything can happen. Let's call it the Michele Pawk factor! But that's what makes life exciting, right? Right?! Anyway, here goes!

Best Play: Playwright Doug Wright, who's already begun to moan about writing a follow-up to I Am My Own Wife, will have even more pressure on his shoulders when he adds a Tony to his cluttered award shelf!

Best Musical: Despite a cute yet ineffective campaign from Avenue Q, Wicked will indeed win the evening's top prize. You simply can't topple a crowd pleasing, family-friendly hit musical that makes audiences laugh and cry no matter how clever you are. (I foolishly called Wicked "troubled" prior to Broadway previews. Just goes to show what I know!)

Best Revival of a Play: Lincoln Center Theater's starry Henry IV got some of the best reviews of the season and is the most obvious contender for a win. But I'm going with A Raisin in the Sun, which elevated a dusty chestnut of a play and brought a young, Diddy-friendly crowd into the theater.

Best Revival of a Musical: My fave was last summer's Big River, but the race comes down to Assassins versus Wonderful Town. The latter would seem to be the biggest beneficiary of the so-called “road vote,” as a national tour is set to start by summer's end. But Assassins feels less like a concert and more like a show and has the edge. It also happens to be a nice way to award composer Stephen Sondheim, who many fear may not have another Tony-worthy new show in his future.

Best Leading Actor/Actress in a Play: Of the guys, I Am My Own Wife's one-man wonder Jefferson Mays will beat out his distinguished co-nominees (who he adorably called his “boyhood heroes”), although Kevin Kline is sure to pull in a good number of votes. Fellow solo performer Tovah Feldshuh of Golda's Balcony deserves a damn Tony already, this being her fourth nomination and all. Still, Phylicia Rashad is the heart of A Raisin in the Sun and the likely victor.

Best Featured Actor/Actress in a Play: I didn't see The Beauty Queen of Leanane back in 1998, but everyone who did tells me that Brían F. O'Byrne was robbed of a Tony that year. That alone could push him to the front of the pack this year but the fact that he's chilling as the cold-blooded murderer in Frozen seals the deal. The race for the ladies is tougher to call. I'd love to see Daphne Rubin-Vega remembered for Anna in the Tropics, but I fear too many voters skipped the show. Margo Martindale could get it for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but the safe choice is Audra McDonald, who will pick up her fourth Tony for A Raisin in the Sun. Is she that good, you ask? Well actually, yes!

Best Leading Actor/Actress in a Musical: I predicted a win for Hugh Jackman in this column back on July 1, 2003--before rehearsals even started for The Boy from Oz. Am I changing my opinion now? Hell no! As everyone knows, the race for leading actress is harder to call. Is Donna Murphy really out of the running for her old-fashioned show-stopping work in Wonderful Town because of bad buzz surrounding missed performances? Nah, but her wins at both the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama Desk awards might seem like reward enough at this point. Ultimately, as The New York Times called weeks ago, the Tony is likely to wind up in the hands of either past nominee Idina Menzel (Wicked) or past winner Tonya Pinkins (Caroline, or Change). My head says Pinkins, my heart says Menzel. Only a fool predicts with his heart, but I'm crossing my fingers and going with Menzel.

Best Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical: Speaking of crossed fingers, how wonderful would it be to see Michael McElroy win a prize for Big River? I'm not the only one expressing that sentiment, but he'll have a tough time collecting enough votes to best frontrunners Michael Cerveris of Assassins and Raúl Esparza of Taboo. But who will win? I'm gonna say Cerveris, who has the best role in Assassins, but Esparza, who's turned in terrific work non-stop for the past four years, could pull it off. Oh and by the way, if he does, Rosie O'Donnell told you so! The race between the actresses is also down to two contenders. Isabel Keating channels Judy Garland in eerie ways in The Boy from Oz, but I still fear the draggy performance might be too bizarre for voters. The safer bet is the accomplished Anika Noni Rose of Caroline, or Change. Miss Rose will win by a nose.

Best Director of a Musical/Play: Last year, well-liked stage vets Joe Mantello and Jack O'Brien picked up their first Tony Awards for direction. This year, they'll both pick of their second Tony Awards for direction, but in the opposite categories! Mantello, snubbed for his work on mega-hit Wicked, will win for his well-cast but ridiculously over-the-top Assassins (subtlety does not win one a Tony!). O'Brien will be honored for his mammoth combo special staging of the two parts of Shakespeare's Henry IV. Hats off to the boys if the above happens. Even Hal Prince hasn't won in both categories!

Best Book/Original Score of a Musical: Since I like to think that voters still care about melody and plot, I'm dismissing Caroline, or Change from both races. For book, I'm going with Winnie Holzman, who streamlined the dense Gregory Maguire novel into an accessible and engaging evening of theater. Although Stephen Schwartz could win his first Tony for his Wicked score, I think the boys from Avenue Q--Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx--will triumph in the now-familiar Tony tradition of honoring new blood. Besides, the cute and catchy songs of Q engage audiences both young and old in inspiring ways.

The Best of the Rest: In a lean year for choreography, Kathleen Marshall will beat brother Rob to the Tony podium, taking home the statue for Wonderful Town. In the design categories, Wicked could sweep, but the more likely scenario is that it will just take two--for Eugene Lee's intricate clockwork set (one of the best uses of the Gershwin Theatre in decades) and Susan Hilferty's costumes. For lighting, the razzle-dazzle team of Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer will win their second Tony together for Assassins (Fisher has six other solo trophies at home). As for orchestrations, most of the Tony voters don't know how to weigh in on this category, choosing to honor either the orchestrator of the year's best score or the legend in the race. Last year, the legend (Billy Joel) beat the winning score (Hairspray). This year, I'll guess Michael Starobin will win for orchestrating a score written by a legend by the name of Stephen Sondheim.

Well, I'm off to pick up my tux. Have a fun Tony night. I hope that whomever you're rooting for comes out on top!

WHAT GOOD IS SITTING ALONE IN YOUR ROOM?
Looking for a fun place to watch the telecast on Sunday night? May I suggest Mama Rose's in the East Village, where Gashole will present their special second annual Tony show? Who's Gashole, you ask? A terrific award-winning singing duo--Michael Holland and Karen Mack--known for their sharp wit, glorious singing and ability to mix the most unlikely songs into fascinating melodies. Intrigued? You should be. I've always wanted to hear them take a crack at theater music, but alas, they only do it once a year and I'm always working on the first Sunday in June! Oh well. At least you can go check it out.

It's $40, which gets you in the door with an open bar and free food all night as well as free socks for throwing at the big screen TV! According to Mack: "Even if you could get in to the actual awards show, which is sold out at this point, they don't let you drink all night, and they certainly don't let you throw things, so ours is totally the better deal." Sounds logical to me! The show starts at 7pm sharp (doors open at 6:20pm). Mama Rose's is located at 219 Second Avenue. Reservations can be made by calling (212) 533-0558. Have fun!

IN BOX
As we all bask in the glow that is known as Hugh Jackman, I thought you might enjoy this e-mail response to last week's story of my public humiliation at The Boy from Oz. I know these things happen every night at the show, but I found this note pretty amusing.

Dear Broadway.com:
I know exactly how the editor feels being involved in The Boy from Oz. I got the Hugh Jackman treatment myself and I didn't even turn up late.

I suppose I was asking for it really, sitting in the front row on the aisle and wearing my white suit with a pink shirt, red tie, pink pocket square, etc. Throughout the show, Hugh Jackman, in character, would address the audience and at the end of the first number after the interval he walked to the edge of the stage and said to me "I've got to say this, I've noticed you throughout the show. You've got to be one of the best-dressed blokes I've ever seen." "Hold on a second," I said and produced my white trilby from under the seat. "Oh my God! The hat, that's fabulous" he said. "Take a bow. Can we get a spotlight on this guy?" Then he asked my name and said, "Will you do me a favor, John? Will you be a catwalk model for us? Walk half way up the aisle, I'll get the band to play some sexy music and you give it your best model strut."

After doing exactly as I was told, Jackman said, "That was so good you've got to do it again." This time I took my jacket off, draped it over my shoulder and practically minced down the aisle. Then he said, "I'll bet you like to get down and boogie, don't you, John? Will you boogie with me?" So there I am, bumping and grinding with Hugh Jackman in a Broadway theater. Then I became the envy of every woman (and a few men) in the theater when he said, "Now come here and give me a kiss." I planted a smacker on Hugh Jackman's cheek!

From then on, he kept referring to me for the rest of the show. For example, when he was meant to be on the stage of Radio City Music Hall with the Rockettes, he said "After all who hasn't secretly longed to join a line of long-legged showgirls. Eh, John?" Or when he delivered the line, "You've only one life so live it with style. Wouldn't you agree, John?"

After the show I even got to pose for photos with audience members, many of whom thought it was all a set-up and that I did that at every performance. Well, I wouldn't mind! I do have Equity membership!
----John Moysen

That's it for now. Talk to you next week. Please e-mail me any of your questions, comments or critiques!

Paul Wontorek
Editor-in-Chief

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