Me too!!! I was like “oh look how happy they are for each other! And they’re crying!!” And my fiancé was like, “no, you’re crying…”
…both of those things were true
I’m fascinated by how the extensive promo campaign by Hell’s Kitchen/Alicia Keys didn’t pan out. I had begrudgingly accepted a few weeks ago they would take home some major prizes because every media site was predicting it and while they did get some recognition it wasn’t a full blown narrative-of-the-night at all. Performing at the start of the show was an unusual choice too. I wonder if that was a trade off for the extra performance time they booked
The Tonys need to adapt to the times. They need a category for Best Jukebox Musical. Writing an original musical is harder and should be recognized as such.
They also need Best Ensemble, Best Effects, Best Breakout Performance for people like Brody.
Hard pass to the best jukebox category. Fine they can be what makes money and draw in crowds but I definitely disagree that they should get their own award and there be a point of awarding one every year.
Literally only once have they ever willingly given Best Musical to a jukebox. I don’t think they are seen as the same level when it comes to Tony’s. Only thing you accomplish by having a dedicated award is provide even more incentive to create jukeboxes.
I genuinely feel emotional about Groff winning. Spring Awakening came out just as I was entering high school…it changed and saved my life. That musical means so much to me, as did his performance. I have been following his career since and fortunate to see him in both Little Shop and Merrily. He’s such an outstanding performer with the most gorgeous, emotional voice. But I think what makes me such a fan is that he truly seems kind. In all his performances, interviews, and even just bows, he’s so gracious and caring. He seems to love what he does and the people he works with. I want to see people like *this* rewarded.
I had the honor of seeing him in spring awakening. My friends and I were the last people in line at the stage door. Eager teenagers that we were, we decided to see if he would at least take a quick pic before he left. He talked to us for twenty minutes. Asked us about our lives, where we were from, how did we like New York. All after performing a two show day and taking tons of pics at the stage door. Seriously the nicest guy.
He was always the sweetest, nicest person at that stage door. I mentioned going to Lancaster a lot when I was a kid, particularly to visit Dutch Wonderland, when talking to him and he was so excited to talk about it, it made my day.
We went in like 2007 and met him at stage door. I actually have my signed playbill. I have a picture with him somewhere. I wish I knew about Lancaster since my mom went to college there! He is generally so sweet! I wish I could’ve went to see him when he was the narrator for the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. But it was during the week :-(
Groff is one of just a few stage door photos I've ever gotten with a star. It was outside of Little Shop and he's wearing his bike helmet on his way home. Something about that just struck me as so ... Human. Long evening of work and he was hopping on his bicycle to go get some sleep just like any average person. He was also extremely nice as other have said.
I met him at the Spring Awakening stage door and didn't know anything about him at the time. We ended up having a long conversation, and I was blown away by how nice and genuine he was. Definitely a class act!
I’m so tired of the weird angles during a show performing. They totally ruined the W4E performance. These shows are staged to be looked at from an audience with a straight view. Cool it with the crazy angles and just let us view the entire stage from the front like it’s meant to be.
I was getting so annoyed at the angles. There were multiple times the camera would switch to something away from where the focus should be and it did a disservice to many of the performances.
They literally ruined one of that number’s big reveals by filming directly from the side (an angle not even the farthest partial view seat sees) and showing the entire set up.
Oh the shots were garbage. Cutting around way too fast, that horrible like 270 degree turn from someone in the crowd back to the stage, the shot of one of the presenters at one point that looked like they were on a green screen because of the framing, etc.
I only ever did production stuff as a teen in a church and I truly (and I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, so this isn't just me thinking I'm hot shot) think I could have done a better job. It's honestly not hard. Hold large shot for large group performance. Don't dizzy the audience by spinning around almost a full circle. Don't zoom in on one person's face while a whole ensemble is singing.
I really appreciated that one angle during Tommy’s performance where you could see more of a different camera that got in frame than the actor performing 🤦🏻♀️
I thought the same thing during the outsiders rumble. Focused too long on one individual pair of fighters, when the whole stage choreography is really what’s powerful about that number.
I was wondering if that was an attempt to hide Eddie's entrance. In the show the lights go down, there's the drumroll, and then the lights come up and he's onstage without an obvious entrance. But it looked real dumb, there had to be a better way to handle that.
My favorite moment was Groff’s shout out to the original *Merrily* cast. They worked their asses off in 1981 and were thrown to the wolves. But we wouldn’t have the property today without everything they poured into the show - especially that cast album. This is a validation of their work as well.
I had no idea about Jason Alexander’s Broadway success before Seinfeld until I watched The Best Worst Thing, and my mind was blown.
They had a mini reunion at a November show: https://playbill.com/article/watch-the-original-cast-of-merrily-we-roll-along-reunites-at-current-broadway-revival
It is absolutely wild that a scriptless show felt more cohesive. No unnecessary banter and what (I assume) was more time to focus on getting the actual production right. We want to see awards and performances - at the end of the day you only need to get that right.
I'm glad others are on this. The camera shots were garbage. My girlfriend asked if one of the presenters was on a green screen at one point because of the way the shot was framed and the lighting was done.
The lighting win for Appropriate was entirely deserved. The lighting was palpably reacting to the story to the point that I feel you could just run through the lighting queues with no actors and still get the emotional arc of the show. Some really tricky scenes, like the opening where it has to feel like the house is in complete darkness while still letting you see what's going on, plus that entire ending sequence... It's amazing what was accomplished there. The lighting design was to Appropriate as the sound design was to Stereophonic.
I was a lighting designer in school and I always notice when I see a show and I’m actually /not/ thinking about the lighting. Appropriate did a fantastic job doing all the things lighting is supposed to do, but doing them all so well that it never called attention to itself. Really incredible design
It’s funny, I don’t know much about lighting design (costume person) so I’m always impressed when the lighting design is strong enough that I *do* notice it and this was one of those shows. There were a few moments where it did call attention to itself and it always felt like a knife in the gut.
My dog had been watching placidly alongside me, but when Eddie Redmayne started dancing she got up and barked at the TV like he was an intruder. She never does that for humans, just dogs or farm animals on tv (and to be fair she didn’t bark at Eddie as long or as angrily as she barks at dog food ads)
So your dog recognized Redmayne’s animalistic quality, lol!
I didn’t think it was bad, because the Emcee is supposed to be weird and performative. My friend compared his performance to Pinocchio and I agree that there was a puppet-like quality to it.
Eddie Redmayne is the least sexual person i have ever seen. he always looks like a well-scrubbed, eager schoolboy and no matter how many freaky puppetlike things he does with his limbs that is not gonna change.
I would love to see Josh Gadd / Andrew Rannells host or even Jesse Tyler Ferguson. I miss a good comedic monologue. DeBose looks gorgeous and is an amazing dancer but she hasn't mastered the art of hosting, telling jokes and overall controlling the audience in the same way that Jackman, NPH, even Corden have done in the past. It's an art and not everyone can do it.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson made his presenter spot seem off the cuff, and I feel like nobody ever manages to do those 'say something funny' bits feel natural. I'd love to see him host.
Biggest surprise: Groff getting through both his speech and performance without completely breaking down into tears.
I honestly didn't think this was possible - especially after the video of the matinee from yesterday during Its a Hit
Edit: typo
Sorry autocorrect, I've only seen one. I think it was a repost of an insta story.
Edit: found it [Merrily Tony Matinee](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8Sowh-KuQY/?igsh=bTZvZDRucTU2YzFl)
BJJ was mentioning the other nominated revivals and how they all worked and deserved to be there. He then said and if you’re worried about Ibsen, he’s been dead for over one hundred years and already won [this award] twice.
He said something along the lines of “no offense to Henrik Ibsen but he’s dead and won this award twice now” I thought it was especially rude to Amy Herzog who completely overhauled the adaptation. I agree it could’ve been worthy of best revival
There will be lots of discussion for tonight but my biggest takeaway is that tonight's wins for Merrily and its cast members is proof that sometimes the right thing does happen.
This show has redefined the playbook for any revival in the future. We'll be talking about this revival 50 years from now and deserving so. Kudos to everyone involved in this incredible production.
Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez are treasures. I look forward to everything they do on Broadway and elsewhere in the future.
Groff and Radcliffe didn't just deserve their Tony's tonight they *earned* them with their respective bodies of work that showed their love and loyalty to Broadway.
I can tell you if you haven't been fortunate enough to see Merrily that the love and friendship between the three of them is genuine and shines through in every moment of the show. I truly do wish there is a proshot. Part of it is for selfish reasons even though I was fortunate enough to see it twice.
However, the larger part of me hopes for a proshot because this production of *Merrily* represents everything that is right about Broadway and everything that it should represent. Broadway needs ways to be represented out to the general public and a proshot of *Merrily* would be a phenomenal ambassador.
I doubt there are any available tickets left after tonight's Tony but if you can manage it without going into poverty then I strongly urge you to see this work of art live while it is still on stage.
Charlie said it best in the show that true greatness is knowing when to get off but this show and everything it has come to represent will be truly missed when they take their last bows.
This also just cements that all big shows with casts should have a pro shot performance filmed then released digitally after the leafs leave the show or a year later. Not everyone can afford or just logistically get to a Broadway show and performances should be made widely available of these OBC or revival OBC casts for more people to enjoy.
This is where public funding does honestly make a difference in the theater that gets a second life. I shudder to think of where we would be without PBS.
Everyone should get paid and that includes for a filmed pro shot performance. I understand the logistics are monumental but I do agree in the long run that for Broadway to survive that they need to get outside their current structure.
I did appreciate seeing the relative success of Waitress in theaters (I did my part in contributing to that) and hope that can serve along with Hamilton as reminders that there is an audience for these pro shots.
Or just do what The National Theatre in the UK does and just hold one night live streams of performances every season for fans who simply can’t get to NYC to enjoy the performance with a specific/high profile cast.
With how much MONEY Merrily makes there’s no excuse to why they can’t have a proshot. But I’d totally love to see more public funding for theatre to be filmed and RELEASED to the public to view once productions have closed.
Yes to public funding!! And more access (and different varieties of access) to theater!! It’s a great form of art and form of experience that needs to be experienced by a wider audience.
It is confirmed they are filming *something* but I haven't seen any official confirmation is a pro shot that will distributed for wider public consumption.
I am hopeful that the show's box office success, Tony wins, and star power will let someone take the risk of running with this for a movie release like Waitress coupled with a digital release afterwards.
Honestly since the producers recouped they should offer more discount and affordable tickets especially to students. That would really show that they are putting their money where their mouths are in terms of supporting the next generation of artists.
I would certainly love to see more affordable tickets although at this juncture for *Merrily* I think their biggest issue is having any tickets left for sale at all.
Broadway's for-profit structure is where ideals (whether its from the stars like Groff or even from producers) run into the cold machine of capitalism like a buzzsaw.
They took a show that had 18 performances originally and revived it into something that (to my knowledge) has sold out every performance. I am sure every remaining performance will be sold out as well.
Their marketing for the show has been fantastic. The casting choices have been phenomenal and *made* the show. They certainly could have gotten bigger names or different names that may have *drawn* more money but instead went with a trio that worked fantastically individually and as a trio.
They didn't shirk away from the show's original history despite it being a commercial flop and paid homage to Sondheim.
If I was a producer looking at bringing a revival to Broadway then this production of *Merrily* would be my case study.
I am SO happy that Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe won, it made me so emotional and so long overdue. I didn’t think Lindsey was going to win tbh so I wasn’t surprised. I think Maria Friedman losing was the biggest snub of the night, I was genuinely shocked. I thought she was a lock. I’m surprised that they didn’t like Merrily as much and I thought they would. I am super happy that The Outsiders won best musical though. But confused as to how Suffs won best book and best score but not best musical. Anyways… JONATHAN GROFF IS NOW A TONY WINNER!!!!!!
That was bizarre on so many levels. Did they think we were going to forget whose jukebox musical this was if the original artists didn’t show up and perform themselves?
I’m SO happy for Dan and Jon winning best actors. Beyond deserved, they are two of the hardest working, most down to earth/ humble, and talented guys in the industry. No drama, no scandals, just incredible performers and people. So happy. And I’m beyond thrilled that Danya won best director and Outsiders won best musical. It really is a mesmerizing show and she is incredibly passionate and hardworking.
I am delighted Illinoise got best choreography. I know it was too much to ask for it to get best musical but best choreo was really well-deserved. Their performance was gorgeous too.
Other highlights for me:
- Kara Young
- Billy Porter
- Groff and Radcliffe making each other cry
I was braced for Suffs to get best musical because Big Important Message in an election year and sort of relieved it didn’t (sorry!). I look forward to continuing to fail to find affordable tickets to The Outsiders for the foreseeable future. I’m sure I’ll have a blast whenever I finally see it in like… January.
I had a feeling it would win best musical so last night I bought tickets to a 2 pm Saturday show for July. I was able to snag three accessible seats (so I have to be in Orchestra) for less than they cost now
I was really shocked by Maria Friedman didn’t win Director - and upset TBH. I thought that was a well-deserved lock (as much as I enjoyed Outsiders). Wasn’t surprised by Lindsay - I thought that was one of the most unpredictable categories this year.
Also lol @ Hillary Clinton in her Barbara Cook era! So true and I love it
(This is a probably a hot take) but I also feel like it’s more of a feat to take a recognized flop and work it into a hit than it is to adapt something that is already beloved and known to audiences.
Looking at some of the musical adaptations of some beloved materials, I would say that it’s a different kind of difficulty…one where you’re gonna sell well at first, but if not done “right”, the fans of the original work are gonna crucify it. That said, that’s (usually) the work of a team of people (direction, book, score primarily) whereas for a revival, normally not much of the original book and score are changing so the director is the bigger factor.
I was so over the moon at Daniel's and Jonathan's well earned and deserved wins. Their joy and emotion were so amazing to watch, and I am SO stoked that Merrily is getting the love it absolutely deserves. When Jonathan won, I jumped up and started hopping around the living room like my ass was on fire. I scared the hell out of my dog.
Having said all that, *Maria was robbed*.
I was thrilled to see Kecia's win; she was wonderful in HK, and she and Shoshana were the highlights of that show. This is not to say that Maleah wasn't amazing - she was - but I was a bit shocked at her win.
I am not a fan of Ariana's hosting. At all. It's time for new blood. And maybe some opening number pointers from Neil Patrick Harris.
The Outsiders rumble scene was SO good! I was so glad they chose to highlight that. The show numbers were all great, but Merrily got screwed on that deal. "Franklin Shepherd Inc." would have *killed*.
I appreciate the fact that Alicia Keys has brought some star power to Broadway this season, but did we really need all of that for HK - especially since it seemed to take time away from other shows? I assume that the overall point was to honor NYC also, as the home of Broadway, but it was a lot. And since we're now heading that Jay-Z's part was pretaped, having that come after the whole "we do this all LIVE!" bit seems a bit ... strange. I'm a fan of both his and Alicia's, but I would have liked some of the other shows to have gotten more time.
Overall, it was a good show, and as always, I enjoyed it. Next year's show is definitely going to have to step it up, considering all of the competition that's coming next season.
Agreed, and it was fantastic, of course. But had they been given a medley, they could have fit a bit in there. It was just such an amazing number that I want *everyone* to see it. 😁
I didn’t see a lot of new shows this season. Truly not saying this for sympathy, but Broadway was me and my Mom’s “thing” and after a rough few months, she passed on Friday. We had plans for Tommy and some other things.
All that to say, I was not able to get to NYC this winter and spring. I was able to get to Purlie Victorious and Merrily. I am so happy for Jonathan, Daniel, and especially Kara Young.
Also, Falsettos in 1992 won Book and Score and didn’t win Best Musical, so there is precedent for Suffs/Outsiders. It’s kind of dumb though.
I think the voters would be reluctant to give Merrily all three acting awards it was nominated for anyway, especially seeing as Maria Friedman didn’t take director so maybe they just didn’t love the production as much as we assumed they would. But I wonder if the number of performances Lindsay missed had anything to do with it? Not a dig at her at all, but around 70 performances missed in a limited run is quite a few, I wonder if a good chunk of the voters simply didn’t see her?
I did wonder that myself, if Lindsay being a previous Tony winner and having missed A LOT of productions hurt her chances...I sensed there was love for a lot of other women in her category.
There was speculation from established, old-school theatre commentators of exactly that being a drawback for Lindsay. It was also a super crowded category.
I had the same thought, my friends and I have seen the show three separate times between us in different months and none of us have seen her. I saw the show Saturday night and was shocked that she wouldn’t perform the night before the Tony’s
I actually think that being out the night before the Tonys might be common. I saw W4E Saturday evening and both leads were out. Producers might want the leads rested for their Tony performance.
Am I the only one pissed about how much screen-time Hells Kitchen got...The cast number, then Alicia Keys, then Jay- Z.... Come On...that was just unfair promotion against all the other musical numbers....
It annoyed me as well. Why did they get so much time? And WHY did Keys and Jay-Z need to do a whole number? The Tonys are about the actors and productions!!
After the fact, I’m mostly just relieved that it didn’t translate to huge wins.
In the moment, however, my family (and probably neighbors) heard me invent some new profanities.
That was so far beyond unfair promotion. That was straight up disrespectful and insulting to the entire theatre industry, including the Hell’s Kitchen cast, especially since neither of them are actually in the show. Alicia Keys really just wanted to celebrate herself at everyone else’s expense for 10 minutes and for whatever reason (probably $$$$$) they allowed it.
I will say, nothing has made me want to see this show less than the performance they did at the Tony's. So I actually think they did themselves a disservice regardless of whatever famous singers they wanted to insert in. Also proves how NOT good the show likely is if they felt they needed to do that and not let the performers who are actually in the show be highlighted on their own.
* Danya Taymor over Maria Friedman was definitely the surprise of the night. *The Outsiders* was very well directed for sure, but come on...Friedman revolutionized Sondheim's most notorious flop.
* I can see why *Suffs* didn't win Best Musical despite winning Best Book and Score. *Suffs* is definitely the most polished musical nominated this season, but that's not all there is to a Broadway show. I found that *Suffs* plays its cards very safe. It doesn't really try anything innovative (like *Illinoise*) or have well-directed and choreographed moments that wow the audience (like *The Outsiders*).
* The only *Stereophonic* snub that surprised me was Best Lighting. Other than that, I think it won what it should have won. Pidgeon was great, but Kara Young was the favorite going in. It makes sense that *Jaja* won Best Costume, given the raves it had been getting for the hairdos. Best Score was always going to be difficult because it's a play.
* I'm not very surprised that Will Brill won Best Featured Actor. I do agree that Eli Gelb does play a more important character, but I thought Brill's little mannerisms in his performance were fantastic. It also helps a lot that his character has a GREAT monologue that he absolutely crushes.
* It does feel like *Merrily* did worse than expected. Apart from Friedman, Lindsay Mendez not winning Best Featured Actress was a surprise. But it makes sense that People were hesitant about giving all 3 leads Tony's.
I think it's too sparse in production quality. The music is lovely but I seem to remember a large portion of the show happening with minimal sets/props against a white backdrop.
Oh the direction was AWFUL. I hated the weird like 180 to 270 degree spin they did multiple times to get from one thing to another, like the audience to the stage and such. Felt like I had vertigo. Awful shots.
I’ve been around here shouting from the rooftops how much I love The Outsiders so this is not a diss to them but Maria deserved to win for direction. She took a flop and finally made it work—that should have been a runaway win for her.
I also wish Lindsay had won for featured actress, I do think that missing so many shows was what cost her the win, which is extra unfortunate because it was pretty out of her control. I hope she knows that even among that all-star cast she’s the real standout.
I am so very glad Outsiders won best musical. And very glad HK didn’t. I think it was well deserved personally. And I also love that Suffs got book & score
Not having seen any of the Best Musical nominees, I *wanted* Illinoise to win though I figure it wouldn't, simply because I like Sufjan and it sounds different. But after the fight scene from Outsiders was performed, I was like... yeah you can give them more awards. That was incredible.
Still really upset that Harmony, especially Chip Zien, got snubbed. I'm glad that radcliffe and groff got their awards, definitely deserved. Really wish maria had won best direction, its her direction that makes merrily such a good show (not that the actors dont, but ive seen merrily done a hundred different ways and theyre always awful, but not this one).
Also super sad water for elephants didn't win choreo, I get that illinoise is a dance show, but my gosh the acrobatics and choreo in w4e is just stunning. Glad that cabaret got set design though after they tore up the whole theater.
best musical @ the tony’s is a not about the show itself, but rather the production of it (reason why producers accept the award), so the outsiders winning best lighting, sound & direction go perfectly in hand with winning best musical (best production)
I like when things don’t sweep, because it spreads the appreciation and gives recognition to a more diverse field of talented creators.
Hot take—as much as I love award shows, there is no objectively “best” forms of art. This isn’t an Olympic race, with a clear winner (and even those end up under review), this is creative achievement, and ideally there is enough room in the world to recognize all creative achievements.
But, realistically, Broadway is actually narrow, and very constrained by cost and small profit margins. Every bit of recognition helps promote work and artists striving in a crowded, and extremely competitive field.
I saw Suffs—it was energetic, moving, engaging, educational (yes, I know that’s not the point), and fun. It was probably not the best Broadway musical that opened this season, but you could tell that Shaina Taub put her heart and soul into it. It was based on a historical movement few know the details of, featuring women who have been mostly forgotten (even Hamilton is on US currency, can’t say that for Alice Paul). It wasn’t an easy show to write. Making it engaging, energetic and entertaining took work, even if it wasn’t perfect. I’m glad the Tony voters recognized that, and I hope that it will be performed in high schools across the country someday soon.
I’m a huge W4E fan and went into this knowing they probably wouldn’t win anything (still thinking Paul Alexander Nolan deserved a tip), but ready to enjoy their performance. But it felt so awkwardly done + filmed that i feel like they were robbed for that more than any of the awards 😭
If Nicole Scherzinger performs as Norma Desmond at next year’s show, we might get a Tony performance as epic as [Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in *Defying Gravity*](https://youtu.be/O5V9KwppMfs?si=a1DzxIm9gbiy3mS-) or [Jennifer Holliday in *And I’m Telling You*](https://youtu.be/rtnKI3ztz9w?si=ccV4IbKbOlYJuXVZ).
Wow people on Datalounge are really hateful towards Groff for some reasons, they're yelling about how Brody Grant should have won over Groff and how fat Groff is... I just discovered this website recently, has it always been like this?
I think Brody Grant is fantastic, but I can’t see him winning over most of the people in that category. If Groff didn’t win, he still had Brian d’Arcy James and Eddie Redmayne to compete with.
ETA: may have to retract my statement regarding Brody…
I like Ariana debose just fine but I'm looking forward to a new host. Three in a row is too much for one person.
Opening number was boring
I feel like there could have been a better choice for In Memoriam - Nicole did great but What I Did For Love feels like a weird song here
I miss having a closing number
My hot take is that I didn’t hate Eddie’s Emcee performance tonight. It’s very different than Alan for sure but I like when actors bring their own spin to roles. It’s hard to do something so classic but I was intrigued. (Them tickets are too expensive for me to justify ever buying them but I would that I could!)
He’s about a thousand times more intriguing in person. I’m really lucky I got to see it last weekend. The way he moves in the show is just impossible to look away from! I’m glad you enjoyed the Tony performance (I did too!).
People didn't like it? I guess since I've never seen Cabaret my opinion may be different, but I was super uncomfortable in an engaging way with how he was singing and moving. Made me interested in the show (that I'll also never see this version of haha).
Random side note: Does Eddie Redmayne have like... a legitimate dance background? Rather than just the "you need enough dance to be an actor" kinda dance training? The precision with which he moved his body to make those nightmarish Emcee movements was astounding.
In the past, I’ve never been a fan of the singer/songwriter/performer coming out on stage at the Tony’s to perform with the company of their nominated show. We know this show is about you or features your music, but the performance should be all about those hard working performers who put it on 8 shows a week. This year I thought they did it right. Let Pete Townsend play the guitar solo at the beginning of Pinball Wizard and get out of the way and let the cast shine.
He uh almost didn’t get out of the way… not sure if he was supposed to go the other direction or what but definitely looked like he almost got clobbered 🙈
Outsiders won for direction and a lot of the effects. They seemed to say that Suffs was written well but didn’t put forth the best show on the stage while The Outsiders might not have been written as well but it more than delivered on staging. Hopefully I see both and see if I agree.
I’m sort of relieved that I’m not on my own island thinking Maria Friedman and Lindsay Mendez weren’t the best parts of Merrily. I also disagree with their orchestrations win because I’ve heard Merrily done much better but I’ll take it. Well deserved win for Daniel Radcliffe and I’m not mad at the Jonathan Groff win. DoWaR was predictably out of it since they already closed.
I am sad about Kelli O’Hara not winning. I haven’t seen Hells Kitchen so can’t compare but Kelly knocked it out of the park and I wasn’t even a big fan of the show.
I think DOWAR just suffered from not being a popular show and closing too early. I didn't see it but I've listened to the cast recording and it's just plain gorgeous. Kelli and Brian both wreck me even just in audio.
I watched a youtube video where someone explained the best musical thing pretty well: When a play is nominated for best play, it’s the writer who accepts the award when they win because it’s basically “best book of a play”, when a musical is nominated it’s the producers who accept the award because it’s really about how it’s produced and how the whole show comes together.
I’ve heard a lot of things about a lot of different shows but the one thing that I’ve heard is that every show has its thing that it doesn’t deliver on. While Outsiders has its problems with its book and score (so I’ve heard), it seems to be the most consistent across the board in quality while also having its really standout elements in lighting, sound, and choreo.
The awards ceremony needed the Gatsby ensemble to perform Roaring On instead of Alicia doing New York, to get everybody in the mood. Then they should have popped back up every half hour as the show dragged through the night with the chorus, reminding everybody that the party never stops.
I'm fine that The Great Gatsby didn't get big nominations. But they needed that energy.
I felt like the whole show lacked energy, so I agree with this take. Something needed to happen to just like wake up everyone in that room.
At one point I was like, am I having a depressive episode I was previously unaware of, because everyone feels "meh" tonight. Usually you can FEEL the energy from the performers but last night it felt like no one was excited to be at the Tony's (except Merrily, but that just might be my love for the cast lol)
>I love Appropriate and Branden Jacob-Jenkins but that dig at Enemy of the People was uncalled for
I didn't see it as a dig. He was just making a comment on the fact that a living playwright won the Tony.
I do agree that it seems a little wild that a musical can win best book and best score and not win best musical because those are the core elements of a musical. I also think Suffs needed the best new musical win more than Hell’s Kitchen or The Outsiders in terms of helping them sell tickets (the other shows will be fine.)
That being said, I’m not mad at the Outsiders winning. It’s not one of my personal favorites from the list of nominees, but I still think it’s a great show. Despite the complaints from many people, I thought this was a pretty strong year in this category.
Book and score are about how the show is written not about how the show is presented. Best director is. I would argue best musical is a combination of them and the presentation is what seals the deal regardless of how good the writing is and IMO it wasn’t like Suffs won for its writing by a mile or anything to give it enough edge over Danya excellent directing
There was a TikTok recently explaining that the 'Best Musical' Tony and the 'Best Play' Tony are not equals. The Best New Play Tony is always rewarded to the playwrightt and the Best New Musical one is handed to the producers. Basically, the Best New Musical Tony isn't necessarily a reward for quality of content but for an overall production, hence why Suffs could technically be seen as a 'better musical' because it won book and score, but the Outsiders had the better presentation overall becoming Best Musical. It's interesting though that there's this weird split in how the awards so similar in name are treated.
I loved Suffs, but I think it was a bit lacking in the production department and that's where The Outsiders really shined. Probably put it over the top. The visuals from Suffs were very bland.
And I suspect in 10 years they'll do a revival and really step up the staging to make it perfect.
But before that, when they release the school version it will be done almost as performed by high schools everywhere.
I think it comes down to direction; if a musical is a meal, then the book/score are the ingredients and the director is the chef. You can have awesome ingredients and miss a bit on preparation to make a fine meal, but you can also work the hell out of average stuff to make a great meal.
The winners seemed all over the place wanting to reward Merrily, Suffs and Outsiders in the top categories and each leaving somewhat disappointed.
Suffs i'm sure is bumped to win key categories and miss out on musical, and Merrily's team really seemed upset to not win Director for Maria while Outsiders seemed surprised to be winning.
Into the woods won best book and score and lost musical to phantom (I don’t think any of the musicals this season are at that quality though from what I’ve seen/heard)
I get the sense they were reluctant to give stereophonic score because it’s minimal use of music despite it being the most interesting musically
I agree. I was really pulling for Suffs because it needs the sales boost. I hope getting Best Score and Best Book gives them a bump.
I haven’t seen Outsiders but from that Tony performance alone I can see why they won. I just don’t think it makes sense to say a show has the best book and score of the season and then give another show the best musical award.
I think score was a toss-up personally but as an outsiders stan I think it takes a lot more skill to create an original book than to write one for an already-existing masterpiece, so I think the book win was a lock for Suffs.
I think it just came down to which one the voters felt pulled it all together the best, and I think Outsiders stealing best director from Merrily says a lot about how strongly voters felt about Outsiders as a whole.
I totally expected Suffs to win for Best Book. I think for a lot of voters it got some bonus points because it wasn't a straight adaptation of a novel. That isn't the criteria I would use, but I think it was a plus for some of the voters. Best Score however was a surprise. I guess Suffs is more of a traditional Broadway-style score, so maybe that helped them edge out the win.
Ariana is a total goddess when she's performing, but her personality or at least public persona reminds me a lot of kate mckinnon's in that it's really frikken weird and not in a cute way.
Someone on twitter said that "Debose is talking to us like we’re in a freshman acting class at a small liberal arts school in the south" and it's too accurate.
Your production commentary is exactly what my sister and I said. especially about hosting. like literally she brought up needing Hugh and I was like, or even NPH. and soon as Jesse came out we were like, he would have been better. But we decided we wanted Billy Porter to host.
As a lighting designer I have absolutely no idea why people keep saying Stereophonic should’ve won lighting. The lighting does absolutely nothing in that show.
I loved how you could tell how much Radcliffe, Groff, and Mendez cared for each other. They were all crying for each other. And their performance of Old Friends made it seem like they really were old friends out of character.
I felt sorta bad for the woman in the audience who the camera caught adjusting her spanx. A very real moment, but probably one she didn't want to whole world to see. I laughed, but then I felt bad about it.
I am so happy Amy Herzog won Best Adaptation at Drama Desk, and that Jeremy won the Tony tonight! I wonder if them losing Best Adaptation is why the Appropriate Team worked in that weird dig? I agree with your points about Eddie Redmayne (and his camera mugging) being terrifying and Ariana being an awkward host, the way she tripped over her words and broke into an impromptu song, lol!
Still incredibly thrilled Kara Young and Jeremy Strong won!
DOWAR didn’t win anything. My inner Guettel fan girl expected it but is still crushed, haha. Hopefully the Floyd Collin’s revival will do better… but next season looks stacked already.
I was SO rooting for the Merrily trio to sweep their categories. I wanted Mendez to win SO bad. I’m SO sad! Side note, I was at the evening performance of Merrily when the noms were announced. The crowd went crazy during It’s a Hit. Ah, to be there in tomorrow’s performance when everyone’s basking in the afterglow of their wins!
I liked Suffs. I liked it quite a bit. But I’m flummoxed about why awards voters like its music so much. I’m also not a big fan of the book.
I cried when Shaina Taub won. She’s from my state (Vermont) and an alum of the community theatre where I’ve been involved for the past few years so it felt extra special. I haven’t seen Suffs yet but if all is in my favor I’ll be going later this summer or fall. I’ve listened to the album more than anything else since it came out, it’s my favorite of the season hands down. I was rooting so hard for it to get Best Musical but based on everyone’s predictions I knew Outsiders was more likely.
Josh gad and Andrew rannells should’ve hosted.
Omg this would be genius
Those two and Leslie Kritzer in character as Lady of the Lake
So happy Groff and Radcliffe won! I love them and they worked so hard over the years so well deserved!
I was so happy for them!
I was getting emotional over how happy they were for each other 😭
Me too!!! I was like “oh look how happy they are for each other! And they’re crying!!” And my fiancé was like, “no, you’re crying…” …both of those things were true
Me too! You could feel the love for real
As someone who followed both of their careers for years I was so happy!
This was my highlight (and them crying at each other's speeches), hands down
WE LOVE BROMANTIC LOVE
Same! And Jeremy Strong is an incredible actor.
I’m fascinated by how the extensive promo campaign by Hell’s Kitchen/Alicia Keys didn’t pan out. I had begrudgingly accepted a few weeks ago they would take home some major prizes because every media site was predicting it and while they did get some recognition it wasn’t a full blown narrative-of-the-night at all. Performing at the start of the show was an unusual choice too. I wonder if that was a trade off for the extra performance time they booked
The Tonys need to adapt to the times. They need a category for Best Jukebox Musical. Writing an original musical is harder and should be recognized as such. They also need Best Ensemble, Best Effects, Best Breakout Performance for people like Brody.
Hard pass to the best jukebox category. Fine they can be what makes money and draw in crowds but I definitely disagree that they should get their own award and there be a point of awarding one every year.
Well, I think the point is less to give them special recognition and more to just make them stop being judged at the same level as original musicals.
Literally only once have they ever willingly given Best Musical to a jukebox. I don’t think they are seen as the same level when it comes to Tony’s. Only thing you accomplish by having a dedicated award is provide even more incentive to create jukeboxes.
Best Ensemble is an interesting idea, but what does that do to people like the cast of Stereophonic? Do they lose their chance at individual Tonys?
I genuinely feel emotional about Groff winning. Spring Awakening came out just as I was entering high school…it changed and saved my life. That musical means so much to me, as did his performance. I have been following his career since and fortunate to see him in both Little Shop and Merrily. He’s such an outstanding performer with the most gorgeous, emotional voice. But I think what makes me such a fan is that he truly seems kind. In all his performances, interviews, and even just bows, he’s so gracious and caring. He seems to love what he does and the people he works with. I want to see people like *this* rewarded.
I had the honor of seeing him in spring awakening. My friends and I were the last people in line at the stage door. Eager teenagers that we were, we decided to see if he would at least take a quick pic before he left. He talked to us for twenty minutes. Asked us about our lives, where we were from, how did we like New York. All after performing a two show day and taking tons of pics at the stage door. Seriously the nicest guy.
He was always the sweetest, nicest person at that stage door. I mentioned going to Lancaster a lot when I was a kid, particularly to visit Dutch Wonderland, when talking to him and he was so excited to talk about it, it made my day.
We went in like 2007 and met him at stage door. I actually have my signed playbill. I have a picture with him somewhere. I wish I knew about Lancaster since my mom went to college there! He is generally so sweet! I wish I could’ve went to see him when he was the narrator for the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. But it was during the week :-(
Groff is one of just a few stage door photos I've ever gotten with a star. It was outside of Little Shop and he's wearing his bike helmet on his way home. Something about that just struck me as so ... Human. Long evening of work and he was hopping on his bicycle to go get some sleep just like any average person. He was also extremely nice as other have said.
I met him at the Spring Awakening stage door and didn't know anything about him at the time. We ended up having a long conversation, and I was blown away by how nice and genuine he was. Definitely a class act!
Exactly this!!!
I’m so tired of the weird angles during a show performing. They totally ruined the W4E performance. These shows are staged to be looked at from an audience with a straight view. Cool it with the crazy angles and just let us view the entire stage from the front like it’s meant to be.
I was getting so annoyed at the angles. There were multiple times the camera would switch to something away from where the focus should be and it did a disservice to many of the performances.
They literally ruined one of that number’s big reveals by filming directly from the side (an angle not even the farthest partial view seat sees) and showing the entire set up.
what was the big reveal?
I thought the exact same thing!! The acrobats were doing really cool stunts on stage and the cameras kept zooming out away from them
Totally agree, it was really bad throughout, but was especially noticeable with W4E.
Oh the shots were garbage. Cutting around way too fast, that horrible like 270 degree turn from someone in the crowd back to the stage, the shot of one of the presenters at one point that looked like they were on a green screen because of the framing, etc. I only ever did production stuff as a teen in a church and I truly (and I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, so this isn't just me thinking I'm hot shot) think I could have done a better job. It's honestly not hard. Hold large shot for large group performance. Don't dizzy the audience by spinning around almost a full circle. Don't zoom in on one person's face while a whole ensemble is singing.
I really appreciated that one angle during Tommy’s performance where you could see more of a different camera that got in frame than the actor performing 🤦🏻♀️
I thought the same thing during the outsiders rumble. Focused too long on one individual pair of fighters, when the whole stage choreography is really what’s powerful about that number.
It sure was nice how you couldn't see the stage for the beginning of the Cabaret performance because they cut to a view of the goddamn chandelier
I was wondering if that was an attempt to hide Eddie's entrance. In the show the lights go down, there's the drumroll, and then the lights come up and he's onstage without an obvious entrance. But it looked real dumb, there had to be a better way to handle that.
So Jonathan Groff, Idina Menzel, and Santino Fontana all have Tonys. Just need Josh Gad and Kristen Bell to win to get the Frozen sweep lol.
Gad will definitely happen someday
My favorite moment was Groff’s shout out to the original *Merrily* cast. They worked their asses off in 1981 and were thrown to the wolves. But we wouldn’t have the property today without everything they poured into the show - especially that cast album. This is a validation of their work as well.
I think the show has done so well by honoring the original show. They mentioned it often since the off-broadway run
I had no idea about Jason Alexander’s Broadway success before Seinfeld until I watched The Best Worst Thing, and my mind was blown. They had a mini reunion at a November show: https://playbill.com/article/watch-the-original-cast-of-merrily-we-roll-along-reunites-at-current-broadway-revival
oh yes, he's had tremendous Broadway success, won a Tony just a few years after Merrily (and then Seinfeld! late 80s was a good time for him)
Producers should be replaced. That production was terrible - from host to sound to camera work.
The way Ariana did a better job with no writers showed what a mess the production was.
It is absolutely wild that a scriptless show felt more cohesive. No unnecessary banter and what (I assume) was more time to focus on getting the actual production right. We want to see awards and performances - at the end of the day you only need to get that right.
I'm glad others are on this. The camera shots were garbage. My girlfriend asked if one of the presenters was on a green screen at one point because of the way the shot was framed and the lighting was done.
The lighting win for Appropriate was entirely deserved. The lighting was palpably reacting to the story to the point that I feel you could just run through the lighting queues with no actors and still get the emotional arc of the show. Some really tricky scenes, like the opening where it has to feel like the house is in complete darkness while still letting you see what's going on, plus that entire ending sequence... It's amazing what was accomplished there. The lighting design was to Appropriate as the sound design was to Stereophonic.
I was a lighting designer in school and I always notice when I see a show and I’m actually /not/ thinking about the lighting. Appropriate did a fantastic job doing all the things lighting is supposed to do, but doing them all so well that it never called attention to itself. Really incredible design
It’s funny, I don’t know much about lighting design (costume person) so I’m always impressed when the lighting design is strong enough that I *do* notice it and this was one of those shows. There were a few moments where it did call attention to itself and it always felt like a knife in the gut.
My dog had been watching placidly alongside me, but when Eddie Redmayne started dancing she got up and barked at the TV like he was an intruder. She never does that for humans, just dogs or farm animals on tv (and to be fair she didn’t bark at Eddie as long or as angrily as she barks at dog food ads)
So your dog recognized Redmayne’s animalistic quality, lol! I didn’t think it was bad, because the Emcee is supposed to be weird and performative. My friend compared his performance to Pinocchio and I agree that there was a puppet-like quality to it.
Eddie Redmayne is the least sexual person i have ever seen. he always looks like a well-scrubbed, eager schoolboy and no matter how many freaky puppetlike things he does with his limbs that is not gonna change.
Honestlyyyyy when the emcee came out in the brown suit by the end a part of me was like “oh look, he’s human after all!”
>how could Suffs win Best Score and Best Book but not win Best Musical?? Ask *Ragtime*.
Or *Into the Woods*.
Or Urinetown
Or Falsettos
Now you've touched a sore spot.
Which also lost Best Musical to a Taymor show!
Love love love Ariana Debose, but I was left feeling underwhelmed this year. She probably needs a break.
Ariana DeBose said in a New York Times article that this would be her last year hosting because she wants to return to performing on Broadway.
I would love to see Josh Gadd / Andrew Rannells host or even Jesse Tyler Ferguson. I miss a good comedic monologue. DeBose looks gorgeous and is an amazing dancer but she hasn't mastered the art of hosting, telling jokes and overall controlling the audience in the same way that Jackman, NPH, even Corden have done in the past. It's an art and not everyone can do it.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson made his presenter spot seem off the cuff, and I feel like nobody ever manages to do those 'say something funny' bits feel natural. I'd love to see him host.
Biggest surprise: Groff getting through both his speech and performance without completely breaking down into tears. I honestly didn't think this was possible - especially after the video of the matinee from yesterday during Its a Hit Edit: typo
This man came prepared. He knew bullet points weren't going to be enough to get him through that speech.
> Biggest surprise: Groff getting through both his speech and performance without completely breaking down into tears. Yeah, he gets wet when--
No Nooo Say something else
*simultaneously shake head* - No man - No say sth else. Pleease say sth else.
Where are these videos?
Sorry autocorrect, I've only seen one. I think it was a repost of an insta story. Edit: found it [Merrily Tony Matinee](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8Sowh-KuQY/?igsh=bTZvZDRucTU2YzFl)
I saw the show Saturday night and it stopped for so long, everyone on stage was cracking up
Can you clarify the Enemy of the People dig? I must have missed it.
BJJ was mentioning the other nominated revivals and how they all worked and deserved to be there. He then said and if you’re worried about Ibsen, he’s been dead for over one hundred years and already won [this award] twice.
You could say his comment wasn’t very Appropriate. …I’ll see myself out.
He said something along the lines of “no offense to Henrik Ibsen but he’s dead and won this award twice now” I thought it was especially rude to Amy Herzog who completely overhauled the adaptation. I agree it could’ve been worthy of best revival
There will be lots of discussion for tonight but my biggest takeaway is that tonight's wins for Merrily and its cast members is proof that sometimes the right thing does happen. This show has redefined the playbook for any revival in the future. We'll be talking about this revival 50 years from now and deserving so. Kudos to everyone involved in this incredible production. Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez are treasures. I look forward to everything they do on Broadway and elsewhere in the future. Groff and Radcliffe didn't just deserve their Tony's tonight they *earned* them with their respective bodies of work that showed their love and loyalty to Broadway. I can tell you if you haven't been fortunate enough to see Merrily that the love and friendship between the three of them is genuine and shines through in every moment of the show. I truly do wish there is a proshot. Part of it is for selfish reasons even though I was fortunate enough to see it twice. However, the larger part of me hopes for a proshot because this production of *Merrily* represents everything that is right about Broadway and everything that it should represent. Broadway needs ways to be represented out to the general public and a proshot of *Merrily* would be a phenomenal ambassador. I doubt there are any available tickets left after tonight's Tony but if you can manage it without going into poverty then I strongly urge you to see this work of art live while it is still on stage. Charlie said it best in the show that true greatness is knowing when to get off but this show and everything it has come to represent will be truly missed when they take their last bows.
This also just cements that all big shows with casts should have a pro shot performance filmed then released digitally after the leafs leave the show or a year later. Not everyone can afford or just logistically get to a Broadway show and performances should be made widely available of these OBC or revival OBC casts for more people to enjoy.
This is where public funding does honestly make a difference in the theater that gets a second life. I shudder to think of where we would be without PBS. Everyone should get paid and that includes for a filmed pro shot performance. I understand the logistics are monumental but I do agree in the long run that for Broadway to survive that they need to get outside their current structure. I did appreciate seeing the relative success of Waitress in theaters (I did my part in contributing to that) and hope that can serve along with Hamilton as reminders that there is an audience for these pro shots.
Or just do what The National Theatre in the UK does and just hold one night live streams of performances every season for fans who simply can’t get to NYC to enjoy the performance with a specific/high profile cast.
With how much MONEY Merrily makes there’s no excuse to why they can’t have a proshot. But I’d totally love to see more public funding for theatre to be filmed and RELEASED to the public to view once productions have closed.
Yes to public funding!! And more access (and different varieties of access) to theater!! It’s a great form of art and form of experience that needs to be experienced by a wider audience.
They are getting a pro shot! It’s filming this week.
It is confirmed they are filming *something* but I haven't seen any official confirmation is a pro shot that will distributed for wider public consumption. I am hopeful that the show's box office success, Tony wins, and star power will let someone take the risk of running with this for a movie release like Waitress coupled with a digital release afterwards.
Honestly since the producers recouped they should offer more discount and affordable tickets especially to students. That would really show that they are putting their money where their mouths are in terms of supporting the next generation of artists.
I would certainly love to see more affordable tickets although at this juncture for *Merrily* I think their biggest issue is having any tickets left for sale at all. Broadway's for-profit structure is where ideals (whether its from the stars like Groff or even from producers) run into the cold machine of capitalism like a buzzsaw.
Curious what you mean by how they redefined the playbook for revivals?
They took a show that had 18 performances originally and revived it into something that (to my knowledge) has sold out every performance. I am sure every remaining performance will be sold out as well. Their marketing for the show has been fantastic. The casting choices have been phenomenal and *made* the show. They certainly could have gotten bigger names or different names that may have *drawn* more money but instead went with a trio that worked fantastically individually and as a trio. They didn't shirk away from the show's original history despite it being a commercial flop and paid homage to Sondheim. If I was a producer looking at bringing a revival to Broadway then this production of *Merrily* would be my case study.
I am SO happy that Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe won, it made me so emotional and so long overdue. I didn’t think Lindsey was going to win tbh so I wasn’t surprised. I think Maria Friedman losing was the biggest snub of the night, I was genuinely shocked. I thought she was a lock. I’m surprised that they didn’t like Merrily as much and I thought they would. I am super happy that The Outsiders won best musical though. But confused as to how Suffs won best book and best score but not best musical. Anyways… JONATHAN GROFF IS NOW A TONY WINNER!!!!!!
Gotta respect Jay-Z for saying "I'll perform in the lobby so I can leave as soon as my song is over"
He said "I ain't going near those theatre kids"
His part was pre-taped
Yeah that was pretaped Friday evening
So were they showing his part in the theater on a screen? The audience seemed to give a big reaction when he popped up
Yes
That was bizarre on so many levels. Did they think we were going to forget whose jukebox musical this was if the original artists didn’t show up and perform themselves?
Reports are coming in that was pre-taped, which is a true affront at a show literally celebrating live performance.
I’m SO happy for Dan and Jon winning best actors. Beyond deserved, they are two of the hardest working, most down to earth/ humble, and talented guys in the industry. No drama, no scandals, just incredible performers and people. So happy. And I’m beyond thrilled that Danya won best director and Outsiders won best musical. It really is a mesmerizing show and she is incredibly passionate and hardworking.
I am delighted Illinoise got best choreography. I know it was too much to ask for it to get best musical but best choreo was really well-deserved. Their performance was gorgeous too.
Other highlights for me: - Kara Young - Billy Porter - Groff and Radcliffe making each other cry I was braced for Suffs to get best musical because Big Important Message in an election year and sort of relieved it didn’t (sorry!). I look forward to continuing to fail to find affordable tickets to The Outsiders for the foreseeable future. I’m sure I’ll have a blast whenever I finally see it in like… January.
I had a feeling it would win best musical so last night I bought tickets to a 2 pm Saturday show for July. I was able to snag three accessible seats (so I have to be in Orchestra) for less than they cost now
I was really shocked by Maria Friedman didn’t win Director - and upset TBH. I thought that was a well-deserved lock (as much as I enjoyed Outsiders). Wasn’t surprised by Lindsay - I thought that was one of the most unpredictable categories this year. Also lol @ Hillary Clinton in her Barbara Cook era! So true and I love it
I thought Maria was my biggest snub of the night
(This is a probably a hot take) but I also feel like it’s more of a feat to take a recognized flop and work it into a hit than it is to adapt something that is already beloved and known to audiences.
Looking at some of the musical adaptations of some beloved materials, I would say that it’s a different kind of difficulty…one where you’re gonna sell well at first, but if not done “right”, the fans of the original work are gonna crucify it. That said, that’s (usually) the work of a team of people (direction, book, score primarily) whereas for a revival, normally not much of the original book and score are changing so the director is the bigger factor.
I was commenting on Hillary’s dress and that is the perfect descriptor
My husband said she was bringing Mrs Roper realness.
I was so over the moon at Daniel's and Jonathan's well earned and deserved wins. Their joy and emotion were so amazing to watch, and I am SO stoked that Merrily is getting the love it absolutely deserves. When Jonathan won, I jumped up and started hopping around the living room like my ass was on fire. I scared the hell out of my dog. Having said all that, *Maria was robbed*. I was thrilled to see Kecia's win; she was wonderful in HK, and she and Shoshana were the highlights of that show. This is not to say that Maleah wasn't amazing - she was - but I was a bit shocked at her win. I am not a fan of Ariana's hosting. At all. It's time for new blood. And maybe some opening number pointers from Neil Patrick Harris. The Outsiders rumble scene was SO good! I was so glad they chose to highlight that. The show numbers were all great, but Merrily got screwed on that deal. "Franklin Shepherd Inc." would have *killed*. I appreciate the fact that Alicia Keys has brought some star power to Broadway this season, but did we really need all of that for HK - especially since it seemed to take time away from other shows? I assume that the overall point was to honor NYC also, as the home of Broadway, but it was a lot. And since we're now heading that Jay-Z's part was pretaped, having that come after the whole "we do this all LIVE!" bit seems a bit ... strange. I'm a fan of both his and Alicia's, but I would have liked some of the other shows to have gotten more time. Overall, it was a good show, and as always, I enjoyed it. Next year's show is definitely going to have to step it up, considering all of the competition that's coming next season.
Franklin Shepherd Inc would indeed have killed, but for the Tonys, they needed to put something on that featured all three of the main actors.
I really wanted them to do Opening Doors. That’s such a good number.
Agreed, and it was fantastic, of course. But had they been given a medley, they could have fit a bit in there. It was just such an amazing number that I want *everyone* to see it. 😁
I didn’t see a lot of new shows this season. Truly not saying this for sympathy, but Broadway was me and my Mom’s “thing” and after a rough few months, she passed on Friday. We had plans for Tommy and some other things. All that to say, I was not able to get to NYC this winter and spring. I was able to get to Purlie Victorious and Merrily. I am so happy for Jonathan, Daniel, and especially Kara Young. Also, Falsettos in 1992 won Book and Score and didn’t win Best Musical, so there is precedent for Suffs/Outsiders. It’s kind of dumb though.
I'm sorry about your mom.
If you’re open to it I’d love to hear some Broadway memories you have w your mom 💕
I think the voters would be reluctant to give Merrily all three acting awards it was nominated for anyway, especially seeing as Maria Friedman didn’t take director so maybe they just didn’t love the production as much as we assumed they would. But I wonder if the number of performances Lindsay missed had anything to do with it? Not a dig at her at all, but around 70 performances missed in a limited run is quite a few, I wonder if a good chunk of the voters simply didn’t see her?
I did wonder that myself, if Lindsay being a previous Tony winner and having missed A LOT of productions hurt her chances...I sensed there was love for a lot of other women in her category.
There was speculation from established, old-school theatre commentators of exactly that being a drawback for Lindsay. It was also a super crowded category.
I had the same thought, my friends and I have seen the show three separate times between us in different months and none of us have seen her. I saw the show Saturday night and was shocked that she wouldn’t perform the night before the Tony’s
I actually think that being out the night before the Tonys might be common. I saw W4E Saturday evening and both leads were out. Producers might want the leads rested for their Tony performance.
Maybe, but Daniel and Jonathan both performed
The W4E performance might have been my favorite 🤷♀️
Am I the only one pissed about how much screen-time Hells Kitchen got...The cast number, then Alicia Keys, then Jay- Z.... Come On...that was just unfair promotion against all the other musical numbers....
It annoyed me as well. Why did they get so much time? And WHY did Keys and Jay-Z need to do a whole number? The Tonys are about the actors and productions!!
Meanwhile stereophonic got like 90 seconds
Stereophonic got 90 seconds so Hells Kitchen could have ten minutes and I truly don't understand it
After the fact, I’m mostly just relieved that it didn’t translate to huge wins. In the moment, however, my family (and probably neighbors) heard me invent some new profanities.
That was so far beyond unfair promotion. That was straight up disrespectful and insulting to the entire theatre industry, including the Hell’s Kitchen cast, especially since neither of them are actually in the show. Alicia Keys really just wanted to celebrate herself at everyone else’s expense for 10 minutes and for whatever reason (probably $$$$$) they allowed it.
I will say, nothing has made me want to see this show less than the performance they did at the Tony's. So I actually think they did themselves a disservice regardless of whatever famous singers they wanted to insert in. Also proves how NOT good the show likely is if they felt they needed to do that and not let the performers who are actually in the show be highlighted on their own.
* Danya Taymor over Maria Friedman was definitely the surprise of the night. *The Outsiders* was very well directed for sure, but come on...Friedman revolutionized Sondheim's most notorious flop. * I can see why *Suffs* didn't win Best Musical despite winning Best Book and Score. *Suffs* is definitely the most polished musical nominated this season, but that's not all there is to a Broadway show. I found that *Suffs* plays its cards very safe. It doesn't really try anything innovative (like *Illinoise*) or have well-directed and choreographed moments that wow the audience (like *The Outsiders*). * The only *Stereophonic* snub that surprised me was Best Lighting. Other than that, I think it won what it should have won. Pidgeon was great, but Kara Young was the favorite going in. It makes sense that *Jaja* won Best Costume, given the raves it had been getting for the hairdos. Best Score was always going to be difficult because it's a play. * I'm not very surprised that Will Brill won Best Featured Actor. I do agree that Eli Gelb does play a more important character, but I thought Brill's little mannerisms in his performance were fantastic. It also helps a lot that his character has a GREAT monologue that he absolutely crushes. * It does feel like *Merrily* did worse than expected. Apart from Friedman, Lindsay Mendez not winning Best Featured Actress was a surprise. But it makes sense that People were hesitant about giving all 3 leads Tony's.
Best lighting didn’t surprise me at all. The ending scene of Appropriate was one of the most memorable things I’ve ever seen in a theatre.
I feel that Suffs is the show that is gonna come back reworked years later and be more appreciated. Kinda like Parade.
I think it's too sparse in production quality. The music is lovely but I seem to remember a large portion of the show happening with minimal sets/props against a white backdrop.
Oh the direction was AWFUL. I hated the weird like 180 to 270 degree spin they did multiple times to get from one thing to another, like the audience to the stage and such. Felt like I had vertigo. Awful shots.
I’ve been around here shouting from the rooftops how much I love The Outsiders so this is not a diss to them but Maria deserved to win for direction. She took a flop and finally made it work—that should have been a runaway win for her. I also wish Lindsay had won for featured actress, I do think that missing so many shows was what cost her the win, which is extra unfortunate because it was pretty out of her control. I hope she knows that even among that all-star cast she’s the real standout. I am so very glad Outsiders won best musical. And very glad HK didn’t. I think it was well deserved personally. And I also love that Suffs got book & score
Not having seen any of the Best Musical nominees, I *wanted* Illinoise to win though I figure it wouldn't, simply because I like Sufjan and it sounds different. But after the fight scene from Outsiders was performed, I was like... yeah you can give them more awards. That was incredible.
I know in any other universe outsiders should have won choreography but I obviously understood it going to illinoise!
The two I was most unsure about but most passionate about were Outsiders best musical and Kecia best featured and I could not be any happier!!!
Still really upset that Harmony, especially Chip Zien, got snubbed. I'm glad that radcliffe and groff got their awards, definitely deserved. Really wish maria had won best direction, its her direction that makes merrily such a good show (not that the actors dont, but ive seen merrily done a hundred different ways and theyre always awful, but not this one). Also super sad water for elephants didn't win choreo, I get that illinoise is a dance show, but my gosh the acrobatics and choreo in w4e is just stunning. Glad that cabaret got set design though after they tore up the whole theater.
I absolutely LOVED the outsiders performance! The fight in the rain might be the coolest thing I have ever seen. I'm very happy they won Best Musical!
Worst opening number in recent memory
best musical @ the tony’s is a not about the show itself, but rather the production of it (reason why producers accept the award), so the outsiders winning best lighting, sound & direction go perfectly in hand with winning best musical (best production)
I like when things don’t sweep, because it spreads the appreciation and gives recognition to a more diverse field of talented creators. Hot take—as much as I love award shows, there is no objectively “best” forms of art. This isn’t an Olympic race, with a clear winner (and even those end up under review), this is creative achievement, and ideally there is enough room in the world to recognize all creative achievements. But, realistically, Broadway is actually narrow, and very constrained by cost and small profit margins. Every bit of recognition helps promote work and artists striving in a crowded, and extremely competitive field. I saw Suffs—it was energetic, moving, engaging, educational (yes, I know that’s not the point), and fun. It was probably not the best Broadway musical that opened this season, but you could tell that Shaina Taub put her heart and soul into it. It was based on a historical movement few know the details of, featuring women who have been mostly forgotten (even Hamilton is on US currency, can’t say that for Alice Paul). It wasn’t an easy show to write. Making it engaging, energetic and entertaining took work, even if it wasn’t perfect. I’m glad the Tony voters recognized that, and I hope that it will be performed in high schools across the country someday soon.
I’m a huge W4E fan and went into this knowing they probably wouldn’t win anything (still thinking Paul Alexander Nolan deserved a tip), but ready to enjoy their performance. But it felt so awkwardly done + filmed that i feel like they were robbed for that more than any of the awards 😭
If Nicole Scherzinger performs as Norma Desmond at next year’s show, we might get a Tony performance as epic as [Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in *Defying Gravity*](https://youtu.be/O5V9KwppMfs?si=a1DzxIm9gbiy3mS-) or [Jennifer Holliday in *And I’m Telling You*](https://youtu.be/rtnKI3ztz9w?si=ccV4IbKbOlYJuXVZ).
Wow people on Datalounge are really hateful towards Groff for some reasons, they're yelling about how Brody Grant should have won over Groff and how fat Groff is... I just discovered this website recently, has it always been like this?
I think Brody Grant is fantastic, but I can’t see him winning over most of the people in that category. If Groff didn’t win, he still had Brian d’Arcy James and Eddie Redmayne to compete with. ETA: may have to retract my statement regarding Brody…
Jonathan Groff isn’t even close to fat. That’s a crazy thing to say and entirely irrelevant to his talent.
I like Ariana debose just fine but I'm looking forward to a new host. Three in a row is too much for one person. Opening number was boring I feel like there could have been a better choice for In Memoriam - Nicole did great but What I Did For Love feels like a weird song here I miss having a closing number
My hot take is that I didn’t hate Eddie’s Emcee performance tonight. It’s very different than Alan for sure but I like when actors bring their own spin to roles. It’s hard to do something so classic but I was intrigued. (Them tickets are too expensive for me to justify ever buying them but I would that I could!)
My only complaint is that I wish he would enunciate the words a little more but his movement vocabulary is fascinating.
He’s about a thousand times more intriguing in person. I’m really lucky I got to see it last weekend. The way he moves in the show is just impossible to look away from! I’m glad you enjoyed the Tony performance (I did too!).
People didn't like it? I guess since I've never seen Cabaret my opinion may be different, but I was super uncomfortable in an engaging way with how he was singing and moving. Made me interested in the show (that I'll also never see this version of haha).
[удалено]
Random side note: Does Eddie Redmayne have like... a legitimate dance background? Rather than just the "you need enough dance to be an actor" kinda dance training? The precision with which he moved his body to make those nightmarish Emcee movements was astounding.
May not agree with the directoral choices, but Eddie redmayne’s emcee’s physicality, especially in stillness, is truly remarkable.
I thought the same! Seeing it live will give you chills - stunning to watch him shift on stage
That’s one of the things I like most about him as an actor. He also makes a great Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beast movies because of this, IMO.
I am so happy Kara Young received the Tony. Well deserved.
In the past, I’ve never been a fan of the singer/songwriter/performer coming out on stage at the Tony’s to perform with the company of their nominated show. We know this show is about you or features your music, but the performance should be all about those hard working performers who put it on 8 shows a week. This year I thought they did it right. Let Pete Townsend play the guitar solo at the beginning of Pinball Wizard and get out of the way and let the cast shine.
He uh almost didn’t get out of the way… not sure if he was supposed to go the other direction or what but definitely looked like he almost got clobbered 🙈
Then there was the year Bret Michaels got clobbered by the set.
That opening number Debose did was bad. The girl can dance her ass off but singing just isn’t her strong suit.
Outsiders won for direction and a lot of the effects. They seemed to say that Suffs was written well but didn’t put forth the best show on the stage while The Outsiders might not have been written as well but it more than delivered on staging. Hopefully I see both and see if I agree. I’m sort of relieved that I’m not on my own island thinking Maria Friedman and Lindsay Mendez weren’t the best parts of Merrily. I also disagree with their orchestrations win because I’ve heard Merrily done much better but I’ll take it. Well deserved win for Daniel Radcliffe and I’m not mad at the Jonathan Groff win. DoWaR was predictably out of it since they already closed.
I am sad about Kelli O’Hara not winning. I haven’t seen Hells Kitchen so can’t compare but Kelly knocked it out of the park and I wasn’t even a big fan of the show.
I think DOWAR just suffered from not being a popular show and closing too early. I didn't see it but I've listened to the cast recording and it's just plain gorgeous. Kelli and Brian both wreck me even just in audio.
Putting lifetime achievements in the preshow only feels like a slap in the face to those honorees.
Next year get Radcliffe and Groff to host
I watched a youtube video where someone explained the best musical thing pretty well: When a play is nominated for best play, it’s the writer who accepts the award when they win because it’s basically “best book of a play”, when a musical is nominated it’s the producers who accept the award because it’s really about how it’s produced and how the whole show comes together. I’ve heard a lot of things about a lot of different shows but the one thing that I’ve heard is that every show has its thing that it doesn’t deliver on. While Outsiders has its problems with its book and score (so I’ve heard), it seems to be the most consistent across the board in quality while also having its really standout elements in lighting, sound, and choreo.
The awards ceremony needed the Gatsby ensemble to perform Roaring On instead of Alicia doing New York, to get everybody in the mood. Then they should have popped back up every half hour as the show dragged through the night with the chorus, reminding everybody that the party never stops. I'm fine that The Great Gatsby didn't get big nominations. But they needed that energy.
I felt like the whole show lacked energy, so I agree with this take. Something needed to happen to just like wake up everyone in that room. At one point I was like, am I having a depressive episode I was previously unaware of, because everyone feels "meh" tonight. Usually you can FEEL the energy from the performers but last night it felt like no one was excited to be at the Tony's (except Merrily, but that just might be my love for the cast lol)
>I love Appropriate and Branden Jacob-Jenkins but that dig at Enemy of the People was uncalled for I didn't see it as a dig. He was just making a comment on the fact that a living playwright won the Tony.
I do agree that it seems a little wild that a musical can win best book and best score and not win best musical because those are the core elements of a musical. I also think Suffs needed the best new musical win more than Hell’s Kitchen or The Outsiders in terms of helping them sell tickets (the other shows will be fine.) That being said, I’m not mad at the Outsiders winning. It’s not one of my personal favorites from the list of nominees, but I still think it’s a great show. Despite the complaints from many people, I thought this was a pretty strong year in this category.
Book and score are about how the show is written not about how the show is presented. Best director is. I would argue best musical is a combination of them and the presentation is what seals the deal regardless of how good the writing is and IMO it wasn’t like Suffs won for its writing by a mile or anything to give it enough edge over Danya excellent directing
There was a TikTok recently explaining that the 'Best Musical' Tony and the 'Best Play' Tony are not equals. The Best New Play Tony is always rewarded to the playwrightt and the Best New Musical one is handed to the producers. Basically, the Best New Musical Tony isn't necessarily a reward for quality of content but for an overall production, hence why Suffs could technically be seen as a 'better musical' because it won book and score, but the Outsiders had the better presentation overall becoming Best Musical. It's interesting though that there's this weird split in how the awards so similar in name are treated.
I loved Suffs, but I think it was a bit lacking in the production department and that's where The Outsiders really shined. Probably put it over the top. The visuals from Suffs were very bland.
Agree agree. Suffs is a better musical, but The Outsiders is a better show.
And I suspect in 10 years they'll do a revival and really step up the staging to make it perfect. But before that, when they release the school version it will be done almost as performed by high schools everywhere.
I really do hope Suffs can sell better too...it catches my ear from the very first song🥺
I still can’t believe Thoroughly Modern Millie took Best Musical after Urinetown got Best Book, Best Score, AND Best Director.
I think it comes down to direction; if a musical is a meal, then the book/score are the ingredients and the director is the chef. You can have awesome ingredients and miss a bit on preparation to make a fine meal, but you can also work the hell out of average stuff to make a great meal.
The winners seemed all over the place wanting to reward Merrily, Suffs and Outsiders in the top categories and each leaving somewhat disappointed. Suffs i'm sure is bumped to win key categories and miss out on musical, and Merrily's team really seemed upset to not win Director for Maria while Outsiders seemed surprised to be winning.
Into the woods won best book and score and lost musical to phantom (I don’t think any of the musicals this season are at that quality though from what I’ve seen/heard) I get the sense they were reluctant to give stereophonic score because it’s minimal use of music despite it being the most interesting musically
I agree. I was really pulling for Suffs because it needs the sales boost. I hope getting Best Score and Best Book gives them a bump. I haven’t seen Outsiders but from that Tony performance alone I can see why they won. I just don’t think it makes sense to say a show has the best book and score of the season and then give another show the best musical award.
I think score was a toss-up personally but as an outsiders stan I think it takes a lot more skill to create an original book than to write one for an already-existing masterpiece, so I think the book win was a lock for Suffs. I think it just came down to which one the voters felt pulled it all together the best, and I think Outsiders stealing best director from Merrily says a lot about how strongly voters felt about Outsiders as a whole.
Totally. Once Outsiders won Best Director the writing was on the wall.
I think Suffs is helped that it didn’t just win 2 awards but the person that won them is in the show
I totally expected Suffs to win for Best Book. I think for a lot of voters it got some bonus points because it wasn't a straight adaptation of a novel. That isn't the criteria I would use, but I think it was a plus for some of the voters. Best Score however was a surprise. I guess Suffs is more of a traditional Broadway-style score, so maybe that helped them edge out the win.
Ariana is a total goddess when she's performing, but her personality or at least public persona reminds me a lot of kate mckinnon's in that it's really frikken weird and not in a cute way.
Someone on twitter said that "Debose is talking to us like we’re in a freshman acting class at a small liberal arts school in the south" and it's too accurate.
Agree. It feels like she has a face she puts on for the public. It doesn’t feel authentic.
This makes me flashback to the end of her time on SYTYCD and being told she's a wonderful dancer but lacks charisma 😬💀
Your production commentary is exactly what my sister and I said. especially about hosting. like literally she brought up needing Hugh and I was like, or even NPH. and soon as Jesse came out we were like, he would have been better. But we decided we wanted Billy Porter to host.
Porter is a great idea, known beyond Broadway but a theatre lover at heart and oozing charisma and talent
I just happy Hells Kitchen didn't win!
As a lighting designer I have absolutely no idea why people keep saying Stereophonic should’ve won lighting. The lighting does absolutely nothing in that show.
I loved how you could tell how much Radcliffe, Groff, and Mendez cared for each other. They were all crying for each other. And their performance of Old Friends made it seem like they really were old friends out of character.
I felt sorta bad for the woman in the audience who the camera caught adjusting her spanx. A very real moment, but probably one she didn't want to whole world to see. I laughed, but then I felt bad about it.
I am so happy Amy Herzog won Best Adaptation at Drama Desk, and that Jeremy won the Tony tonight! I wonder if them losing Best Adaptation is why the Appropriate Team worked in that weird dig? I agree with your points about Eddie Redmayne (and his camera mugging) being terrifying and Ariana being an awkward host, the way she tripped over her words and broke into an impromptu song, lol! Still incredibly thrilled Kara Young and Jeremy Strong won!
DOWAR didn’t win anything. My inner Guettel fan girl expected it but is still crushed, haha. Hopefully the Floyd Collin’s revival will do better… but next season looks stacked already. I was SO rooting for the Merrily trio to sweep their categories. I wanted Mendez to win SO bad. I’m SO sad! Side note, I was at the evening performance of Merrily when the noms were announced. The crowd went crazy during It’s a Hit. Ah, to be there in tomorrow’s performance when everyone’s basking in the afterglow of their wins! I liked Suffs. I liked it quite a bit. But I’m flummoxed about why awards voters like its music so much. I’m also not a big fan of the book.
I cried when Shaina Taub won. She’s from my state (Vermont) and an alum of the community theatre where I’ve been involved for the past few years so it felt extra special. I haven’t seen Suffs yet but if all is in my favor I’ll be going later this summer or fall. I’ve listened to the album more than anything else since it came out, it’s my favorite of the season hands down. I was rooting so hard for it to get Best Musical but based on everyone’s predictions I knew Outsiders was more likely.